World Wide Web Consortium Releases XML Conformance Test Suite

W3C/NIST/OASIS Cooperation Leads to Better XML Conformance

 

http://www.w3.org/ -- 12 June 2002 -- The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released today the "XML 1.0 (Second Edition) W3C Conformance Test Suite." The test suite, developed in cooperation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), allows developers to test an XML processor for conformance with W3C's XML 1.0 (Second Edition) Recommendation.

W3C/NIST/OASIS Cooperation Produces Results

The XML 1.0 W3C Conformance Test Suite was developed in cooperation with NIST, and was formerly hosted by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). The test suite contains over 2000 test files, and provides a set of metrics for determining conformance to the XML 1.0 (Second Edition) Recommendation. Both W3C's XML Core Working Group and OASIS' XML Conformance Technical Committee have contributed test cases. W3C recognizes the substantial value that cooperation among W3C, NIST, and OASIS has added to this endeavor.

"XML is the result of years of effort on the part of many people who came to W3C to build it together," states Liam Quin, W3C's XML Activity Lead. "That same collaborative spirit and expertise now provides developers with an extensive XML Test Suite, which conforms to the current XML 1.0 Recommendation."

Test Suites Are Supported by XML Community

The test suite has received the support of the XML community and software vendors. "The XML developers community has made frequent use of the XML Test Suite since we published the first version in 1999," explained Mark Skall, chief of the Software Diagnostics and Conformance Testing Division at NIST. "It's clear from the feedback we receive from both individual developers and companies that an effective test suite can drive conformant applications and enhanced interoperability. As a result of using the test suite, the quality of software reaching the marketplace is greatly improved."

While hosted by OASIS, the test suite already helped improve interoperability between XML processors. "The XML conformance test suite is evidence that cooperation between organizations can work," noted Karl Best, director of technical operations for OASIS. "We are proud of the contributions made by OASIS members to improve interoperability between XML processors, and we are pleased to see this important work advanced at W3C."

W3C encourages the community to participate in the ongoing development of this test suite. Information about the public mailing list for this test suite is available at the test suite home page.

Quality Assurance Activity Strengthens W3C Specifications

The release of the XML Conformance Test Suite is the latest push by W3C's Quality Assurance Activity to promote interoperability on the Web. The Quality Assurance Activity helps other W3C Working Groups develop test suites and validation tools (listed in the QA Matrix), and strives to improve the quality of W3C specifications. The XML Conformance Test Suites are free for any developer to download and use.

About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]

The W3C was created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. It is an international industry consortium jointly run by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (MIT LCS) in the USA, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) in France and Keio University in Japan. Services provided by the Consortium include: a repository of information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, and various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new technology. To date, nearly 500 organizations are Members of the Consortium. For more information see http://www.w3.org/

 

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