Transportation leadership you can trust. presented to International Highway Engineering Exchange Program presented by Steve Brown, Nebraska Department of Roads Eric Ziering, Cambridge Systematics, Inc. Paul Scarponcini, Bentley Systems, Inc. September 15, 2004 TransXML (NCHRP 20-64) and the Technologies Behind It

Session Overview TransXML Project History An XML Primer – The Importance of XML for Transportation Agencies TransXML Project Status

TransXML Project History Part 1 Steve Brown, Nebraska Department of Roads

What is the TransXML Project Definition and creation of schemas for the archival and open exchange of transportation data Open – transportation industry driven Initial focus on four business areas: Survey/roadway design Transportation construction/materials Highway bridge structures Transportation safety

TransXML Project History AASHTO’s Technical Applications and Architecture (TA&A) Task Force saw a broader need for the exchange of transportation data TA&A proposes TransXML to facilitate the creation of XML standards for the transportation industry AASHTO Administrative Subcommittee on Information Systems approves research project problem statement and submits for consideration NCHRP SP created with a $500,000 budget

Panel Members Loren Risch, P.E., Kansas DOT, State Bridge Engineer, Chair Steve Brown, P.E., Nebraska DOR, AASHTO Monitor Dr. Roemer Alfelor, Federal Highway Administration Todd Bergland, Minnesota DOT Lyman Hale III, P.E., New York State DOT Maurice Harmon, HNTB Corporation Liang Hsia, P.E., Florida DOT David Lively, P.E., California DOT Thomas Rioux, P.E., University of Texas – Austin Sandra Salazar, Johns Hopkins University Gregory Witt, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet FHWA Liason - James Pol, ITS Transportation Specialist AASHTO Liason – MB Leaf NCHRP Staff – Christopher Hedges, Senior Program Officer

Project Approach Business Process – Driven Design schema based on the functional context for data exchange, not based on data modeling alone Stakeholder Consensus Widespread adoption is critical to success Involve broad range of stakeholders Focus Limit scope to highest priority standardization needs Maximize initial benefits to transportation agencies Establish framework for continued efforts

Contractor Team Co-Principal Investigators Frances Harrison (Cambridge Systematics) business lead Paul Scarponcini (Bentley Systems) technical lead Cambridge Systematics, Inc. Bentley Systems, Inc. Michael Baker Jr., Inc. Info Tech Chuck Campbell, Consultant

An [acronym-free] Introduction to XML and Related Technologies Part 2 Eric Ziering, Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

XML – A Syntax for Metadata Data that used to look like this… ZIERING ERIC KINGMAN RD CIAMBOTTI BONITA KINGMAN RD NEUMANN LANCE CAMBRIDGEPDR

Now looks like this… ZIERING ERIC 03/11/ KINGMAN RD NEWTON MA

Things you should know about XML eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Self-documenting format – easy to interpret Verbose Tags can describe almost any kind of information Each XML file is known as a “document”

What is XML Schema? A set of rules describing the types of information that can, or must, appear in an XML document. An accident report document… Must contain the date, time, and location… Must contain one or more vehicles. Each vehicle: −Must have a VIN, Make, Model, Registration… −Must have one driver. Each driver: ♦ Must have a name, birth date, address, license number, and insurance company −May optionally have one or more passengers… May contain one or more pedestrians… Etc.

Things you should know about XML schema… Can specify the allowable data types for every element. Can define permissible values, patterns, or ranges of values for every element. More like a programming language: e.g., you can define custom data types that can be re-used. Types can be shared and extended across schema. Allow on-the-fly validation of XML documents DTD (Document Type Definition) – an older, but still common mechanism that is being replaced by XML Schema

Other Technologies Surrounding XML XML Namespaces – eliminate naming conflicts among schema XPath, XPointer, XQuery, Xlink – provide database-like functionality in XML documents XSL: eXtensible Stylesheet Language

Extensible Stylesheets turn This…

…into This…

Other Technologies Surrounding XML XML Namespaces – eliminate naming conflicts among schema XPath, XPointer, XQuery, Xlink – provide database-like functionality in XML documents XSL: eXtensible Stylesheet Language XSLT: XSL Transformations

ZIERING ERIC 03/11/ KINGMAN RD NEWTON MA XSLT – Reorganizes a Document

ZIERING ERIC A KINGMAN RD MA XSLT – Reorganizes a Document

Other Technologies Surrounding XML XML Namespaces – eliminate naming conflicts among schema XPath, XPointer, XQuery, Xlink – provide database-like functionality in XML documents XSL: eXtensible Stylesheet Language XSLT: XSL Transformations XML Schema, XLink, XSLT, XPath are all implemented with XML documents

Web Services A new, modern method for integrating applications Services – programs that are always active, ready to respond to requests Web – The connections between services are made using the Internet rather than a local or wide-area network. Link together applications that were built on different platforms, with different languages, independent of databases and operating systems XML is the “universal glue” that links services together.

Plans from a Design Model

Example 1: Automated Machine Control Terrain and design grades

Status: Position & Heading Instructions: Heading, Blade Height, Slope Example 2: Automated Machine Control Status: Position & Heading Instructions: Heading, Blade Height, Slope

Wrap-up: What’s so important about XML? XML provides a universally accepted format for data exchange across platforms & applications. Virtually all hardware platforms, operating systems, programming languages, and databases support XML. This support makes it “easy” for an application to create, validate, and process XML files. Promotes Data exchange among applications Cooperation among devices

TransXML Project Status Part 3 Paul Scarponcini, Bentley Systems, Inc.

TransXML Project Overview Phase I – 6 months 1. Project Web Site 2. Identify Business Areas 3. Review Existing Schema 4. Identify Stewardship 5. Assess Schema Gaps 6. Development Plan 7. Collaboration Tool 8. Interim Report Phase II – 18 months 9. Develop XML Schemas 10. Develop Validation Software 11. Documentation, Sample Code / Data 12. Implementation Framework 13. Stewardship Model 14. Final Report 15. AASHTO IS Presentation Phase I deliverables have been submitted and are being reviewed (September 29 presentation)

TransXML Business Areas Survey / Roadway Design Transportation Construction / Materials Highway Bridge Structures Transportation Safety

Prior Work under Review LandXML aecXML AASHTOWare Trns*port AASHTO Virtis / Opis and others JusticeXML Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) FGDC 1574-C Framework Data Standard (GOS) ISO Linear Reference Systems GML

Possible Schema Areas Survey / Roadway Design Design Surveys Parcel/Boundary Surveys Geometric Design Pavement Design Right-of-Way Construction/Stake-out Survey Feature Codes Cross-Section Pay Item Quantities

Possible Schema Areas Construction / Materials Estimates Proposals Letting and Award Construction Management Materials

Possible Schema Areas Highway Bridge Structures Bridge Analysis and Design Bridge Rating Bridge Construction Bridge Inspection Bridge Management Bridge Operations Bridge Maintenance

Possible Schema Areas - Safety Crash Reports Crash Location Roadway Inventory Citations Driver Information Vehicle Information Emergency Medical Info Federal Motor Carriers Info Crash Analysis Work Zone Safety

Phase II For each schema area: Startup – post, notify, request Initial input – scope, resources UML modeling, review XML schema development, review Application development

Getting Involved To get involved: Goto Register! Become an Observer, Reviewer, or Contributor

Transportation leadership you can trust. TransXML (NCHRP 20-64) and the Technologies Behind It presented to International Highway Engineering Exchange Program presented by Steve Brown, Nebraska Department of Roads Eric Ziering, Cambridge Systematics, Inc. Paul Scarponcini, Bentley Systems, Inc. September 15, 2004