System and method for developing software applications using an extended xml-based framework

Abstract

An XML-based framework () for developing software applications () includes a document manager () to manage activities relating to one or more XML-based data documents () associated with an application (), each data document () modeling data associated with the application () and representing relationships between the data document () and one or more other data documents (). The framework () includes a rules manager () to manage rules () specifying logic for handling notifications associated with XML-based action documents () received at the application (), the notifications requesting actions involving data documents (). The framework () also includes an operations manager () to manage the execution of transactions involving data documents () based on operations () defined for the application () during its development. The framework () provides a generic XML-based transaction engine, the application () being one of a plurality of distributed applications () each being an instance of the generic transaction engine. An electronic marketplace with a distributed transaction layer may include such a plurality of distributed applications (), where the applications () interact with one another using the distributed transaction layer () to conduct electronic commerce within the marketplace.