Altova Blog

Exploring Large XML/XBRL Documents with XMLSpy

2009-03-19T15:53:00.001-04:00

Last week, while giving a demo of the new XBRL capabilities in the Altova MissionKit, we stumbled across an interesting question: What is the best way for a semi-technical SME (in this case a CPA) to navigate a large XML/XBRL document for data entry?

XMLSpy, which is included in the MissionKit tool suite, has a lot of cool features and different views for XML data, including the ever-popular grid view for visualizing the hierarchical structure of an instance document in a graphical manner. The ability to easily expand and collapse containers and drag and drop to change position makes XMLSpy’s grid view a pretty good choice for the task.

Of course let’s not forget that the XMLSpy XML editor also has a Find feature that would enable users to simply press Ctrl F or use the Find in Files window to find any element that they are looking for… but alas, in the case of XBRL, where element names are mindbogglingly verbose, this may be a challenge. Consider, for example, the US-GAAP’s aptly named

<us-gaap:IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAnd

IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments>.

Not so much fun to type into a Find dialog...

Our solution, therefore, and the winner for the easiest and most comprehensive way for even a non-technical user to find XML elements in a large document, utilizes a combination of longstanding XMLSpy features (the XPath Analyzer window) and a new feature in XMLSpy v2009, XPath auto-completion. Simply begin typing the element name in the XPath Analyzer window, and XMLSpy will show you all of the possibilities. Next, choose the one you are looking for, and XMLSpy will navigate directly to that node in the XML document.

Now that was easy! And better yet, you get to tell your friends that you know XPath. ;)

Of course, for developers, intelligent XPath auto-completion provides a lot more than the ability to find a node quickly. As you type, it provides you with valid XPath functions, as well as element and attribute names from the associated schema and XML instance(s). XMLSpy accounts for namespaces when listing options and even provides deep path suggestions when the required node is not in close proximity to the current context.

XMLSpy is available standalone or as part of the award-winning MissionKit tool suite.

Teach DiffDog a New Trick

2009-03-13T09:54:00.001-04:00

Teach DiffDog a New Trick

You can easily train DiffDog, Altova’s diff/merge tool for files, directories, and databases, to correctly interpret new file types.

For instance, more and more file standards are taking advantage of the Zip compression format to deliver entire sets of files in a single convenient package. Let’s say you want to use DiffDog to examine and compare files created by Google Earth that are saved in .kmz archives.

When you initially open a folder containing .kmz documents, then attempt to compare two files in a DiffDog document window, DiffDog reports the .kmz files contain binary content:

All you have to do is add the .kmz file extension in the File Types tab of the DiffDog Options dialog:

And click the Zip conformant radio button to assign the correct behavior:

Now that DiffDog understands the .kmz file extension is a Zip archive, it expands the Directory compare window to list all the component files.

You can see differences inside the archives. When you double-click any file pair, DiffDog automatically fetches them from the Zip archives and presents them for interactive editing in a new File Compare window. However, some of the file types enclosed in the Zip archive are also unknown. We learned from reading the XML Aficionado blog entry on Google Earth and XMLSpy that .kml files are an open XML-based standard for geo-spatial information.

We can add .kml to DiffDog files types and specify XML-conformant syntax coloring:

Now DiffDog displays the files with syntax coloring and we can apply all the DiffDog XML-aware differencing functionality.

If you dig deeper into the .kmz archive, you’ll discover .dae files are also XML-based. After you add .dae to the DiffDog files list and set it as XML-compliant, give yourself a treat!

DiffDog is available as a standalone tool or as part of the Altova MissionKit tool suite. The recently released DiffDog Version 2009 added powerful database content diff/merge capabilities - take a free trial for a walk around the block.

Altova MissionKit Wins Prestigious Jolt Award

2009-03-12T09:09:00.001-04:00

We are very excited to announce that the Altova MissionKit won the Jolt Product Excellence Award for Best Development Environment last night!

Lauded as the "Oscars of the Software Development Industry," the Jolt Product Excellence and Productivity Awards are presented each year to products that have "jolted" the industry with their significance and made the task of creating software faster, easier, and more efficient. According to their Web site, the Jolt Awards, "...recognize the most innovative, trend-making, ahead-of-the-curve products. Jolt-award winners are the software products, books and technologies that developers should be using today."

We are honored - and very proud - to be recognized with this designation for the MissionKit, Altova's suite software development tools for XML, databases, and UML. The unmatched functionality and tight integration between the tools in the MissionKit have been designed from day one to make developers' lives easier, and we couldn't be happier to have this recognized first and foremost by our customers and now by this panel of distinguished Jolt Award judges!

The complete list of Jolt award winners has been posted, and more info and photos will follow soon as they're available.

A big thank you to the Jolt judges, and congratulations to all the other Jolt Award winners!

What's New...To Me?

2009-03-09T13:45:00.001-04:00

With each release, we update the Altova What's New page with many details and screenshots describing all the functionality added to each product in the Altova MissionKit. If you've ever visited the page, you know it's quite long -- and that's why we only include information on the latest release. This is very helpful for the folks who are one version behind, but what if it's been a while since you upgraded? You can check out the New Features Index pages, which allow you to select the current version of your product(s) to see everything that's been added since:

XMLSpy new features index
MapForce new features index
StyleVision new features index
UModel new features index
DatabaseSpy new features index
DiffDog new features index
SemanticWorks new features index
SchemaAgent new features index

Of course, if you have an active Support and Maintenance Package, upgrades to the latest version are free; but even if your SMP has expired, special upgrade pricing is available. You can learn more by contacting the Altova Sales Team or entering your license key code into the Upgrade Wizard to see all your options.

What's New in MapForce 2009?

2009-03-05T12:41:00.001-05:00

It feels like we’ve been writing about XBRL and HL7 for months... Let's move away from that topic for the moment and talk about additional essential new functionality added to MapForce in the v2009 release. Granted, some of these features have been added as a necessity for mapping to/from multi-dimensional XBRL data, but they also transcend well beyond interactive financial data reporting to the other aspects of mapping XML, database, flat file, EDI, Excel 2007, and Web services data in MapForce.

Custom Functions for Data Mapping

MapForce functions add a custom data processing layer to your mappings, letting you reformat output structure and even manipulate content on-the-fly. With v2009 we have added a grouping, distinct-values, and a predicated position function to the already well-shelved MapForce function library.

Grouping functions can be selected for code generation in XSLT 2.0, Java, C#, and C++ and let you effectively reorganize source data into based on common values:

group-by - reorganizes data in the output document based on a specified common value, or grouping key
group-adjacent - applies grouping to an alternating sequence of items, assigning items that have a common value to the same group
group-starts-with - begins a new group based on a specified pattern and puts all subsequent items into the same group until another item matching that pattern is found
group-ends-with - ends a new group based on a specified pattern and puts all subsequent items into the same group until another item matching that pattern is found

The distinct-values function is a data filtering operation that, simply put, automatically ignores duplicate input values when writing mapping output results.

MapForce also now includes a predicated position function that lets you filter out data based on its context position in the input document. For example, the mapping below will return data for only the first two people listed in the source document.

Extended Database Support

For users creating database mappings, MapForce 2009 provides new native support for additional databases: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Oracle 11g, and PostgreSQL 8. It also now supports mapping XML fields in SQL Server. The complete list of natively supported databases is:

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

Data Mapping Documentation

The ability to generate data mapping documentation makes it much easier to collaborate on large data integration projects, which often include a variety of designers, developers, subject matter experts, and stakeholders.

Find Dialog for Identifying Nodes

And now for a personal favorite: a new find feature. Yes, this may sound very simple and mundane – unless you have had the pleasure of mapping large and complex multi-layered data components like XBRL and EDI (there we go again!). Consider, for example, digging through an HL7 ADT A05 transaction to find the second CWE identifier field under the fifteenth PR1 segment.

Ahhh… much easier!!

Take a look at the full list of new features in MapForce v2009 – and, as always, keep in mind that Altova adds new functionality to all of the MissionKit tools based on user requests… so keep ‘em coming!

HL7 Data Integration

2009-02-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

By now, you may be aware of the global push that is being made for data transparency – both in the realm of financial reporting* with a recent XBRL mandate in the U.S., and electronic health records – and that these efforts are focused on the creation and maintenance of XML standards.

Of course most of you are among the XML savvy and can feel free to please join me in a resounding “duh” to the rest of the world that is only now beginning to realize the value of XML data in reducing errors, lowering costs, and generally increasing the overall efficiency of data management. But for now, let’s focus a bit on healthcare data and standards.

Both HL7 and the HIPAA mandated X12N formats healthcare data exchange have traditionally been EDI-based, but the newest version of HL7 (version 3.x), released in 2005 is XML-based and constrained by a formal framework (HDF) that allows for an evolving data model within a carefully defined development methodology. Yes people, standards – bring it on!!

Well, of course there is a need to map this data from the HL7 EDI to HL7 XML, to and from backend systems, to Web services and beyond. So what now? Do you need to become an expert in all of these formats? Weren’t standards supposed to make things EASIER?

Please ladies and gentleman, return to your seats! Let me draw your attention once again to MapForce, the coolest data integration tool on the market, with support for mapping and converting data to and from XML, databases, flat files, EDI (including HL7, X12, and EDIFACT), Excel 2007, and Web services.

The shot above shows a simple graphical mapping updating an HL7 v2.6 message to v3.x.

Altova MapForce is an any-to-any visual data mapping tool that supports mapping HL7 data, in its legacy EDI or newer XML-based format, to and from XML, databases, flat files, other EDI formats, and Web services. Mappings are implemented by simply importing the necessary data structures (MapForce ships with configuration files for the latest EDI standards and offers the full set of past and present HL7 standards as a free download) and dragging lines to connect nodes. A built-in function library lets you add advanced data filters and functions to further manipulate the output data.

MapForce can also facilitate the automation of your HL7 transaction workflow through code generation in Java, C#, or C++ and an accessible command line interface. Additional support for mapping HL7 data to and from Web services gives healthcare organizations the ability to meet new technology challenges and changing enterprise infrastructures as they unfold within internal and external provider domains.

Read more on our new HL7 tools page in the Altova Solutions Center.

*The Altova MissionKit has been infused with XBRL support to meet financial reporting mandates.

What's New in XMLSpy 2009?

2009-02-25T13:41:00.001-05:00

In addition to being tremendously useful, some of the new features in XMLSpy 2009 are just plain cool. The complete list of new functionality includes:

Support for XBRL 2.1 and XBRL Dimensions 1.0
XBRL Taxonomy Editor
XPath auto-completion
Native support for additional databases
Support for XML fields in SQL Server
Extensions for identity constraints editing in Schema View
Expanded source control system support
Support for the XSLT extension altova:evaluate
Support for Apache FOP 0.95

We've already blogged quite a bit about the first two items on the list: support for XBRL validation and XBRL taxonomy editing. Some more details on the other new features are below.

Intelligent XPath Auto-Completion

We've been delighted to receive feedback from customers who are really excited about this new feature. If you're developing XSLT or XQuery, writing XPath expressions just got a lot easier.

As you’re composing an XPath expression in Text View, Grid View, or the XPath Analyzer, XMLSpy now provides you with valid XPath functions, as well as element and attribute names from the associated schema and XML instance(s). XMLSpy's intelligent XPath auto-completion accounts for namespaces when listing options and even provides deep path suggestions when the required node is not in close proximity to the current context.

Native Support for Additional Databases

XMLSpy 2009 adds new native support for the latest versions of SQL Server and Oracle, and brand new support for PostgreSQL. Support for DBs in XMLSpy allows you to generate an XML Schema based on a database, import and export data based on database structures, and generate relational database structures from XML Schemas, and so on. The built-in Database Query window lets you perform queries against the database and edit the data.

Here's the complete list of databases with native support in XMLSpy:

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

SQL Server support has also been enhanced to allow viewing and editing of XML fields that are stored in the database.

Extensions for Identity Constraint Editing in Schema View

Configuring identity constraints (i.e., key/keyref/unique values) is an important aspect of XML Schema development, especially for database users. Adding to existing support for editing these identity constraints, there are now enhanced visual cues and editing options in XMLSpy 2009.

A new tab Identity Constraints tab in the Components entry helper window displays all existing constraints in a tree view and allows you to easily modify or create new relationships. Furthermore, identity constraints are now indicated by green lines, informative icons, and mouse-over messages in the Content Model View. A right-click menu allows you to easily add new relationships and specify field and selector values by typing them manually, using drop-down entry helpers, or by simply dragging and dropping the desired nodes.

Expanded Source Control System Support

Based on customer feedback, we've completely reworked the source control system interface in XMLSpy and also added the same level of source control support to UModel, our UML modeling tool, allowing both products to intelligently integrate with all major SCM tools. Once a project is bound to a version control system, XMLSpy automatically monitors the status of all files and prompts the you to check out a file whenever you starts to modify the document. In addition, the actual state of each file is shown through checkmarks or locks in the upper right corner of each file icon.

What do you think of these new features? What would you like to see added to the next version of XMLSpy? Let us know by commenting below.

New features in UModel 2009 UML modeling tool

2009-02-19T12:16:00.001-05:00

The recently launched UModel 2009 includes new features that will help development teams of all sizes take maximum advantage of UML software modeling.

Support for version control systems

You can use version control to manage UModel project files and generated source code files. Over two dozen popular source code systems are supported. Check out the list here.

Extensive API to manipulate UModel or create UModel plug-ins

You could create an elaborate trace tool for testing and debugging that illustrates your application flow by manipulating elements in UModel diagrams, or you can create a simple plug-in that adds a custom command or menu option using your own icons and buttons. The UModel installation even includes plug-in code examples to help you get started.

The sample plug-ins create new menu and toolbar options to provide shortcuts to particular style settings, to automate a series of tasks, and to reinforce a naming convention, all common modeling steps that are likely to be unique for each development team.

The sample code even shows you where to add the name and description description that appear in the UModel Customization dialog when a user installs your plug-in.

The screen shot below shows UModel with several custom plug-ins installed. PlugInMenu3 adds the prefix m_ to the name whenever a new property is created in a class.

Note the plug-in custom toolbars directly above the Diagram Tree. The custom toolbar at the far left lets the user choose red or green to fill all currently-selected diagram elements. The Set Prefix toolbar lets the user turn the prefix feature on or off.

If you want to try out the sample plug-ins yourself you can compile the sample code and add the resulting .dll files in the UModel Customize dialog. If you want to deploy the plug-ins across multiple workstations by sharing the .dll files, you will also have to register them manually at each workstation.

Support for profile diagrams in the latest UML 2.2 specification

An enterprise software architect might use custom stereotypes to define specific properties suitable to your team’s problem domain. The architect could then distribute these to the team via a shared package. The UModel Properties helper window lets you define custom stereotypes with a high level of precision.

We are interested to hear about the applications users devise for the UModel API, plug-ins, and custom stereotypes over the coming weeks. You can add a comment to this blog entry, exchange tips with other users in the Altova Support Forum, or contact us through the link on the right side of the Altova Case Studies page to collaborate on a case study.

If your development team hasn’t enjoyed the benefits of model-based software development, you can download a fully-functional free trial to test drive UModel 2009 for 30 days.

New tables and XPath filtering for flexible stylesheet design

2009-02-18T13:51:00.001-05:00

To an Altova MissionKit user, it probably comes as no surprise that the majority of the new features in our latest (v2009) release were based on customer requests – yeah, that’s how we roll. But we also had the opportunity to build a lot of new functionality into the MissionKit tools, specifically XMLSpy, MapForce, and StyleVision, because of our added support for XBRL. As you may already know, XBRL is built on top of XML, and adds semantic definitions to financial reporting data. XBRL Dimensions 2.1 also has some interesting rendering and presentation requirements that, in our humble opinion, have given StyleVision some of its coolest new features to date: an all-new table design and XPath filtering.

The new table design in StyleVision makes the visual stylesheet design interface only that much more intuitive. Now, you can design your table rows and columns and then simply drag borders to resize. You can also right-click to rearrange the table structure with copy and paste – or just delete the entire row/column right there. The new table design also lets you have static and dynamic properties within the same table design.

XPath filtering is also an enormously important new feature in StyleVision – especially for those of us who like to create reusable design templates. This feature lets you filter data out of your rendering based on an XPath expression. Simply right-click the node that you want to filter, and StyleVision’s XPath Builder will open and provide intelligent auto-completion to help you formulate a valid XPath statement. It even interprets your location in the stylesheet design so that your expression is not only valid according to the XPath standard, but it also makes sense in the context of your template design.

Of course, if you need to make all of your filtered data available again, all you need to do is delete the XPath filter icon in your design.

StyleVision 2009 delivers all this and single source output in HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 from XML, databases, and now XBRL – and you can even design your own e-Forms for editing in Altova Authentic. Check out a free trial, and please let us know what you think!

More Altova MissionKit 2009 News

2009-02-13T15:51:00.002-05:00

Since we announced Version 2009 of the Altova MissionKit last week, Altova's CEO Alexander Falk has been detailing some of the hottest new functionality (among other interesting topics) over on the XML Aficionado Blog. In case you missed it, check out these highlights:

Database diff / merge for comparing and merging data in just about any type of database
Intelligent XPath auto-completion for easing XPath composition and reducing debugging time
Expanded source control system support for linking XMLSpy and UModel projects to the system of your choice
Identity constraints become crystal clear when you can analyze and configure them graphically

Altova's Economic Stimulus Package

2009-02-10T15:12:00.000-05:00

Coinciding with our recent Version 2009 product launch, we've also unveiled the Altova Economic Stimulus Package, which effectively passes the savings realized through the currently favorable Euro/US$ exchange rate directly to our customers in the form of a reduction of US$ product prices across the board.

This price reduction is applied to all Altova products -- which are available separately or as part of the value-priced Altova MissionKit 2009 suite of XML, database, and UML tools -- making them even more affordable. US$ prices have been reduced by 13% and more, making new functionality for working with XBRL, HL7, databases, and more even more accessible.

Check out the new prices and try before you buy.

XBRL Support Added to Altova MissionKit 2009

2009-02-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week we blogged about the release of Version 2009 of Altova MissionKit, which includes the complete Altova product line. One of the major themes in this latest release is comprehensive support for XBRL across multiple Altova MissionKit tools, so lets look into XBRL itself and the new functionality in more detail.

What is XBRL?

The eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is an XML-based vocabulary for electronic transmission of business and financial data. Currently in version 2.1, XBRL is an open standard that is maintained by XBRL International, a global non-profit consortium of over 550 major companies, organizations, and government agencies.

XBRL was developed to facilitate business intelligence (BI) automation by enabling machine-to-machine communication and data processing for financial information with an eye towards cost reduction through the elimination of time consuming and error-prone human interaction. Official support from European Parliament and a mandate the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has all but secured XBRL’s future as the official standard for financial reporting.

You can learn a lot more about the nuts and bolts of XBRL in the XBRL white paper written by Altova's Technical Marketing Manager, Liz Andrews.

XBRL Tools

All of the power and functionality that XBRL brings to financial data is useless without XBRL-conformant tools to interpret and process this data. In fact, understanding the importance of tools for XBRL, the XBRL recommendation writes software vendors into its abstract:

XBRL allows software vendors, programmers, intermediaries in the preparation and distribution process and end users who adopt it as a specification to enhance the creation, exchange, and comparison of business reporting information.

As such, XBRL development and data integration can be supported in a variety of different ways. The Altova MissionKit 2009 provides comprehensive support for working with XBRL, from validation and editing, to transformation and rendering, in multiple tools:

XMLSpy 2009 - XBRL validator and XBRL taxonomy editor. When you need to ensure that your XBRL filing documents are valid and compliant, XMLSpy can be used to to validate an XBRL instance file against its corresponding taxonomy. If you need to extend a standard taxonomy to meet your organization's filing needs, the graphical XBRL taxonomy editor in XMLSpy gives you a graphical model with tabs that organize different types of taxonomy elements, wizards, and entry helpers, all of which guide data input based on the structural information provided in the XBRL instance and base taxonomies.

MapForce 2009 - XBRL exchange and data integration tool. When you need to extract financial data from back end systems and transform it into compliant XBRL filings, MapForce makes it easy with drag-and-drop, graphical data mapping and instant conversion. MapForce allows bi-directional data mapping between XBRL and databases, flat files, Excel 2007, XML, and Web services. Once your mapping project is defined, you can utilize it to automate quarterly and annual XBRL filing generation by transforming data with the MapForce UI, command line, or auto-generated, royalty free application code. This makes public financial data submission a repeatable and highly manageable process, allowing organizations to produce valid XBRL reports as required based on the variable data stored in accounting system fields - without having to define new mappings every quarter.

If you need to aggregate XBRL filings from different time periods or different organizations in your back end systems for analysis, MapForce lets you map the XBRL data to databases, flat files, XML - even Web services. Mapping data directly from its source format removes the need for re-keying and potential errors. Together, MapForce and XBRL enable the automation of the multi-dimensional financial analysis that organizations and stakeholders use to evaluate market, company, and industry performance on a regular basis.

StyleVision 2009 - XBRL rendering tool. Once data is in XBRL format, and it's time to render it for consumption on the Web or in printed materials, StyleVision lets you create a straightforward XBRL report to output the data in multiple formats. Simply drag and drop a taxonomy financial statement onto the design pane as an XBRL table, and then use StyleVision's graphical interface to format stylesheets for simultaneous output in HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 (OOXML). The XBRL Table Wizard makes it easy to customize the table structure and specify the concepts to include in the report.

In the case of the US-GAAP taxonomy, which provides, in addition to the hierarchical organization in its presentation linkbase, some best practices information on how to structure XBRL instances, you can simply select US-GAAP mode to have StyleVision automatically output the data according to this information.

To try this powerful XBRL functionality for yourself, download a free, fully functional 30-day trial of the Altova MissionKit 2009, and please let us know what you think by commenting on this blog or in the Altova Discussion Forum.

Now available: Altova MissionKit Version 2009

2009-02-03T08:30:00.002-05:00

We are very excited to announce general availability of the Altova MissionKit 2009 suite of XML, database, and UML tools. Version 2009 delivers numerous new features across the tools included in the MissionKit, including comprehensive support for working with XBRL, native support for new databases and database differencing, UML sequence diagram generation, and much more. A few details are below, with complete information and screenshots available on the Altova What's New page.

Coinciding with this major release, we have decided to pass savings realized due to the currently favorable US$/EUR exchange rate directly to our customers by reducing US$ prices across the entire Version 2009 product line.

Support for XBRL

The Altova MissionKit 2009 provides powerful new support for viewing, editing, validating, mapping, and publishing XBRL data. With intelligent wizards, graphical drag-and-drop design models, and various code generation capabilities, the MissionKit Version 2009 gives developers, technical professionals, and power users one easy-to-use suite of tools for working with XBRL and transforming data into content that can be shared with business partners, stakeholders, and regulatory commissions. Altova MissionKit tools with XBRL support are:

XMLSpy 2009 - includes an XBRL validation engine that allows users to view and analyze XBRL taxonomies, as well as validate XBRL instance documents. XMLSpy 2009 also includes a graphical XBRL taxonomy editor, which provides a visual representation of XBRL taxonomies with intelligent views and entry helpers for editing and extending them.

MapForce 2009 -
supports graphical, drag-and-drop mapping of XBRL taxonomies as the source or target in any data mapping project. This new functionality enables users to comply with financial and business reporting mandates by graphically mapping backend data from accounting systems and databases to the XBRL format, or creating valid interim reports based on stored data. Users can map XBRL data to or from any other data format supported by MapForce, including XML, databases, flat files, Excel 2007 (OOXML), Web services, and EDI. This support is also useful for aggregating public XBRL data and mapping it to a database, for instance, for further analysis.

StyleVision 2009 -
Altova’s graphical stylesheet design tool now includes support for rendering XBRL data. This allows users to visually design financial reports for simultaneous output into HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 (OOXML) formats, enabling organizations to share customized business data in online or print format(s) with business partners, stakeholders, and regulatory commissions, all based on XBRL taxonomy requirements.

Extended Database Functionality

Native support for additional databases has been added to all database-enabled Altova MissionKit tools, including XMLSpy 2009, MapForce 2009, DatabaseSpy 2009, StyleVision 2009, and DiffDog 2009. Current support for SQL Server? and Oracle? databases is now extended to include the most recent versions -- SQL Server 2008 and Oracle 11g. New support for the PostgreSQL 8 database is also now available.

In addition, both DatabaseSpy 2009 and DiffDog 2009 now allow you to compare and merge database content. Individual database tables or multiple tables within a schema can be compared, whether they are the same database type or completely different databases. Results of the content comparisons are displayed in tables, and differences can be merged bi-directionally. This new database comparison functionality allows users to easily backup, copy, or merge data quickly and easily.

Sequence Diagram Generation

MissionKit users working with UML will be especially interested in this new functionality in UModel 2009. Sequence diagram generation greatly assists developers who need to reverse engineer existing applications written in Java, C#, or Visual Basic. After importing an existing project, directory, or file into a UModel 2009 project, you can now select any operation in any class, and automatically generate a sequence diagram that illustrates the lifecycle of the operation, as well as objects that interact with it. Like all other project diagrams in UModel, sequence diagrams are stored as part of the UModel project file and can be included in generated UModel project documentation.

Check out the full list of features added in Version 2009, and be sure to check back here frequently, as we'll be blogging about more new features each week.

As always, you can download a free trial of the Altova MissionKit to test out this new functionality for yourself.

Altova customer Recordare builds MusicXML-based solution

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recordare? is a technology company focused on providing software and services to the musical community. Their flagship products, the Dolet? plugin family, are platform-independent plugins for popular music notation programs, facilitating the seamless exchange and interaction of sheet music data files by leveraging MusicXML.

Dolet acts as a high quality translator between the MusicXML data format and other applications, enabling users to work with these files on any conceivable system, including industry leading notation and musical composition applications Finale? and Sibelius?. The list of MusicXML adopters also includes optical scanning utilities like SharpEye or capella-scan, music sequencers like Cubase, and beyond. Dolet increases the MusicXML support in all of these programs and promotes interoperability and the sharing of musical scores.

In creating the Dolet plugins, Recordare used Altova's XML editor, XMLSpy, for editing and testing the necessary MusicXML XML Schemas and DTDs, and the diff/merge tool, DiffDog, for regression testing.

The Challenge

Music interchange between applications had traditionally been executed using the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) file format, a message transfer protocol that has its roots in electronic music. MIDI is not an ideal transfer format for printed music, because it does not take into account the multitude of notations (e.g., rests, repeats, dynamics, lyrics, slurs, tempo marks, etc.) that convey much of the meaning.

MusicXML is an open, XML-based file format specifically created to encapsulate musical notation or digital sheet music data that was built on top of previous formats, MuseData and Humdrum. XML lends MusicXML the power and flexibility to be easily accessed, parsed, rendered, and otherwise manipulated by a wide variety of automated tools, and its general acceptance as a standard makes it an ideal format for scoring using computer technology.

Since its original release by Recordare in January of 2004 (version 2.0 was released in June 2007), MusicXML has gained acceptance in the music notation industry with support in over 100 leading products, and is recognized as the de facto XML standard for music notation interchange. These products would not have adopted MusicXML unless it could be used to exchange data with industry-leading applications like Finale and Sibelius.

By developing advanced plugins for popular music notation suites, Recordare would be able to deliver to their customers all of the advantages that XML can bring for data exchange and standardization.

The Solution

Below is an example showing the score of the first few measures of Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98 as it is written in sheet music:

and a small snippet of the same piece translated to MusicXML:

The MusicXML-based Dolet 4 plugins for Finale and Sibelius provide a more accurate and usable representation of sheet music than Standard MIDI translation. For example, the images below show the same piece of music. On the left is a Finale 2009 rendering of a MIDI file exported from Sibelius, and on the right is the same application's interpretation of a MusicXML 2.0 file exported from the same version of Sibelius.

In the MIDI rendition, vital information like chord symbols, lyrics, slurs, articulations, and even title and composer are omitted from the translation.

In addition to providing native support for MusicXML, the recently released Dolet 4 for Finale and Dolet 4 for Sibelius plugins enhance the capabilities of these programs by adding advanced features like:

Batch translation
More accurate and reliable data exchange
More formatting control
Support for the MusicXML XML Schema (in addition to the DTD)

In developing the plugins, Recordare was subject to specific requirements dictated by the Sibelius and Finale applications. The Sibelius plugin was programmed in ManuScript, and is one of the largest plugins ever written in that language. Finale, on the other hand, requires plugins to have a C++ core, and Recordare implemented this, adding MusicXML logic in Java and a JNI layer to provide the two-way Java/C++ communication.

Recordare’s Dolet plugins are now critical aspects of the music preparation process for many television and film scores as well as new music publications. Errors in translation need to be fixed in maintenance updates, while ensuring that no new errors are introduced into these complex translation plugins. Regression testing of the MusicXML file produced by the Dolet plugins is thus an essential part of Recordare’s quality assurance process.

Recordare used Altova’s DiffDog in the development of the Dolet plugins. XMLSpy was used to test and edit their DTDs and XML Schemas, and DiffDog for regression testing the MusicXML files produced by the software. Recordare has several regression test suites covering a wide range of musical repertoire, from baroque to hip-hop. DiffDog allows easy differencing of multiple runs of these test suites, including the ability to ignore differences in XML metadata elements such as software version and XML creation date that always change across test cases.

Recordare has used Altova’s XMLSpy XML editor to edit the MusicXML DTDs and XML Schemas, starting with the use of XMLSpy 3.5 (released in 2001) to create the earliest alpha and beta versions of the MusicXML DTD. Version 2.0 of MusicXML added a compressed zip version of the format, similar to what is used in other XML applications like Open Office and Open XML. XMLSpy 2008 Enterprise Edition's comprehensive support for zipped XML files made it easy to test this new feature together with the Dolet for Finale plugin.

A small portion of the extensive MusicXML schema shown in XMLSpy's graphical XML schema editor

XMLSpy’s support for XQuery has also contributed to Recordare’s regression testing efforts. In response to a customer request, Recordare now exports XML processing instructions from the Dolet for Sibelius plugin when it encounters a musical feature that it is unable to translate correctly. A simple XQuery execution to search for all the processing instructions in the XML files in a given folder lets Recordare check for the presence of these restrictions within each test suite, and then compare the resulting XML files using DiffDog between runs of the test suite.

Recently, customer demand led Recordare to develop an XSD version of the MusicXML format. XMLSpy Enterprise Edition was used to develop and test the schemas. Schema validation, schema restriction and extension, and automatically-generated schema documentation were all able to be tested using XMLSpy’s features.

The Results

The Dolet plugins are extensions for common industry software that harness the built-in capabilities of the MusicXML format to make musical scores truly interchangeable across disparate systems and toolsets. These plugins have the capacity to render accurate and meaningful musical notation based on the powerful MusicXML specification.

The leading XML Schema editing capabilities in XMLSpy and the strong XML and directory differencing support in DiffDog enabled Recordare to write and polish the MusicXML schemas and perform regression testing on the Dolet plugins. The resulting high quality of the schemas and software has made MusicXML and the Dolet plugins a key element of the toolkit for composers, arrangers, publishers, copyists, and engravers throughout the industry wherever printed music is used.

Try XMLSpy, DiffDog, and the other Altova MissionKit tools for yourself with a free 30-day trial.

New MapForce Online Training - Code Generation

2009-01-09T07:15:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to announce that the next module in the Altova Online Training Series on the MapForce data mapping tool is now available.

MapForce Code Generation is an advanced-level course that provides step-by-step tutorials for generating program code (including C# , C++, Java, XSLT, and XQuery) based on graphically defined data mappings and integrating that code into your own applications (royalty-free). Detailed tutorials also walk you through how to add custom XSLT and XQuery functions, add function libraries, and process mappings with multiple files.

The MapForce Code Generation module is available on-demand, so you can learn when your schedule allows, and, like all Altova Online Training courses, there is no fee or registration required.

Please let us know what you think of MapForce Code Generation - comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Free Online Training Module: Intro to StyleVision

2008-12-30T19:45:00.000-05:00

We've just released a new Altova Online Training Module: Introduction to StyleVision. This free training module provides an introduction to the StyleVision stylesheet design tool interface and functionality as well as interactive tutorials for transforming XML and database content into eye-catching HTML pages, RTF documents, PDF reports, Word 2007 (OOXML) documents, and intuitive Authentic? forms. Detailed tutorials will help users create an effective StyleVision design and insert dynamic and static content. This module also explores how to format the components of the StyleVision design and create global templates.

Check out the full list of free Altova Online Training modules, all of which are available in a convenient, on-demand format.

As always, please share your feedback and suggestions about Altova Online Training with us, either by using the survey included in the training module or by leaving a comment on this blog.

Altova MissionKit and DatabaseSpy Named Jolt Award Finalists

2008-12-19T07:39:00.001-05:00

We received an exciting piece of news that brightened a cold winter day when snow was in the forecast: The Altova MissionKit has been selected as a finalist for the 2009 Jolt Award in the Development Environment category.

And it gets even better: Altova DatabaseSpy as a standalone application has also been selected as a Jolt Award finalist in the Database Engines and Data Tools category.

The 19^th Annual Jolt Award winners will be announced at the SD West Conference in Santa Clara, CA in March, 2009. The Jolt Awards are designed to “recognize the most innovative, trend-making, ahead of the curve products,” according to Dr. Dobb’s, the award sponsor.

Even before the winners are announced, it’s an honor to be selected as a Jolt Award finalist, since the judges select five finalists in each category from the literally hundreds of development tools and apps available in today’s fast-moving marketplace. The judges are all noted software industry leaders with experience across a wide range of development technologies and projects.

We’re pleased that Altova continues to be recognized in such acclaimed company. XMLSpy was a 2003 Jolt Award winner in the Languages and Development Environments category, MapForce was a 2004 Jolt Award winner in the Business Integration and Data Tools category, and UModel was a 2006 Jolt Award finalist in the Design Tools and Modeling category.

You can see the entire list of this year’s Jolt finalists at http://www.joltawards.com/finalists.html.

New Altova Solutions Center

2008-12-15T15:35:00.000-05:00

Take a look at our new Solutions Center design!

Not only does it look great (thanks to the Altova Art and Web Development teams), but it also gives a clear breakdown of Altova MissionKit tools and how they can help you be prepared and well-armed to approach common business and technology challenges.

As always, we’d love to hear from you about how you use the Altova MissionKit in your organization -- we are always looking for great case studies!

New Demo Video: Intro to DatabaseSpy

2008-12-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

We’re expanding our Flash video series to cover DatabaseSpy, Altova’s multi-purpose database utility.

Available to view now, the first DatabaseSpy video is a two-minute introduction that quickly highlights many DatabaseSpy features and shows off its elegant and fun-to-use interface.

If you have ever wondered how a multi-database query and design tool can help with a range of database analysis, design, and editing tasks, check out this quick tour. You’ll get to see the DatabaseSpy Quick Connection Wizard, Database Browser, SQL Editor, data editing functionality, and the Graphical Design Editor that lets you visualize, create, or modify database tables and relationships without writing SQL commands.

Find out for yourself why DatabaseSpy has received such high acclaim -- and look for more Flash videos coming soon in the DatabaseSpy series!

Voting is Open in the Developer.com POY Awards

2008-11-25T17:20:00.001-05:00

The US presidential election might be over, but your votes are still needed! Altova DatabaseSpy and Altova XMLSpy are finalists in the 2009 Developer.com Product of the Year Awards. We’d like to ask for your vote to help show your support for Altova tools.

Please cast your vote for Altova DatabaseSpy in the “Database Tool or Add-in” category and Altova XMLSpy in the “.NET Tool or Add-in” category.

The polls close soon, so please vote today. As always, we thank you for your support!

Next Altova Online Training Module is Available

2008-11-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

We recently blogged about the return of free Altova Online Training, with its new, more convenient, on-demand format. The first module available was Introduction to MapForce, and we're pleased to announce that the next module in the series is now available.

MapForce Data Sources and Targets is aimed at the intermediate MapForce user and provides students with step-by-step tutorials for mapping XML, databases, CSV, EDI, text, and Excel 2007 files in the data mapping tool. Detailed tutorials also walk you through how to process and map legacy text files using MapForce FlexText. This module also covers the methods of mapping and allows you to practice each method, including source-driven, target-driven, and copy-all mapping.

MapForce Data Sources and Targets is in BETA status, and we hope you'll give us your feedback and suggestions so that we can continue to improve. Please respond either using the survey included in the class or by leaving a comment on this blog.

Microsoft PDC 2008 Recap

2008-11-13T14:43:00.001-05:00

The Altova team exhibited at Microsoft PDC (Professional Developers Conference) in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. PDC is billed as a tradeshow for “leading-edge developers and software architects,” and, true to its promise, this event delivered a crowd of high level technology professionals. We enjoying catching up with a large number of current Altova customers and other .NET developers interested in learning more about using Altova MissionKit tools to solve XML, UML, and database design and development challenges. Our visitors were particularly interested in MapForce, a powerful and VERY affordable alternative to large-scale ETL solutions like BizTalk and SSIS, and UModel, for its advanced UML support and integration with Visual Studio.

We also took this opportunity to introduce visitors to the MissionKit and the huge savings offered through downloading it as an integrated development suite. The MissionKit was also a popular conversation topic because of the powerful plugins it offers for Visual Studio - in XMLSpy, MapForce, and UModel.

One of the most enjoyable memories that this exhibitor has in particular from PDC is the large number of current customers who brought their friends by to encourage them to try our tools -- telling them how they could solve problems that they had previously discussed and even answering questions from other visitors listening in! It really made me recognize and appreciate the enormous amount of support that Altova and Altova tools have from the .NET community…

Thank you everyone. We hope that you continue to enjoy Altova MissionKit tools and to see you all again the next time PDC rolls into town!

Lastly, here's a video from the show: Allyson and David demoing UModel live at PDC.

Altova UModel at PDC 2008

New video available: UML round trip engineering

2008-10-28T11:46:00.000-04:00

We’ve just uploaded a new Flash video in the UModel UML modeling series titled "Round Trip Engineering."

The Round Trip Engineering video describes how to move your software modeling project ahead either by working directly in the source code or by expanding and refining your UML model, while keeping both the code and model in sync.

Even if you’re a code jockey who prefers to work directly in your IDE, maintaining an accurate UML model promotes good communication tool among team members. You can use the UModel UML project documentation feature to quickly generate customized project docs in HTML, rich text, or Microsoft Word formats that will keep the project manager happy too. And don’t forget, the UModel Enterprise Edition integrates with both the Visual Studio and Eclipse development environments and features automatic real-time synchronization of changes in either your source code library or UML model.

We’re also thrilled with the popularity of the UModel video titled Creating UML Use Case Diagrams on both our site and YouTube. We posted it on YouTube just over a year ago, and it has accumulated over 18,000 views, becoming one of the most popular videos on YouTube covering the Unified Modeling Language.

Please let us know what you think of the new Round Trip Engineering video, and stay tuned for upcoming installments on the DatabaseSpy database tool!

Altova to exhibit at Microsoft PDC next week

2008-10-22T06:19:00.000-04:00

The Altova team is busy preparing to head to LA and exhibit at next week's Microsoft PDC (Professional Developers Conference) 2008. If you're attending, be sure to stop by and visit us at booth #711, where we'd be happy to show you a demo of the Altova MissionKit tools for .NET developers working on XML, Open XML, database, UML, Web, and data integration projects. We may even have some nice swag and a drawing for you to enter... We hope to see you next week in LA or at another event in the future!

Integration Watch: Remember good tools at low cost?

2008-10-16T17:10:00.000-04:00

Andrew Binstock, principal analyst at Pacific Data Works, recently published a great article in SD Times about some of the software tools he relies on to make his life easier. In "Integration Watch: Remember good tools at low cost?" he notes:

"Today, of course, tools are either free or terribly expensive; there is little middle ground. And there are very few small vendors of tools, with the notable exception of the components market for Windows applications―but those are more libraries than pure tools.

One vendor, however, that has persevered making great [tools] at remarkably approachable prices is Altova, which has put out a variety of interesting products for a long time."

Read the complete article here and let us know what you think! What are some of the inexpensive software tools that you rely on?