Hi Richard!
> Good question Paul. Really there is no benefit at all for using xml in EDI.
You right im many points, but I think not in all. Ofcourse no one have
benefits at XML instead of EDI because of the many standards definition
and data structures. You still need converter to translate between
different data structures so it's mean now not between different EDI
messages, but between different XML messages.
But let us look to the benefits. First, it's much easier to understand
an XML-message then EDI, special for humans. So you don't need high
costs specialist just for look to a message.
But much more interesting is the Open Standard of XML and XSL. If you
use XML and XSL for transformation between 2 XML-files, then it's run
with any software. So you write once a XSL transformation from one XML
file to another and then you can use many tools and have not to bind on
one software supplier. For translations between different EDI messages
you have not such standards so if you make a translation with Gentran
you have allways to use this software (good for Sterling, but realy for
the customer :) ).
Also another benefit are the many tools for XML/XSL. They are standard
editors, viewers, translation to paper, database connections and many
more.
So I think it make big sence to users to use XML. What they are really
need are also good interfaces between there old EDI systems and the XML
integration tools. And for people which just start with B2B integrations
it's anyway the best to start from XML and not with the old EDI systems.
Leo
--
mendelson-e-commerce GmbH
phone: +49 30 89 09 10 22 fax: +49 30 89 09 10 19
http://www.mendelson.de/
Home of m-e-c eagle - Opensource B2B integration tool based on XML/XSL
------ XML/edi Group Discussion List ------
Homepage = http://www.XMLedi-Group.org
Unsubscribe = send email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Leave the subject and body of the message blank
Questions/requests: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To receive only one message per day (digest format)
send the following message to [EMAIL PROTECTED],
(leave the subject line blank)
digest xmledi-group your-email-address
To join the XML/edi Group complete the form located at:
http://www.xmledi-group.org/xmledigroup/mail1.htm
