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Altova tools include support for bi-directional XML mapping for integrating XML data with today’s most popular information formats. Learn more about XML data integration challenges and Altova tools for solving them by reading on and clicking the links below.

Because XML syntax consists of self-describing mark-up in text format, it is both application-independent and human readable. This simplicity and interoperability have helped XML achieve widespread acceptance and adoption as the standard for exchanging information between heterogeneous systems in e-business applications, Web services, etc.

However, though XML provides much of the basis for online information exchange, it is not designed to replace other formats for storing and exchanging data. Rather, the flexibility and openness of XML allow it to co-exist with and complement non-XML data formats such as databases, flat files, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) systems, and others.

Seamlessly integrating XML data with other common data formats to enable e-business and Web services applications poses a significant challenge for developers. Depending on the formats being combined, developing specialized integration applications can be extremely complex, since you need to understand the intricacies of each data format being integrated. Altova MapForce® 2008 removes this obstacle by providing you with an easy-to-use visual mapping interface that abstracts away the underlying complexity of each data source and target.

MapForce® 2008 supports today’s most prevalent formats for representing data: XML, relational databases, flat files, EDI, Excel 2007 (OOXML) and Web services, allowing you to map between them in any combination. Using MapForce, you develop mappings visually by dragging connecting lines and data processing functions between the corresponding elements in the source(s) and target(s). When your mapping is complete, you can execute it right in MapForce® 2008. Or, to implement the data transformation in a customized application, MapForce auto-generates XSLT 1.0, XSLT 2.0, or XQuery code to implement XML-to-XML transformations, and Java, C++, or C# program code to automate any mapping of XML, database, flat file, EDI, Excel 2007 and Web services data .

As XML becomes more ubiquitous, many organizations are migrating to XML-based Web sites, with XML representing content and HTML presenting the content online. Separating content from presentation in this manner provides many advantages. However, much legacy content exists solely as HTML pages, and the process of converting HTML to XML is a challenge because it’s not a one-to-one conversion. To translate HTML content to XML without losing data, developers need to convert each HTML page into three separate files: an XML instance document that contains the page content, an XSLT stylesheet with the presentation information, and a schema that represents the data content model.

Altova StyleVision® 2008 lets you convert HTML to XML easily, using a visual interface. Instead of hand-coding a separate XML instance document, XSLT stylesheet, and schema, you simply highlight content from an existing HTML file, drag it across the screen, and place it in a content model pane. Stylevision converts the data behind the scenes and presents you with standards-conformant XML, XSLT, and schema (XML Schema or DTD) documents.

In addition, once you’ve converted HTML to XML, Stylevision automatically provides you with the corresponding XSLT 1.0 or 2.0 and XSL:FO stylesheets to output your content in RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 (OOXML).

By design, XML separates content from presentation. XML itself is only responsible for representing data in a text format that is readable by all applications. Related technologies such as XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) and XSL:FO (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Formatting Objects) are used to specify how the data in an XML document should be styled and laid out in presentation media such as HTML or PDF.

Since business data must often be published in several different media to meet the needs of customers, partners, and internal audiences, multiple stylesheets are required to present each XML document. Coding even the simplest transformation stylesheets by hand can be a difficult task, and writing multiple stylesheets to present an XML document in popular formats like HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 can become arduous and error-prone very quickly.

Altova StyleVision® 2008, however, takes the headache out of publishing XML in multiple formats by autogenerating XSLT 1.0, XSLT 2.0, and XSL:FO stylesheets based on a single design that you create using drag and drop functionality. Your ONE design simultaneously transforms your content into HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 and allows you to save the corresponding standards-conformant stylesheets.

Your single design also autogenerates an Authentic e-Form that allows non-technical users to enter data directly into XML or databases. And, StyleVision lets you base your design on a database as well as XML to publish relational database content in HTML, RTF. PDF, and Word 2007.

You can learn more about the benefits and challenges of presenting one source of data in multiple output formats in the single source publishing whitepaper (PDF 838 Kb).

Altova provides multiple tools for mapping XML to other disparate formats for integration and presentation purposes. These tools are all available individually or as part of the Altova® MissionKit™ 2008. Get up to 8 software tools for the price of 2 with the Altova® MissionKit™ 2008! The MissionKit bundles Altova's intelligent application development and data management tools to meet the needs of software architects and XML developers. Download a free trial now to see how Altova’s approach to visual mapping can simplify and accelerate your XML development projects!