XML

[Anthony Tampone]

I need to be able to read from an XML sorce in Alpha5, anyone been able to do this?

[CraigSchumacker]

RE: XML

Anthony:

Something I am expecting to have to tackle in the near future.

It seems that there are two choices that come to mind.

The first possibility is to convert the XML to a text file, and try to read it line by line to determine the value of the metatags. This seems awkward, and prone to possible errors, but a possibility...

The second choice that comes to mind is purchasing a third party package that, once you have mapped the metatags, will convert the XML into, say, a DBF file for import into A5. Once the mapping is done, I would think it would be a simple routine when needed, that could be called from within A5.

Many programs now export XML, but few import it. It is on the brink of potential, the bridge between the web and the rest of the world, but still ahead of it's time. We will all be confronted by XML (I think), as more and more companies use the web for business applications. I'm gonnna guess this is a large company you are dealing with, perhaps for orders?

I'll watch to see how this thread develops. Perhaps others have dealt with this already?

Craig

[Anthony Tampone]

RE: XML

It would be possible to dump the data into a text file, but this is not a one time import I need to do. I need to get real time information to my clients worldwide. I am trying to port a dataflex file based db to function as a SQL database. This is interim until we get our new ERP system functional, but rollout time will be 8 - 10 months. I can use ODBC and XML to do this. I�m able to open a secure XML stream, but I need a front end that can use it. I have been using PHP to create my web apps, but I need a local client that can utilize APIs on the client side for some work that needs to be done. I put down Alpha 5 about a year ago when I was fed up with its limitations. One thing it has got going for it is ease of use though. I was hopping that if I could get it to read an XML stream relatively easily, then I could build my app quickly with it. It would be entirely too time consuming to write an XML interpreter and without it being integrated into the core program it would most likely be slow and sluggish when doing large transactions. I guess I'll have to continue my search. For those who think technology like XML is some thing in the future that you'll never have to deal with, let this be your wake up call. The future is now; technologies such as XML are being used and are unavoidable. No data management system will be scaleable without it. I ask you this, how else are you going to get information to anywhere in the world, do it fast and efficiently and not need to care what's on the other side? XML is the answer, without it, alpha5 will be nothing more than good app to make recipe databases in, and not even that if you wanted to share it on the web!

- Anthony

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: XML

Who are you, anyway?

[Mick Magnuson]

RE: XML

I work for a 70mil/company and about 80% of the business runs using Alpha 5. Hardly a recipe database I assure you. Unfortuately you are comparing apples to oranges. XML is not taking off as fast you say, otherwise there would be a ton of software guys developing front and back end software for it. I understand your position, but don't knock a great software because it doesn't have extreme capabilities built in. XML is not widely used yet and 98% of people who use Alpha5 would not utilize XML functions. Remember, the is couple hundred dollar software, how much was your MRP? (I am assuming that software can handle XML).

[Ray Fernandez]

RE: XML

Hello Anthony,

Of course Alpha 5 gonna have limitations. It isn't meant to be Visual.net or Delphi.

If you want to accomplish anything you want to do with out any type of limitation, them I suggest you try something like Delphi, which is virtually limitless.

Of course, I did pay over $3,000 for the C/S version, not including an additional $3,500 in VCL components. And this is the just the beginning - no limitations here.

There really is no database in the market today that would do everthing that you want it to do. What you need is an application development tool, not a database.

Delphi 7 �D Flat� to compete with �MS C sharp� will be out this year. It will embrace the dot net technology and has no problems with XLM today. Perhaps you could use this technology to create a database that will do all you want to do for under $200.00 dollars.

If you want no limits, you gonna need to open up your wallet

RF-ARS-Motorola

[Geoffrey Hollander]

RE: XML

Anthony,

There is no simple way of woking with XML using Alpha Five that I know of, however, since you're considering the use of a third party product, Access 2002 (XP version) will most likely solve your problem.

Although it's not an elegant solution, if I were in your position I would get a copy. Once your ready to go, read in your XML documents using Access. Once in, save them as dBase III. Import into Alpha or read the output files directly.

When you get ready to send them out as XML again, open the dBase III (Alpha) file with Access and export to XML; voila! (I think).

It would be fairly easy to create macros (scripts) in both Alpha Five and Access 2002 to automate these things as much as possible.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Geoff Hollander

[Geoffrey Hollander]

RE: XML

Anthony,

I forgot something. Access 2002 costs $395.00 MSRP (you can almost certainly get it for less).

It also comes with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), which is basically Visual Basic with some built-in MS Office, connection and database objects for developers' convenience.

While VBA is a little more complicated to learn than XBasic, there are things you can do with it that you currently cannot with Alpha Five's XBasic language.

Regards,

Geoff Hollander

[nick marodis]

RE: XML

A5v5 has a XML export Function.

Nick

[Geoffrey Hollander]

RE: XML

Cool. Export also?

Geoff Hollander

[French]

RE: XML

Import?

[infomatic]

RE: XML

Can you tell me where and how it works?
I cant seem to find it in the current beta version.

Thanks

[nick marodis]

RE: XML

6. New Method: table.xml_export(tablename, filename, [ fieldnames [, filter [, order [ , silent [, open ]]]]]) Exports data to an XML file. Tablename is the name of the table from which records are exported. Filename is the name of the xml file to create. Filter and order control which records are exported. If silent is .t., then Alpha Five does not display a confirmation message before exporting the data, or before overwriting filename. If open if .t., then after the export completes, Alpha Five opens filename with the associated application. The default value for silent is .f., and the default value for open is .t.