New Software Release : MapForce 2011

Niki Devgood
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  clip_image002 On September 8, Altova released v2011 of the MissionKit with powerful new features across the entire product line. MapForce has benefitted from the addition of advanced data integration functionality like chained transformations, integration with StyleVision for rendering transformation output, new formatting functions, and extended support for the UN/EDIFACT and ANSI X12 EDI formats. Let’s take a closer look at the exciting new features in MapForce 2011 including:

  • Chained transformations
  • Integration with StyleVision for output components
  • Formatting of numbers, dates, and times
  • Extended support for EDIFACT
  • Extended support for X12

Chained transformations Support for chained transformations lets you create complex mappings where the output of one mapping becomes the input of another. This is a powerful feature that adds to MapForce’s ability to execute fully automated transformations. Each chained component becomes a modular entity in an interdependent transformation sequence, allowing for conversions to be made on-the-fly. You can create chained transformations using any number of mapping components connected to a final target component. Preview and code generation features can be displayed/generated for intermediate components, as well as for the final mapping result. Intermediate mapping components also now have a "pass-through" button in the title bar that lets you define the set of data that gets passed on to the following component.  

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For example, the mapping above shows a chained mapping where the pass-through button is active and sample data is assigned to component A. The output preview offers two separate sets of data: XML that conforms to the Contacts.xsd schema and incorporates a subset of data mapped from the Employees.xml sample file, and XML that conforms to PersonList.xsd using data from the Employees sample file. In both cases, the data has been amended with the relevant constants and functions that are shown in the MapForce design pane.   clip_image004 Integration with StyleVision for output components Support for Global Resources throughout the MissionKit has already offered you some integration between Altova software applications… But this feature takes that integration to a whole new level, allowing you to render XML and XBRL output from your data mappings into HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007+ using an associated StyleVision template design. This essentially combines MapForce’s any-to-any data mapping capabilities with a sophisticated rendering engine, meaning that you can now automate report generation from virtually any data format that can be mapped to an XML Schema or XBRL taxonomy. In the example below, a StyleVision design has been associated with the mapping by simply right-clicking the output file and browsing to select a suitable SPS file using the Component Settings dialog.   clip_image005   Once the SPS file is entered or selected, you will be able to simply click on the relevant format tab (i.e., HTML, RTF, PDF, or Word 2007+) to view rendered data.   mapforce-html Formatting of numbers, dates, and times Probably one of the most requested features, this lets you easily convert numbers, dates, and times to their string representations using several different formatting functions. For example, the simple format-number function below converts a numerical input (e.g., 12345) to a monetary one in with a USD prefix, comma separating the thousands digits, and two decimal places (e.g., $12,345.00).   format-number   This post really just scrapes the surface of what the new MapForce release has to offer -download a free 30-day trial of Mapforce today to experience all of these new features and more!

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New Software Release : StyleVision 2011

Niki Devgood
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On September 8, Altova released v2011 of the MissionKit with the addition of powerful reporting functionality across many of the products. Specifically, StyleVision has been supercharged with a multitude of new features, securing its place as an advanced and versatile business intelligence application, priced for today’s market. Let’s take a closer look at the exciting new features in StyleVision 2011 including:

  • Charts as a new design element
  • Chart wizard for XBRL files
  • Explicit support for HTML/CALS tables
  • Ability to import existing XSLT files
  • Scripting & toolbar editor for Authentic®

Charts as a new design element StyleVision joins other MissionKit 2011 tools with support for charting, adding to its already advanced general purpose reporting capabilities to create a highly scalable decision support tool for XML, database, and XBRL content. As with all StyleVision designs, charts can be easily rendered for multi-channel output in HTML, RTF, PDF, Word 2007+, and electronic forms. The following types of charts are available:

  • 2D & 3D pie charts
  • 2D & 3D bar charts
  • Category line graphs
  • Value line graphs
  • Gauge charts

The chart configuration dialog lets you use XPath to select data for your charts. This can be as simple or as complex as you want, running the gamut from database data that is already laid out in a tabular format to XML files where the nodes you need to select are spread out over hundreds of lines of code. Pssst… if you’re thinking that this would be great for the unique demands of XBRL, read on because we created something special with that in mind ;). Here are a couple of examples of charts that you can build in StyleVision: clip_image001 clip_image003 Yup, you can even chart completely different sets of data on the same graph. How creative you want to get with your visual analysis reports is really up to you. You can even create interactive charts for use with Authentic – allowing end users to manipulate eForms to view the desired result. For example, the screenshot below shows the Authentic view of a pie chart where a drop-down menu (combo box) selection dictates the subset of data that is represented. clip_image005 Charts are easily integrated into your StyleVision report templates at any point by simply dragging the relevant node onto the design pane and choosing Insert Chart from the context menu. The Chart Configuration dialog can then be used for chart settings (choosing chart type and style) and data selection (populating your chart axes with the relevant data from the source). clip_image007 You can even use Dynamic XPath Settings to apply transactional data to your chart. Of course, if you sometimes have trouble telling your .s from your /s, you can always get some help with more complex expressions from StyleVision’s XPath Builder. Chart wizard for XBRL files If you are familiar with XBRL, you are intimately aware of the complexities associated with navigating XBRL taxonomies. And, if you’re impressed with what you’ve just read about StyleVision’s charting capabilities, you are probably trying to remember where you put that old XPath reference guide. Not to worry! StyleVision has added to its XBRL rendering support with an XBRL Chart Wizard that lets you easily select data and define presentation settings for your XBRL reports. clip_image009 Concept and Period Properties dialogs are included to let you specify which elements should be included and how periods (instants or intervals of time) should be handled in your chart. Explicit support for HTML/CALS tables StyleVision now provides direct support for HTML/CALS tables, meaning that it will automatically recognize values dictating table structure (column number, row height, etc.) and apply them to rendered output. (v2011 adds support for rendering HTML/CALS tables in HTML, RTF, PDF, AND Word 2007+ – previous releases have supported output to Authentic eForms.) clip_image011 You can also easily assign additional presentation styles to HTML/CALS tables using the Edit CALS/HTML dialog. clip_image013 Ability to import existing XSLT files Well, I’m sure a few of you were hoping that this one was coming soon… You can now base your StyleVision template designs on existing XSLT files that were designed for HTML output or XSLT files with XSL:FO commands that were designed for output to PDF. Simply choose the New from XSLT File option and presto change-o, your design will be fully manifested in the design pane. Now you can edit your template using StyleVision’s graphical interface and output to even more formats (HTML, RTF, PDF, Word 2007+, and Authentic eForms) with just the click of a button. Scripting & toolbar editor for Authentic This feature is just way too cool not to devote an entire post to it, so keep your eyes peeled for a full description coming up on this blog. In the meantime, check out the Authentic scripting page for a brief description and examples. Better yet, just download a free 30-day trial of StyleVision today to test drive all of these new features for yourself!

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XMLSpy Version 2011

Erin Cavanaugh
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XMLSpy XML editor We recently blogged about the release of the Version 2011 MissionKit and all the new features it included. Let’s take a closer look now at XMLSpy 2011 and what’s new in the XML editor:

  • Creation of pie, line, bar, and gauge charts from XML
  • Validation of SOAP messages against the SOAP spec & corresponding WSDL file
  • Schema flattener
  • Schema subset picker

Creation of charts & graphs from XML data

Like several other tools in the MissionKit 2011, XMLSpy now supports chart and graph generation. Chart creation is unique to XMLSpy and brings a whole new dimension to working with data in an XML editor. Now you can visualize and analyze numerical XML data – and XBRL data – directly inside XMLSpy with just a few clicks. No more exporting to Excel! The following types of charts are available:

  • 2D & 3D pie charts
  • 2D & 3D bar charts
  • Category line graphs
  • Value line graphs
  • Gauge charts

Below are two example charts that show just some of the possibilities for representing XML data in attractive, meaningful way – with just a few clicks: Pie chart showing XML data Bar graph showing XML data To create a new chart, simply highlight a range of data in Text View or Grid View, right click, and select New Chart. You can also specify the data to chart via XPath expression. Once you’ve used the Select Columns dialog to specify which data you want displayed, either via XPath or by highlighting it in the window, and how you want to display it…. Select columns for XML chart …you can choose the type if chart you require, and the appearance of the chart, from colors to fonts and more. You can create up to nine different charts on the available tabs in the Output Window, and you can save each as a custom-sized image file with just a click or print it directly from XMLSpy. You can also copy it to your clipboard to paste it in another application, such as Microsoft® Word or PowerPoint. One of the coolest aspects of these charts is that they’re totally dynamic. Once you make a change to the underlying XML data, the chart can be instantly regenerated, either automatically by hitting Reload, depending on your preference. What’s more, you can copy the XSLT or XQuery code to create the chart to the clipboard for use in your own stylesheet or application. The XSLT/XQuery code can be executed in XMLSpy and via AltovaXML 2011 Enterprise Edition, Altova’s XML standards processor. Chart support extends to the XMLSpy XSLT profiler and XQuery profiler, as well. After profiling an XSLT or XQuery execution, one click creates a chart to help you immediately visualize the results based on one or more criteria. This makes it easy to immediately interpret the results of a profiling an XSLT or XQuery execution or to communicate those results with other team members in a powerful, visual way.

Validation of SOAP messages

Requested often by our customers, this new feature will be very useful for Web services developers, as it allows them to ensure their SOAP messages are valid against the SOAP specification as well as any XML Schemas referenced in the corresponding WSDL definition.

Schema flattener

The new schema flattener in XMLSpy 2011 allows schema designers to write all the dependent files that are included in a schema into one file. This way, you can use the flattened XML Schema without having to rely on a network connection to access the required files. This could be especially important when shipping a schema within an application. Schema Flattener

Schema subset picker

Many schemas are quite large and contain more types and elements than are required for a particular application or information exchange. Furthermore, the larger a schema is, the longer loading and validation may take. The ability to create a new schema from a subset means a developer can select some global elements or types from a large schema to create a smaller one, using just the elements required. This feature is especially useful for working with NIEM information exchanges, but has also been requested by other users for a variety of applications. Creating a schema from a subset   Read about all the features added to the Altova MissionKit tool suite or download the latest version now. If you’re a current customer with an active Support & Maintenance Package, you can update to v2011 for free.

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UML Database Modeling in UModel 2011

David McGahey
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As software applications interact with growing amounts of data, database designs and structures become critical to development of successful projects. UModel® 2011, just launched on September 8, 2010, adds a new feature that empowers users to extend software modeling functionality by modeling relational databases along with Java, C#, and Visual Basic software applications. UModel 2011 accelerates database modeling with features that permits users to:

  • Import existing tables from all popular relational databases to create UML database diagrams
  • Modify diagrams for existing tables and generate SQL database change scripts to synchronize the database
  • Design new database tables and relationships from scratch and issue SQL CREATE scripts

UML database diagram UModel Database Diagram Supported Databases The UModel 2011 database diagram functionality supports multiple databases and automatically adjusts SQL dialects, data types, and other specialized features for the following databases:

  • Microsoft® SQL Server® 2000, 2005, 2008
  • IBM DB2® 8, 9
  • IBM DB2 for iSeries® v5.4, 6.1
  • Oracle® 9i, 10g, 11g
  • Sybase® 12
  • MySQL® 4, 5
  • PostgreSQL 8
  • Microsoft Access™ 2003, 2007

UModel Database Diagram Elements UModel 2011 database diagrams support all the following database elements:

  • Database schemas
  • Tables
  • Views
  • Check Constraints
  • Primary / Foreign / Unique keys
  • Indexes
  • Stored procedures
  • Functions
  • Triggers
  • Database Relationship Associations
  • Database Relationship with Attributes

Import Existing Database Structures Users can import an existing relational database via a selection in the UModel 2011 Project menu. UModel Project menu The Import SQL Database option opens the UModel 2011 Database Connection dialog, with the Database Connection Wizard and all the additional connection options available in DatabaseSpy and other Altova MissionKit tools that interact with popular relational databases. UModel database connection dialog When importing a database, UModel 2011 also automatically adds a database profile to the project. UModel 2011 database diagrams are displayed in a special category in the Diagram Tree Helper window. UModel Diagram Tree helper window Modifying Databases in the Model UModel 2011 database diagrams use a dedicated toolbar with icons indicating database elements that are shared with DatabaseSpy, easing the learning curve between tools. UModel database diagram toolbar As editing proceeds in UModel 2011, the SQL Auto-completion helper window assists with creation of diagrams valid for the SQL database type. UModel database diagram SQL autocompletion window As an alternative to working directly in the diagram, users can also edit database elements in the Properties helper window. UModel database diagram Properties helper window Database Change Scripts When a developer synchronizes program code from the UModel project, changes in any database diagram generate a Database Change Script with SQL commands to implement the revisions. Database Change Scripts created in UModel can be saved as SQL files, executed directly in the database, or opened in a DatabaseSpy SQL Editor window via a convenient button in the UModel Database Change Script dialog. UModel Database Change Script Conversely, if another team member modifies a table directly in the database, a developer can update the UML model by merging the database changes. UModel Message window After synchronization of the UML model with the latest version of the database, the database diagram shows a new column in the Teachers table. UModel updated database diagram Like all other UModel diagram types, UModel 2011 lets users save database diagrams as image files and include them in automatically-generated project documentation. Visit the Altova What’s New page to learn more about all the new features in the Altova MissionKit 2011. Model databases along with system requirements, business rules, and application code for your next development project – click here to download a free 30-day trial of UModel 2011 today!

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Altova MissionKit 2011 is Now Available!

Erin Cavanaugh
/in /by

MissionKit Version 2011 Reporting Tools The Altova team is excited to announce the release of Version 2011 of our MissionKit tool suite and entire product line. This release delivers a multitude of innovative features, including robust chart and reporting functionality for analyzing and communicating XML, database, XBRL, EDI – virtually any type of data – in a meaningful, eye-catching way. Charts are created with a few clicks inside MissionKit tools and can be immediately shared via copy/paste or saved as image files – that’s right, no more exporting to Excel – or integrated in reports or data entry applications designed in Altova StyleVision. Of course, you can also get the XSLT or XQuery code for generating the chart for use in your own apps. The MissionKit 2011 includes a wide range of other new features– like SOAP validation, schema flattening and subset creation, database UML diagrams, and more – and we’ll cover all of those subsequent blog posts. For now let’s focus on the new charting and reporting features across the Version 2011 MissionKit.

CHARTS

Charts can now be generated and used in the MissionKit 2011 XML and database tools in a variety of ways. The following types of charts and graphs are available for providing a graphical representation of numerical data:

  • 2D & 3D pie charts
  • 2D & 3D bar charts
  • Category line graphs
  • Value line graphs
  • Gauge charts

Charts are fully dynamic and can be automatically or manually regenerated when backend data is updated. XMLSpy You can create a new chart directly in the XML editor by simply highlighting a range of data in either Text View or Grid View and selecting New Chart from the right-click context menu. Bar chart from XML data The chart’s appearance, labels, and so on, are highly customizable, and your finished chart can be printed, copied to the clipboard, saved as an image, or – and this is truly unique – exported as XSLT or XQuery code for use in your own stylesheets, reports, or apps. Line graph from XML XMLSpy is the first and only XML editor on the market to support this powerful functionality, giving our users a distinct advantage when it comes to analyzing and interpreting XML data. You can also create a chart to visualize the results delivered by the XMLSpy XSLT Profiler and XQuery Profiler, making it easy to interpret and communicate performance data. StyleVision Charting and graphing support in StyleVision 2011, the stylesheet and report design tool, allows you to present data in a powerful, visual way, so that it can be easily analyzed from a variety of different angles. When you’re creating an XML, database, or XBRL report (or even a data entry form for use in Altova Authentic), it’s easy to specify your chart parameters via XPath and then customize the appearance of your chart or graph. Report builder with chart You can even utilize dynamic XPath settings to apply dynamic data from your source to the settings of your chart. For example, if you have a chart that shows regional data, you may wish to reflect the name of each region in the title of your chart. If there are several Region elements, the data for the chart title can be selected dynamically via an XPath expression depending on which set of data is being presented in the chart. Charts are integrated in multi-channel StyleVision reports, described further below. DatabaseSpy Relational database data often lends itself perfectly to a graphical representation, but it’s not always easy to create charts to analyze relationships locked away in database tables. Now, with DatabaseSpy 2011, it’s as simple as selecting the column(s) you wish to chart. Chart of database data You can even generate and save charts based on calculations performed in a SQL query – such as averages, percentages, etc. As with XMLSpy, charts may be saved as image files, printed, and copied to your clipboard. DatabaseSpy supports all major relational databases, and even with this charting functionality and its other advanced tools, it’s ridiculously affordable.

REPORTS

StyleVision The new chart creation functionality described above adds a whole new level of sophistication to Altova’s general purpose reporting tool, StyleVision. While you’ve been able to design attractive XML, database, and XBRL reports in previous versions of StyleVision, now you can also include dynamic charts for full featured, multi-channel reporting in digital formats like HTML and e-Forms, and print media including Word and PDF. Advanced options such as drag-and-drop design, absolute positioning, modular designs, conditional templates, support for importing and/or reusing existing XSLT stylesheets, dynamic data selection, and more, combine to make StyleVision robust solution for business reporting on any scale. Report builder / report tool In fact, StyleVision now integrates with MapForce – so you can design reports for virtually any type of data. MapForce Starting with Version 2011, MapForce supports integration with StyleVision, allowing MapForce users to automatically render results of their XML and XBRL mappings using an associated StyleVision report design. This very powerful feature essentially combines MapForce’s any-to-any data mapping capabilities with a sophisticated rendering engine, meaning that you can now automate chart and report generation from virtually any data format – including databases, flat files, Excel, EDI, and more – that can be mapped to an XML Schema or XBRL taxonomy. Chart of mapped data

DOWNLOAD VERSION 2011

Whether you need to generate charts while working with XML or databases, or you need to design full-featured reports with dynamic, multi-channel output, we hope you’ll check out the new MissionKit 2011. Then, post a comment here on the blog to let us know what you think! Upgrade or Download a Free Trial See more details and screenshots, or download Version 2011 now. Current customers with active support and maintenance can download the new version for free. A fully functional 30-day trial is also available.

STAY TUNED…

More details about all the new features added in Version 2011 will be posted in the coming days.

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