Optimal Design Markup Language as a new interface standard for design processes

Abstract

XML is an emerging standard for structuring document, especially for the World Wide Web. This article introduces a new markup language for describing optimal design (OD) processes using XML, called Optimal Design Markup Language (ODML). Our approach is focused on structured representation of OD processes to develop an interface standard. To define the syntax rules for the tags of ODML, the Document Type Definition (DTD) is defined considering core activities and related resources of OD. As a feasibility study of ODML, we have developed an ODML-based solver for numerical optimization problems. This system can help solve a wide variety of nonlinear constrained or unconstrained optimization problems using ODML as an input/output interface standard. We have also applied ODML to a CAD-based total optimal design system. ODML enables developing on-line monitoring system using ODML as a post-processing interface standard in this software. It is illustrated that ODML can be utilized as an interface standard for developing various OD applications.