
Introduction to XML •
As we have noted, the actual document interchange can be done using the XML standard. Since the EDI
approach of standardising and exchanging business documents, using a hierarchical structure such as ASC
X12, is extremely close to the way XML documents are organised, the future direction taken for bringing
EDI and the Internet closer would be by converting all standard EDI documents to their equivalent XML
formats. This is the current trend in the industry at the moment. The basic technology would be VAN on one
side, and the use of standard browser-based Internet interface on the other. The former would continue to