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Subject: Re: [ubl-dev] Tools for database support for UBL?
Steve, Good thoughts. It was exactly this kinda of use case that you describe that we have the CAM <ExternalMapping> mechanism for. As you note - since all the tough work has been done on the CAM side - its an easy extension to add this functionality to cope with morphing XML input into database columns. Basically you already have the CAM <structure> section where you specify the inbound UBL instance layout - then in the <ExternalMapping> section you specify one or more SL tables - and then use XPath expressions to move from A to B. The gnarly bit is handling loop constructs and conditionals - and that's covered in the grouping constructs the <ExternalMapping> section provides and the context business rules in CAM. Since the jCAM open source processor is available - upgrading that code base to handle what you have in mind is a weeks worth of effort I'd estimate. http://www.jcam.org.uk Then of course there is the reverse.... outbounding XML from the SQL tables - I'd estimate another week to get that running once you have the inbounding done. Enjoy, DW =========================================== ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Green" <stephen_green@bristol-city.gov.uk> To: <ubl-dev@lists.oasis-open.org> Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 8:41 AM Subject: Re: [ubl-dev] Tools for database support for UBL? David I'd actually been thinking slightly differently to this: I had it in mind that before any integration, mapping or processing to a backoffice system one might wish to store the incoming UBL or UBL-like document(s) in a special database whose tables were designed specifically for the Schema(s) used and then to use the data from this database for the processing into the target application(s). The document instance would probably be stored as a whole too in order to provide the audit log/trail and integration with any document management and/or archiving systems. Having a tool to easily create database schemas from UBL based XSD Schemas and likewise to create corresponding update SQL statements from the incoming document instances might greatly simplify the downstream processing (either using J2EE/EJBs based on the tables or the equivalent in C++, .NET or scripts). It sounds like the HyperJAXB API is just the sort of thing, especially as it uses Hibernate to cater for various databases. However, it would interest me if there were tools other than those based around the Java/J2EE technology, e.g. ones which would work with .NET or scripting languages or particularly any using standards such as XSLT. If none were available then I'd be keen to see something developed, say as opensource :-) Of course it has been very interesting to find out more about what is out there now to provide alternatives to this architecture. I'd imagine manipulating data once it is persisted in a database might be less challenging for implementers than manipulating it just as XML, e.g. through classes and/or stylesheets alone. I wouldn't see a sufficient business case for spending vast amounts of money on this though. I could imagine the case for basing such tools on CAM mapping to achieve the above. Thanks. Just feeling my way here :-) All the best Steve >>> "David RR Webber" <david@drrw.info> 16/12/04 17:03:24 >>> Stephen, I just re-read your note and realized another item here: >>>>>>>> 1. What sort of tables could UBL map to? What would be the relational mapping, say? 2. Need to map Schemas to 'CREATE' SQL and develop a generator for that 3. Need to map instances to 'UPDATE' SQL (etc ...?) and develop a generator for that <<<<<<<< CAM templates include the optional <ExternalMapping> section explicitly to support this round-tripping to / from SQL tables between partner applications. You'd have to target some popular accounting applications with this technique and denote their tables and columns. The jCAM when used with Hermes then becomes an instant integration plug-in to popular accounting suites. Enjoy, DW ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Green" <stephen_green@bristol-city.gov.uk> To: ">" <"'ubl-dev@lists.oasis-open.org'"<ubl-dev@lists.oasis-open.org> Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 5:30 AM Subject: [ubl-dev] Tools for database support for UBL? Dear UBL-DEV, Hi If anyone has interest in the possibility of developing tools to help store UBL and UBL-based instances in a relational database I've been thinking along the following lines: 1. What sort of tables could UBL map to? What would be the relational mapping, say? 2. Need to map Schemas to 'CREATE' SQL and develop a generator for that 3. Need to map instances to 'UPDATE' SQL (etc ...?) and develop a generator for that I wonder if any have thoughts of devloping something like the above, perhaps as opensource or priced attractively to foster wider UBL / UBL-like Schema adoption (the key to successful use of UBL perhaps). What worries me is the complexity of UBL but there's the challenge and the drive I suppose. It would seem obvious to just treat every ABIE as a table and every document as an ABIE/table too. The relationships are where I get a bit lost. Another key factor would be to make the tools generic - to handle any Schemas built by the UBL NDR rules and from the UBL spreadsheets (e.g. see UBLish from softml.com which uses a scripting language similar to perl). All the best Steve
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