Streaming Zip File into XML

[toccata]

I'm writing an Access application that prepares submission files for the IRS. I create the data file without difficulty and zip it to the specified folder. The zipped data file is then to be imbedded in an XML file that I create. The IRS documentation and tech support states that the .zip file is "streamed" into the XML document file. What does that mean and how do I do it in VB?

 

[JoeAtWork]

Sounds like a case of poorly written documentation. XML files are simple text, thus you can't "embed" a zip file in it.

I think what they want is for you to save the data to an XML file, using whatever XML schema they specify. So you might end up with something like this...

<name>John</name>
<city>New York</city>

...except instead of <name> and <city>, you would use whatever fits their XML schema.

Joe Schwarz
Custom Software Developer

http://www.plandev.net

 

[toccata]

Here is the sample IRS SOAP envelope:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="MIMEBoundary"; type="text/xml"
Content-Description: Transmission File Containing one Submission.
X-eFileRoutingCode: MEF

--MIMEBoundary
Content-Type: text/xml
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Content-Location: SoapEnvelope

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SOAP:Envelope xmlns="

http://www.irs.gov/efile"

xmlns:xsi="

http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"

xmlns:SOAP="

http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"

xmlns:efile="

http://www.irs.gov/efile"

xsi:schemaLocation="

http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/

../message/SOAP.xsd

http://www.irs.gov/efile

../message/efileMessage.xsd">
<SOAP:Header>
<TransmissionHeader>
<TransmissionId>00001</TransmissionId>
<Timestamp>2008-07-28T06:15+07:15</Timestamp>
<Transmitter>
<ETIN>82012</ETIN>
</Transmitter>
</TransmissionHeader>
</SOAP:Header>
<SOAP:Body>
<TransmissionManifest>
<SubmissionDataList>
<Count>1</Count>
<SubmissionData>
<SubmissionId>96206020082120000001</SubmissionId>
<ElectronicPostmark>2008-07-28T06:05:57+06:43</ElectronicPostmark>
</SubmissionData>
</SubmissionDataList>
</TransmissionManifest>
</SOAP:Body>
</SOAP:Envelope>

--MIMEBoundary
Content-Type: application/zip
Content-Transfer-Encoding: Binary
Content-Location: application/SubmissionZip
<<< Attachment zip file is attached here >>>
--MIMEBoundary--
___________________________________________________

Notice that the next to last line, the one in bold, is the zip file location.