Merging XML files: a new approach providing intelligent merge of XML data sets

As XML becomes ubiquitous so the need for powerful tools to manipulate XML data becomes more pressing. Merging XML is particularly tricky, but often necessary to consolidate data feeds from heterogeneous systems, or to synchronize submissions of XML fragments which make up a larger document. An automated mechanism for defining and controlling such merges has been developed and is demonstrated to provide a consistent, adaptable and resilient solution to this problem. Integration into an information pipeline allows limitless customization. As XML tools become more powerful and able to handle many of the peculiarities of real data, so the possibility of achieving a genuine, intelligent merge of XML data sets becomes a reality. Increasingly users are wanting to apply concurrent engineering to XML, i.e. to allow multiple users to add to a single data set simultaneously.