Re: [ubl] Software SC Report, 6 October 2004

[Tim McGrath <tmcgrath@portcomm.com.au>]

i have a few quick comments to make on this proposal....

Anne Hendry wrote:

>
> a. EDIFIX agrees to allow input via spreadsheets for both internal and
>   external developers.  This leaves the question of what format the
>   spreadsheets should be.  EDIFIX would like to see tbg 17 format.
>   UBL needs to suupport prior and current users.  We agree to migrate
>   gradually maintaining backward support for as long as needed, but with
>   the goal of eventually aligning with tbg17 format.  To encourage this,
>   GEFEG will take in the old format and give back the new format to make
>   it easier for people to move to the new format when they're ready.

has someone done the map between UBL and TBG17 format.  i recall that 
UBL has metadata not used in TBG17 (and vice versa).  how will we 
accomodate this?

>
> c. We cannot require our users to use Excel.  We have tested EDIFIX to
>   make sure it can read the spreadsheets that were released with 1.0
>   after those ss had been opened in OO and saved in Excel.  It worked 
> fine.
>   EDIFIX cannot read straight OO files but we have raised this as a
>   possible RFE as the need will very likely become more prevalent as
>   more govs and oasis folks use OO.  In the meantime, though,
>   this is a great start.  

can't this be done with CSV files rather than binary forms.  then we 
have a common input format regardless of application

>
>   Looking forward, a common output format would be wonderful as well.
>   We discussed the fact that EDIFIX exports to xml, but it's not 
> sufficient
>   for a complete capture of internal information.  There has been some
>   discussion of having EDIFIX use schema for a cannonical representation.
>   Many people feel xml is enough.  This is something that will continue
>   to be debated.
>
there are two considerations here:
a. the schema being designed by the ebXML RegRep team to encode core 
components and BIEs.
b. the metamodel Tony Coates discussed last year as a possible 'model 
schema'.

-- 
regards
tim mcgrath
phone: +618 93352228  
postal: po box 1289   fremantle    western australia 6160