A video tutorial is now available that walks through the concepts and details of life-cycle
management of your database environment using CAM templates. This
includes generating SQL table scripts along with matching Hibernate JPA
bindings. BPM with Appian CDT customization is also covered.
See how to harvest your existing source systems SQL and then manage details along with creating new SQL scripts.
Alternatively, start from existing XSD schema and build matching SQL databases and dictionaries of components.
The
concepts behind Naming and Design Rules (NDR) are covered along with how CAM
supports the use of NDR to ensure component consistency and reuse.
XML Orb
Examining the inner workings of XML and NIEM
Friday, July 31, 2015
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Creating, using and managing XML component dictionaries quick tutorials
XML Component Dictionary capabilities are provided in conjunction
with the CAM Editor toolset. These dictionaries accelerate the
development of consistent XML information exchanges using standard sets
of dictionary components.
The quick tutorials are aimed at showing the 'how to' of the basic capabilities to jump start use of XML dictionaries with the CAM Editor.
The collection of dictionary tutorials videos run for a total of approximately 20 minutes. Each video can be reviewed individually also.
Learn how to use the dictionary functions to create dictionaries by harvesting data model components from existing XSD schema, SQL database table schema, or simple Excel / Open Office spreadsheets with tables of components listed.
Also included are tips and functions relating to use of NIEM exchange development, IEPD and EIEM techniques.
These videos should be viewed in conjunction with reviewing the overall concepts and techniques described in the companion video on the CAM Editor and Dictionaries overview. The approach is aligned with OASIS and Core Components Technical Specification (CCTS) standards specifications for XML components and dictionaries.
Dictionary collections can be stored locally on the file system, or local network, or collaboratively on the web or cloud deployment, or can be shared and managed securely using the Oracle Enterprise Repository (OER) tool.
Also included are techniques relating to the use of the NIEM approach for developing XML exchange schema and IEPD packages. This includes generating reuse scores, wantlist, and cross reference spreadsheets.
Included in the latest release of the CAM Editor is the ability to use the analyse dictionary tool to determine duplicate components, conflicting component definitions, missing component descriptions and so on. This ensures high quality dictionary component specifications. Using the CAM Editor you can also create MindMap models and UML physical models of your dictionary components sets.
For a complete guide to using the CAM Editor see the main YouTube video tutorials website and the CAM Editor website.
The quick tutorials are aimed at showing the 'how to' of the basic capabilities to jump start use of XML dictionaries with the CAM Editor.
The collection of dictionary tutorials videos run for a total of approximately 20 minutes. Each video can be reviewed individually also.
Learn how to use the dictionary functions to create dictionaries by harvesting data model components from existing XSD schema, SQL database table schema, or simple Excel / Open Office spreadsheets with tables of components listed.
Also included are tips and functions relating to use of NIEM exchange development, IEPD and EIEM techniques.
These videos should be viewed in conjunction with reviewing the overall concepts and techniques described in the companion video on the CAM Editor and Dictionaries overview. The approach is aligned with OASIS and Core Components Technical Specification (CCTS) standards specifications for XML components and dictionaries.
Dictionary collections can be stored locally on the file system, or local network, or collaboratively on the web or cloud deployment, or can be shared and managed securely using the Oracle Enterprise Repository (OER) tool.
Also included are techniques relating to the use of the NIEM approach for developing XML exchange schema and IEPD packages. This includes generating reuse scores, wantlist, and cross reference spreadsheets.
Included in the latest release of the CAM Editor is the ability to use the analyse dictionary tool to determine duplicate components, conflicting component definitions, missing component descriptions and so on. This ensures high quality dictionary component specifications. Using the CAM Editor you can also create MindMap models and UML physical models of your dictionary components sets.
For a complete guide to using the CAM Editor see the main YouTube video tutorials website and the CAM Editor website.
Monday, August 5, 2013
New CAM v3.0 ships with JSON support and significant performance enhancements
Today we released the new and significantly improved CAM editor toolset along with 3 new companion 'How to' quick videos (see here to view).
The main focus is integrating JSON handling alongside the existing XML capabilities to provide developers with the ability to use either or both from the single set of infrastructure.
This provide JSON developers with the ability to quickly build visual data models, use robust XML content validation services and generate XSD schema and JAXB bindings without having to do all those tasks by hand or know the nuances of complex XSD schema or XML handling.
For XML developers it provides a rapid ability to use JSON as an option in their information exchanges and web service integration for supporting mobile and web-based application needs.
In addition to these new JSON capabilities the existing functionality has significantly improved performance and capability. The CAMV validation engine now runs up to 20 times faster for large XML validation input and with templates containing setChoice() rules. For comparison a 500+ rules validation template with large 15MB sample COBie CAD/CAM smart building XML export now runs in 19 seconds instead of previously taking over 9 minutes.
Then the drag and drop dictionary components handling has similarly been significantly improved. Large sets of components now are inserted in real time with low memory overhead thus dramatically improving the user experience and ability to quickly build information exchanges from XML dictionaries of predefined domain components. The video shows using the Education domain to rapidly build a StudentDetails report with grades, achievements and student data.
For the Open-XDX open data API toolset we have added bi-directional support. This means using the same CAM template and the SQL drag and drop interface you can design Update/Insert SQL database web services along with the query services. Again the focus is on providing simple and rapid application development support. Example code and resources can be found at our GitHub site while on line demonstrations are available from the VerifyXML.org site.
Further enhancements include a new Dictionary Evaluation report. This tool analyzes the XML components in a dictionary and highlights design issues, omissions, duplicates and more that would be extremely tedious to detect by hand. This allows a development team to collaboratively improve the quality of their core components and their reuse across a project implementation.
Last but not least we have improved the XSD schema importing and exporting resolving a range of complexity nuances not previously handled allow improved accuracy and compatibility with XSD schema.
In summary the new release provides:
o All new JSON capabilities and template type
o Bi-directional data processing using Open-XDX for open data query and update
o Dramatically improved Dictionary components drag and drop
o New report for Dictionary evaluation and analysis
o Significant CAMV rules engine performance improvements
o Better XSD schema importing and exporting
We look forward to seeing the enhanced solutions this helps people deliver to their customers.
The main focus is integrating JSON handling alongside the existing XML capabilities to provide developers with the ability to use either or both from the single set of infrastructure.
This provide JSON developers with the ability to quickly build visual data models, use robust XML content validation services and generate XSD schema and JAXB bindings without having to do all those tasks by hand or know the nuances of complex XSD schema or XML handling.
For XML developers it provides a rapid ability to use JSON as an option in their information exchanges and web service integration for supporting mobile and web-based application needs.
In addition to these new JSON capabilities the existing functionality has significantly improved performance and capability. The CAMV validation engine now runs up to 20 times faster for large XML validation input and with templates containing setChoice() rules. For comparison a 500+ rules validation template with large 15MB sample COBie CAD/CAM smart building XML export now runs in 19 seconds instead of previously taking over 9 minutes.
Then the drag and drop dictionary components handling has similarly been significantly improved. Large sets of components now are inserted in real time with low memory overhead thus dramatically improving the user experience and ability to quickly build information exchanges from XML dictionaries of predefined domain components. The video shows using the Education domain to rapidly build a StudentDetails report with grades, achievements and student data.
For the Open-XDX open data API toolset we have added bi-directional support. This means using the same CAM template and the SQL drag and drop interface you can design Update/Insert SQL database web services along with the query services. Again the focus is on providing simple and rapid application development support. Example code and resources can be found at our GitHub site while on line demonstrations are available from the VerifyXML.org site.
Further enhancements include a new Dictionary Evaluation report. This tool analyzes the XML components in a dictionary and highlights design issues, omissions, duplicates and more that would be extremely tedious to detect by hand. This allows a development team to collaboratively improve the quality of their core components and their reuse across a project implementation.
Last but not least we have improved the XSD schema importing and exporting resolving a range of complexity nuances not previously handled allow improved accuracy and compatibility with XSD schema.
In summary the new release provides:
o All new JSON capabilities and template type
o Bi-directional data processing using Open-XDX for open data query and update
o Dramatically improved Dictionary components drag and drop
o New report for Dictionary evaluation and analysis
o Significant CAMV rules engine performance improvements
o Better XSD schema importing and exporting
We look forward to seeing the enhanced solutions this helps people deliver to their customers.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
New NIEM Training videos resource site launched
A series of videos are now available online that provide training and illustrate various aspects of NIEM information exchange development.
Learn how to build a working XML query/response system with SQL database accessing and XML components from example NIEM schema and dictionary.
Software development practitioners, business analysts and managers will find the materials accessible and valuable in showing the decision making processes that go into constructing a working XML exchange.
Materials are focused on practical implementers, after viewing the instruction material you can use the open source tools and apply to your own SQL to XML use cases and information exchange projects.
All the SQL and XML code, editor tools, dictionary and instructions that accompany the tutorial videos are also available for download so you can try everything yourself.
See the NIEM Training Videos site to access the NIEM training resources.
And the open source project web site (sponsored by Oracle) contains the tools, downloads and supplemental technical materials and quick guide manuals.
Learn how to build a working XML query/response system with SQL database accessing and XML components from example NIEM schema and dictionary.
Software development practitioners, business analysts and managers will find the materials accessible and valuable in showing the decision making processes that go into constructing a working XML exchange.
Materials are focused on practical implementers, after viewing the instruction material you can use the open source tools and apply to your own SQL to XML use cases and information exchange projects.
All the SQL and XML code, editor tools, dictionary and instructions that accompany the tutorial videos are also available for download so you can try everything yourself.
See the NIEM Training Videos site to access the NIEM training resources.
And the open source project web site (sponsored by Oracle) contains the tools, downloads and supplemental technical materials and quick guide manuals.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
CAMV and TEAM Engine (Test, Evaluation, And Measurement) suite development
The CAMV engine is ideal for rapidly developing Test, Evaluation, And
Measurement (TEAM) test suites for XML information exchanges. The
concise CAM rules syntax leverages XPath v2.0 capabilities. This means
that rules are declarative along with acting directly on the XML
structure and hence this dramatically simplifies rule assertions.
Coupled to this is the ability of the CAM Editor visual IDE to automate much of the tasks involved in test suite and Compliance and Interoperability Testing development and implementation. This includes automatic harvesting of rules from existing XSD schema definitions, automatic generation of XML test instances with realistic test data hints, and generation of HTML documentation of the business rules. Then rule entry wizards simplify the task of rule entry and are accessible via a "right click" popup menu tool directly from the XML instance structure viewer in the CAM Editor IDE. Compliance test rules are implemented in XPath language syntax that can be run interactively in the CAM Editor IDE against XML test instances and results visually diagnosed.
Completed rules templates may then be deployed via ANT scripts as automated test suites for validation of arbitrary XML information exchange samples. The ANT scripts support use of drop folders, so any test cases dropped into the designated folder will then be inspected and validated against the applicable rules templates.
For more information on utilizing these techniques and tools, along with sample Test Suites please see the Sourceforge.net resources site for the CAM tools - and the CAMV Test Suites link.
Coupled to this is the ability of the CAM Editor visual IDE to automate much of the tasks involved in test suite and Compliance and Interoperability Testing development and implementation. This includes automatic harvesting of rules from existing XSD schema definitions, automatic generation of XML test instances with realistic test data hints, and generation of HTML documentation of the business rules. Then rule entry wizards simplify the task of rule entry and are accessible via a "right click" popup menu tool directly from the XML instance structure viewer in the CAM Editor IDE. Compliance test rules are implemented in XPath language syntax that can be run interactively in the CAM Editor IDE against XML test instances and results visually diagnosed.
Completed rules templates may then be deployed via ANT scripts as automated test suites for validation of arbitrary XML information exchange samples. The ANT scripts support use of drop folders, so any test cases dropped into the designated folder will then be inspected and validated against the applicable rules templates.
For more information on utilizing these techniques and tools, along with sample Test Suites please see the Sourceforge.net resources site for the CAM tools - and the CAMV Test Suites link.
Friday, June 29, 2012
CAM XML Editor version 2.2.1 now available
CAM Editor v2.2.1 release is now available. Lots of nice enhancements, CAMV performance boost and important bug fixes for DoD, NIEM and LEXS schema.
Download is available from the CAM XML Editor Resource Site.
The CAM editor is the leading open source XML Editor/Validation/Schema designer for rapidly building and deploying complete XML information exchanges. Provides a visual WYSIWYG structure with rule entry wizards and drag and drop dictionary components.
Will import, analyze and refactor existing XML Schema.
Oracle is a proud sponsor of the project and its use on the NIEM.gov initiative.
Creates XSD schema + JAXB bindings, Mindmap or UML models (XMI), XML test suite examples, HTML documentation + spreadsheets (NIEM IEPDs). XSD schema export in default, flatten, NIEM, and OASIS modes. Generates canonical component dictionaries from schema sets, ERwin models, or spreadsheets.
Monday, May 21, 2012
CAM v2.2 release with multi-lingual support taking NIEM international
New release now available with French, Spanish, Russian, Norwegian, Chinese and Japanese support from http://www.cameditor.org
Complete highlights include the following:
o International localization language support for menus and screens
o JAXB binding and ConTessa support for XSD schema export
o Better XSD schema importing and exporting
o Dictionary collection manager wizard
o Better dictionary namespace handling
o Better UML physical model export to XMI 2.1.2 (now works with popular UML tools)
o CAMV validation engine support for W3C DOM and extended API options
Notice the Dictionary Collection Manager tool uses enhanced namespace techniques. Please download the latest NIEM dictionary pack from Sourceforge files to take advantage of these.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
CAM editor tutorial video launches
To accompany the new CAM editor v2.0 release we now have an 8 minute online video.
The video provides a quick introduction to the features and capabilities in
the latest CAM editor release made available for community use courtesy
of Oracle's media folks.
The demonstration steps through a scenario of enhancing an existing OASIS HAVE schema to add new components and then generate the resulting updated exchange schema. The tutorial inserts new NIEM core components to the existing OASIS schema via drag and drop from the dictionary - showing you how you can tailor or build a new NIEM exchange from existing library components - and/or add your own components and rules.
To access the tutorial - see this link and just enter in an email address
to launch the video page - http://launch.oracle.com/?NIEM
of Oracle's media folks.
The demonstration steps through a scenario of enhancing an existing OASIS HAVE schema to add new components and then generate the resulting updated exchange schema. The tutorial inserts new NIEM core components to the existing OASIS schema via drag and drop from the dictionary - showing you how you can tailor or build a new NIEM exchange from existing library components - and/or add your own components and rules.
To access the tutorial - see this link and just enter in an email address
to launch the video page - http://launch.oracle.com/?NIEM
Oracle also has a new NIEM focus page with more resources and information:
Monday, July 11, 2011
CAM, Mind maps and XML Schema
The new release of the CAM editor toolkit includes the ability to generate mind maps of XML structures.
This opens up some nice possibilities - such as documenting tool menu and functional capabilities - as this example shows. To do this you just create a simple XML hierarchy and load it into the CAM editor - then view it in the Freemind mind map viewer.
Alternatively if you have an existing XML Schema then you can import that into the CAM editor, then map that. Again here is an example for the HAVE - Hospital Availability - schema from OASIS.
Interestingly there is also academic work on this topic and overall approach - see these couple of links:
This opens up some nice possibilities - such as documenting tool menu and functional capabilities - as this example shows. To do this you just create a simple XML hierarchy and load it into the CAM editor - then view it in the Freemind mind map viewer.
Alternatively if you have an existing XML Schema then you can import that into the CAM editor, then map that. Again here is an example for the HAVE - Hospital Availability - schema from OASIS.
Interestingly there is also academic work on this topic and overall approach - see these couple of links:
- Using Mind Maps to Model Semistructured Documents, Springer, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2010, Volume 6273/2010
- Developing a Formal Model for Mind Maps, March 2011, Corfu, Greece
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
CAM v2.0 ships – all new foundation version
The latest release of the CAM editor toolset is now available on Sourceforge.net – search NIEM.
In this all new version the support from Oracle has enabled a transformation of the editor underpinning Java framework and results in 3x performance improvement and 50% better memory utilization.
The result of nearly six months of improvements are catalogued in the release notes.
However here I’d like to talk about the strategic vision and highlight specific new go to features that make a difference for exchange schema designers and with a focus on the NIEM community.
So why is this a foundation version? Basically the new drag and drop designer tool allows you to tailor your own dictionary collection of components and then simply select and position those into your resulting exchange structure. This is true global reuse enabled from a canonical domain dictionary collection.
So instead of grappling with XSD Schema syntax, or UML model nuances – this is straightforward direct WYSIWYG visual engineering – using familiar sets of business components. Then the toolkit writes the complex XSD Schema for you, along with test samples, documentation, XMI/UML models, Mindmaps and more.
So how do you get a set of business components? The toolkit allows you to harvest these from existing schema collections or enterprise data models, or as in the case of NIEM, existing domain dictionary collections.
I’ve been using this for the latest IEEE/OASIS/NIST initiative on a Common Data Format (CDF) for elections management systems. So you can download those from OASIS and see how this can transform how you build actual business exchanges – improving the quality, consistency and usability – and dramatically allowing automated generation of artifacts you only dreamed of before – such as a model of your entire major exchange collection components.
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/documents.php?wg_abbrev=election
So what we have here is a foundation version – setting the scene and the basis for changing how people can generate and manage information exchanges. A foundation built using the OASIS CAM standard combined with aspects of the NIEM Naming and Design Rules and the UN/CEFACT Core Components specifications and emerging work on OASIS CIQ name and address and ANSI/ISO code list schema.
We still have a raft of work to do to integrate this into SOA best practices and extend the dictionary capabilities to assist true community development. Answering questions such as:
- How good is my canonical component collection?
- How much reuse is really occurring?
- What inconsistencies and extensions are there in the dictionary components?
Expect us to begin tackling these areas now that the foundation is in place. The immediate need is to develop training and self-start materials – so we will be focusing there for the next couple of months and especially leading up to the IJIS industry event in July in New Jersey, and the NIEM NTE event in August in Philadelphia.
http://camprocessor.sourceforge.net
In this all new version the support from Oracle has enabled a transformation of the editor underpinning Java framework and results in 3x performance improvement and 50% better memory utilization.
The result of nearly six months of improvements are catalogued in the release notes.
However here I’d like to talk about the strategic vision and highlight specific new go to features that make a difference for exchange schema designers and with a focus on the NIEM community.
So why is this a foundation version? Basically the new drag and drop designer tool allows you to tailor your own dictionary collection of components and then simply select and position those into your resulting exchange structure. This is true global reuse enabled from a canonical domain dictionary collection.
So instead of grappling with XSD Schema syntax, or UML model nuances – this is straightforward direct WYSIWYG visual engineering – using familiar sets of business components. Then the toolkit writes the complex XSD Schema for you, along with test samples, documentation, XMI/UML models, Mindmaps and more.
So how do you get a set of business components? The toolkit allows you to harvest these from existing schema collections or enterprise data models, or as in the case of NIEM, existing domain dictionary collections.
I’ve been using this for the latest IEEE/OASIS/NIST initiative on a Common Data Format (CDF) for elections management systems. So you can download those from OASIS and see how this can transform how you build actual business exchanges – improving the quality, consistency and usability – and dramatically allowing automated generation of artifacts you only dreamed of before – such as a model of your entire major exchange collection components.
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/documents.php?wg_abbrev=election
So what we have here is a foundation version – setting the scene and the basis for changing how people can generate and manage information exchanges. A foundation built using the OASIS CAM standard combined with aspects of the NIEM Naming and Design Rules and the UN/CEFACT Core Components specifications and emerging work on OASIS CIQ name and address and ANSI/ISO code list schema.
We still have a raft of work to do to integrate this into SOA best practices and extend the dictionary capabilities to assist true community development. Answering questions such as:
- How good is my canonical component collection?
- How much reuse is really occurring?
- What inconsistencies and extensions are there in the dictionary components?
Expect us to begin tackling these areas now that the foundation is in place. The immediate need is to develop training and self-start materials – so we will be focusing there for the next couple of months and especially leading up to the IJIS industry event in July in New Jersey, and the NIEM NTE event in August in Philadelphia.
http://camprocessor.sourceforge.net
Friday, March 18, 2011
NIEM, GCN and Semantics
GCN today published an article on NIEM and Semantics which provide some useful background.
The article poses plenty of questions but without too many concrete answers. Look for more detailed examination of topics of interest here in the coming weeks.
The article poses plenty of questions but without too many concrete answers. Look for more detailed examination of topics of interest here in the coming weeks.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Welcome to XML Orb - our focus explained
Not all XML is created equal.
For example the NIEM initiative (National Information Exchange Model) for information exchange seeks to create interoperability and reuse guidelines for intra-governmental exchanges. The challenge then is knowing how well the XML being used for NIEM purposes is actually delivering on the desired executive mission statements. How well do the engineered XML exchanges align to the modelling view of the information domains? Above all, how can all this be made simpler and more comprehensible, consistent and reliable.
The goal here at the XML-Orb is to provide insights into all these things XML to help foster better, faster and simpler ways to leverage XML and engineer solutions. Adhering to the important original tenets underpinning XML.
XML is a block of clay that you can mold and tailor to suit your needs, and of course there is endless amounts of XML other people have likewise purposed.
Remember XML is not just about data, but processes, rules, forms, control, configuration, security, semantics, dictionaries, mapping, simulation and model representations to name just a few uses.
The XML-Orb helps make sense of XML without you requiring a PhD to decipher the theory, specifications, intentions and purpose. Providing practical examples to illustrate the concepts and promote informed discussion.
For example the NIEM initiative (National Information Exchange Model) for information exchange seeks to create interoperability and reuse guidelines for intra-governmental exchanges. The challenge then is knowing how well the XML being used for NIEM purposes is actually delivering on the desired executive mission statements. How well do the engineered XML exchanges align to the modelling view of the information domains? Above all, how can all this be made simpler and more comprehensible, consistent and reliable.
The goal here at the XML-Orb is to provide insights into all these things XML to help foster better, faster and simpler ways to leverage XML and engineer solutions. Adhering to the important original tenets underpinning XML.
XML is a block of clay that you can mold and tailor to suit your needs, and of course there is endless amounts of XML other people have likewise purposed.
Remember XML is not just about data, but processes, rules, forms, control, configuration, security, semantics, dictionaries, mapping, simulation and model representations to name just a few uses.
The XML-Orb helps make sense of XML without you requiring a PhD to decipher the theory, specifications, intentions and purpose. Providing practical examples to illustrate the concepts and promote informed discussion.
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