Latest versions of xNL and xAL (Version 3.0.5)

["Ram Kumar" <RKumar@msi.com.au>]

Hi all,

Please find enclosed the latest versions of xNL and xAL.
I have managed to produce two versions of xNL and xAL from three
versions.
They are:
- xNL Basic and xNL Advanced
- xAL Basic and xAL Advanced

Special thanks to Max Voskob for his detailed review and useful
comments.

PLEASE SPARE SOME TIME TO REVIEW THE SCHEMAS AND LET ME KNOW YOUR VIEWS.


The schemas are very flat now that will ease the implementation. 
xNL-Basic and xAL-Basic should be sufficient to cover most of the 
applications using name and address data in XML. If you think that 
the Basic schemas are complex to represent name and address data in
simple terms, we can always go for a the three versions of xNL and xAL.
Your feedback is very important.

I have also reviewed the international addresses of all countries
from Universal Postal Union (as listed in their web site) against xAL
V3.0.5
and with whatever information was provided by UPU, I am happy to say
that 
xAL handles the addresses of the listed countries by the UPU. I had to
do some
fine tuning to xAL to make it compatibile with different address
structures.
For example, in some countries, a district is represented by a number in
addition
to its name.

The only country that I am not clear with its address structure is:
Cote d'Ivoire (Rep). It's address is as follows:

address 1:
06 B.P. 37 ABIDJAN 06 
COTE D'IVOIRE (REP.)

06 => post office code
B.P. 37 => Postal delivery (Post box)
ABIDJAN => locality
06 => post office code

address 2:
17 B.P. 105 ABIDJAN 17
COTE D'IVOIRE (REP.)

I am not sure why post office code appears twice in the address. 
Joe, do you have any idea?

This is what UPU has to say about the postal system of this country: 
Deliveries are made to P.O. Boxes. However, home deliveries are being
piloted for a
single building. Items are then delivered to a set of boxes on the
ground floor.
For home and P.O. Box deliveries alike, the two-digit post office code
must be included.
For home deliveries, the delivery office code is preceded by a 1, to
show that it is a
home delivery. The code 104 therefore indicates a home delivery made by
post office 04.

Now, I will start producing sample xml file from the UPU international
address examples
with necessary information to XMLify the addresses.

Regards,

Ram

Ram Kumar
General Manager
Software R&D and Architecture
MSI BUSINESS SYSTEMS
Suite 204A, 244 Beecroft Road
Epping, NSW 2121, Australia
Direct: +61-2-9815 0226
Mobile: +61-412 758 025
Fax: +61-2-98150200
URL: www.msi.com.au

xAL-3.0.5.zip

xNL-3.0.5.zip