Defining Data Transformations for XML Virtual Documents

Creating a Data Transformation

To create a data transformation for XML virtual documents:

1. Optionally load the applicable XML schema or schemas into Ensemble.

   See “Loading XML Schemas into Ensemble,” earlier in this book.

2. Use the DTL editor in the Management Portal or in Studio, as described in Developing DTL Transformations.

3. Within the data transformation, use the following values:

   • For Source Class and Target Class, use EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document, the class with which Ensemble represents XML virtual documents.

   • For Source Document Type, optionally select the XML type expected in the message. Choose an XML type from one of the XML schemas you have loaded into Ensemble.

     Leave this value blank if you do not have or do not want to use the schema.

   • For Target Document Type, optionally select a different XML type or remove the value.

     Ensemble initializes Target Document Type with the value you select for Source Document Type, if any.

4. Create actions within the data transformation as usual, using the XML property paths described in the previous chapter. There are two basic scenarios:

   • If you have loaded the schemas and have specified the source and target document types, the DTL editor displays each document structure as a tree. Then you can drag and drop to create the transformation. Ensemble creates actions that use schema-dependent paths. You can edit these to use DOM-style paths instead, if those are needed for some reason.

   • If you do not specify the document types, the document structures are not displayed as trees. In this case, it is necessary to add and edit the actions manually. You can use only DOM-style paths.

   In either case, you can add code elements to support more complex processing.

After you save and compile the data transformation, it is available for use in a rule set; see the chapter “Defining Rule Sets for XML Virtual Documents.”

Available Assignment Actions for XML Virtual Documents

For XML virtual documents, Ensemble supports the following assignment actions:

• set — Sets a value. If the type of the target element is "any", then the text can include XML markup. The XML markup must be well formed, but it will not be validated against any schema.

  If you set the target element to the value of a source property path, the source property path must exist. Alternatively, InterSystems IRIS does not set the target and returns an error, which you can optionally ignore by enabling the Ignore missing source segments and properties setting. For more information, see Specifying Transformation Details.

• append — Appends the new value to the target element, after any subnodes in that element.

• clear — Clears the text context of the target but retains the element and any children. Or, if the target is an attribute, the action clears its value but retains the attribute.

• remove — Removes the target element or attribute.

Note that insert is not supported.

Using Code

If you need to add code elements to support more complex processing, you directly invoke the GetValueAt() and SetValueAt() methods of the source and target variables. For EnsLib.EDI.XML.DocumentOpens in a new tab, these methods are as follows:

GetValueAt()

method GetValueAt(pPropertyPath As %String, 
                  pFormat As %String, 
                  Output pStatus As %Status) as %String

Where:

• pPropertyPath is an XML property path, as described earlier in this book.

• pFormat is a set of flags that control the format of the returned string. See the following subsection.

• pStatus is a status that indicates success or failure.

This method returns the current value at the given property path, or returns an empty string if the path is not valid.

SetValueAt()

method SetValueAt(pValue As %String, 
                  pPropertyPath As %String, 
                  pAction As %String = "set", 
                  pKey As %String = "") as %Status

Where:

• pValue is a suitable value for the given XML property path.

• pPropertyPath is an XML property path, as described in the previous chapter.

• pAction is either "set", "append", "clear", or "remove". For details, see the previous section.

• pKey is not used for XML virtual documents.

This method evaluates the given property path, and (if the path is valid), uses pValue and pAction to modify the value at that path.

Example 1: Copying Most of the Source Document

To easily define a data transformation that copies most of a source document, do the following in the Data Transformation Builder:

• On the Transform tab, select copy from the Create drop-down list.

  Then, by default, the new document will be a copy of the original document.

• Define actions that partly or fully remove selected elements or attributes. To define such an action:

  1. In Add Action, click clear or remove.

  2. Double-click the target property that you want to clear or remove.

  3. Enter any value into Value; this field is required but is ignored in this case.

The following shows an example that uses schema-dependent paths:

Class Demo02.MyDTL Extends Ens.DataTransformDTL
{

XData DTL [ XMLNamespace = "http://www.intersystems.com/dtl" ]
{
<transform sourceClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' targetClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' 
sourceDocType='Demo02:Patient' targetDocType='Demo02:Patient' create='copy' language='objectscript' >
<assign value='"this value is ignored"' property='target.{WorkAddress}' action='remove' />
<assign value='"this value is ignored"' property='target.{HomeAddress}' action='remove' />
</transform>
}

Parameter REPORTERRORS = 1;

}

This data transformation copies the source document to the target and then removes the <WorkAddress> and <HomeAddress> elements from the target.

The following shows an equivalent example that uses DOM-style property paths:

Class Demo02A.MyDTL Extends Ens.DataTransformDTL
{

XData DTL [ XMLNamespace = "http://www.intersystems.com/dtl" ]
{
<transform sourceClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' targetClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' 
create='copy' language='objectscript' >
<assign value='"this value is ignored"' property='target.{/Patient/WorkAddress}' action='remove' />
<assign value='"this value is ignored"' property='target.{/Patient/HomeAddress}' action='remove' />
</transform>
}

Parameter REPORTERRORS = 1;

}

Notice that in this case, the data transformation does not specify the document types because they are unnecessary here.

Example 2: Using Only a Few Parts of the Source Document

To easily define a data transformation that uses only a few parts of a source document, do the following in the Data Transformation Builder:

• On the Transform tab, select new from the Create drop-down list.

  Then, by default, the new document will be empty.

• Define actions that copy selected elements or attributes. To define such an action, drag and drop from the source document area to the target document area. Each action that you add this way is a set action.

The following shows an example that uses schema-dependent paths:

Class Demo05.MyDTL Extends Ens.DataTransformDTL 
{

XData DTL [ XMLNamespace = "http://www.intersystems.com/dtl" ]
{
<transform sourceClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' targetClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' 
sourceDocType='Demo05:Patient' targetDocType='Demo05:Patient' create='new' language='objectscript' >
<assign value='source.{MRN}' property='target.{MRN}' action='set' />
<assign value='source.{PrimaryCarePhysician}' property='target.{PrimaryCarePhysician}' action='set' />
</transform>
}

Parameter REPORTERRORS = 1;

}

This data transformation copies only the MRN and PrimaryCarePhysician properties from the source to the target.

The following shows an equivalent example that uses DOM-style property paths:

Class Demo05A.MyDTL Extends Ens.DataTransformDTL 
{

XData DTL [ XMLNamespace = "http://www.intersystems.com/dtl" ]
{
<transform sourceClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' targetClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' 
create='new' language='objectscript' >
<assign value='source.{/Patient/MRN}' property='target.{/Patient/MRN}' action='set' />
<assign value='source.{/Patient/PrimaryCarePhysician}' 
property='target.{/Patient/PrimaryCarePhysician}' action='set' />
</transform>
}

Parameter REPORTERRORS = 1;

}

Example 3: Using Code and SetValueAt()

The following example uses the code action type and uses a DOM-style path. It adds an attribute and an XML comment to the root element:

Class Demo06.MyDTL Extends Ens.DataTransformDTL 
{

XData DTL [ XMLNamespace = "http://www.intersystems.com/dtl" ]
{
<transform sourceClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' targetClass='EnsLib.EDI.XML.Document' 
create='copy' language='objectscript' >
<code>
<![CDATA[
 //this part adds an attribute to the document
 set path="/1/@NewAttribute"
 set status=target.SetValueAt("New attribute value",path)
 if 'status {do ##class(MyApp.Utils).Trace("Demo06.MyDTL","Error setting path: ",path)}

 //this part adds a comment to the document
 set path="/1/comment()"
 set status=target.SetValueAt("This is an XML comment",path)
 if 'status {do ##class(MyApp.Utils).Trace("Demo06.MyDTL","Error setting path: ",path)}
 ]]>
</code>
</transform>
}

Parameter REPORTERRORS = 1;

}

If the SetValueAt() method returns an error, this transformation uses a utility method to record the details.