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Import files in XML format with optional attributes

You can design Electronic reporting (ER) formats to parse incoming electronic documents in XML format. Certain attributes of XML elements can be specified in designed ER format as optional. It will allow you to handle incoming files with and without such XML attributes properly. You can then use the content from these files to update application data.

To learn more about this feature, complete the steps in the article, (RCS) Import files in XML format with optional attributes, which is part of the 7.5.4.3 Acquire/Develop IT service/solution components (10677) business process. You can download this task guide and associated sample files from the Microsoft Download Center.

Content description File
Sample file in XML format IncomingDocumentToLearnHowToHandleOptionalAttributes.xml
Task guide RCS Import files in XML format with optional attributes.axtr

The following steps explain how a user in the System Administrator or Electronic Reporting Developer role can design ER format configuration to import files in XML format containing optional attributes. To complete these steps, you must first complete the steps in the procedure, Create configuration providers and mark them as active. Before you begin, download and save locally the IncomingDocumentToLearnHowToHandleOptionalAttributes.xml file from Microsoft Download Center (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=874684 ).

  1. Go to Organization administration > Workspaces > Electronic reporting.
  2. Make sure that the configuration provider for the sample company, Litware, Inc., is available and marked as Active. If you don't see this configuration provider, complete the steps in the article, Create configuration providers and mark them as active.
  3. Click Reporting configurations.

Create a new data model configuration

  1. Click Create configuration to open the drop dialog.
  2. In the Name field, type 'Model to import xml file'.
  3. Click Create configuration.
  4. Click Designer.
  5. Click New to open the drop dialog.
  6. In the Name field, type 'Root'.
  7. Click Add.
  8. Click New to open the drop dialog.
  9. In the Name field, type 'List'.
  10. In the Item type field, select Record list.
  11. Click Add.
  12. Click New to open the drop dialog.
  13. In the Name field, type 'Code'.
  14. In the Item type field, select String.
  15. Click Add.
  16. Click Save.
  17. Close the page.
  18. Click Change status.
  19. Click Complete.
  20. Click OK.

Create a format for data import

  1. Click Create configuration to open the drop dialog.
  2. In the New field, enter 'Format based on data model Model to import xml file'.
  3. In the Name field, type 'Format to import xml file'.
  4. Select Yes in the Supports data import field.
  5. Click Create configuration.

Design a format to parse incoming file in xml format

  1. Click Designer.
  2. Click Add root to open the drop dialog.
  3. In the tree, select XML\Element.
  4. In the Name field, type 'root'.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click Add to open the drop dialog.
  7. In the tree, select XML\Element.
  8. In the Name field, type 'document'.
  9. In the Multiplicity field, select One many.
  10. Click OK.
  11. In the tree, select root\document.
  12. Click Add to open the drop dialog.
  13. In the tree, select XML\Attribute.
  14. In the Name field, type 'id'.
  15. Click OK.
  16. Click Save.

Design a format mapping to save parsed information to data model

  1. Click Map format to model.
  2. Click New.
  3. In the Definition field, enter or select a value.
  4. In the Name field, type 'Mapping'.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Click Designer.
  7. In the tree, expand format.
  8. In the tree, expand format\root: XML Element(root).
  9. In the tree, select *format\root: XML Element(root)\document: XML Element 1.. (document)**.
  10. Click Bind.
  11. In the tree, expand *format\root: XML Element(root)\document: XML Element 1.. (document)**.
  12. In the tree, select format\root: XML Element(root)\document: XML Element 1.. (document)\id*.
  13. In the tree, expand List = format.root.document.
  14. In the tree, select List = format.root.document\Code.
  15. Click Bind.
  16. Click Save.
  17. Close the page.

Run format mapping

  1. Click Run.
  2. Click Browse and select the file, IncomingDocumentToLearnHowToHandleOptionalAttributes.xml.
  3. Click OK.

Note

The selected file has not been imported as the format design assumes the existence of 'id' attribute for the 'document' element, but the imported file contains no such attribute.

Modify format structure to handle xml attribute as optional

  1. Close the page.
  2. In the tree, expand root\document.
  3. In the tree, select root\document\id.
  4. In the Empty string for missing attribute field, select Yes.
  5. Click Save.

Run format mapping to test changes

  1. Click Map format to model.
  2. Click Run.
  3. Click Browse and select the file, IncomingDocumentToLearnHowToHandleOptionalAttributes.xml.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Review the generated file. Note that same file has been imported as the format design now consider the 'id' attribute for the 'document' element as optional.