Assumption
1 XML is a panacea.
2 With my applications XML-enabled and my partner’s applications XML-enabled, we should be able to communicate easily.
3 Since XML applications communicate easily, I should start XML-enabling all my applications.
4 Since XML is a specification, all applications that use XML will work together.
5 XML is a language.
Reality
1 It’s a significant step beyond things like CORBA and EDI, but it’s immature, still evolving and will not be everything to everyone.
2 Possibly. But first you all have to agree on a specification. And even when industry standards would make more sense, many vendors are building their own XML specs and asking users to comply with that.
3 Don’t get ahead of yourself. Enabling key XML applications alone will take a significant capital investment and myriad strategic decisions.
4 Not all XML-based specifications work together, just as not all words made from an alphabet are part of the same language. Consensus is key.
5 XML is actually a syntax, like English grammatical rules. You can’t write actual code in XML, something you can do with a language.
