TS-104
Experiment of EDI of Propeller Design Data Using XML
Nobuhiro BABA* and Shizuo ITO †
ABSTRACT
Electronic Data Interchange, commonly referred to as EDI, is a very attractive approach to the effective computer-to-computer exchange of information over networks. One of the key points to be addressed regarding the use of EDI is what data format should be used to transmit data via the network. XML (eXtensible Markup Language), which is an extension of the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) used to prepare Web pages, has been gaining greater attention recently. The tags used to markup the document can be arbitrarily defined using The tags used to markup the document can be arbitrarily defined using Document Type Definition (DTD) in XML. XML can be considered as the most appropriate format for EDI.
The authors are currently conducting a series of investigative tests aimed at determining what technical areas need to be solved in order that XML can be used effectively for EDI as it applies to the transfer of classification related information. An outline of the investigation is as follows.
・The tests are carried out on the assumption that the design data being submitted for approval is transmitted via a network from the manufacturer to the classification society.
・The DTD for the design data of the propeller to be transmitted is defined.
・The procedures necessary for the sender and receiver to send and receive the data have been clearly discussed.
・Applicable technologies required in order to carry out the above investigation need to be examined, as well.
Key Words: EDI, XML, Data Interchange, network
1 Introduction
New network related technologies such as the Internet have recently become the object of public attention. At first, the so-called "c to b" (consumer to business) or "c to c" (consumer to consumer) forms of network interaction have greatly facilitated the expansion in the use of such technologies as e-mail or web browsers. It is said that the use in the business field of a so-called "B to B" (business to business) form will expand rapidly hereafter. Of course, e-mail has already been widely used as a medium of communication in business. However, attempts are now being made to develop an Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, system that will permit the direct exchange of data held in different companies.
This paper reports on the results of studies and tests made of an EDI system established between a manufacturer of marine propellers and the classification society, in this case, between NAKASHIMA PROPELLER CO., LTD and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (also known as ClassNK). A major concern in the utilization of EDI is what type of data format should be used. In this work, the authors have used XML (eXtensible Markup Language) for the data description and apply it to the design data of the propeller.
2 Problem to be discussed
2.1 EDI
The electronic data interchange (hereafter referred to as "EDI") had already received much attention before the start of the Internet era. The main reason for this attention has been the desire to improve the cost efficiency of data processing and the information system being used. If the following ratio can be thought to represent an index for evaluating the above cost, the problem can then be seen as an attempt to improve this index.
The cost necessary for data processing can be broadly divided into two major components. One is the cost needed to create the software applications used for the system, while the other consists of the cost to generate the data for the system. Until a few years ago, the former was comparatively greater than the latter.
*Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, 4-7 KIOI-CHO, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 102-8567, JAPAN FAX: +81-3-5226-2024, E-mail: baba@classnk.or.jp
｢?ystems Nakashima CO., LTD, 2-3-19 NAKASHIMADA-CHO, OKAYAMA-SHI 700-0982, JAPAN FAX: +81-86-234-8111, E-mail: s.ito@nakashima.co.jp
