Method and System for Providing an XML Binary Format

Abstract

A technique for incorporating binary formatting into a tag-based description language, such as XML, is provided. The binary formatting is achieved by tokenizing the tag and attribute names into variable sized numeric tokens, thereby obviating the need for repetitive or redundant storage of lengthy unicode words, etc. The binary formatting minimizes parsing time and the generation of overhead incident to the formatting and parsing of data. Parsing time is thereby substantially decreased and generally, the size of the resulting file decreases too.

1 . A method for generating a data stream according to a binary format of a tag-based description language, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of tag names;   identifying a first tag name from the plurality of tag names;   tokenizing the first tag name into a numeric token;   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tokenizing an attribute name into a numeric token.   
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the numeric token for the first tag names is variable sized. 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the numeric token for the attribute name is variable sized. 
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the tokenizing of the attribute name enables values natively stored as binary data types to be inserted into the data stream. 
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tokenizing of the first tag name includes inserting a name definition construct into the data stream a first time the first tag name is encountered for purposes of recreating the first tag name by a device that receives the data stream. 
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tag-based description language is extensible markup language (XML). 
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the tokenizing of the tag and attribute name decreases the time elapsed parsing the data stream by a device that receives the data stream, the time being decreased relative to the parsing of a corresponding text-based format of the tag-based description language. 
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the tokenizing of the tag and attribute name decreases overhead incident to formatting data for representation according to the tag-based description language. 
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the tokenizing of the tag and attribute name decreases the size of the resulting data file formatted according to the tag-based description language. 
   
   
       12 . A computing device, comprising:
 means for receiving a well-formed document in a text format of a tag-based description language;   means for converting the document to a binary format via tokenization of the tag and attribute names into variable sized numeric tokens; and   means for converting the document back to the text format without a loss of fidelity.   
   
   
       13 . A computing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the tokenization of attributes enables values natively stored as binary data types to be inserted into the data stream. 
   
   
       14 . A computing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the tokenization of tag names includes inserting a name definition construct into the data stream the first time a tag name is encountered for purposes of recreating the tag names by a device that receives the data stream. 
   
   
       15 . A computing device according to  claim 12 , the tag-based description language is XML. 
   
   
       16 . In a system in which a transmitting device transmits in a streaming fashion data formatted according to a tag-based description language, a method for generating a data stream according to a binary format of the tag-based description language, comprising:
 for each unique tag name, at the first time a tag name of the data is encountered, tokenizing the tag name into a numeric token and transmitting the token and the text associated with the tag name; and   at any time subsequent to the first time that the tag name of the data is encountered, transmitting the numeric token without the text.   
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 tokenizing attribute names into numeric tokens.   
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the data is transmitted incrementally, and whereby a receiving device parses the data as it is incrementally received by the receiving device. 
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the numeric tokens for tag names are variable sized. 
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the numeric tokens for attribute names are variable sized. 
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the tokenizing of attributes enables values natively stored as binary data types to be inserted into the data stream. 
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the tag-based description language is extensible markup language (XML). 
   
   
       23 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the tokenizing of the tag and attribute names decreases the time elapsed parsing the data stream by a device that receives the data stream, the time being decreased relative to the parsing of a corresponding text-based format of the tag-based description language. 
   
   
       24 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the tokenizing of the tag and attribute names decreases overhead incident to formatting data for representation according to the tag-based description language. 
   
   
       25 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the tokenizing of the tag and attribute names decreases the size of the resulting data file formatted according to the tag-based description language.