1. Introduction to Manage Data With XML APIs
In the business world, exchanging data between different applications is a common occurrence. Oftentimes, you must convert the source data into a format the destination application can understand. This process can be complex and time-consuming.
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eXtensible Markup Language or XML provides a solution to this problem. XML data is stored in plain text and is both human and machine-readable. It's also hardware-independent, making XML data very portable. Using an XML API, you can easily share XML data across different applications, browsers, or operating systems.
The XML API receives data from a database, then converts it into XML format to be sent to another application that accepts XML inputs. This effectively allows you to treat your database as if it were structured in XML. With an XML API in place, you can manage your data more efficiently and effectively.
2. Understand the Importance of XML in Managing Data and Identifying Opportunities
The idea behind XML is to create a standard format that converts documents into a uniform system, making it easier for businesses to keep track of data. Understanding XML and how to leverage this method can bring a lot of changes to your business. An XML API can connect to any back-end database and convert the data into a format that will be understood by a client application.
A good example of how an XML API is used can be with enterprise resource planning or ERP software. Your company currently has a very expensive software program and the subscriptions and services won't end, putting a tremendous strain on your budget.
Luckily, XML benefits can bring what's offered in your current software program to another system, another application, another device or another person's system. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are endless.
3. Can XML APIs Help You to Manage Data?
eXtensible Markup Language or XML provides a solution to this problem. XML data is stored in plain text and is both human and machine-readable. It's also hardware-independent, making XML data very portable. Using an XML API, you can easily share XML data across different applications, browsers, or operating systems.
The XML API receives data from a database, then converts it into XML format to be sent to another application that accepts XML inputs. This effectively allows you to treat your database as if it were structured in XML. With an XML API in place, you can manage your data more efficiently and effectively.
4. Convert XML data to XSL Transformations
There are many steps needed to convert XML to XSL transformations. One of the shortcomings is that there is no available application framework for XSL transformations.
Traditional XML APIs require a REST service application to convert xml to a particular format. The Parser, Writer and XPath schema should be provided while using an XML API.
Returning data to an application can be a time-consuming and tedious process. If you are looking to save time and money for your software project, this may be a much more acceptable process as temporary files may be created to store the information. When the data is received at the destination, the transformation application will be capable of converting the data to the required format.
5. Convert an XML Document into an XSL Transformation
The XML API gives you the ability to read XML data in a database or spreadsheet, publish it to the Web or another system via the XML API, and maintain both the original XML and an XSLT document that can be applied if required.
You may be familiar with XSL Transformations. Using XSLT, you can apply formatting to an XML document. However, you must create a separate XSLT document for this to happen.
If you want to collect all data from a database or spreadsheet into a single document, you must format this as XML, format the XML with XSLT, then transform the XML using the XML API.
6. Convert an XSL file into an XML document
An XML template describes the structure of an XML document. When we mention "XML" here, we mention typing *AS on an XML editor to save a typed document.
An XSL (XML Stylesheet Language) template describes the transformations required to convert this XML into another XML.
However, your database might be in XML, too. As in, having an XML database means that it holds all its data in XML. This XML is easily converted into ETL (eXtensible Transformation Language) if we wanted to, but it can be better to just let the database and ETL do the conversion.
You can’t just put that into an XML editor, especially if your database is huge; you would be missing quite a few things.
To create an XML document, we need an XSLT (XML Stylesheet Language Transformation) template.
Because we're talking about databases, we would transform an SQL (Structured Query Language) document.
7. Using the Properties Editor to Edit XML
Remote processing to transfer data is referred to as Intra-or inter-organizational business process integration (inter-org BPI) or inter-application integration (IAI) in the B2B realm.
When one organization connects to another to exchange data, the latter must act as a hub that accepts the data, retains and writes it, stores it in a logical format, and further transforms the data into an appropriate format for the requesting partners.
An XML document (XML or XML schema) is a simplified version of the data. It contains or promotes simplified structure as opposed to the raw data, which typically contains poorly- or unformatted data. Your software may commonly use XML as a cache, in order to overcome disadvantages of conventional databases such as not adhering to native structures or authentications, not allowing full concurrency due to locking mechanisms, and managing complex changes more easily.
8. Conclusion – Can XML APIs help You to Manage Data?
Overall XML APIs are one of the fastest growing languages for data exchange. According to iVita, an XML-based regional statistics and data pool, it has generated more than 20% of the global revenue.
Nearly half of all companies responded, that IICSW — XML — to have a positive ROI for XML-based data exchanges, which mean it will progress in three years.
At the same time, it failed to provide the guidelines to novice who are looking into implementing the APIs for the first time.
The need to understand the terminology and how to start this journey at Parasoft. The guide is well written and all formulae are provided.