to XML or NOT

[mike91]

Hi, our uk client has partners in the US - they want to be able transfer products from one site and back again. We're being pushed a .csv file which could cause problems because of the spec field which may contain commas its self.

here are the fields

Action Char 1 (A=Add, D=Delete, C=Change)
Perfection Inventory (Char 5)
Year (Char 4)
Manufacture
Model
Serial #
Price
Short Description
PM Category Code
PM Category Description
Category Code
Image URL
Weight
Length
Height
Width
The final field is the SPEC field.


Surely this has XML written all over it?

What are your views?

At the moment the routine will mean, the US will push the Uk a csv file and vice versa, the two sites are on different servers opposite sides of the world.....


I'm thinking

<productTable>
<Action></Action>
<Perfection_Inventory></Perfection_Inventory>
<Year></Year>
<Manufacture></Manufacture>
<Model ></Model>
<Serial></Serial>
<Price></Price>
<Short_Description></Short_Description>
<PM_Category_Code></PM_Category_Code>
<PM_Category_Description></PM_Category_Description>
<Category_Code></Category_Code>
<Image_URL></Image_URL>
<Weight></Weight>
<Length></Length>
<Height></Height>
<Width>300</Width>
</productTable>

 

[harebrain]

XML would be my inclination, too.

BUT, the only reason you'd get into trouble with .CSV would be if people decided to roll their own, quick-and-dirty .CSV formatters/parsers. And if that's how your counterparts operate, you could run into similar trouble with XML, as the boneheads could bung up the lt and amp general entities.

So the real problem here isn't data format, it's how well-written the software will be.

 

[mike91]

I know where you're coming from. Its Rubbish not garbage!!!

Anyway , I feel comfortable writing the XML as above but do you anywhere good place to read up on pulling the data back in again?

ASP with an Access DB!

PS Cheers for your comments

 

[harebrain]

Check me on this, but I think Access 2003 has a native "import as XML" capability.