XML and the Rules Engine

The principal capability of the Rules Engine's XML support is data exchange:

•Exporting data from a USoft application to an XML file.

•Importing data from an XML file into a USoft application.

The facility is offered as a small collection of internal components. Internal components are RDMI components that come as part of the USoft installation: you do not need to install these components separately.

You can export data to XML by calling either the Export method or the SQLExport method of the internal component named 'XML':

You can import data from XML by calling the Import method of the internal component named 'XML':

XML that was previously exported by one of these two USoft export methods will have a data format that can be processed successfully by XML.Import. XML from other sources may need to be transformed to this expected data format using the USXSL component.

When you import data from XML to USoft, you need to make sure that this data has the USoft-specific data format that the Rules Engine expects. This data format is described as the USoft XML format. If you have data coming in from 3rd party sources, you frequently need to transform this data so that it fits the USoft data format.

One way to achieve this kind of data transformation is to apply an XSLT stylesheet to the data:

It is the primary purpose of the USoft internal component named USXSL to facilitate this kind of transformation.

The same scenario applies also in the other direction, for example, if you want a USoft application to deliver XML reports in a format expected by external report writer or publication software: