Fast Infoset

Fast Infoset (or FI ) specifies a XML binarized, i.e. a binary format of coding for the whole of information XML ( XML Infoset ) like alternative to the format of document XML. It wishes to provide a serialization more effective than the XML based on text.

One could think that FI is like Gzip for XML, whereas FI aims at optimizing at the same time the size of the document and the performances of treatment, whereas Gzip optimizes only the size. Even if the original format is lost, the passage of XML with FI and vice versa is done with Iso-information.

The specification of Fast Infoset is defined at the same time by ITU-T and the bodies of standards of the ISO (international organization of standardization). FI is officially called ITU-T Rec. X.891 and ISO/IEC 24824-1 (Fast Infoset), respectively. However, it is often known (in English) like Fast Infoset. the ITU-T approved/validated the standard on May 14th, 2005. ISO initiated the publication on March 30th, 2007.

A frequent misunderstanding is that FI requires ASN.1. Although formal description uses formalisms ASN.1, ASN.1 is not necessary for the implementations.

Implementations

Standard of reference

An implementation in Java of specification of FI is available in the project GlassFish. The library is in source open and is distributed under the terms of the License Apache 2.0. Several projects use this implementation, including the implementation of reference of JAX-RPC and JAX-WS used (S) in JWSDP.

Alternative implementations

FastInfoset.NET is an implementation in C# for the platform .NET Framework. It was available under dual license (double license), available under the free license LGPL and under commercial license, but there remains now only the commercial option.

The OSE Fast Infoset Tools are designed to be used by the applications written in language C or C++.

Performance

The performances of Parsing de FastInfoset are much better than for former XML, at the same time for the speed of the anlyse and the size (factor 10 for the implementation java compared with Xerces Java, factor 4 by comparing with Piccolo driver, one faster analyzer XML Java-based).

External bonds

Fast Infoset page At the ASN.1 site
Examples off encoding XML infosets ace fast infoset documents
fi project Home Page
FastInfoset.NET Home Page
OSE Fast Infoset Tools page

References

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