Microsoft and Sun unveil XML tools

Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Autodesk were among vendors touting their XML wares at this week's XML 2000 conference in Washington DC.

Microsoft released the beta specification for XML Analysis, a protocol that allows developers to provide data analysis to different types of clients and development platforms.

Built on HTTP, XML and simple object access protocol, XML Analysis is an extension of Microsoft's OLE DB specifications for online analytical processing and data mining.

The software giant claims it increases the flexibility for developers to incorporate analytical data within web-based applications or those that are hosted by another company.

Meanwhile, Sun demonstrated its three recently launched XML application programming interfaces (APIs), aimed at linking Java with XML. Java API for XML Processing allows XML documents to be read, manipulated and generated through Java APIs.

Java API for XML Binding takes specific XML document type definitions and compiles them directly into Java classes, and Java XML Messaging defines messages that are sent and received.

Autodesk unveiled an XML/Data Extension tool for its AutoCad product line, which allows developers to create tools that help designers share their design data with other mainstream business tasks such as marketing, sales and customer support.

The company said the XML/Data Extension brings design intelligence to external business processes and applications. A web-centric tool, DesignXML, makes it possible to include graphical and non-graphical data using an open, published XML schema.

Other launches included Tibco Software's XML Canon/Developer, a platform aimed at managing the lifecycle of XML-based business rules in an online repository, while Whitehill Technologies rolled out version 2.0 of its legacy data to XML conversion tool, Whitehill Transport.