XML DSC

The XML CDSC reads and writes case data in an XML file. Typically, you use this CDSC when you want to demonstrate or test the transfer of small volumes of case data. The internal name of this DSC is mrXmlDsc.

Warning: The XML DSC is supplied by UNICOM Intelligence for the purpose of demonstrating and testing the transfer of small volumes of data. Do not use the XML DSC in production processes; use the UNICOM Intelligence Data File CDSC instead. The XML DSC might be withdrawn in a future release of UNICOM Intelligence.

The Visual C++ source code of this CDSC is provided with the UNICOM Intelligence Developer Documentation Library, as a reference for developers who are creating other CDSCs.

The XML CDSC implements the following features:

XML CDSC supports reading and writing hierarchical data in HDATA hierarchical tables. However, the support for hierarchical data is limited and behaves differently from Quanvert DSC and RDB DSC 2. When you use these DSCs to read data, they always return both VDATA and HDATA tables. XML DSC, on the other hand, returns either a flat VDATA table or HDATA hierarchical tables, depending on the format of the data stored in the XML file. (Although it is possible to store data in both formats in the same XML file and XML DSC will then return both VDATA and HDATA tables.) Similarly, when writing to an XML file, XML CDSC writes the data in either VDATA or HDATA format, depending on the way the data is passed to it. See Understanding hierarchical data and Loops, grids, and levels.

The UNICOM Intelligence Developer Documentation Library comes with an mrScriptBasic sample (called CdscHdataTransfer.mrs) that you can use to create HDATA-enabled XML files. For more information, see Creating HDATA-enabled XML files.

The example below illustrates the format of the XML that the CDSC reads and writes to. Standard Microsoft schemas cannot be used because they do not support the categorical type.