Chapter 7. Write an e-Commerce Server

T his chapter looks at solutions to conduct electronic business on the Internet using XML. More specifically , it demonstrates a server for purchasing and invoicing .

I have made several simplifications in this project and I will particularly concentrate on two aspects:

• Automatically exchanging XML documents between Web servers, which is essential for high-volume transactions

• Accepting various formats through XSL style sheets for increased flexibility

If you follow the announcements of XML-based e-commerce products, you have probably heard of XML marketplaces . These are promising solutions that enable e-commerce for businesses. This chapter doesn't aim to compete with these products but to demonstrate a simple, low-cost solution. The concepts introduced in the chapter can serve as a basis for more sophisticated solutions as well.