Building B2B Applications with XML: A Resource Guide Book

If we ever reach the point where businesses can efficiently and cost-effectively transfer information among themselves, chances are that XML will be the key technology that makes it all work. Building B2B Applications with XML offers an overview to using XML as a data transfer mechanism between organisations. Although this area is still in its infancy, this book lends good perspective to the benefits of XML and offers a snapshot of the current landscape of standards. Author Michael Fitzgerald aims the book at both managers looking to grasp the general concept of B2B and software developers looking for a little more detail about where to start with such an initiative. The first part of the book describes the fundamentals of the XML standard, transport mechanisms and security techniques that come into play when designing a B2B solution. The XML overview isn't a comprehensive tutorial but rather a quick run through of all the various components of XML such as DTDs, schemas and transformations. The transport section discusses HTTP, FTP, MIME, SMTP and other standards key to communicating data. The demonstrations are conducted in Java. The second part of the book will be of greatest value to software developers. It explores some of the key standards currently available in the XML world. The reader gets a look at ebXML, xCBL, cXML, SOAP and BizTalk. All of these are essential initiatives for an XML developer to keep current on. An easy-to-read style makes this book suitable for non-programmers, but its content is detailed enough to warrant a read by seasoned coders. While it isn't a panacea for the challenges of XML B2B, it's a good place to start. --Stephen W PlainRead More