When developing solutions that process XML documents in several environments and interchange data between them, it's essential to develop the structure rules for the XML documents at the outset, and get them accepted by all parties to the project.
Where XML is to be interchanged between members of a business community, it's increasingly common for industry groups to define the standards and interchange rules, and to publish schemas. If that's been done for your application area we can provide expert help to understand and use the standards.
If you're considering an internal or trail-blazing application then there is unlikely to be any ready-for-use standard and schema. In which case we recommend:
The analysis / modelling / design process has been good practice for relational database projects since the 1980s. Similar methodologies should be applied for XML.
Once the structure rules for the document type have been defined and signed off, a schema should be prepared for each document type. The schema is a fundamental component of the implementation and should be the first code to be prepared. Schemas increase development productivity, by preventing time-wasting due to working or testing with bad data. They can and should be posted on the web for all stakeholders to refer to and test against. Schemas can prevent data interchange mismatches, vital if software and components from a number of sources are being integrated to provide the total solution.
We can develop for you the document types that may be required for your business area:
Our approach is to conduct an initial meeting or workshop to review samples of available data and business rules, and identify the business area knowledge experts. We will then quote a fixed price for the work and deliverables as outlined above.
Need to get your XML Documents well structured and well documented? Call us today!.