| Frequently
Asked Questions about nanoML:
- What
is nanoML?
- Why
is nanoML important?
- What
is a nanodevice/nanosystem?
- What
are the namespace and URI for nanoML? Will they change?
- What
are the design goals for nanoML?
- Is
there documentation for nanoML?
- How
do I get nanoML?
- How
do I use nanoML?
- What
is the convention for file suffixes for nanoML files?
- What
external dependencies does nanoML have?
- Is
nanoML suitable for production/commercial use?
- Will
nanoML become an open standard?
- What
is nanoTITAN's intellectual property policy regarding nanoML?
- Where
is the software to read/write/parse/exploit nanoML?
- Is
nanoML extensible/open?
- What
is the schedule for evolution and release of nanoML?
- Who
owns nanoML?
- What
is XML?
- What
is an XML Schema?
- Is
nanoML a W3C Schema?
- Are
there any other markup languages relevant to nanotechnology?
- Can
I use the data types defined in nanoML in my own markup languge?
- Is
there a license or are there any restrictions on the use of nanoML?
- Can
I contribute to nanoML's design?
- Where
do I send my comments/suggestions?
What
is nanoML?
nanoML
is a markup language for the description and interchange of nanodevice and nanosystem
designs. Why
is nanoML important?
As
nanotechnology begins to move from research labs onto the engineer's desk, there
is a need to capture the essential elements of nanodevice designs so that they
can be readily communicated, stored and exploited by engineering software tools. What
is a nanodevice/nanosystem?
A
nanodevice may be thought of as a man-made macromolecule with a purpose and can
range from a relatively simple contruct, like a nanotube, to an extremely complex
"nanobot" capable of performing any number of tasks. A nanosystem
is an integrated system of nanodevices. What
are the namespace and URI for nanoML? Will they change?
The namespace is
http://www.nanotitan.com/data/nanoML. The URI is http://www.nanotitan.com/data/nanoML/nanoML.xsd.
Neither is expected to change, even with the release of new versions. This is
possible because each successive release will be backwards compatible due to the
inclusion of "any" elements and attributes in the initial release. What
are the design goals for nanoML?
nanoML
goes well beyond a format for the representation of molecules. Our design goals
for nanoML are: - Flexibility—it
should be possible to describe certain aspects of a nanodevice independently of
other aspects. For example, a nanodevice's operational characteristics might be
specified even if it's molecular structure were unknown. This allows for conceptual
testing of the utility of nanodevices without having to tackle the more challenging
molecular design problem. We have built in this flexibility throughout by making
almost all nanoML nodes optional, enabling any number of content combinations
that suit different needs and users.
- Comprehensiveness—It
is our goal to capture as much significant information about a nanodevice as possible
without lapsing into unnecessarily detailed or easily derived information.
- Extensibility—Both
for the sake of backward compatibility and customizability, we seek to make nanoML
highly extensible through the use of XML's "any" construct and global
data types.
Is
there documentation for nanoML?
Yes,
there is automatically generated documentation here.
You may want to review the XML
Schema Primer beforehand if you are new to XML Schemas. How
do I get nanoML?
Download
the nanoML Schema and/or all nanoML documentation from the web site. There is
no charge for nanoML. Also, note that you don't have to have a local copy of nanoML
in order to use it; simply include nanoML in your own schema or instance documents
using the appropriate XML construct (see the XML
Schema Primer for help in doing this). How
do I use nanoML?
You
can create instance documents that are valid with respect to the nanoML schema.
These documents may then be saved, manipulated by nanoXplorer
(or any nanoML compliant software), and communicated with other engineers and
researchers. Because constructing XML documents by hand can be very tedious, nanoTITAN
recommends the use of XML Editors such as XML
Spy—at least until nanotechnology software that deals with nanoML directly
is available. You may also include nanoML in your own XML schemas. What
is the convention for file suffixes for nanoML files?
By
convention, the file suffix for nanoML files should be ".nml". It is
not necessary to follow this convention for correct operation of related software.
However, use a different extension might affect the software's ability to automatically
recognize nanoML files. What
external dependencies does nanoML have?
nanoML
includes elements and data types from four other markup languages: Is
nanoML suitable for production/commercial use?
You
may use nanoML for any purpose you wish, however nanoTITAN makes no representation
as to its suitability for any particular purpose. Will
nanoML become an open standard?
That
is one possible future for nanoML; at the appropriate time we may submit nanoML
to a standardization body. However, until nanoML matures nanoTITAN, Inc. will
retain complete control over its development. What
is nanoTITAN's intellectual property policy regarding nanoML?
We
of course explicitly relinquish any and all claims to any content that someone
may wish to express in nanoML format. We will never charge a fee for the direct
use of nanoML and its use may be considered to be free and "open source,
" to the extent that term applies to a markup language. The nanoML schema
itself is copyrighted and the nanoML name is a registered trademark, but you may
create and use nanoML instance documents without risk of compromising
your own intellectual property to some future claim from nanoTITAN. Note that
nanoTITAN reserves the right to charge for software that may deal
with nanoML, which is a separate entity from nanoML itself and its instance documents.
Where
is the software to read/write/parse/exploit nanoML?
nanoTITAN,
Inc. has developed software to read and write nanoML. nanoXplorer
includes that ability and uses nanoML as its native format. Is
nanoML extensible/open?
Yes.
nanoML makes extensive use of XML's "any" construct. Almost all data
types are defined as open with "any" elements and attributes allowing
for further expansion or customization. What
is the schedule for evolution and release of nanoML?
The
1.0 version of nanoML was completed in the Fall of 2003, together with the first
release of nanoXplorer. It will be evolved as neccessary to support nanoXplorer's
evolving functionality and based on input from the nanotechnology community. Who
owns nanoML?
nanoTITAN,
Inc. owns nanoML. We will maintain ownership and control of nanoML until we feel
it is appropriate to pursue standardization. Note that nanoML is a registered
trademark of nanoTITAN, Inc.--you may not use the term "nanoML" in a
commercial endeavor without expressed written permission from nanoTITAN, Inc. What
is XML?
XML,
the eXtensible Markup Language, is a method for putting structured data in a text
file. Read the XML
FAQ for more information. What
is an XML Schema?
The
purpose of a schema is to define a class of XML documents, and so the term "instance
document" is often used to describe an XML document that conforms to a particular
schema. Read the XML
Schema FAQ for more information. Is
nanoML a W3C Schema?
Yes.
nanoML is compliant with the W3C XML Schema 2001 recommendation. Are
there any other markup languages relevant to nanotechnology?
The Chemical Markup
Language (CML) describes molecules and thus may be considered relevant. There
are also some biological and other scientific markup languages that might be considered
tangentially relevant. Visit XML.org's Schema
Registry for more information. There are no other nanodevice markup lanuages
or nanotechnology-specific markup languges to our knowledge as of July 2003.
Can
I use the data types defined in nanoML in my own markup languge?
Yes, but you may
want to copy them to your own document rather than "include" them, because
the definition of nanoML's data types may change at any time. Is
there a license or are there any restrictions on the use of nanoML?
nanoML is copyrighted
by nanoTITAN, Inc. Any suggestions submitted for improvement of nanoML become
the property of nanoTITAN, Inc. and do not confer any rights to the party that
submits the suggestion. You may use nanoML freely, but nanoTITAN makes no representation
as to its suitability for any particular purpose. Can
I contribute to nanoML's design?
Yes.
We encourage feedback from the nanotechnology community to make nanoML more widely
useful. We welcome your constructive criticisms. Note that if we incorporate one
of your suggestions that this does not provide you any rights to nanoML or the
tools that use it. Where
do I send my comments/suggestions?
Please
send all correspondence regarding nanoML to support@nanotitan.com. | 
