UML as a Schema Language for XML based Data Interchange

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is here used as a schema language to define data interchange formats based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML). UML is a powerful and flexible modeling language and XML is expected to be the next generation data interchange format for the Web. UML's declarative expressiveness and intuitive visual form overcome XML's current declarative powers. The use of UML as a schema language combined with XML as a data representation language addresses both semantic and syntactic interoperability. A mapping from UML to XML is defined and two prototype implementations are presented. The mapping is inspired by Object Management Group's (OMG) XML Metadata Interchange specification (XMI). It is developed as a part of the ongoing standardization work creating an international standard for geographic information (ISO 15046). It is generic and may easily be adapted to other application domains.