Examining standardised XML validation methods against an industry vocabulary: improvement of XLIFF 2 roundtrip workflows through effective schema design

The concept of automation has dramatically changed after the machine-to-machine communication was established in mid 20th century and Information Systems were enabled to form networks and exchange data. Like any form of communication, protocols (standards) are an essential part of such networks and compatibility with the defined protocol is the most fundamental requirement for facilitating an effective exchange environment. With the exponential advancement of processing technologies over the past years, contemporary information systems are capable of targeting complicated tasks within an automated workflow. The components of such workflow are in constant interaction and, therefore, reliable exchange standards for effective storage of the structured data play a vital role in enabling interoperability. However, as standards improve to cover the emerging requirements and to provide solutions for new demands, conforming to standards with complex data models is a non-trivial subject. To overcome conformance issues, which blocks semantic interoperability, the literature suggests defining the standards using machine-readable schema. This research, conducted in line with design and development methodology, represents our work on delivering the machine-readable specification of OASIS XLIFF 2.1, a business-driven and XML-based standard. This standard is the most widely adopted exchange format in the localisation world and provides a platform for storage of translatable content and the associated metadata. The result of this work, an advanced validation platform based on standardised and declarative methods, is included in the Specification of the standard as normative. This work improves the state-of-the-art of the standard by providing machine-readable and platform independent artefacts that can be used by all users to guarantee an interoperable environment for XLIFF-based workflows. This dissertation contributes to knowledge by providing a detailed study of XML validation methods, discovering gaps in the related literature and also by examining schema languages, especially Schematron, against business-driven rules. Finally, this work attempts to highlight the expressivity and capability of standardised XML schema languages, which lack fundamental research, and we hope that the results of this work would promote their wide adoption by providing useful guidelines. The validation platform for XLIFF 2.1 represents a unique work, by scale and official recognition, which is based on standardised and declarative methods.