Brisbane Rugby League Referees Association

Home >> XML Upgrade

XML Upgrade for Website

Introduction
Use of XML for Referee Re-Registration Process
Plan for Electronic Referee Re-Registration Process
Advantages and Disadvantages of XML Upgrade Plan
References

Introuction

The original intent of XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, is not to replace HTML or XHTML languages. According to (W3Schools.com, 2012), the main difference between the two common web languages was that:

HTML/XHTML is used to display and present content in a meaningful way
XML is to be used to transport and store data

(World Wide Web Consortium, 2012) have adopted and publish recommendations on the use of XML for Internet and Intranet sites.

Use of XML for Referee Re-Registration Process

There are many possibilities for XML to be used on the website for the Brisbane Rugby League Referees Association. One possible use is the re-registration process for referees at the start of the season.

The current process for re-registration is a manual and time consuming process involving:

A report printed out from the Queensland Rugby League of all referees registered in Brisbane from the national rugby league referees database. This database is web enabled.
This report is sent to the Secretary where referees, in returning for the year need to sign against their name before a set cut-off time
The Secretary then sends a printed copy of the report back via post to the Queensland Rugby League.
A staff member from the Queensland Rugby League then updates the national rugby league referees database as required.

Plan for Electronic Referee Re-Registration Process

At present, the Brisbane Rugby League Referees Association has a web-enabled database of its members. This is separate from the national rugby league referees database.

To enable a electronic re-registration process to occur, the use of XML should enable the Association's database and the national rugby league database to be joined and updated and maintained regularly. As XML is only used to transport data from one system to another, a new HTML/XHTML page will need to be created to enable members to re-register at the start of each year.

Advantages and Disadvantages of XML Upgrade Plan

With the Association having 422 members covering the entire Brisbane area, getting all referees in one place can be very hard. In particular, kids who rely on parents transport. By setting up a electronic re-registration process enable any member to complete the appropriate paperwork without requiring the middle man to handle the paperwork. Administration costs are also reduced for the Association meaning that more money can be diverted to the coaching and development of referees.

However, as the Brisbane Rugby League Referees Association is a not-for-profit organisation served by volunteers, there are a number of disadvantages. The primary one being a large number of financial resources is required. It is also needs to be endorsed by all members at a meeting as well as approved by all Associations across Queensland.

References

W3Schools.com, (2012), XML Introduction, Retrieved from http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_whatis.asp
World Wide Web Consortium, (2012), Extensible Markup Language, Retrieved from http://www.w3.org/XML/

Last Updated: 28-May-2012