It is anticipated that XML will heavily dominate the next generation of telemetry systems. The syntax of XML-based languages can be constrained by a schema that describes the structure of valid documents and allowable values of attributes using data typing facilities. However, even on the syntactical level, the schemas cannot express all dependencies between XML elements and attributes, both within a single document and across multiple documents. This greatly complicates the validation process of XML data used in testing, because the process cannot be fully automated with standard schema processors. VIStology is proposing a solution that is based on Semantic Web technologies and allows different vendors and system integrators to independently develop their own semantic validation rules. Moreover, conflicts detected by the rules can be resolved with support of a solver.
Benefit: (1) Different vendors and system integrators can independently specify their own validation rules. (2) The rules are equipped with powerful semantics, which allows for specification of constraints that any XML schema language could ever offer. (3) The approach is not specific to a particular T & E standard, it can be augmented to support validation of any XML-based standard. (4) The solution is entirely standards-based and thus should be cheaper for the government acquisition and maintenance.
Keywords: Testing, XML, semant