Databases
When a DB is used as the basis of an SPS—that is, as the main schema of an SPS—the SPS can be used in the following ways:
•To edit the DB in Authentic View (a graphical XML-document-editor available in the Altova products XMLSpy, Authentic Desktop, Authentic Browser, and StyleVision).
•To generate an XML Schema having a structure based on the DB (if the DB does not contain a schema; only XML DBs, such as IBM DB2 version 9 upwards, contain schemas).
•To generate an XML file with data from the DB (if the required DB data is not already in XML format).
•To design and generate XSLT stylesheets for HTML, Text, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007+ output.
•To generate DB reports (based on the SPS design) in HTML, Text, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007+ format. These reports can be previewed in StyleVision
When a DB is the source of a subsidiary schema in an SPS, then data from the DB can be included in the design document, but the DB itself cannot be edited in Authentic View. It is the XML document or DB associated with the main schema that can be edited.
General procedure
This section describes the procedure for working with DBs in StyleVision. After an introductory sub-section, which provides an overview of how DBs work in StyleVision, the sub-sections of this section describe the various steps in the work procedure. Note that we distinguish between two broad types of DBs: non-XML DBs and XML DBs. The term DB is used in two senses: generically, it refers to all DBs; specifically, to non-XML DBs. XML DBs are always referred to as XML DBs. The distinction should be borne in mind because the method of selecting the DB data that provides the schema and XML data for the SPS is different for these two types of DB.
•Connecting to a DB: Describes how to connect to non-XML DBs, including IBM DB2 versions below 9..
•DB Data Selection: Describes how the schema and XML data for the SPS is selected from the DB's table structure, for non-XML and XML DBs separately.
•The DB Schema and DB XML file: When DB tables (from non-XML DBs) are loaded, StyleVision generates and works with temporary XML Schema and XML data files based, respectively, on the DB structure and data. For XML DBs, the schema and XML files are not generated by StyleVision but referenced directly from the DB or, in the case of schemas, from another file location.
•DB Filters: Filtering DB Data: DB data that is loaded into the temporary XML file can be filtered.
•SPS Design Features for DB: In the SPS, special DB functionality, such as DB controls and DB Queries, are available.
•Generating Output Files: A wide range of DB report-related files can be generated by StyleVision.
Supported databases
The table below lists all the supported databases. If your Altova application is a 64-bit version, ensure that you have access to the 64-bit database drivers needed for the specific database you are connecting to.
Database | Notes |
|---|---|
Firebird 2.x, 3.x, 4.x | |
IBM DB2 8.x, 9.x, 10.x, 11.x | |
IBM Db2 for i 6.x, 7.4, 7.5 | Logical files are supported and shown as views.
|
IBM Informix 11.70 and later | |
MariaDB 10 and later | MariaDB supports native connections. No separate drivers are required.
|
Microsoft Access 2003 and later | At the time of writing (early September 2019), there is no Microsoft Access Runtime available for Access 2019. You can connect to an Access 2019 database from Altova products only if Microsoft Access 2016 Runtime is installed and only if the database does not use the "Large Number" data type.
|
Microsoft Azure SQL Database | SQL Server 2016 codebase
|
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and later Microsoft SQL Server on Linux | |
MySQL 5 and later | MySQL 5.7 and later supports native connections. No separate drivers are required.
|
Oracle 9i and later | |
PostgreSQL 8 and later | PostgreSQL connections are supported both as native connections and driver-based connections through interfaces (drivers) such as ODBC or JDBC. Native connections do not require any drivers.
|
Progress OpenEdge 11.6 | |
SQLite 3.x
| SQLite connections are supported as native, direct connections to the SQLite database file. No separate drivers are required.
In Authentic view, data coming from a SQLite database is not editable. When you attempt to save SQLite data from the Authentic view, a message box will inform you of this known limitation. |
Sybase ASE 15, 16 | |
Teradata 16 |
Altova website: 
Database Reporting