UBL Software SC Minutes, Atlantic 17 June 2004 call

[Anne Hendry <anne.hendry@sun.com>]

The UBL Software Subcommittee Atlantic met on 17 June 2004

at 16H00 - 17H00 UTC :

   09h00 - 10h00 Thursday San Francisco
   12h00 - 13h00 Thursday Washington
   17h00 - 18h00 Thursday London
   Midnight - 1:00 Friday Singapore

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?day=17&month=6&year=2004&hour=16&min=0&sec=0&p1=0

#############################################
STANDING INFORMATION FOR UBL CONFERENCE CALLS
U.S. domestic toll-free number: (866)839-8145
Int. access/caller paid number: (865)524-6352
Access code: 5705229
#############################################

Charter:

   1. To create UBL schemas from models created by the UBL TC
      and continue to evaluate tools for this process.
   2. To promote a forum for the sharing of UBL implementation experience,
      for feedback to UBL TC and implementors.
   3. To document wish list requirements for UBL software based on
      UBL user/implementor and UBL TC needs.
   4. To develop FAQ (questions/answers from users, troubleshooting).
   5. To document basic information on using vanilla UBL.
   6. To actively represent UBL goals to software implementors.
   7. To maintain UBL tools information on a designated web site.
   8. To document UBL use (type of users, types of use, case studies,
      user input on best practices, etc.).

Attendees: Tony, Stephen, Anne, 

Agenda:

1. Welcome from Chair, Roll/Membership, Minutes, Agenda

   Several new members this week.  Now have 14 signed up.

2. Review open AIs (see attached minutes from last week)

20040610-01: Anne get issues list from HISC posting on 6/9 into issues FAQ.
             In progress.

20040610-02: Stephen ask Ken about sharing XPath tool with TC.
	     Done.

20040610-03: Stephen check NDRs to see how they may relate to minor and major
             release changes.
	     In progress.

20040610-04: Anne ask Jon about IP and other statements we might want to add
             as boiler plate for discussions and written material (minutes,etc).
	     Done.  Jon is working this with OASIS.

20040610-05: Bill/Sylvia/Anne review UBL mail lists for FAQ and Issues.
             Done.

20040610-06: Anne respond to Stephen's email on definitions from Reusable.
	     In progress.

20040610-07: Stephen send out document from PWC supporting 'simple invoicing'.
	     Done.

20040610-08: Ray send out initial thoughts on goals for a UBL marketing activity.
	     In progress.
	     Some discussion occurred regarding the differences between xBRL
	     and UBL and how much benefit large oragnizations will reap from
	     having their data (which is considerable) in a globally accepted
	     format.

20040610-09: Anne send eamil to scott mcgrath to find out how many ubl-dev subscribers.
	     Done.  240.

20040610-10: Sylvia send email to Michael Roitman to invite TaxML to liaison with UBL.

20040610-11: Anne ask Jon and Mark for liaison or contact via email with E-Gov TC.

20040610-12: Anne begin this converstation through Jon with Danish UBL implementors.
	     Have contact info.  Still need to follow up.

20040610-13: Anne update member list.
	     Done.  We have 14 members.

3. Review Issues list

   Will include only issues up to the cutoff date, although others should be
   captured and flagged as late submissions. 

4. Other business

   - Need someone to chair today's Pacific call

     Stephen will chair, but is very late for him, so Anne will also ask Sylvia.

   - software

     There was some discussion of the scope of 'software', with most interest
     in the area of stylesheets for both display and mapping.

     Also discussed was the utility of schema validation.  Schema validation
     can give many errors that are not meaningful to a business person, to
     someone who is a technical novice.  Also, schema validation will not
     necessarily tell you if the instance is valid.  In general, schema
     validators today are quite general in that they don't understand the
     business context - what the document is being used for - and don't
     provide enough error context.


     There is a tool, QualiControl developed in France (sponsored by French gov),
     which uses Python scripting with a GUI IDE which validates instances;
     a user can control all the validation steps and can insert business rules.
     It is not reliant on schema structure.  Similar to writing a custom schema.

     One likely scenario is that users will turn instances into flat files
     so that legacy systems can handle them.

     Schematron can allow you to do this if you have only a few rules,
     but otherwise schematron is too tedious.  Most of the specific things
     will be checked in software.

     In a fincancial environment you must have either a positive or negative 
     outcome, black or white, not a maybe.  If it can't be clearly determined,
     it must go to a human to inspect.  SWIFT tends to provide mechanisms
     that do the checks in software.