Announcement of Potential New Project : EXPRESS and Binary Data Representation

[Lothar Klein]

David,

The topic to standardise a binary representation of EXPRESS defined
data was already discussed in WG11 years ago. At this time a majority
of WG11 was frown on such an idea and when I remember correctly you
was part of this group!
Consequently people had to develop and implement their own thing.

I should also remind you on my paper
  ISO TC184/SC4/WG11/N144 "EXPRESS/SQL white paper" 2001-02-15
intended as a start to standardise a generic way for storing Express
defined data in a relational database. This idea was also not accepted
by WG11 at that time.

Meanwhile we have a new Express and WG11 has already for long several work
items on its agenda to update all the implementation methods
(and also E_X) for the new Express. This should be the priority for WG11.

Going back to the binary data representation.
LKSoft has developed its own thing. The main motivation was to have a
backup mechanism for an SDAI database. Consequently we call it the
SDAI file format. The SDAI file format supports all features of SDAI
and covers detailed meta information on all the datatypes so that it
is possible to create part21 and part28 files out of it without
knowing further details on the underlying EXPRESS schema.
The SDAI format is speed optimised for reading data into RAM. In
addition it is using compression, is able to include non-STEP data
(so to say a big binary data type), and has a couple of more features.

For now we keep the SDAI file format as a proprietary part of our
JSDAI toolkit. But this may change if SC4/WG11 is all of a sudden
going to standardise something in this area.

Lothar

-- 
// Lothar Klein, LKSoftWare GmbH
// Steinweg 1, 36093 Kuenzell, Germany
// +49 661 933933-0, Fax: -2
// mailto:lothar.klein at lksoft.com   http://www.lksoft.com

Saturday, February 7, 2004, 2:13:14 PM, you wrote:
> Meeting Name: EXPRESS and
> Binary Data Representation

> Start Date: 2004-03-02
> Tuesday

> Time(s): 1:00pm
>  - 3:00pm 3:30pm - 5:00pm

>  

> Agenda

>  

> 1) Discuss initiation of PWI
> or NWI

> 2) Initiation of
> Requirements Document

> 3) Initiation of Related
> Activities/Standards/Tools Document

> 4) Plan next actions

>  

> The idea is to standardize or use an existing binary
> representation of data for EXPRESS users whose applications require large
> volumes of data such as the analysis APs. An initial meeting was held at the Poitiers
> ISO. 

>  

> Note that there are already binary representations of data
> and that W3C is having a related discussion with respect to a binary
> representation for XML documents. All these activities are relevant. The expectation
> is that a PWI or NWI will result but that it may not be necessary to invent a
> representation ourselves. We may simply standardize the use of something that
> already exists or is under development.

>  

> Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or
> comments,

> Cheers,

> David

>  

> Phone +44 207 704 0499

> Mobile +44 7788 561308

> 8 Highbury Place, Flat 5

> London, UK

> N5 1QZ

>