News Release: XML Inclusions (XInclude) 1.0 is a W3C Recommendation

Strengthening the XML family, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has
published XML Inclusions (XInclude) Version 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation.
XInclude 1.0 provides a method for merging multiple XML documents into a
single composite document, contributing to better, more efficient
content management at the enterprise level. For more information, please
contact Janet Daly <janet@w3.org> at +1 617 253 5884.

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W3C Issues XInclude 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation
XInclude Makes it Easier to Create Reusable Content

Web Resources

XML Inclusions (XInclude)1.0
http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-xinclude-20041220/

Press release
 in English: http://www.w3.org/2004/11/xinclude-pr.html.en
 in French: http://www.w3.org/2004/11/xinclude-pr.html.fr
 in Japanese: http://www.w3.org/2004/11/xinclude-pr.html.ja

Testimonials
         http://www.w3.org/2004/11/xinclude-testimonials.html


http://www.w3.org/ -- 20 December 2004 -- Strengthening the XML family,
the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published XML Inclusions
(XInclude) Version 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation. XInclude 1.0 provides a
method for merging multiple XML documents into a single composite document.

XInclude Brings Standard Program Functionality to XML

Many programming languages provide an inclusion mechanism to support the
use of modular content. Once an inclusion mechanism is established,
programmers can then write applications that are more powerful. Markup
languages, of course, often have need of such a mechanism.

XInclude 1.0 is a generic mechanism for merging XML documents. This
function is important for software applications that need to easily
combine XML documents.

XInclude Contributes to Better, More Efficient Content Management

"For most users, XInclude makes it easier to author content that
supports information reuse. Reusing information contributes directly to
the bottom line issues: cheaper, more timely, and more accurate
results," says Paul Grosso, co-Chair of the XML Core Working Group which
produced XInclude.

XInclude 1.0 can be used in environments without DTD (Document Type
Definition) support, more common since the adoption of XML schemas.
Unlike the mechanism used in DTDs, i.e. XML external entities, XInclude
gives the content author a fallback mechanism in cases where the
external document cannot be retrieved, for whatever reason. XInclude
allows an application to leverage the syntax in existing XML constructs
— elements, attributes, and URI references. XInclude allows an author to
choose how to include another XML document in new composite content —
either as markup or text. In addition, no XML entity declarations, which
were required in the older method when using DTDs, are required for
XInclude.

XInclude Works in XML 1.0 and XML 1.1

XInclude 1.0 takes advantage of the XML Information Set (Infoset), and
merges XML information sets. Therefore, it can be used with any version
of XML, as well as other existing XML-related specifications, such as
the XML-family components XML Schema and XSLT, as well as with XML
applications such as the popular Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and
VoiceXML 2.0. XInclude 1.0 also takes advantage of the XPointer
Framework and can be used to include sub-resources, such as fragments of
XML documents, that are identified by a separate xpointer attribute.


Testimonials for W3C's Testimonials for W3C's XML Inclusions (XInclude),
Version 1.0

Arbortext | Sun Microsystems | University of Edinburgh

     XInclude simplifies creating and managing information components,
making it easier for authors and organizations to reuse information in
multiple documents and document types. Enabling more frequent reuse of
information helps authors work more effectively while increasing the
accuracy of information that they deliver. Arbortext enthusiastically
contributed to the development of this Recommendation, and earlier this
year we delivered support for XInclude in the Arbortext 5 release of our
Enterprise Publishing software.
     -- Paul Grosso, Vice President of Research and Co-founder, Arbortext

     Sun Microsystems is pleased to see XInclude published as a W3C
Recommendation, which provides a critical piece of infrastructure for
compound document authoring not generally available in the post-DTD
world. As evidence of our commitment to XInclude and open standards,
Java 5.0 ships with support for XInclude today.
     -- Ed Julson, Engineering Director of Web Technologies, Sun
Microsystems

     The University of Edinburgh welcomes the publication of Xinclude as
a W3C Recommendation. The W3C's support of XML and related technologies
is fundamental to work in many areas of University, particularly speech
and language technology work in the School of Informatics.

     XInclude addresses a key aspect of this work, namely the
representation in XML of linguistic annotation which is not strictly
hierarchical. XInclude will allow us to make our existing widely-used
approach to this problem, know as Stand-off Markup , into full
compliance with W3C Recommendations.
     -- Henry S. Thompson, Reader in Artificial Intelligence and
Cognitive Science, University of Edinburgh


Contact Americas and Australia --
     Janet Daly, <janet@w3.org>, +1.617.253.5884
Contact Europe, Africa and Middle East --
     Marie-Claire Forgue, <mcf@w3.org>, +33.492.38.75.94
Contact Asia --
     Yasuyuki Hirakawa <chibao@w3.org>, +81.466.49.1170
(also available in French and Japanese)

About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]

The W3C was created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing
common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its
interoperability. It is an international industry consortium jointly run
by the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
(CSAIL) in the USA, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and
Mathematics (ERCIM) headquartered in France and Keio University in
Japan. Services provided by the Consortium include: a repository of
information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, and
various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new
technology. More than 350 organizations are Members of W3C. To learn
more, see http://www.w3.org/


-- 


World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Janet Daly, Global Communications Officer
MIT/CSAIL, Building 32-G518
32 Vassar Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

voice: 617.253.5884
fax:   617.258.5999
http://www.w3.org/
janet@w3.org

Received on Monday, 20 December 2004 15:10:51 UTC