XML Representation of STEP Schemas and Data

Abstract

The first Technical Note in this series [1] introduced the international standard ISO 10303, informally known as STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data). Subsequent Technical Notes discussed various issues faced by users of STEP and how the ISO TC184/SC4 committee is addressing these issues. This article discusses the representation of STEP data using the Extensible Markup Language (XML). We begin by presenting XML’s advantages as an exchange medium for STEP. We then discuss some of the issues involved in designing an XML exchange mechanism for STEP and conclude with an update of SC4’s STEP/XML activities.