[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Should Subject Matter Experts Determine XML Data Implementations?
Hi Folks, Let me divide the world into two camps: 1. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): these are people that are experts in a subject (domain), but are not necessarily expert at the technologies employed to implement the subject/domain. 2. Technology Experts: these are people that are experts at the technologies, but are not necessarily expert in the subject matter. ----------------------------------------------- Consider the following process to developing an XML data implementation: Step 1: SMEs are interviewed about the domain's data and its hierarchical relationships. A "Data Specification" is created which captures the domain's data and relationships. Step 2: Technology experts are then handed the Data Specification to implement. They create an XML Schema implementation. ----------------------------------------------- Questions about the development of the XML implementation of the Data Specification: 1. Should the technology experts be constrained to doing a 1:1 mapping of the Data Specification to the XML Schema? 2. Or, should the technology experts be at liberty to make alterations where they see fit? Alterations include using different names, generalizing, and reorganizing. ----------------------------------------------- Example: an expert on Books (a Book SME) is interviewed. From the interview, a "Book Data Specification" is generated. It's a detailed, complete document, containing such things as prose about what a Book is and the data that characterizes a Book and the relationships among the data. Here's a table which succinctly summarizes the Book domain's data and hierarchy: Book Author ..... String Title ...... String Date ....... Year ISBN ....... Sequence of digit, dashes, and 'x' Publisher .. String The Book Data Specification is then handed off to a technology expert for him to create an XML data implementation; namely, an XML Schema. In a 1:1 implementation, the schema declares a <Book> element that is comprised of <Author>, <Date>, <ISBN>, and <Publisher> elements. - Effectively, the SMEs are defining the XML data implementation. In a non-1:1 implementation, the schema diverges from the Book Data Specification. For example, suppose the technology expert makes these changes: - Instead of using the term "Publisher" he uses the term Pub, and thus declares a <Pub> element - Instead of single term "Author", he declares multiple terms: <Person> <GivenName>...</GivenName> <Surname>...</Surname> </Person> - Instead of the term "ISBN" he uses the term GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) ----------------------------------------------- Should an XML data implementation of a Data Specification be 1:1 with the Data Specification? In other words, should SMEs effectively define XML data implementations? Or, should technology experts be at liberty to diverge from a Data Specification and thus change things specified by SMEs? /Roger
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