What
are the strengths & weaknesses of XML?
The strengths:
For EDI communications between companies of all size XML appears
to offer a number of significant advantages. Unlike traditional
EDI syntaxes such as EDIFACT, XML does not need the development
of company specific applications to make the application data contained
in the message understandable to the person using the data. The
same XML data can be presented to either a WEB Browser or an internal
application (assuming that an application interface exists) without
any additional manipulation or special computer programs.
Weaknesses:
While
XML deals with the exchange of data from one application to a browser
for human interpretation, it does not appear to advance the exchange
of data from one application to another. While exchanges direct
between applications are possible they must be conducted using the
same XML 'dialect' in order that both applications can understand
the data. The creation of these dialects are today not regulated
or controlled in any manner, in fact this is considered by some
to be a strength of XML, which leads to the possibility of many
different dialects being created to support the same business applications.
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