XML integration with other methods

System Architect provides the ability to drag specific definition types from data modeling and object‑oriented methodologies onto XML diagrams. Each definition type is automatically transformed into symbols having definitions that are valid for the XML diagram and need no further modification. Existing definition types can be included into an existing XML application, or used as a base for a new one.

Since organizations continue to store approximately 20 percent of their information in relational databases, the need arises to make this information available to a wider audience in several different formats. Organizations that currently benefit from object‑oriented technologies are discovering that objects provide an efficient way of adding behaviors to the web, both by adding the functionality to the static content of HTML, and by allowing web clients and servers to access other computing resources. XML provides new ways of accessing this existing intelligence and delivering it to web clients using a flexible, open, standards-based format. Applications can be built more quickly, are easier to maintain, and can easily provide multiple views of the data.

If your organization has decided to implement XML-based eBusiness and enterprise applications that leverage the intelligence in its existing data and object-oriented applications, you will be exploring methods for painlessly translating these definition types to XML.

System Architect allows you to share definitions in your encyclopedia between XML and entity relation diagrams. Starting with your physical or logical data model, you can describe your DTD or BizTalk schema. Entities and attributes are automatically translated to XML elements and attributes, according to the rules specified.

System Architect provides the ability to copy entity, table, or class symbols and paste them onto an XML diagram. The system transforms the definitions for these symbols into valid XML definitions.