Benefits of XML?

[lespaul]

My supervisor has asked me to look into using XML for a data transfer from our courthouse to the Department of Financial Affairs (DFA) for payment of jurors who serve a jury term. My understanding of XML is that is it good for transferring data when the data format is unknown, however, I will know the format of both the courthouse (which I designed) and the DFA requirements. How will using XML benefit me in this scenario? Why should I consider using this technique rather than a text file?

Thanks for any input!



Leslie
landrews@metrocourt.state.nm.us

There are 10 types of people in the world -
those who understand binary
and
those who don't!

 

[palbano]

>> when the data format is unknown

That is not exactly the way I would put it. The data format is actually known since it is XML but the content is still unknown… umm… unless you know it. Or the source can provide a XML Schema which then describes the content. Software and tools exists that can work with XML input provided an associated Schema. Input can be Validated against a schema. That is just a very short list.

XML is broad in scope and many free and vendor supplied tools and applications exist that enable a multitude of business solutions with little or no development effort. This is the primary advantage is using a standard file format rather than a proprietary

For example neither you nor your consumers have to write your own parsing code since XML parsers are available in virtually every language and platform. Also XML orchestration applications exist whereby writing code to receive and process XML data is not always necessary (see Microsoft Biztalk Server for an example).

This discussion could go on for quite some time. If you start reading some industry news and articles about XML on a regular basis, many of these factors will become clear to you.


-pete

 

[lespaul]

What I have is a Delphi application for Jury Management. At this time I export raw data into Excel and then produce a report for our accounting department that shows:

Juror Name & Address
Juror Hours
Juror Pay
Mileage
Mileage Pay
Total Due

Some time in the future, I will need to develop a way to transmit this information to the proper agency with out the user having to manually enter it.

Thanks!


Leslie
landrews@metrocourt.state.nm.us

There are 10 types of people in the world -
those who understand binary
and
those who don't!

 

[palbano]

Sound interesting. I am not quite getting your requirements clearly.

with out the user having to manually enter it

So you have to get the information back out of the Excel file?


-pete

 

[lespaul]

exactly! I don't have the data stored in my database at this time, I create the excel file with the required informatoin. What I store is the date the juror served and the times:

JURNUM SERVDAT TIMETYPE TIMEIO
4123 20030101 TI 830
4155 20030101 TI 830
4260 20030101 TI 830
4123 20030101 TO 1030
4155 20030101 TO 1030
4260 20030101 TO 1030

Once I gather this information, I have to combine it into a single array so that I can calculate the number of hours worked:

4123 20030101 830 1030
4123 20030105 1400 1600
4123 20030108 1100 1300

So I finally end up with

4123 Joe Blow 123 Main St 6(hours) 30.90($) 15 (miles) 3.75(mileage pay)

This is exported to an excel spreadsheet that removes individuals with no pay, neatly formatted and printed. The accounting clerk then uses this report to manually enter the information into the DFA accounting program. (Previously, another person entered the raw data into one system to print the report so it could be manually entered into the DFA system!).

This is the final information that will need to be transmitted to the DFA.


Leslie
landrews@metrocourt.state.nm.us

There are 10 types of people in the world -
those who understand binary
and
those who don't!

 

[palbano]

Ok, so you need to read the data from the Excel file and send it somewhere. So that is the same as saving it to a file for instance. So if you want to use XML you would generate XML data representing the data read from the Excel file, right?

*Read data from Excel file into memory.
*Generate XML data in memory.
*Write data to destination ( transmit?? or save to file or whatever )

If that accurately represents your goal could you point out the part you have questions about? Also include any information or understanding you already have about the part you have questions for.


-pete

 

[lespaul]

I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about XML. So, any and all assistance is needed! I have minimal HTML, JavaScript, ASP and VBScript (all used at my last job over 2 years ago!).

And yes, your description of what I need to do with the file sounds correct. Thanks for your help.

Leslie

 

[palbano]

>> What I have is a Delphi application for Jury Management.
>> Some time in the future, I will need to develop a way to
>> transmit this information to the proper agency with out
>> the user having to manually enter it.

So this will be a new feature of that Delphi application?
Or, can you just use Excel to export the XML data to a file?
1) Use Excel to generate the XML file
Q. Transmit?? What does that mean? Send an Email?

If any or all of these activities must be automated which are they and how do they need to work? What are the requirements?


-pete