The Web is dominated today by relatively few technologies, including the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the HyperText Markup Language (HTML). Perhaps more fundamental than either HTTP or HTML are the URIs, which are simple text strings that refer to Internet resources. URIs may refer to documents, resources, to people, and indirectly to anything. The primary reference work on URIs is Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax, the Internet Society's RFC 2396, by T. Berners-Lee, R. Fielding, and L. Masinter, produced by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Information about URIs for general and technical audiences alike is linked to the URI home page on the W3C Web site.
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The Resource Description Framework (RDF) integrates a variety of web-based metadata activities including sitemaps, content ratings, stream channel definitions, search engine data collection (web crawling), digital library collections, and distributed authoring, using XML as an interchange syntax. The RDF specifications provide a lightweight ontology system to support the exchange of knowledge on the Web.
The W3C Semantic Web Activity Statement explains W3C's plans for RDF and metadata in detail. Further information on the RDF Core Working Group is available from the RDF Core WG home page and the Semantic Web Activity page. The RDF Core specifications consist of the RDF Model and Syntax Recommentation and the Schema Candidate Recommendation. Active discussion of possible future RDF work is currently underway in the RDF Interest Group.
XHTML Events specification has been published. The XHTML Events module provides XHTML host languages the ability to uniformly integrate event listeners and associated event handlers with Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 event interfaces. The result is to provide XHTML based languages an interoperable way of associating behaviors with document-level markup. In addition, this specification defines a subset of the XHTML Events module called basic events for use on simpler client devices. Finally, the XHTML Event Types Module defines the XHTML language event types.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a language for describing two-dimensional graphics in XML. SVG allows for three types of graphic objects: vector graphic shapes (e.g., paths consisting of straight lines and curves), images and text. Graphical objects can be grouped, styled, transformed and composited into previously rendered objects. Text can be in any XML namespace suitable to the appplication, which enhances searchability and accessibility of the SVG graphics. The feature set includes nested transformations, clipping paths, alpha masks, filter effects, template objects and extensibility.
SVG drawings can be dynamic and interactive. The Document Object Model (DOM) for SVG, which includes the full XML DOM, allows for straightforward and efficient vector graphics animation via scripting. A rich set of event handlers such as onmouseover and onclick can be assigned to any SVG graphical object. Because of its compatibility and leveraging of other Web standards, features like scripting can be done on SVG elements and other XML elements from different namespaces simultaneously within the same Web page.
Web Services TechnologiesSOAP -- SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is technology developed by DevelopMentor, IBM, Lotus, Microsoft, and UserLand. SOAP provides an extensible XML messaging protocol, and it provides an RPC programming model application layer. At this time, more than 30 SOAP implementations are available. The two most popular implementations are an open source Java implementation from the Apache Software Foundation and a Microsoft implementation within the .Net SDK.
SOAP Messages with Attachments -- SOAP Messages with Attachments, developed by Hewlett Packard and Microsoft, defines a binding for a SOAP 1.1 message to be carried within a MIME multipart/related message, enabling a SOAP message to carry multiple XML documents and non-XML attachments. Microsoft BizTalk Server uses SOAP Messages with Attachments, so this technology is included in a supported product.
WSDL -- WSDL (Web Services Description Language) is technology developed by Ariba, IBM, and Microsoft. It specifies a common XML framework for describing the technical specifications of a Web service. At this time, IBM has released a WSDL developer toolkit for Java through IBM alphaWorks, which can automatically generate SOAP interfaces from a WSDL description.
UDDI -- The UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) initiative is an industry consortium lead by Accenture, Ariba, Commerce One, Compaq, Edifax, Fujitsu, HP, I2, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Sun Microsystems, and VeriSign. More than 200 companies have joined the UDDI initiative. The group is developing specifications for a universal Web-based business directory called the UDDI Business Registry. At this time, the UDDI V1 specifications have been published, and beta implementations of the UDDI Business Registry are available from Ariba, IBM, and Microsoft. The UDDI Business Registry is a Web service that exposes an API invoked through SOAP messages. IBM has released an open source UDDI developer toolkit for Java through the IBM developerWorks Open Source Zone.
ebXML -- ebXML (Electronic Business XML) is a B2B XML framework being developed by the ebXML Initiative. The ebXML Initiative is a joint project of UN/CEFACT (the United Nations body for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) and OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards). The ebXML membership includes representatives from more than 2000 business, governments, institutions, standards bodies, and individuals from around the world. ebXML is a complete B2B framework that enables business collaboration through the sharing of Web-based business services.
The framework supports the definition and execution of B2B business processes expressed as choreographed sequences of business service exchanges. The framework includes specifications for a Message Service, Collaboration Protocol Profile and Agreements, Core Components, Business Process Methodology, and Registry and Repository. The ebXML Message Service provides a quality of service framework layered on SOAP Messages with Attachments. A proof-of-concept interoperability demonstration was presented in October 2000. Participants included Ajuba Solutions, Cisco, Extol, Fujitsu, IBM, IPNet, Netfish, NTT, Savvion, Sterling Commerce, Sun Microsystems, TIE, Viquity, webMethods, XML Global, and XML Solutions. The ebXML specifications are scheduled to be published in May 2001.