Access To Legacy Data he Extensible Markup Language, which started as a better way to build a Web page, is emerging as a universal format for exchanging data between applications and among businesses. Nearly every major software company is pledging support for XML, and a growing number of IT shops are using it to integrate disparate data sources. Increasing vendor activity adds momentum to XML, a set of rules for defining data structures. Microsoft this week will release its most advanced XML engine yet as part of its Internet Explorer 5.0 browser. Last week, Sun Microsystems said it will develop a standard XML extension to its Java programming language, while Netscape said it will add XML support to its E-commerce applications.
Some users think so.
XML emerged because developers wanted to extend the capabilities of HTML, the original language of the Web. GM is using XML to make legacy data available to Web browsers. The automaker uses an XML server application from DataChannel Corp. to pull data from many sources, such as Oracle and IBM databases on Unix servers. The product, called Rio, formats the data in XML, transforms the XML into Web pages, and serves the pages to browsers. Users get data from multiple sources in one interface, and developers needn't alter legacy applications or reformat data.