Apache-XML Open Source Project to be Announced

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From dirkx@webweaving.org Mon Nov 8 19:31:50 1999
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 18:09:37 -0500 (EST)
From: Dirk-Willem van Gulik <dirkx@webweaving.org>
To: pmc@xml.apache.org
Subject: Apache-XML open source project about to be announced

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Dear Colleagues and friends,

This is to let you know that tomorrow the Apache Software Foundation will announce a new effort focused on XML.

For years now the Apache web server has been providing a solid Web technology foundation, but it offered little beyond this base protocol layer. As web sites have become more complex, interoperability at the content level has become more important to all of us.

The Apache Software Foundation felt that a new set of basic, solid, standards-compliant building blocks were called for.

Seeded by contributions from IBM, Sun, DataChannel, Bowstreet, Exoffice and individuals such as James Tauber and Stefano Mazzocchi we now have a solid line up of components ready to be hammered on.

Xerces

A fast, robust and compliant XML parser. Both C++ and Java versions. Based on IBM's acclaimed XML4C and XML4J parsers. With a unicode enabled Perl hookup ready to go.

Xalan

An XSLT style sheet processor, based on the LotusXSL contribution. Currently just in Java; but C++ will follow.

FOP

FOP is James Tauber's implementation of the W3C XSL:FO (formatting object) specification in Java.

These building blocks are not very web or server centric. There is a functional 'example' implementation that is a bit closer to home:

Cocoon

An XML web publishing framework Cocoon is a powerful framework for XML web publishing which brings a whole new world of abstraction and ease to consolidated web site creation and management based on the XML paradigm and related technologies.

Just like Apache, anyone is welcome to come along, work on this, add components, and patch in changes. Although the above line up is quite complete and functional, when you download the code you will find that there is significant overlap, and perhaps quite some re-architecting to do.

The URL tomorrow will be:

http://xml.apache.org.

Hope to see you all,

Dw

Dirk-Willem van Gulik, (ad interim chair for the Apache-XML project).
The Apache Software Foundation http://www.apache.org

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Prepared by Robin Cover for the The SGML/XML Web Page archive.

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