beeXML.org – Collaboration platform for the standardization of the exchange of data about bees and beekeepers

beeXML.org is focused on supporting your use of the beeXML standard by:

  • Documenting the standard
  • Documenting our implementation experiences
  • Providing a beeXML Implementation Guide
  • Collaboration with other standards bodies
  • Providing assistance in properly understanding and interpreting the BeeXML standard
  • Supporting all projects in their efforts to exchange of data about bees and beekeepers in a standardized format
  • BeeXML.org is not an electronic market place or a software!

The beeXML standard enables the following benefits:

  • Accurate data
  • Reduced costs for exchanging data between projects and institutions
  • Consistent information throughout the beekeeping sector
  • Interact between project partners in an uniform manner
  • Simplify the process for dealing with multiple sources of data
  • Reduced manual work, resulting in fewer entry errors
  • Real-time exchange of information and greater electronic information availability

What is XML?

XML ‐ (Extensible Markup Language) is used to store and transport data.

Some design principles of XML:

  • Simplicity: ease of usage, interoperability & understanding
  • Modular design: do one thing well
  • Extensible: Ability to easily modify the structure & content
  • Self-descriptive: ease of understanding
    • Machine readable
    • Human readable
    • Embedded descriptive tags

XML is designed for data availability, sharing, transport. It requires complementary technology to do anything else. i.e. Someone must write a piece of software to send, receive, store, or display it, for example:

  • HTML: Format & presentation of the data
  • Web Service: Transport of the data (e.g. SOAP)
  • Database: Store & integrate with other data sources

Source: Data modeling for XML and Json

Series of articles about beeXML: