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Netscape, On Second Thought, Warms to XML Spec
By
Liora Alschuler
Saying that so far Netscape sees no technical barriers to implementation of a draft standard
for the eXtensible Markup Language (XML), the browser giant's program manager
confirmed that it is now examining the draft standard with interest.
This is a complete reversal of the company's position two weeks ago, which was
essentially "Not now, not ever." ["XML Could Sidestep HTML Split," March 24, page
28.] The XML standard is being advanced by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Carl Cargill, Netscape's standards program manager, said the decision to implement the
new data type and to what degree it might be implemented will be based on the company's
view of XML's value to its installed base of customers. No time frame was given for any
degree of implementation.
With a tip of the hat to the W3C Editorial Review Board, which he characterized as having
fought a "quiet little war," Cargill said a key to the changeover is the realization that XML
can live alongside HTML and is not intended as a replacement.
"We are an HTML company," Cargill said, "but XML does not pose a threat to HTML. It
will complement it."
Reacting to the changeover, Tim Bray of Textuality, co-editor of the XML specification,
said: "Everyone agrees that the Web needs to be a lot smarter. Netscape has been one of
the leaders in making this happen through their introduction of JavaScript and Java to the
browser giant. But a smarter Web also needs smarter data. That's XML."
Like HTML, XML is neutral with respect to vendor, application, and platform. Unlike
HTML, content providers can write their own tags tailored to their own requirements
without loss of compatibility, interoperability, or longevity. The long-term promise of
XML is that it will speed up the Web and deliver precisely targeted content through greater
use of client-side processing; better indexing, search, and retrieval; richer link types; and
more complex structures.
A new draft XML specification, which now includes XML-Link, will be presented at this
week's WWW6 Conference by Jon Bosak of Sun Microsystems, chair of the Editorial
Review Board.
The board expects to complete the specification, including a standard for application of
styles, within the next six months. Microsoft, which is active on the review board, has
gone further than Netscape in its public support of the initiative, although neither browser
vendor has indicated precisely how or when it will field XML products. A first crop of
XML products will be shown at WWW6, including parsers, editors, browsers, style
engines, converters, processors, and servers from established Web companies, SGML
vendors, research facilities, and individuals.
An Internet publishing specialist at a large high-tech firm, on hearing that Netscape is
taking a serious look at the new standard, said, "We are heaving a sigh of relief. It's
obvious that XML is going to be used for the large-scale integration of data into the Web.
We were looking at a situation where Microsoft was going to walk away with it. As
Netscape partners, that would have put us in a very uncomfortable position."
Microsoft is basing two emerging data types--its Channel Definition Format for push
services and the Open Financial Exchange for banking and brokerage services--on XML.
Reprinted from Web Week,
Volume 3, Issue 9, April 7, 1997 ©
Mecklermedia Corp.
All rights reserved. Keywords:
browsers standards
Date:
19970407
