Using XML with Legacy Business Applications

Use a Standard or Roll Your Own?

There are always benefits to not reinventing the wheel, and this rule holds true when considering schemas for common business documents. However, though a sad prospect to consider, the wheel you're looking for may not have been invented yet. This is one area where I will offer some somewhat unqualified guidance. If you can find a schema that fits your purposes and has acceptance in your community as a standard, then by all means use it. If you can't find one that fits or if you find more than one and there is no consensus in your trading community or user base about which one is “standard,” then you have at least a few different ways you can go. If one or more schemas might work but aren't universally accepted, ...