XML Paper Specification (XPS)

Transcription

1 Ecma General Assembly Prien 28 th June, 2007 Ecma/TC46/2007/002 Ecma/GA/2007/100 Proposed Ecma TC46 XML Paper Specification (XPS) Martin Bailey Global Graphics, Proposed TC46 Chair Takashi Hashizume Fuji Xerox, Proposed TC46 Vice Chair

2 Agenda Why XML Paper Specification, and why now? Contributors Proposed TC46 Terms of Reference Ecma International, Key to success Approval for Ecma TC46 and Terms of Reference?

3 Our lives revolve around paperwork We all read many documents every day We each create, comment on, contribute to, update or complete many documents every month Document workflows increasingly cross boundaries between physical and electronic paper

4 Geographic separation of collaborators or of document creators and consumers is increasingly irrelevant The number of collaborators on any single project is stable or growing Deadlines and response times are continually shortening; we live in the internet age Document peripherals (scanners, printers, etc) are more sophisticated and more tightly integrated with PCs and applications

5 As a result the documents we interact with are increasingly created, collaborated on, transmitted, read and stored electronically, rather than printed or written on paper But the paperless office has not yet arrived, necessitating standards that enable interoperability between document peripherals and software applications

6 As the TC45 introduction said: Fortunately The Information Technology Age enabled the creation of documents simply and massively Unfortunately It is difficult to share, exchange, preserve information Billions of documents in binary formats

7 Using XML for file formats Simplifies low-level file creation and reading A wide variety of tool-sets are available Increases choice of applications because of lower cost of entry for vendors Increases robustness Easy schema validation allows more frequent and more complete testing of created files Improves creator quality Allows easy diagnosis i of faults in document workflows Schema validation enhanced by grammar-specific test tools Enables cross-application functionality XML is now widely used in information transfer XSL-T (and other tools) can be used to translate between different grammars Data can therefore be extracted or inserted into XML documents

8 Standardised XML Standardising XML grammars moves innovation to user-visible issues Broadens the reach of many products, increasing competition Differentiation no longer focused on file format handling, but on real user benefits in application functionality In some cases whole new application categories become economically viable

9 International support for XML-based standards

10 Agreement across US states on underlying requirements California Minnesota Texas

11 The document life cycle Concept & Design Writing & Editing Archiving Approvals Review & Comments Output & Distribution

12 Different document requirements Authoring document formats Information content is the primary value Full editability and round-trip capability must be retained Document format intimately tied to document usage to maximise retention of semantics Often advantageous to allow re-flow for reading devices with different form factors, e.g. computer screens, mobile devices and printed output Distribution document formats Information content t and appearance are both valuable Appearance must often be guaranteed between screen and printed views Confidence in fidelity is more important than editability Document format not tied to semantics, allowing broader application in more use cases Format should be self-contained

13 Authoring & distribution stages Concept & Design Writing & Editing Archiving Approvals Authoring Distribution Either or both Review & Comments Output & Distribution

14 Archiving intent

15 XPS: based on standards XPS is based on a number of other standard (de facto or de jure) technologies alongside XML : Open Packaging Conventions & Markup Compatibility (ECMA-376) ZIP (Physical Package as defined in OPC) OpenType Simplifies aggregation of XML and binary content Packaging XML in ZIP is becoming common practice Standardised cross-platform typeface storage International Color Consortium (ICC) colour profiles Standardised colour profile storage TIFF, PNG, JPEG Widely used image formats, supporting a variety of colour spaces, bit depths and compression algorithms (lossless and lossy) HD Photo Provides extended color support with lossless and lossy compression Public commitment to submit HD Photo to formal standards organization

16 Availability of tool sets Rich and mature open-source tool sets, including open source, are available for: XML ZIP OpenType (rendering) ICC-based colour management TIFF, PNG, JPEG Mostly written in C, C++ and/or Java Minimal cross-platform portability issues Tools for OPC rapidly emerging Developers supporting ECMA-376

17 TC45/TC46 work comparison TC45 Office Open XML Authoring document format Retains semantics and dynamic metadata including styling and template information and support for complex document authoring capabilities Designed to support office productivity applications Word processing, presentations, spreadsheets Proposed TC46 XML Paper Specification Distribution document format Emphasises exact fidelity of document appearance Retention of document semantics limited to those sufficient for accessibility Exclusion of programmatic capabilities to ensure fidelity & enable trustworthy documents Designed to support electronic paper scenarios and print environments

18 Other distribution document formats Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) Widespread implementation, rich tool set But: Not based on XML Format-specific object & content stream formats Does not meet common requirements from government and other organizations Requires PDF-specific tool set, cannot be built with standardsbased, open-source SDKs Cannot be stream-consumed (important for some use-cases) Addresses areas beyond electronic paper (sounds, movies etc) so not always suited for direct consumption by document peripherals

19 Why standardise XPS? Remove any barriers to adoption, allowing usage in any scenario on any platform Collaborative effort with interested parties will ensure that documentation meets widespread needs of developers and the industry Community-based development of future versions can lead to functionality closely aligned with broad-base base of user requirements, without being limited by a single vendor s goals

20 Why standardise XPS now? There has been rapid adoption of the XPS format from users, developers and device manufacturers The launch of a new page description language is a rare occurrence, especially with a significant user base virtually from day one XPS breaks new ground in applicability to both document sharing and all printing requirements, from home inkjets to conventional professional print devices This is combined with an XML base, as widely demanded by diverse organizations in government and business

21 Why is XPS standardisation so exciting? Most file formats are either developed entirely by standards organizations, or by a single vendor File formats developed entirely by standards groups usually take a very long time to reach maturity and widespread acceptance File formats owned and maintained by a single vendor may not achieve a breadth of functionality required by users Microsoft has developed a solid first version of XPS, and delivered tool sets to their user base; several tens of million users already have these tools Multiple vendors have already delivered or announced independent implementations ti Enabling the standards community to take ownership of XPS will allow even broader input and discussion of new functional requirements in up-coming versions Rapid design and implementation driven by a single, large vendor, followed by an early opportunity for further community-based development and standardization promotes innovation

22 XPS co-sponsors Autodesk, Inc Microsoft Corporation Brother Industries, Ltd QualityLogic Inc Canon, Inc Ricoh Company, Ltd FUJIFILM Corporation Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd Global Graphics Software Ltd* Software Imaging Ltd Hewlett Packard Company TOSHIBA Corporation Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc* Xerox Corporation* Lexmark International, Inc* Zoran Corporation * Joining as Ordinary member Joining as Associate member Joining as SME member

23 Proposed Ecma TC46 XML Paper Specification Terms of Reference

24 Terms of reference for proposed TC46 Scope: The goal of the Technical Committee is to produce a formal standard d for an XML-based electronic paper format and XML-based page description language which is consistent with existing implementations of the format called the XML Paper Specification (XPS). The Technical Committee will use the format called the XML Paper Specification (XPS) as a starting point with the aim to provide a standard, secure, and highly trustworthy format that enables a wide set of applications, devices, tools and platforms to implement compatible paginated-document workflows. An additional goal will be to enable the interoperability of independently created software and hardware systems that produce, consume or otherwise process XPS content. The Technical Committee will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance and The Technical Committee will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance and evolution of the standard.

25 Terms of reference for proposed TC46 The objective of full compatibility with the existing XPS Format is adopted to: Guarantee continuous use of the existing base of XPS documents without losing any of the functionality and minimizing disruption caused by market confusion between versions of the same specification Maximize the benefits of implementing the standard, both to vendors and to users Ensure interoperability with document peripheral devices already on the market Guarantee interoperability by enabling standard-based tools for XML 1.0, ZIP etc to create, read and write files conforming to the standardized file format Support the needs of governments and businesses to submit, distribute, archive and preserve documents using an Open Standardized Format Enable standard transformations using W3C XSLT (or similar techniques) to extract or repurpose information from the file format Support integration of custom defined schemas

26 Terms of reference for proposed TC46 Program of work: 1. Produce a formal standard for an XML-based electronic paper format and XML-based page description language which is consistent with existing implementations of the format called the XML Paper Specification, including: Produce a fully documented and unambiguous standard for an XML-based electronic paper format and page description language. Produce appropriate W3C XML Schemas to enable automatic verification of files written to the standard. Enable interoperability between existing industry implementations of applications, devices, tools and platforms. (cont)

27 Terms of reference for proposed TC46 Program of work (cont): 2. Assume responsibility for the ongoing maintenance and evolution of this Ecma International standard 3. Support backwards compatibility with implementations targeted to prior versions of the standard 4. Evaluate and consider proposal for complementary or related additional technologies 5. Establish and maintain liaison with other Ecma TCs and with other Standards Setting Organizations (SSOs) as appropriate to facilitate and promulgate the work of the TC 6. Evaluate and consider contributing the Ecma standard to an ISO and/or IEC TC for approval and adoption* * The original submission suggested ISO/IEC JTC 1, discussions in the CC led to a desire not to restrict the choice of partner at this stage

28 Why Ecma International? Excellent industry experience and track record Longevity, credibility, broad acceptance Efficient and effective organization and processes Respected international ti presence Rapid development of consensus-based standards Successful partnership with ISO submission of ISO approved initiatives & standards ISO standard addresses end user requirement FAST Track program Provision of guidance and direction for submission to ISO/IEC

29 Proposed 1st TC46 meeting Planned for July 23rd in Cambridge, UK Agenda includes administrative planning: Discussion of proposed work items to support the TC charter Agreement on target date for completion of TC activities Determination of TC working processes and provision of supporting infrastructure Discussions on the methodology to use the current XPS documentation as a base document starting point Agreement on the appointment of a technical editor to support the TC TC Meeting planning Frequency of TC meetings (face-to-face and conference call) Availability of phone conference infrastructure Proposed dates & location for next face-to-face meeting Request for hosts for later meetings Discussion of interactions with HD Photo standardization Public accessibility of meeting minutes, drafts and other documents Initial discussion around ISO/IEC submission processes. Initial collation & discussion of any expected issues

30 We respectfully request that the Ecma International ti General Assembly formally approve the creation of TC46 to work on standardization of the XML Paper Specification Martin Bailey, Global Graphics Software, Ltd Proposed as Ecma TC46 Chair martin.bailey@globalgraphics.com Phone: Takashi Hashizume, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd Proposed as Ecma TC46 Vice-Chair Takashi.Hashizume@fujixerox.co.jp j Phone: