Getting Started (please help!!)

[LHudson73]

Hello,

I have a situation here. I don't know anything about XML. However I have taught myself a lot of other programming and development, including VB, HTML, SQL Server, ASP, etc. and so therefore I can learn quickly. And when I say quickly I mean ....

My customer is switching formats. Previously, we have been sending data on an Access Database which we zip up and burn and then Fed ex. Weird probably but it worked for everyone. Now they want us to send them an XML file instead. I don't know XML??!!

I did find lots of documentation on converting a database to XML. However here is the issue: they decided to change the schema on us. Not drastically, probably just details like changing a "Start_Date" field to "StartDate" and annoying stuff like that. So they sent me a schema with some sample XML data. Only when I open the file it's just a bunch of tags instead of a table that I can actually read.

So here's the question:

How do convert the schema and sample data into an actual database table? Is there a quick and easy way to do this without having to manually review each tag? Once that step is complete, I'd need to modify my database to match the schema, and then convert it into an XML file that would fit the customer template.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

L

[chilipie]

Please use more descriptive post titles...

[Alex Vincent]

We're going to need some source code before we can really help you.

May I ask why, though, your customer wants an XML file for the DB? If they just want the file, they're going to lose a lot of what databases are all about. On the other hand, if they want a database that handles XML, that's a different ball of wax entirely than SQL.

I'd suggest clarifying their reasons for going XML. In this context, XML is a format for sharing data between applications... I think...

[LHudson73]

I thought "Getting Started" was pretty descriptive since it describes exactly what I know about XML -- nothing!

I can't really post the code because the data is very sensitive. My customer is a secret government organization hehehe. So secret that you don't even know they exist.
:cool:

A co-worker recommended something called XMLSpy which I installed. I can comprehend the schema a little bit better now. There is even a menu command to convert it into a database. However I am now getting an error message:
This schema doesn't appear to be valid by itself (as a part of another schema, it might still be OK): Fixed and Default are not allowed here.

Any ideas?

L

[Alex Vincent]

I can't really post the code because the data is very sensitive. My customer is a secret government organization hehehe. So secret that you don't even know they exist.
:cool:


:cool:

Don't make me neuralyze you.

---

All kidding aside, can you give us a sample that resembles the basic framework of your target goals, without carrying samples of the real data?

Once again, I wonder why XML is the way to go for you. XML's learning curve is not short. There are really at least 3 subjects you must understand: XML well-formedness, DTD, and the programming language you use to read or write the XML. If you're aiming it at browsers, you also need to understand at least CSS or XSLT/XPath. If you're aiming to have it read as data into an HTML page, you need to understand either XML data islands or some other mechanism for importing the XML. It's also highly recommended you learn either SAX (Simple API for XML, which I haven't taken the time to learn) or DOM (the Document Object Model, which I know fairly fluently). I only hope XML Schemas (defining XML languages rigourously in XML) is not a requirement, because if it is, you're going to be buried under the weight. (I say that because XML Schemas, while it sounds cool, is a huge specification that frightens me.)

I am not trying to say, "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning". Nor do I intend to belittle you. But with so little to go on from my perspective, I think you really don't understand the full scope of what's needed just to get a minimal implementation going. I can practically guarantee you aren't going to pick it up overnight, or really understand most of the nuances in less than a month's time.

I really hate telling people not to bite off more than they can chew (mainly because I hate being told it even more; it drives me crazy). But in this case, I am strongly recommending you write down why XML is the way to go. "It's the latest thing" is not a good reason. "The customer thinks it's the latest thing" is only slightly better. "This is how we're going to use it" is the start of an excellent reason.

I don't know anything about XML.

If you can figure out the why, you'll cover the most important part. The rest is just details. :thumbsup: