Issue handling XML structure with graphical tool

[Former Member]

Hey all,

I have an issue while trying to map an XML Structure because i can define the order of the data

I'm currently getting a response from a service in this format

<response>

<exchangefrom>

<exchangeto>

<value>

<days>

<convert_data>

<date>

<ask>

<bid>

</convert_data>

</response>

- if "exchangeto" is more than one currency i will get multiple responses in this format

example:

<exchangefrom>usd

<exchangeto>eur_cad

Response:

<response>

<exchangefrom>usd <= begin first data

<exchangeto>eur

<value>x

<days>x

<convert_data>

<date>x

<ask>x

<bid>x

</convert_data>

<exchangefrom>usd <== begin second data

<exchangeto>cad

<value>y

<days>y

<convert_data>

<date>y

<ask>y

<bid>y

</converty_data>

</response>

- On the other side if days > 1 i will get multiple convert_data segment according to the amount of days (starting date + value)

<response>

<exchangefrom>usd

<exchangeto>eur

<value>1

<days>1

<convert_data></convert_data>

<exchangefrom>usd

<exchangeto>cad

<value>1

<days>2

<convert_data></convert_data>

<convert_data></converty_data>

</response>

the problem is that exchangefrom,exchangeto,value and cdays are 0.unbounded so i get all the data mixed in the XML, i know just by looking that a first extructure being at "from" and ends with a new "from" (having their corresponding convert_data item segments)

But i simply can make a correct map since all is at the same level!

so most of the times any map logic i try to create doesn't cover all the possibilities in graphical map

I was trying to use "Splitbyvalue - each" but i can't group the last two convert_data, since i don't have any key to tell the map that the last two belong to one set of values, getting one 1 convert_data per exchange value..

- Should i try to check other tool like XSLT to handle correctly the XML? or there's any way to process that with graphical tool?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Alexis,

I somehow doubt that your structure is very useful when you get more than one currency.

From my point of view the structure should look like this:

<response> 1

<item> 0..n

<exchangefrom>

<exchangeto>

<value>

<days>

<convert_data> 0..n

<date>

<ask>

<bid>

</convert_daa>

</item>

</response>

or maybe like this:

<response> 1

<exchangefrom attribute=value > 0..n

<exchangeto> 1

<value> 1

<days> 1

<convert_data> 0..n

<date>

<ask>

<bid>

</convert_data>

<exchangefrom>

</response> 1

Maybe the structure you quote is technically correct but how will you (or the software handling your output) ever be able to sort out which value belongs to which convert_data for instance??

You say that the data always comes in the same order but a parser like DOM will never be able to sort the fields anyway. You'd have to work with a tricky SAX parser or just read the values row by row. And what if the order changes? With a proper structure you'd have no problems in that case but with your construction you'd be lost.

With one of the structures I suggest you'd get no problems with the graphical mapping.

If you still have to use the structure you posted you better use XSLT...

Regards

Karsten