Using XML for Simple Hierarchical Communication between Agents

摘要

The importance of the role of communication between the agents has also been highlighted by many researchers, particularly for multi-agent systems and for distributed communicating agents. But the form of agent communication often remains a mystery. Agent communication languages and standards are being developed, however the dust hasn't really settled yet, and many implementations use ad-hoc techniques. XML provides an excellent form for agent communication by facilitating the construction of hierarchical message structures. Many of the practicalities for implementation of message recognition can be overcome by the utilization of existing libraries for XML parsing. A message system using an XML-type syntax is more extensible and adaptable for use in a changing environment. This paper discusses the use of XML for the construction of agent-based messages, and presents a simple approach for the deconstruction of messages by receiving agents.