XML/XSL: Integration has never been that easy

What is it?

• The XML module enables the display of whichever structured XML files of different sources via XSL in assigned parts of pages

What can it do?

• Addressing of XML data via URL or file
• Display via XSL templates, URL or file
• Taking over of up-to-date data with cache possible
• Validation of XML files with the help of XSD (XML pattern definition)
• Integration of XML files from internal or external data bases via SQLXML
• Integration of data from web services
• Integration even through firewalls (HTTP, Port 80)
• Browser-independent formatting on the server side
• Built-in XML editor with debugging and preview function

What can I do with it?

• Display of data from other applications, e.g. Microsoft Exchange (group calendar, tasks etc.)
• Automatic creation of a site map
• Display of newsfeeds (e.g. www.moreover.com)
• Integration of external search engines (e.g. www.google.com) 

What are the benefits?

• Investment protection due to the use of common standards
• Data from third-party systems can be easily integrated
• Cost reduction in system integration
• No consequential costs for additional software
• Flexible application as module is browser-independent at data output

Description

XML (Extensible Markup Language) has already been defined in 1998 by a team of the World Wide Web Consortiums (W3C). While HTML is a language which formats text using definite predetermined commands (tags), XML is a meta-language for the description of data structures. Its goal is not only that users can read text, but first of all that machines can read it.

These possibilities make XML an interesting language for interchanging data between different applications.
It is not always advisable to save data directly in the CMS. Often, the to be displayed information is already available in other systems or the data has to be made available while it is still valid: e.g. goods in stock or still available places for seminars. Today, many of these systems can already supply data via XML - either as a file or if requested immediately when needed via URL and HTTP. Data bases such as Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle have optimised interfaces (SQLXML) or web services especially for these procedures.
You can directly interact with these systems via the XML module and you can depict their data without any restrictions in design via XSL. The preview function of the integrated XML/XSL editor helps in the development.
XSD is supported to validate data. You can manage the files used with the Resource Manager or address them directly via the URL.