R. Winkels
Comparing XML standardsAlexander Boer
Leibniz Center for LawUniversity of Amsterdam
Overview
4 sources of the European CommissionSome of the sources are modifications on another one.Comparing different XML languages: Danish, Dutch, Italian, Austrian, SwissNo Danish contribution today
Why compare?
Which one is the best standard?Translation to other standards
possible?Learning best practices from other
standards
Does it use existing standards for:naminglinkingvalidation
Etc…
Is it supported by special purpose tools
is it useful in general purpose XML applications?
does it have features that prohibit or encumber its use for/in ...?
does it needlessly address non-legal issues it shouldn’t address?
Is it for:relating documentsmetadata about documentsdocument logical structure (formal profile)Some other special purpose (e.g. paper publishing)
Is it optimized for:1. paper publishing2. electronic p2p exchange3. electronic client-server4. editing
Is it oriented:1. Producing organizations2. Consuming organizationsProfile of user:1. Specialist non-routine decision maker2. Routine administrative decision maker3. Uninformed citizen4. Publisher5. Author
Precedence to:EfficiencyTransparencySimplicityCoverageExtensibilityLanguages
How many sources are in domain of standard?
How many different types of users (of the XML)?
Who asked for the standard?
Uses for structure
Layout???Selecting right snippets of text for search resultsLinking to justifying textStoring modifications instead of consolidationsStructured Editing (enforcing validity)
Metadata
Annotations describing competence of authorVersion managementTemporal regime managementClassification of purpose of sourceprocedural information (where does it fit in legal system that uses it)
METALex is…
An open interchange standard for legal sources
A minimal provision for tagging regulations Extensible for any conceivable purpose Jurisdiction-independent Language-independent Compliant with the newest W3C standards
and proposals Partly developed within E-POWER project
(IST 2000-28125)
XML vs. RDF
Equivalent XML and XML/RDF SchemaRDF (Resource Description Framework) Concept/Object-oriented Identity & meaning not linked to
serialization Bridging standard format for databases
en CASE tools Elegant solution for self-reference in
legal sources
XML vocabularies
XML vs. RDF
Semantic Layer
Data Store Knowledge Store
L1MetaLexMetaLex
PDFWord
XML
P1 P1
A1A1
L2
<….>
--------------
--------------
</…>
Identity/concept
Manifestation
Reference
Typed reference
Existing tools
Word pluginValidation and storage in RDFAutomatic generation of amending acts based on editing MetaLex sourcesAutomatic resolution of references in and to (MetaLex) legal sources
Results from Furore Workshop experiments
Student without previous exposure to XML created
1.4 XML documents 2.4 RDF sources, and 3.RDF temporal model relating
sources
Results from Furore Workshop experiments
Problems with usability: Namespace, base, URI (identity), URL
(import) No suitable editor
(Protégé/SemanticWorks bugs) for RDF
Results from Furore Workshop experiments
Problems with interpreting sources: What date in the document
corresponds with what date in event model = unawareness of EU publication and modification procedures
Are the footnotes annotations or just fancy (..) in the primary legal text
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