Message-Id: Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 08:24:07 -0800 To: IGS Mail , UNAVCO Mail , SCIGN Mail , CSRC General Mail From: Yehuda Bock Subject: [IGSMAIL-4327]: XML Site Logs Sender: owner-igsmail Precedence: bulk ****************************************************************************** IGS Electronic Mail 29 Mar 08:20:40 PST 2003 Message Number 4327 ****************************************************************************** Author: Y. Bock, D. Malveaux, B. Gilmore, M. Scharber XML Site Log Project -------------------- SOPAC is currently working on a project to create XML based Site Logs and other related Tools. XML is considered the next generation of HTML. It is a simple, standard way to delimit data. Many also consider XML to be the standard way information will be exchanged in environments that do not share common platforms. To find out more about XML visit our web site at http://sopac.ucsd.edu/projects/xml/xmlinfo.html. Below is a brief outline containing information about the SOPAC XML Site Log Project. Objective: Work toward a standard XML-based Format for GPS Site Logs. ---------- - SOPAC and the XML Site Log Project. - SOPAC is currently using a set of custom perl libraries to generate XML-based Site Logs from our database. - SOPAC's SIM (Site Information Manager) which manages and maintains the data needed for these Site Logs, plays an integral role in the creation of XML encoded Site Logs. - SOPAC has created an XML Schema, which we will use to validate the XML Site Log documents that we generate. The schema is subject to change for the purpose of restricting or relaxing constraints or for general improvements. - SOPAC maintains a Web site (sopac.ucsd.edu/projects/xml) where those interested can visit to stay current on the progress of our XML Project. - SOPAC will soon be adding an XLST link to our web site which will allow us to present the data in the XML documents in an HTML format. - Advantages of using XML. - XML is a standard format that is widely used. - It is easy to make changes in XML. - There are many of existing software tools already available that can easily be used with XML. This eliminates the need for writing proprietary internal software. - With the use of a XML Schema for data validation, you can be assured that the data in the XML document is valid. - Future of the XML Site Log Project. - SOPAC plans to implement web services, which will allow users to select specific information from an XML document and have only this data that is most useful to the individual be displayed. - The GPS Seamless Archive Center (GSAC) Project will be adding a XML_Site_Log datatype to its domain of datatypes. For more information please visit the GSAC web site at http://gsac.ucsd.edu. - Work with other interested groups to create a conversion tool that will convert IGS formatted documents into XML documents, and on other XML related topics. As SOPAC continues its work on the XML-based Site Log Project, we will send out notices of the progress we are making. Any feedback or comments from others outside the SOPAC group would be greatly appreciated. We acknowledge earlier work at JPL on an XML format for GPS solutions. -- *********************************************** Yehuda Bock e-mail: ybock@ucsd.edu Research Geodesist Phone: (858) 534-5292 & Senior Lecturer Fax: (858) 534-9873 WWW: http://sopac.ucsd.edu/; http://csrc.ucsd.edu/ Director, Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center (SOPAC) Director, California Spatial Reference Center (CSRC) Address: University of California San Diego Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics 9500 Gilman Drive DEPT 0225 La Jolla, CA 92093-0225 FedEx Address: Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics Scripps Institution of Oceanography 8785 Biological Grade, Room 4208 La Jolla, CA 92037 ***********************************************