Use XMLBeans to Manage Multi-version XML

he integration of heterogeneous software systems often requires disparate clients to share data seamlessly in real time. Two technologies that have eased this data flow are XML and Web services, which use SOAP to make the integration more seamless.

One way to handle data exchange within a Web service application is to publish an XSD (XML Schema Definition) that requires all client applications to send XML data that's compliant with the published XSD. As long as you maintain a single XSD and all your clients' XML complies with it, your Web service will run with no problems. However, life in the software industry is seldom smooth. The software requirements involved in systems integration change frequently and you need to accommodate them. However, once you've published an XSD that all clients use, modifying it becomes complicated since any changes affect all the clients as well. Alternatively, you could publish multiple versions of the XSD and process different incoming XML versions in your application.