Formal transformation from fuzzy object-oriented databases to fuzzy XML

XML has become the standard for publishing and exchanging data on the Web. Since most of the business data nowadays are stored in structured databases including relational and object-oriented databases (OODB), it is of significance to automate the transformation process and generate the XML data containing information from existing databases. At the same time, information imprecision and uncertainty exist in many practical applications, and for this reason, fuzzy data modeling has been extensively investigated in various data models. As such, there is an increasing need to effectively publish fuzzy structured data as fuzzy XML documents for Web-based applications. In this paper, we take a significant step in a fundamental consolidation of fuzzy XML. In particular, we are interested in finding an XML schema that best describes the existing fuzzy object-oriented schema. To accomplish this, we first offer mapping formalisms to capture the semantics of fuzzy XML Schema and fuzzy object-oriented schema. To allow for better and platform independent sharing of data stored in an object-oriented format, we investigate the formal transformation from fuzzy OODB to fuzzy XML and develop a set of rules to assist in the transformation process.     

The XML Tree Model – toward an XML conceptual schema reversed from XML Schema Definition

XML Schema Definition (XSD) is the logical schemas of an XML model, but there is no standard format for the conceptual schema of an XML model. Therefore, we propose an XML Tree Model (XTM) as an XML conceptual schema for representing data semantics in a diagram, and also as an XML data model validator for confirming the data semantics required by users. An XTM consists of hierarchical nodes representing all the elements, and the data relationships among elements within the XSD. A rule-based algorithm and an information capacity with pre- and post-conditions are developed as the methodology for reverse engineering. The proposed algorithm consists of two rules: General Information Transformation and Data Semantic Recovering to construct an XTM. Users can draw an XTM with data relationships among elements as a result of the reverse engineering.     

基于XML的ER模型的建立

XML已经成为Web上表示结构化和半结构化数据的标准格式,为了描述XML数据的结构和内容,业界已经提出了多个XML模式语言。虽然XML模式对ValidatingXML文档非常有用,但它不适用于要求表示数据有关语义知识的任务,对这样的任务最好使用概念模式。针对XML模式的概念建模,介绍了一种扩展实体关系模型及将用XML模式语言定义的模式转换成扩展实体模式的过程。     

一种基于内容的HTML到XML转换策略

互联网应用系统中传统ＨＴＭＬ内容数据的重用及其与Ｗｅｂ中标准ＸＭＬ格式数据的互交换非常重要。通过对ＨＴＭＬ结构和语法特点的分析,文章定义了一种分离ＨＴＭＬ格式信息与表达有效语义的内容数据的标记规则,建立了该标记规则到ＸＭＬ模式的一种影射,从而实现了一种从ＨＴＭＬ内容到ＸＭＬ结构数据的转换策略。最后,在网页在线维护系统ＷＯＭＳ中应用该策略实现网站管理者对网页的在线维护。     

A model-driven approach to semi-structured database design

Recently XML has become a standard for data representation and the preferred method of encoding structured data for exchange over the Internet. Moreover it is frequently used as a logical format to store structured and semi-structured data in databases. We propose a model-driven and configurable approach for modeling hierarchical XML data using object role modeling (ORM) as a flat conceptual model. First a non-hierarchical conceptual schema of the problem domain is built using ORM and then different hierarchical views of the conceptual schema or parts of it are specified by the designer using transformation rules. A hierarchical modeling notation called H-ORM is proposed to show these hierarchical views and model more complex semi-structured data constructs and constraints. We also propose an algorithm to map hierarchical H-ORM views to XML schema language.     

Development of a deterministic XML schema by resolving structure ambiguity of HL7 messages

Health level 7 (HL7) is a standard for medical information exchange. It defines data transfers for the application systems in the healthcare environment. Alternatively, the extensible markup language (XML) is a standard for data exchange using the Internet. If exchange messages follow the content and the sequence defined by HL7 and are expressed in the XML format, the system may benefit from the advantages of both standards. In creating the XML schema, we found ambiguities in HL7 message structures that cause the XML schema to be non-deterministic. These ambiguous expressions are summarized within 12 structures and can be replaced with equivalent or similar unambiguous structures. The finite state automata are used to verify expression equivalence. Applying this schema, an XML document may eliminate redundant segment group definitions and make the structure simple and easy to reproduce. In this paper, we discuss the methods and our experience in resolving ambiguous problems in HL7 messages to generate a deterministic XML schema.     

基于语义对象的XML Schema数据建模

语义对象模型是把语义看作基本出发点,用来文档化用户需求并建立数据模型的。利用语义对象模型来获得XML Schema,或将语义对象模型作为关系数据模型向XML Schema转换的中介,有利于尽可能多地保留数据的语义信息。文章提出了利用语义对象的XML Schema数据建模的一些基本规则和方法。     

Modeling imprecise requirements with XML

Fuzzy theory is suitable to capture and analyze the informal requirements that are imprecise in nature, meanwhile, XML is emerging as one of the dominant data formats for data processing on the internet. In this paper, we have developed a fuzzy object-oriented modeling technique (FOOM) schema based on XML to model requirements specifications and incorporated the notion of stereotype to facilitate the modeling of imprecise requirements. FOOM schema is also transformed into a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) in an automatic manner. A schema graph is proposed to serve as an intermediate representation for the structure of FOOM schema to bridge the FOOM schema and APIs for both content validation and data access for the XML documents.     

关系模式到模块化的XML Schema的模型映射方法

基于关系模式的向量模型和XML模式树模型,提出了一种关系模式到模块化的XML Schema的模型映射方法BTT,其映射规则保持了关系模式的结构、属性以及约束信息的完整保留,自底向上的映射顺序在没有牺牲转换效率的情况下,完成了模块化的封装与重用,使得对转换后的XML Schema文档的更新操作可以在模块化内部完成,大大提高了维护效率。实验结果表明了与传统的嵌套层次的XML Schema文档相比,BTT方法转换形成的XML Schema在维护效率上有明显优势。     

Word2007文档信息隐藏的新方法

Word2007给用户提供了一种新的默认文件格式即Word XML格式,新的格式为在Word文档中隐藏信息提供了新的思路和解决方案.简要介绍了Word2007的格式,结合XML文档信息隐藏的基本方法以及Word XML的自身特点提出了替换"修改标识"的信息隐藏方案.实验结果表明,相比于以往基于Word文件的信息隐藏方案,提出的方案简单,实现方便,隐藏量大,鲁棒性更好.     

基于XML的SIPN表示与解析研究

基于XML设计了一种Petri网（SIPN）的交换格式。XML是具有数据描述功能、高度结构性及可验证性的语言,首先设计了SIPN的Schema文件,并根据该Schema文件将SIPN图形转化成XML格式文件,该文件包含了SIPN的图形和语义信息。利用DOM对该XML格式的SIPN模型进行解析,可以提取模型的关键信息,为应用程序提供一个接口,这可以推动基于Petri网的应用程序开发,实例证明该方法具有很好的实用性和可扩展性,可以用于其它扩展Petri网格式的设计。     

Conceptual modelling of web sites for end-users

Internet and the WWW more and more play an important role in our information society. It is now one of the major sources of information in every rank of our society. The overwhelming accessibility to data, on a global scale, does not necessarily translate to widespread utility of data. We often find that we are drowning in data, with few tools to help managing relevant data for our various activities. In this paper, we argue that the WWW and its end-users could benefit from the existence of a conceptual web site schema. We propose such a conceptual web site schema that describes what information is available in a web site and how this information is structured into pages and links. To allow to communicate this information through the web, we developed an XML Document Type Definition (DTD) for this conceptual web site schema. We also illustrate the feasibility of the approach by a simple application program developed using the XML Document Object Model (DOM). This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The impact and implementation of XML on business-to-business commerce

This paper discusses the impact analysis of the Extensible Markup Language (XML). Each business partner within a supply chain will be allowed to generate its own data exchange format by adopting an XML meta-data management system in the local side. Followed after a brief introduction of the information technology for Business to Customer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) Electronic Commerce (EC), the impact of XML on the tomorrow business world is discussed. A real case study for impact analysis on information exchange platform, Microsoft's BizTalk platform which is actually an XML schema builder and the implementation of XML commerce application will provide an interest insight for users' future implementation.     

Translating relational schema into XML schema definition with data semantic preservation and XSD graph

Many legacy systems have been created by using relational database operating not for the Internet expression. Since the relational database is not an efficient way for data explosion, electronic transfer of data, and electronic business on the Web, we introduce a methodology in which a relational schema will be translated to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema definition for creating an XML database that is a simple and efficient format on the Web. We apply the Indirect Schema Translation Method that is a semantic-based methodology in this project. The mechanism is that the Relational Schema will be translated into the conceptual model, an Extended Entity Relationship (EER) Model using Reverse Engineering. Afterward, the EER model will be mapped to an XML Schema Definition Language (XSD) Graph as an XML conceptual schema using Semantic Transformation. Finally, the XSD Graph will be mapped into the XSD as an XML logical schema in the process of Forward Engineering, and the data semantics of participation, cardinality, generalization, aggregation, categorization, N-ary and U-ary relationship are preserved in the translated XML schema definition.     

Authorization Translation for XML Document Transformation

XML access control models proposed in the literature enforce access restrictions directly on the structure and content of an XML document. Therefore access authorization rules (authorizations, for short), which specify access rights of users on information within an XML document, must be revised if they do not match with changed structure of the XML document. In this paper, we present two authorization translation problems. The first is a problem of translating instance-level authorizations for an XML document. The second is a problem of translating schema-level authorizations for a collection of XML documents conforming to a DTD. For the first problem, we propose an algorithm that translates instance-level authorizations of a source XML document into those for a transformed XML document by using instance-tree mapping from the transformed document instance to the source document instance. For the second problem, we propose an algorithm that translates value-independent schema-level authorizations of non-recursive source DTD into those for a non-recursive target DTD by using schema-tree mapping from the target DTD to the source DTD. The goal of authorization translation is to preserve authorization equivalence at instance node level of the source document. The XML access control models use path expressions of XPath to locate data in XML documents. We define property of the path expressions (called node-reducible path expressions) that we can transform schema-level authorizations of value-independent type by schema-tree mapping. To compute authorizations on instances of schema elements of the target DTD, we need to identify the schema elements whose instances are located by a node-reducible path expression of a value-independent schema-level authorization. We give an algorithm that carries out path fragment containment test to identify the schema elements whose instances are located by a node-reducible path expression.     

XML数据的结构化处理方法

越来越多的数据采用XML格式表示和交换，对XML数据的有效访问方法是目前需要解决的关键问题之一．对通过面向对象数据库系统访问XML数据的方法进行了讨论，提出了将XML数据映射到对象模型的规则以及建立XML数据的OODB模式的方法．为了建立高效地访问路径提出了一种XML数据的结构索引，并介绍了利用结构索引实现基本的数据操作的方法．实验结果表明，提出的方法具有较高的效率。     

XML materialized views and schema evolution in VIREX

Web-based databases are gaining increased popularity. This has positively influenced the availability of structured and semi-structured databases for access by a variety of users ranging from professionals to naive users. The number of users accessing online databases will continue to increase if the visual tools connected to web-based databases are flexible and user-friendly enough to meet the expectations of naive users and professionals. Further, XML is accepted as the standard for platform independent data exchange. This motivated for the development of the conversion tools between structured databases and XML. Realizing that such a need has not been well handled by the available tools, including Clio from IBM, we developed VIREX as a visual tool for converting relational databases into XML, and since then has been empowered with further capabilities to manipulate the produced XML schema including the maintenance of materialized views and schema evolution functions. VIREX provides an interactive approach for querying and integrating relational databases to produce XML documents and the corresponding XML schema(s). VIREX supports VRXQuery as a visual naive users-oriented query language that allows users to specify queries and define views directly on the interactive diagram as a sequence of mouse clicks with minimum keyboard input. As the query result, VIREX displays on the screen the XML schema that satisfies the specified characteristics and generates colored (easy to read) XML document(s). The main contribution described in this paper is the novel approach for turning query results into materialized views which are maintained to remain consistent with the underlying database. VIREX supports deferred update of XML views by keeping an ordered summary of the necessary and sufficient information required for the process. Each view has a corresponding marker in the ordered summary to indicate the start of the information to be reflected onto the view when it is accessed. When a view is accessed, its marker moves to the head of the list to mark for the next update. In addition, VIREX supports some basic schema evolution functions include renaming, adding and dropping of elements and attributes, among others. The supported schema evolution functions add flexibility to the view maintenance and materialization process.