Redmond, WA. December 21, 1998.
DataChannel, Inc., announced today that they have delivered the Beta 2 version of the XML parser (XJ2) written in Java that is being co-developed with Microsoft. This release brings the promise of XSL and XSL pattern matching capabilities to a Java-based XML parser for the first time.
XJ2 includes significant enhancements from the Beta 1 version of the parser including: a validating XML engine, XSL support, and transformations of data.
Microsoft has selected DataChannel to co-develop the Java-based XML parser because of the company's expertise in both XML and the Java language. Leveraging the XML specification, DataChannel and Microsoft are helping to facilitate the automation of e-commerce through a standards based transaction and exchange protocols; the enabling of data-warehousing though automated data exchange between disparate data stores; and the automation of document and knowledge management systems through the dynamic search and retrieval of personalized information.
"The relationship between Microsoft and DataChannel, Inc. is fulfilling the promise of delivering XML-enabled solutions. As a result, this relationship gives us confidence that users, programmers, and IT shops can start sufficiently preparing themselves for a future in which XML will be the standard language of data," said David Pool, CEO, DataChannel, Inc.
Beta 2 of the XML Java-based parser co-developed by Microsoft and DataChannel includes the following features:
XSL support. With the DataChannel XSL processor, which is based on the latest W3C Working Draft, developers can apply style sheets to XML data and display or transform the data in a dynamic and flexible way that can be easily customized.
XSL pattern matching of XML Data. The pattern matching capabilities of the DataChannel XSL processor allow developers to programmatically find and extract information within an XML data set on the client or the server.
XML Document Object Model (DOM). The DOM is a standard object application-programming interface that gives developers programmatic control of XML document content, structure, formats and more. The DataChannel XML implementation includes full support for the W3C XML DOM Recommendation and is accessible from script, the Visual Basic development system, C++, Java, and Java Script.
Validating XML engine. The XML engine has been substantially enhanced and fully supports W3C XML 1.0 and XML Namespaces, which allow developers to qualify element names uniquely on the Web and thus, avoid conflicts between elements with the same name. Native XML support in Java means that developers can count on the full XML processing capabilities being present to read and manipulate the data they move between their applications and components across different platforms.
XML Schemas. Schemas define the rules of an XML document, including element names and rich data types, which elements can appear in combination, and which attributes are available for each element.
Server-side XML and XSL. Server-side processing allows a standard means of passing data between multiple distributed application servers - even across operating system boundaries.
"Microsoft is pleased that DataChannel has been able to release Beta 2 of the Java-based parser so quickly after the Beta 2 release of our Windows XML implementation last month," said Jean Paoli, XML product unit manager at Microsoft. "The support for XML 1.0, XSL, the XML DOM and other cutting-edge XML features that we introduced in that release gave customers the most complete XML implementation for building XML-based applications. Now, due to the co-development effort with DataChannel, customers also have a Java-based parser with support for these features."
The XML Java-based parser and Applicability
XJ2 plays an integral part in the DataChannel XML Roadmap. The primary goal of the DataChannel XML Roadmap is for users to understand how XML can revolutionize the way corporations conduct business and how companies can achieve the quickest time to market (i.e., developers create software faster with a lower cost of delivery and management).
Using the DataChannel XML framework through DataChannel RIO and XJ2, corporate developers can take their existing IT infrastructure (i.e., legacy data, document and knowledge management systems, and data-warehousing systems) and integrate this infrastructure with a standards-based Internet protocol (XML) to web-enable the enterprise. This web-enabled enterprise would allow for lower total cost of ownership by:
Giving "My Yahoo" - like capabilities to employees and customers using the corporate intranet and extranet
Creating a Web-based publish, share, and distribution environment which supports all current legacy systems, including applications like SAP R/3, PeopleSoft, and Oracle databases.
Ensuring an integration and management migration strategy to Microsoft Office 2000(tm) when it becomes available.
Cutting the cost to develop and deploy Java, C++, and Web-based applications
About DataChannel, Inc.
DataChannel, Inc., based in Bellevue, Wash., is the leader in two-way corporate portal infrastructure for Intranets and Extranets. Founded in 1996, DataChannel increases user productivity by making corporate Intranets easier to use, integrate, manage and support. DataChannel's flagship product, DataChannel RIO, combines the power of an XML-driven database engine with real-time TIBCO notification working with Netscape's Communicator or Microsoft Exchange. DataChannel RIO simplifies the process of delivering critical information to the right people at the right time through the instant distribution of organized content including external newsfeeds such as NewsEdge; search engines such as Yahoo! Excite InfoSeek and Lycos ; relational databases from companies such as Informix Software, Sybase , and Oracle Enterprise applications, such as SAP, PeopleSoft and Baan and enterprise corporate data from companies such as Wall Data and IBM - all within a customizable employee desktop environment.
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Contact Information:
Sunny Lauritzen DataChannel, Inc.
Tel: +1 (425) 462-1999 x109
Email: sunny@datachannel.com