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Trip Report WWW2002 |
XML core:
the XML specifications were released as a recommendation in 1998, updated in october 2000.
XML V1.1 is now a last call working draft, it will
- be based on UNICODE 3 instead of UNICODE 2
- introduce namespace V1.1
XInclude is under consideration.
open issues:
- XML pipline definition language
- XML V2.0
reference: www.w3.org/XML/
DOM level 3:
goal: standard application programming interface (API) to access and manipulate XML and HTML documents.
DOM level 2 was released in november 2000
DOM level 3 work items:
- core enhancement
- events enhancement
- load and save documents
- XPath
- development of the abstract representation for schemas has been stopped
working drafts shall become recommendations. a test suite for DOM level 1 is currently available. a beta version for DOM level 2 is also available, a test suite for DOM level 3 has to be developed.
reference: www.w3.org/DOM/
XPath and XQuery:
started in september 1999, joint work with XSL working group started in june 2000.
XSLT versus XQuery:
XSLT XQuery for well formed documents without a schema for documents with a schema processes loosly typed documents processes strongly typed documents is mainly used to format XML as HTML for browsers for large scale databases is highly tollerant must guarantee safety and correctness of operations on data a future specification may serve the needs of both application domains.
XPath V2.0 task force is working on:
- coalesce common semantics
- satisfying XQuery V1.0, XSLT V2.0 and existing XPath V1.0 users
- a common data model for XQuery V1.0 and XPath V2.0
- XML Path language V2.0 working draft
- XQuery V1.0 working draft
XPath V2.0:
- is common language for
- navigation, selection, extraction
- arithmeric, logical, comparison expressions
- new features:
- ordered sequences of typed nodes & atomic values
- expressions over sequences
- uniform semantics & syntax
- make explicit what was implicit
at the bottom line: XQuery V1.0 is XPath V2.0 + a few more expressions + user-defined functions + strong typing.
there is a large number of open issues, therefore the last call is at least 6 months away.
reference: www.w3.org/XML/Query
XSL and MathML:
- XSLT:
- is a transformation language for XML documents
- became a recommendation in november 1999
- is quite popular
- supports off-line use (conversion done on the server) and on-line use (conversion done by the browser)
- user requested:
- more functionality 2)
- easier to use 3)
- support for XML schema 4)
- XPath should evolve to be more like a "real" query language
- XSLT V2.0:
- supports (optional) type information
- is not fully backward compatible with V1.0
- XSL-FO:
- XSL "formatting objects" (XSL-FO + XSLT = XSL)
- formatting model for paged documents
references: www.w3.org/Style/XSL/
MathML:
- is an XML language to express mathematics
- MathML V2.0 became a recommedation in february 2001
- it is designed for use with Web (CSS, XLink)
- the MathML working group is currently working on converting TeX to MathML
reference: www.w3.org/math/
CSS:
Cascading Style Sheets tell how to translate a digital document to human media. currently most support is available for graphic output, but it also works for speech engines, SVG etc.
key features:
- it attaches properties to elements
- simple syntax
- applies to tree-structered documents
- allows cascading (combine style sheets)
evolution:
- CSS level 1 in 1996
- CSS level 2 in 1998
- CSS level 3 in 2002/2003
CSS level 3 will provide better support for:
- handhelds (mobile profile V1.0)
- digital televison (TV profile V1.0)
- media queries
functionalities under development:
- multi-modal: sounds during visual display
- better support for print
- interactivity (richer hyperlinks)
- non-western typography
profiles:
- subset of full CSS
- specify the minimum required functionality on a certain device
mobile profile V1.0:
- defines the "handheld" media type
- used by WAP 2
- contains most of CSS 1 and parts of CSS 2
TV profile V1.0
- defines the "tv" media type
- meant for use in standards for digital TV
- similar to the handheld profile, but a little larger
media queries:
- extend the CSS/HTML media types
- allow conditional style sheets, dependent on the presence of certain features
- complement to CC/PP (Composite Capabilities/Preference Profiles)
- supports a small number of properties, such as width, resolution, aspect-ratio, monochrom/color etc.
- queries allow device-independent content
- queries only allow to select style, NOT content
reference: www.w3.org/Style/CSS/
XHTML:
the eXtensible HyperText Markup Language is the successor of HTML as a family of XML modules. it's the name of a family of documents which collectively form XHTML. XHTML is a reformulation of HTML V4.0 in XML V1.0. three DTDs are provided: strict, transitional and frameset
XHTML V1.0 became a recommandation in january 2000
the family of XML modules that make up XHTML is split into required and optional modules:
- required modules:
- structure module
- text module
- hypertext module
- list module
- optional modules:
- text extension module
- forms module
- table module
- miscellanious module
- deprecated module
XHTML V1.1 became a recommendation in may 2001. it is a reformulation of XHTML V1.0 strict using XHTML modules. it supports embedded MathML and SVG. the correct media type for XHTML V1.1 is "application/xhtml+xml", "text/html" should be used for XHTML V1.0 only.
reference: www.w3.org/MarkUp/
"the grid", enabling resource sharing within virtual organizations by ian foster, mathematics and computer science division, argonne national laboratory and department of computer science at the university of chicago.
the grid vision: resouce sharing & coordinated problem solving in dynamic, multi-institutional virtual organizations.
when the network is as fast as the computer's internal links, the machine disintegrates into distributed ???
there are similarities between e-science (distributed science activities) and e-commerce (distributed infrasturctures, services and data).
open grid services are like Web services: they define fundamental interfaces and behaviors that make up a grid service (grid services = interfaces/behaviors + service data). a grid service instance maintains a set of service data elements.references:
"architecting knowledge middleware" by alfred spector, vice president services and software, IBM research.
the web of the future may not be simple, but it can remain elegant and robust and be highly functional.
text analysis technologies & techniques seldom work well together.
SMIL V2.0:
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language
SMIL V1.0 became a recommendation in june 1998
SMIL V2.0 became a recommendation in august 2001key features:
- positioning through regions
- media objects are linked to regions
- timing through containers: sequence, parallel, exclude (plays either one or the other object)
- advanced timing attributes: begin, end, dur, clipBegin, fill
- content control bandwidth, language, screenSize, screenColors, overdub/subtitles etc.
- accessibility features: title, alt, longdesc, systemCaptions
- basic hyperlinks plus temporal / spacial hyperlinks (links vary depending on the area on the screen and/or over time)
- animation (vary size or color over time)
- supports ingetration with SVG
- transition effects between media (iris, fadein, wipe etc.)
- SMIL V2.0 is based on DTD and XML schema
- there is already a selection of SMIL players and authoring tools available
- profiles:
- SMIL V2.0 profile: supports all SMIL modules
- SMIL V2.0 basic profile: leightweight version, subset of the SMIL V2.0 profile for mobile devices etc.
- XHTML+SMIL profile: adds timing elements to XHTML (under development)
references:
SVG V1.1:
Scalable Vector Graphics
this was a really cool demo of the power of SVG !reference: www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/
mobile SVG profiles:
SVG V1.0 became a recommendation in september 2001
SVG V1.1 is currently a candidate recommendation
SVG V1.1 is a pre-requisit for SVG basic (for handhelds) and SVG tiny (for mobile phones) which will be SVG profiles
SVG V1.2 is currently under developmentCSIRO Pocket SVG viewer for Pocket PC
reference: www.w3.org/TR/SVGMobile/
the conference banquet took place at the bishop museum in honolulu
see banquet page for more ...
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