Subject: Re: XML as program output?

From: Steven Bachrach <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 11:39:00 -0500

There have been a number of very good replies concerning the XML issue,
but as one who has spent too much time on the web, I want to address the
XML isssue from a slightly different perspective.

I had been in communication with Perter Murray-Rust and Henry Rzepa
about the CML project for about a year before I was able to finally meet
Peter in person for a demo. Before that demo, I had interpreted XML/CML
as being yet another file format, though one that was very flexible and
non-proprietary.

I was truly amazed at the demo Peter gave of the power of XML/CML and it
is often quite a task now to truly capture what XML/CML can do in
presentations I give. Some of this has been mentioned by many already on
this list, but the key to me is this: XML/CML allows for the true
separation of data from its representation. What this means is that
author's work (be it a real human-written article or a
computer-generated output file) can be provided with ALL of the data
present. The user (reader) can then use a set of tools that he or she
wants to use to interact with that data. This means that for example,
one person could read the article as a pdf file, one could use a web
browser to read the text coupled with a molecular visualization tool and
another could use the JUMBO browser that richly integrates text and
molecular data visualization tools in a dramaticlaly radical way.
Instead of being forced to use single (or limited) tool set, XML/CML can
open up chemical data to an unlimited variety of ways of interacting
with the data and information. 

XML/CML is not simply a new file format. It is much richer that this.
XML is to data as how SGML relates to words.

I do not see leagcy formats evaporating into the mist. But I do see all
major software houses providing the option to obtain XML/CML output as
more XML-aware tools become widespread. Instead of this being a
revolution that will require us to chuck old osftware and buy new
software (i.e the Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 change), I see a slow and
steady movment toward an XML information exchange that takes place
behind the scenes. In fact, many web sites are already XML-based (most
online catalog services for example). 

Steve 
-- 
Steven Bachrach				
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115                          Phone: (815)753-6863
[email-masked]                      Fax:   (815)753-4802