On the Design and Implementation of Interactive XML Applications

What Is Xml-I

XML Interactive is a specification, in XML format, of a software application. Thus, XML-I can be used for both the conceptual and the actual design of interactive SMS and web applications. The software framework of XML-I contains properties that can be easily implemented by simple programs in a web server environment, using Java’s application programming interface (API). By establishing XML-I in a multi-tier architecture, web services can be extended to create complex client-server conversations based on the input received from a mobile originated (MO) SMS message or more traditional web (HTTP) request.

Before the introduction of XML-I, many interactive SMS services were implemented by responding to a single and specific keyword contained in the MO message. The SMS applications would generate mobile terminated (MT) messages based upon the specific keyword received. With XML-I, users are able to carry out multifaceted conversations with the underlying information service without the need to specify a keyword for each client-server interaction. For example, a user might navigate through several menu options (responding via SMS messages) in order to request more specific information from a large data set.

Just as standard XML is based on tree structures, XML-I code contains specific nodes and attributes that control the navigation within the XML along with key commands to enable client interaction. When a user sends a message, the content within that message determines the new “state” of the application. Moving to a new state will determine what actions will take place. Basic functionality such as switching state or terminating conversations is also part of this system. Changing an existing application is easy – one simply updates the states and actions in the XML document.