CompTIA EIDX B2B Content Standards
An e-Commerce implementation involves a choice of content standards, a business process, and a choice of how information will be conveyed (implementation options). These can be combined in many ways. This page discusses the choices of content standards.

A common language is necessary for companies to share or exchange information using different information systems. Data dictionaries establish precise meanings for the shared information. XML-based languages are commonly used today, however, as of May 2002, the US Government estimated that there are 1200 XML vocabularies and more than one of these vocabularies makes the claim of having the largest deployment base. 

For more information on EIDX's approach to evaluating standards and recommendations for the technical components of e-Business exchanges, see the EIDX Internet Commerce Model.

CompTIA's EIDX Group focuses on the following organizations that develop and maintain such dictionaries:

• ASC X12 EDI: The ASC X12 Data Element Dictionary represents the collection of basic building blocks on which all Electronic Data Interchange transaction sets are constructed. The dictionary listing (in data element number order) defines each data element and its cross-reference to EDI segments and transaction sets in which it is used including all available codes and attributes. The CompTIA/EIDX EDI Guidelines use the ASC X12 Data Element Dictionary for the complete specification of all data elements.
• EDIFACT: The UN/EDIFACT Data Dictionary defines each data element and its cross-reference to all UN/EDIFACT messages in which it is used including all available codes and attributes. EIDX recommends the use of EDIFACT guidelines published by EDIFICE. The guidelines use the UN/EDIFACT data dictionary for the complete specification of all data elements.
  
• RosettaNet:  RosettaNet is an independent, self-funded, non-profit consortium dedicated to the development and deployment of standard electronic business interfaces. These standards form a common e-Business language, aligning processes between supply chain partners on a global basis.  The development of RosettaNet Implementation Guidelines is currently in process.  Meanwhile, consult the published RosettaNet PIP Documentation.
  
• OAG: The Open Applications Group (OAG) developed the Business Object Document architecture (BOD). This architecture provides the framework to communicate messages or business documents. BOD consists of 2 major components — a control layer and a business data layer. OAG provided the specifications to develop a set of OAG-compliant Document Type Definition (DTD) to support their XML messaging requirement. Both the XML messages and its DTDs make up the BOD.  Development of OAG's implementation guidelines has not yet begun in the EIDX constituent industries.  Consult the published OAGIS documentation.

• ebXML - Core Components: The ebXML Core Components project team is working on the methodology to develop a common business data dictionary. This effort will result in a syntactical neutral data dictionary, supporting numerous syntax, such as XMl, X12, EDIFACT, etc. The CompTIA EIDX Technology Subcommittee will publish the final version when it becomes available.

• XML standards to be evaluated:
  • finXML
  • tpaML
  • CBL
  • UBL
  • UDDI/XAML
  • UDEF/GUID
  • Others to be determined