The SGML Centre The role of process-controlled components in ebXML messages Martin Bryan CEN/ISSS Electronic Commerce Workshop working group on Defining and Managing Semantics and Datatypes (DAMSAD)

The SGML Centre Structure of Presentation  What is the problem we need to solve?  XML DTDs/Schemas  Data Dictionaries  Related standards initiatives  Why is context important to solving this problem?  How does ebXML use context?

The SGML Centre The Problem - Overview  DTDs define semantics for a sequence of elements that make up a message  DTDs that cover wide ranges of data tend to become very complicated (or non- specific) and difficult to manage  Data dictionaries provide a "flat view" of all data within a company  Data is presumed to be used consistently in all situations

The SGML Centre The Problem - DTDs  DTDs that allow everything and, therefore, control nothing  Parameterized DTDs that allow complete user control

The SGML Centre Do XML Schema Types help?

The SGML Centre Creating Abstract Elements

The SGML Centre Using Abstract Elements Local Purchase Order

The SGML Centre The Problem - Data Dictionaries  Too little control - generic data types  Name - without a context it is meaningless  Too much control - constrained data types  AcknowledgementRecipientName - can't be used in another context without renaming  Confusing data type with data role (à la ISO Basic Semantic Register)  AcknowledgementRecipient.Name - name is not a data type, it’s a use of a data type

The SGML Centre Mapping ISO view to XML Representation Properties Concept/Class Meaning Element Name Attribute Name/ Embedded Element Attribute Value/ Element Content Interpretation of Value

The SGML Centre UN/EDIFACT message structures  EDIFACT = Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport  EDIFACT messages are made up of reusable "segments"  Segments have a fixed sequence of "data elements"  Role of segments indicated by "qualifier" data elements

The SGML Centre Example of EDIFACT message UNH ORDERS:D:93A:UN:EAN007' BGM+220+H940568' DTM+137: :102' NAD+BY ::9' NAD+SU ::9' LIN+1' PIA+5_ :IB' IMD+F+BAU+:::Farell J G' IMD+F+BTI+:::The Singapore Trip' QTY+21:1' PRI+XXX:7.99' UNS+S' CNT+2:2' UNT '

The SGML Centre Process Chains/Hierarchies ManufactureDistributeRetail OrderResponseDespatchReceiptInvoicePayment Transport Booking Container Movement Collection Notification Delivery Notification Container Arrival Subprocesses Process Chains

The SGML Centre How context affects information  Some examples Order/Item/Quantity[Units="Kilogram"] Despatch/Item/Quantity[Units="Kilogram"] Receipt/Item/Quantity/Received[Units="Kilogram"] Invoice/Item/Quantity[Units="Kilogram"]  Note how the initial context changes  Note how the qualifier can change place  Need to be able to identify whenever a particular type of units applies to a quantity

The SGML Centre Basic processes for an Order*  How is it to be distinguished?  When was it issued?  Who issued it?  Who is to be executed by?  Who else is to be informed?  What is to be supplied?  When and where is it to be delivered? * Expressed as a set of questions that need to be answered in order to create an order

The SGML Centre Basic processes for Order Response  How is it to be distinguished?  When was it issued?  Who issued it?  What order does it refer to?   Who is to be executed by?  Who else is to be informed?  What is to be supplied?  When and where is it to be delivered?

The SGML Centre Basic processes for Despatch Note  How is it to be distinguished?  When was it issued?  Who issued it?  What order does it refer to?  Who is to be executed by?   Who else is to be informed?  What is to be supplied?  When and where is it to be delivered?

The SGML Centre Basic processes for Receipt  How is it to be distinguished?  When was it issued?  Who issued it?  What order does it refer to?  Who delivered the goods?   When and where were they delivered?  What was received and accepted?   What was rejected/not received? 

The SGML Centre Basic processes for Invoices  How is it to be distinguished?  When was it issued?  Who issued it?  Who is it submitted to?   What order does it refer to?  What did the goods delivered cost?   What tax needs to be paid on the goods?   What is the total payment?   Where is payment to be made? 

The SGML Centre Basic processes for Payment Instructions  How is it to be distinguished?  When was it issued?  Who issued it?  Who is to receive the payment?   Who else needs to be informed?   What invoice does it refer to?   What did the goods delivered cost?  What tax has been paid on the goods?  What is the total payment?

The SGML Centre Conclusions from above  Business messages are designed to provide a set of answers to an agreed set of questions  The order in which the questions are answered is not relevant  Failure to answer one of the questions may invalidate the whole message  Not all parts of all questions need to be answered for a particular message

The SGML Centre Conclusions from conclusions - 1  Need to design reusable questions  Answers may be omitted where not relevant  Need to be able to obtain answers from different sources  Often able to supply some answers from previously answered questions  Some questions need input from human or "intelligent" system (i.e. bar code readers)

The SGML Centre Conclusions from conclusions - 2  The process and subprocesses in which information is collected provide a "parent" for the answer

The SGML Centre Conclusions from conclusions - 3  Questions make natural parents

The SGML Centre ebXML  Brings together XML and EDI experts  OASIS members for XML  UN/EDIFACT for EDI  Many other trade bodies for vertical industries  Looking to identify sharable processes  Core components for data  Common business processes

The SGML Centre The ebXML committee structure  Requirements  Technical Architecture  Business Process/Core Components  Registry/Repository  Transport  Marketing

The SGML Centre Processes Transport Process Chain Info.Entity Components Business Document Business Process Technical Architecture Requirements Methods Registry and Repository ebXML Group Linkages

The SGML Centre Overall ebXML BP Metamodel

The SGML Centre Message metamodel Core Component Type Definition Basic Information Entity Aggregate Information Entity Datatype Permitted Value Permitted Value Meaning External List Embedded Group Type Use Rules Type Constraint Functional Set Assemble Types Context Rules Application Component Datatype Constraint Type Extension Document Model Context Constraints Core Components Application Rules Aggregation Rules Taxonomy

The SGML Centre ebXML Core Component Types  Core Component Type Definitions  Basic Information Entity Data Type  Permitted Values/External Lists oPermitted Value Meanings  Aggregate Information Entity Embedded Group Aggregation Rules  Type Use Rules oType Constraint

The SGML Centre Context Control  Identify and assemble type definitions  Identify subcomponents to be used  Identify relevant context taxonomies  Assign application dependent names  Apply context specific rules  Identify relevant context taxonomies  Define tests to be used to select rule  Define extensions and restrictions to be applied

The SGML Centre Assemble Types Buyer

The SGML Centre Condition Rules...

The SGML Centre ebXML Registry Structure

The SGML Centre What have we learnt?  Information is dependent on context  You need to know the context of a message to be able to interpret its contents  Context is dependent on the processes involved  Therefore semantic definitions must also be dependent of processes using data elements

The SGML Centre Where to find more information  On ebXML   On European Electronic Commerce   On standards for Electronic Commerce   On background philosophies 