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Table of Contents:
Alliance
XML/400- Easy as <pie>
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XML/400
Technical Tip
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Alliance
XML/400 makes XML processing easy on your AS/400
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As easy as <ApplePie>.
Everyone
seems to have an XML project waiting in the
wings. If you are feeling some dread about
starting the project, you can relax! Alliance
XML/400 makes integrating web XML documents with
your AS/400 easy to do. It won’t take any
complicated programming and you won’t need to
install the IBM DB2 XML extender application.
Alliance can convert any XML document to one or
more externally described DB2 database files, or
create an XML document from your database files.
Alliance can do everything for you and it
all happens right on the AS/400 – no external
PC servers are required.
The
first thing you need for XML is a good map. If
you are receiving the XML document, you will
create an Inbound XML Map using the interactive
mapper. The mapper lets you select an XML tag,
and associate it with a field in the database.
If you have repeating groups of data, you can
tell Alliance to write each repeating group to a
specific database file. You can have many
different database files in your map - you just
add them as you need them. To help with
processing the data, Alliance can assign a
unique key for each XML document. That makes it
easy to process, once the translation is
complete.
If
you need to create an XML document to send to
your trading partner, you can create an Outbound
XML Map using the interactive mapper. You add
your DB2 database files to the map and tell the
map what XML tags you want to use. You can have
repeating groups and multiple files as the
source of the XML data. The Alliance mapper
implements control level breaks (just like
RPG!) to help you format the XML tags just the
way you want them. Alliance handles all of the
data conversions of packed numeric fields. There
is no complicated API processing needed to
convert the data.
Once
you have a map you are ready to translate.
Alliance provides a command interface for
translation, or you can use one of the
automation interfaces. Usually you will want to
use the command interface during testing, then
hook up the translation into one of the
automated interfaces. The Alliance Translate
from AS/400 (ALLTRN400) command will translate
DB2 database data to XML format. The Alliance
Translate from XML (ALLTRNXML) command will
translate an XML document to your database
files. Both commands can be used interactively
or in CL programs. The translation command takes
the map name, DB2 file name, and XML document as
input, and performs the data translation
following the rules in the map. Like magic you
get the data converted to the format you want!
After
you have translation working you can use the
Alliance communications interface to send or
receive the XML documents. If you are receiving
XML documents you can use the Alliance HTTP or
HTTPS (secure) server to receive them. You
don’t need to configure the IBM Apache server
or worry about security issues with that server.
The Alliance server receives an XML document,
translates it with your map, and calls your
application program to process the data. You can
even return an XML response in the same session.
For outbound communications you can use the
Alliance HTTP or HTTPS (secure) communications
commands. These commands give you a complete
interface for sending XML documents to your
trading partners. You can use the commands
interactively or from your own CL commands. You
can also completely automate the translation
process with Alliance library scan.
Alliance
has lots of goodies to help you be successful
with your XML project. You can decode JPEG and
TIFF image files and store them in an IFS
directory, convert dates to several different
formats, encrypt and decrypt data, deploy web
services, process SOAP/XML files, and much more!
With the comprehensive Alliance Roadmap and
sample projects you will have your XML project
done in no time.
</ApplePie>.
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Special
Offer
We
are giving you a great way to satisfy your
software needs, and your budget.
For a limited time, we are offering our existing
customers who are current on maintenance an
extra 10% off on a new license from us.
This offer includes an additional copy of a
product, or a different product. This is over
and above your regular 20% discount.
For new customers, we are offering 10% off any
product.
To use this offer, please notify us immediately.
In order to receive your discount, we must have
a valid Purchase Order by June 30, 2004.
XML/400 Technical
Tip
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Monitoring
for transmission errors in Alliance XML/400
If
you are using the Alliance commands in your CL
programs to send XML documents to a remote
server you can easily monitor for errors in the
communications session using the MONMSG command.
The commands used to send XML documents to a
remote server are Alliance Send XML (ALLSNDXML)
and Alliance Send XML Secure (ALLSNDXMLS). If
the communications session fails the Alliance
command will receive an exception message that
you can monitor for. All of the Alliance message IDs
start with “ATC”. You can monitor for all
Alliance errors by using message ID ATC0000.
Your code in your CL program might look like
this:
/*
Call the Alliance Send XML command */
ALLSNDXML
+
RMTSYS(WWWCIE.UPS.COM)
+
URL('/ups.app/xml/Register')
+
CONTYPE('application/xml')
+
LOGOPT(*YES)
+
IFSOPT(*YES)
+
IFSFILE('/tmp/UPSLicense.xml')
+
RSPIFSOPT(*YES)
+
RSPIFSFILE('/tmp/UPSLicResponse.xml')
/*
Monitor for errors */
MONMSG
MSGID(ATC0000) EXEC(DO)
/* Error handling goes here */
ENDDO
When
you capture the error you can send a message to
the system operator or take other actions in
your program. Alliance also has support for
sending error messages by email or Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP). See the
sample code in the product library if you want
to use these error message options.
Lastly,
remember that the communications session may be
successful, but your trading partner may not be
able to process your XML document correctly. You
won’t be able to use the MONMSG command for
this type of error.
Support News
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Getting
XML logs.
If
you experience a problem and want technical
support, the best way to get support is to start
a support ticket.
To
expedite our support team getting back to you,
please supply us with a log. Logs help us to see
what is happening on your system. They help us
to more effectively help you. So before
contacting us, please set diagnostic logging and
recreate the problem. Then when you start a
support ticket, you can attach the logs to the
ticket and we will be able to help you quicker.
To
set Diagnostic Logging options.
You
should set diagnostic logging in two places.
In
Global Options:
Main
Menu / Configuration / Configure XML 400.
Set
diagnostic logging is the first option.
In
the Map
For
Inbound Mapping:
Main
Menu / XML Mapping / Work with inbound XML maps
/ (select the map) / diagnostic logging is on
the first page.
For
Outbound Mapping:
Main
Menu / XML Mapping / Data Translation / Convert
AS/400 to XML
(ALLTRN400) / diagnostic logging is on
the first page.
Now,
for parser errors we require different logging.
If
you are adding an XML document to an inbound map
or translating an inbound document, you may get
a parser error. These are usually caused by an
ill-formed document.
Please
go to the IFS directory. You will want to look
at two logs:
(1)
Alliance / XML / xmstdout.txt
(2)
Fnnnnnnnnn.log
(where nnnnnnnn is the number.)
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