CompreX: further developments in XML compression

The use of the extensible markup language (XML) as a platform- and application-independent means to transfer information has become increasingly widespread. However, as more Internet applications are being used in bandwidth or computationally limited environments - such as wireless computing and Web browsing, satellite-based communications, and the developing airborne Internet - the limitations of XML become apparent. In these environments, the significant file size inflation caused by conversion to XML becomes a prohibitive factor. Under a U.S. Army Small Business Innovative Research program, Architecture Technology Corporation is currently developing a modular approach to XML specifically for application in a bandwidth limited environment. Initial work has focused on three aspects of XML compression, collectively known as CompreX: a binary encoding process leveraging knowledge of XML schemas, a compression algorithm tuned specifically for XML, and a process known as inter-document redundancy compression