I have a very complex input message whose node names and values I need to regurgitate (without any namespace info) to the output as though viewing the document in a browser using an XSL stylesheet. I do not need to map any of the individual source XML elements to corresponding target elements. The output will be passed to a flat-file assembler and sent as a simple old-fashioned text message by the receiver.
For simplicity I removed most of the namespaces and changed prefixes in this stylesheet which produces exactly the output I desire:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0" xmlns:abcd="http://abcd.whatever.net/abcd/1.0.1" xmlns:info="http://info.sumthin.net/1.0.0" xmlns:wxyz="http://wxyz.widgetwonks.net/wxyz/3.0.3" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><xsl:output method="text" /><xsl:template match="abcd:Message"> <xsl:apply-templates /></xsl:template><xsl:template match="info:SpecialText"> <xsl:text> </xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="."/> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text></xsl:template><xsl:template match="wxyz:PersonSSN"> <xsl:text> SSN: </xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="substring(., 0, 4)"/> <xsl:text>-</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="substring(., 4, 2)"/> <xsl:text>-</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="substring(., 6, 4)"/> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text></xsl:template><xsl:template match="*"> <xsl:if test="string-length(normalize-space(text()))=0"> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()"/> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> </xsl:if> <xsl:if test="not(string-length(normalize-space(text()))=0)"> <xsl:text> </xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()"/>: <xsl:value-of select="normalize-space(text())"/> </xsl:if> <xsl:apply-templates/></xsl:template><xsl:template match="text()|@*"> <xsl:if test="string-length(normalize-space(.)) != 0"> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> </xsl:if></xsl:template></xsl:stylesheet>
In BizTalk I have referenced this stylesheet on my map grid's "Custom XSL Path" property, and when I test the map I get the right output.
But how can I map this output to a target schema? The output of the stylesheet is just a very long stream of text with many x0D x0A (cr / lf) sprinkled in. I have not been able to devise a schema that BizTalk will permit to be a receptacle for the stylesheet output.
-Mark
....
I forgot to sign in before I created the post. The post should be attributed to me.
Hi Mark,
What you will need to do is.
1. From the Sample Output Flat File create a FlatFile Schema using FF Wizard.
2. Generate a sample xml file from this Schema.
3. The Output of the map(XSLT) should be a XML which should look similar to the one in Step2 and not a stream of text....becoz BizTalk understands only XML.
4. Use a FF Custom Pipeline which will convert this XML output to Flat File at runtime.
If you are talking of Flat Files...Namespace never matter as it will be stripped off by the FF Assembler...what matters is the output of the map should match with the XML format of the FF Schema.
Regards,NISHIL MCT,MCTS | Freelance BizTalk Consultant.biztalkconnect.blogspot.com
Nishil: Thanks for your recommendation. The flat-file wizard is not useful in this instance because there are practically infinite permutations of the source data, which is a catch-all document type called "Message" that represents thousands of XML elements from dozens of business objects (and namespaces) on the source system. My goal is to direct the XSL stylesheet output into a single xs:string field, akin to what the browser does when it renders the source data as characters and carriage returns.
What I hope to avoid:
- Creating a gigantic schema from the source system's dozens of business objects, and having to create maps of specific fields. This would entail hundreds of hours of effort simply detecting which fields are typically emitted by the source system -- when all I NEED is to be able to render the same output as the XSL stylesheet I already have (above) which already creates exactly the output I need.
- Writing either a receive- or send- custom pipeline component that would have to parse through the other major nodes of the message, separating one or more of the "Message" nodes from the other responses that are well-known to my system and which are already automated in maps and orchestrations.
Hi Spitvalve,
Use the output of your stylesheet in XML format, and plug the contents into the following online tool that would generate an XML schema (either in Russian Doll Style or Separate Complex Types):
http://www.xmlforasp.net/codebank/system_xml_schema/buildschema/buildxmlschema.aspx
Hope this is what you are looking for.
"Google skills are more important than your coding skills."
Thank you all who gave useful suggestions and lines of inquiry. I finally resolved my own question, as follows.
Developed the following XSL stylesheet to transform the input message to a normal XML document:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt" xmlns:var="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003/var" exclude-result-prefixes="msxsl var s0 ScriptNS0" version="1.0" xmlns:s0="http://abcd.whatever.net/abcd/1.0.1" xmlns:ScriptNS0="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003/ScriptNS0" xmlns:info="http://info.sumthin.net/1.0.0" xmlns:wxyz="http://wxyz.widgetwonks.net/wxyz/3.0.3"> <xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes" method="xml" version="1.0" /> <xsl:template match="/"> <Message> <xsl:apply-templates /> </Message> </xsl:template> <!-- <xsl:template match="/s0:Message" /> --> <xsl:template match="info:CaveatText"> <xsl:element name="TextField"> <xsl:text> </xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="."/> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> </xsl:element> </xsl:template> <xsl:template match="wxyz:PersonSSNID/wxyz:ID"> <xsl:element name="TextField"> <xsl:text> SSN: </xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="substring(., 0, 4)"/> <xsl:text>-</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="substring(., 4, 2)"/> <xsl:text>-</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="substring(., 6, 4)"/> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> </xsl:element> </xsl:template> <xsl:template match="*"> <xsl:if test="string-length(normalize-space(text()))=0"> <xsl:element name="TextField"> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()"/> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> </xsl:element> </xsl:if> <xsl:if test="not(string-length(normalize-space(text()))=0)"> <xsl:element name="TextField"> <xsl:text> </xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="local-name()"/>: <xsl:value-of select="normalize-space(text())"/> </xsl:element> </xsl:if> <xsl:apply-templates/> </xsl:template> <xsl:template match="text()|@*"> <xsl:if test="string-length(normalize-space(.)) != 0"> <xsl:element name="TextField"> <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> </xsl:element> </xsl:if> </xsl:template>
A sample XML document created by the stylesheet looks like this in a text editor:
<Message xmlns:{namespaces galore...}><TextField> Message </TextField><TextField> HeaderArea </TextField><TextField> KeyText: PQ</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> HeaderText: XYXY1010Z</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> ResponseDataSection </TextField><TextField> **TEST**THIS RESPONSE IS FROM ABCD TEST SYSTEM. </TextField><TextField> PersonName </TextField><TextField> PersonGivenName: JACK</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonMiddleName: DANIEL</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonSurName: WEBBER</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonBirthDateText: 1975-01-31</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonAssignedIDDetails </TextField><TextField> PersonSSNID </TextField><TextField> SSN: 123-98-7654 </TextField><TextField> PersonOtherID </TextField><TextField> ID: XT-01020304050</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonPhysicalDetails </TextField><TextField> PersonSexCode: M</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonRaceCode: W</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonAbcdID </TextField><TextField> ID: Z123456789</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> ExpandedBirthDateSearch: 1</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> ExpandedNameSearchIndicator: false</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> VehicleID </TextField><TextField> ID: ASDFASDFASDFASDFA</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> VehicleMakeText: DODG</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> VehicleRegistrationPlateID </TextField><TextField> ID: ABC123</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> IDJurisdictionText: AZ</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PrimaryResponse </TextField><TextField> PersonAlias </TextField><TextField> PersonAlternateName </TextField><TextField> PersonGivenName: JACK</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonMiddleName: ALLEN</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonSurName: DANIEL</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonAlternateName </TextField><TextField> PersonGivenName: JACKIE</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonSurName: DANIEL</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonAlternateName </TextField><TextField> PersonGivenName: JD</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonSurName: DANIEL</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonBirthDateText: 1967-01-01</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonBirthDateText: 1968-01-01</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonAssignedIDDetails </TextField><TextField> PersonSSNID </TextField><TextField> SSN: 234-00-0001 </TextField><TextField> PersonSSNID </TextField><TextField> SSN: 345-00-0002 </TextField><TextField> PersonSSNID </TextField><TextField> SSN: 456-00-0003 </TextField><TextField> PersonSSNID </TextField><TextField> SSN: 567-00-0004 </TextField><TextField> PersonOtherID </TextField><TextField> ID: XZ1234DE</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> PersonOtherID </TextField><TextField> ID: YZE6241</TextField><TextField> </TextField><TextField> </Message>
In the above, the <TextField> (...break to next line...) </TextField> sequences are CR/LF generated by the stylesheet's <xsl:text>
</xsl:text> pieces.
The schema for the message above is simple:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><xs:schema xmlns:xsi={application-specific namespace} xmlns:b="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"> <xs:annotation> <xs:appinfo> <schemaEditorExtension:schemaInfo namespaceAlias="b" extensionClass="Microsoft.BizTalk.FlatFileExtension.FlatFileExtension" standardName="Flat File" xmlns:schemaEditorExtension="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003/SchemaEditorExtensions" /> <b:schemaInfo root_reference="Message" default_pad_char=" " pad_char_type="char" count_positions_by_byte="false" parser_optimization="speed" lookahead_depth="3" suppress_empty_nodes="false" generate_empty_nodes="true" allow_early_termination="false" early_terminate_optional_fields="false" allow_message_breakup_of_infix_root="false" compile_parse_tables="false" standard="Flat File" /> </xs:appinfo> </xs:annotation> <xs:element name="Message"> <xs:annotation> <xs:appinfo> <b:recordInfo structure="delimited" preserve_delimiter_for_empty_data="true" suppress_trailing_delimiters="false" sequence_number="1" /> </xs:appinfo> </xs:annotation> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:annotation> <xs:appinfo> <b:groupInfo sequence_number="0" /> </xs:appinfo> </xs:annotation> <xs:element maxOccurs="unbounded" name="TextField" type="xs:string"> <xs:annotation> <xs:appinfo> <b:fieldInfo sequence_number="1" justification="left" /> </xs:appinfo> </xs:annotation> </xs:element> </xs:sequence> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> </xs:schema>
In Visual Studio, the schema editor tree shows how simple the schema really is:
<Schema> (Schema Editor Extensions is set to Flat File Extension) Message (a record with no default properties) TextString (a child element defined as unbounded)
BizTalk mapping: 1. There are no functoids on the map because it will use the custom XSLT file to produce a message using the target schema described above. 2. Using Validate Map, generated the Custom Extension XML file. 3. Added the Custom Extension XML and my stylesheet files to the project. 4. On the map design surface, set Custom Extension XML and Custom XSL Path properties by navigating to the files just mentioned.
Created a BizTalk pipeline that includes a Flat file assembler using the target schema.
Deployed the solution.
Configured the send port to use the new send-pipeline.
The final output is a flat file that looks like this:
Message HeaderArea TransactionKeyText: PQ TransactionHeaderText: XYXY1010Z ResponseDataSection **TEST**THIS RESPONSE IS FROM ABCD TEST SYSTEM. PersonName PersonGivenName: JACK PersonMiddleName: DANIEL PersonSurName: WEBBER PersonBirthDateText: 1975-01-31 PersonAssignedIDDetails PersonSSNID SSN: 123-98-7654 PersonOtherID ID: XT-01020304050 PersonPhysicalDetails PersonSexCode: M PersonRaceCode: W PersonAbcdID ID: Z123456789 ExpandedBirthDateSearch: 1 ExpandedNameSearchIndicator: false VehicleID ID: ASDFASDFASDFASDFA VehicleMakeText: DODG VehicleRegistrationPlateID ID: ABC123 IDJurisdictionText: AZ PrimaryResponse PersonAlias PersonAlternateName PersonGivenName: JACK PersonMiddleName: ALLEN PersonSurName: DANIEL PersonAlternateName PersonGivenName: JACKIE PersonSurName: DANIEL PersonAlternateName PersonGivenName: JD PersonSurName: DANIEL PersonBirthDateText: 1967-01-01 PersonBirthDateText: 1968-01-01 PersonAssignedIDDetails PersonSSNID SSN: 234-00-0001 PersonSSNID SSN: 345-00-0002 PersonSSNID SSN: 456-00-0003 PersonSSNID SSN: 567-00-0004 PersonOtherID ID: XZ1234DE PersonOtherID ID: YZE6241