Where to Learn More 451XMLWhere to Learn MoreWeb Design in a Nutshell, eMatter Editionhowever, that there is room in the web graphics world for both text and
binary solutions, and they are working to keep the Flash file format consis-
tent with developing XML standards. For more information, seehttp://www.
macromedia.com/software/flash/open/.Where to learn more
The article “XML and Vector Graphics” by Lisa Rein provides a thorough back-
ground on the emergence of PGML and other vector-based standards. It also
includes a detailed comparison of PGML and VML. It is the source of much of
the information in this overview and is a good starting place for under-
standing the development of XML vector standards. Read it athttp://www.xml.
com/xml/pub/Graphics/.Other XML Applications
Although XML was only recently approved by the W3C, it is already being used in
a variety of ways. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0’s Channel Definition Format is
the first widespread use of XML. Other XML initiatives include:
Open Software Description (OSD)
Microsoft and Marimba are working together to create an XML-based soft-
ware distribution system. For more information, seehttp://www.stars.com/
Seminars/Languages/OSD.html.
Chemical Markup Language (CML)
CML is used for managing and presenting molecular and technical informa-
tion over a network. For more information, including screenshots of CML in
use, seehttp://www.venus.co.uk/omf/.
Open Financial Exchange (OFE)
OFE is a joint project of Microsoft, Intuit, and Checkfree. It will describe finan-
cial transactions taking place over the Internet. For more information, see
http://www.ofx.net/ofx/default.asp.
Extensible Style Language (XSL)
While style sheets are used to display simply structured XML documents, XSL
will be used where more powerful formatting capabililities are required, such
as formatting structured data. For more information on XSL, read the current
proposal athttp://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-XSL-970910.
Resource Description Framework (RDF)
RDF is an XML application used to define the structure of metadata for docu-
ments, i.e., data that is useful for indexing, navigating, and searching a site.
For more information, including a useful FAQ, seehttp://www.w3.org/RDF/.
Where to Learn More
XML is poised to become a major player on the Internet. Companies are excited
by the technology and have invested large amounts of time and money in its
development.