XML-based frameworks for Internet commerce and an implementation of B2B e-procurement

It is not easy to apply XML in e-commerce development for achieving interoperability in heterogeneous environments. One of the reasons is a multitude of XML-based Frameworks for Internet Commerce (XFIC), or industrial standards. This thesis surveys 15 frameworks, i.e., ebXML, eCo Framework, UDDI, SOAP, BizTalk, cXML, ICE, Open Applications Group, RosettaNet, Wf-XML, OFX, VoiceXML, RDF, WSDL and xCBL. This thesis provides three models to systematically understand how the 15 frameworks meet the requirements of e-commerce. A hierarchical model is presented to show the purpose and focus of various XFIC initiatives. A relationship model is given to show the cooperative and competitive relationships between XFIC. A chronological model is provided to look at the development of XFIC. In addition, the thesis offers guidelines for how to apply XFIC in an e-commerce development. We have also implemented a B2B e-procurement system. That not only demonstrates the feasibility of opensource or freeware, but also validates the complementary roles of XML and Java: XML is for describing contents and Java is for automating XML documents (session handling). Auction-based dynamic pricing is also realized as a feature of interest. Moreover, the implementation shows the suitability of e-procurement for educational purposes in e-commerce development.Report code: LiU-Tek-Lic-2001:19.