XML beginner needs help!

[shavon]

Good day everyone:

A prospective customer has sent me a file with sample data that they wish for me to process. It is a text file with xml data. They want me to create an 8.5 X 11 sheet report and save it as a tiff file with the data. Where do I begin please. I am an experienced vb/database programmer. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

<LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>B</LOGICAL RECORD TYPE><LOGICAL RECORD COUNT>000000002</LOGICAL RECORD COUNT><AUTHORIZED SALES AGENT INSTITUTION ID>00177</AUTHORIZED SALES AGENT INSTITUTION ID><AUTHORIZED SALES AGENT BRANCH ID>000006</AUTHORIZED SALES AGENT BRANCH ID><AUTHORIZED PROCESSING AGENT INSTITUTION ID>00177</AUTHORIZED PROCESSING AGENT INSTITUTION ID><AUTHORIZED PROCESSING AGENT BRANCH ID>000006</AUTHORIZED PROCESSING AGENT BRANCH ID><FILLER> </FILLER><BULK EMPLOYEE APPLICATION ID>00000000</BULK EMPLOYEE APPLICATION ID><DELIVERY DESTINATION OF CERTIFICATES>23</DELIVERY DESTINATION OF CERTIFICATES><PURCHASE NUMBER>00000001</PURCHASE NUMBER><PURCHASE APPLICATION TYPE>01</PURCHASE APPLICATION TYPE><PURCHASE DATE>2003-01-04</PURCHASE DATE><PAYMENT DATE> </PAYMENT DATE><PURCHASE AMOUNT>000000000010000</PURCHASE AMOUNT><PURCHASE METHOD>01</PURCHASE METHOD><COMMISSION CODE>01</COMMISSION CODE><LANGUAGE PREFERENCE CODE>01</LANGUAGE PREFERENCE CODE><FILLER> </FILLER><DEBT CUSTOMER ORGANIZATION TAX ID> </DEBT CUSTOMER ORGANIZATION TAX ID><REGISTRATION TYPE CODE>00</REGISTRATION TYPE CODE><REGISTRATION IDENTIFIER>0000000000</REGISTRATION IDENTIFIER><REGISTRATION LINE 1>JOHN ROBERT </REGISTRATION LINE 1><REGISTRATION LINE 2>BAILEY </REGISTRATION LINE 2><REGISTRATION LINE 3> </REGISTRATION LINE 3><REGISTRATION LINE 4> </REGISTRATION LINE 4><ADDRESS CARE OF LINE> </ADDRESS CARE OF LINE><ADDRESS STREET LINE 1>3800 NO. 7 ROAD </ADDRESS STREET LINE 1><ADDRESS STREET LINE 2> </ADDRESS STREET LINE 2><CITY>RICHMOND </CITY><PROVINCE CODE>BC</PROVINCE CODE><POSTAL CODE/ZIP CODE>V6V1R4 </POSTAL CODE/ZIP CODE><COUNTRY CODE>CA</COUNTRY CODE><SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER>000000000</SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER><DATE OF BIRTH>1989-02-28</DATE OF BIRTH><INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO ID> </INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO ID><CONTRIBUTION/TRANSFER TYPE CODE>01</CONTRIBUTION/TRANSFER TYPE CODE><MARKETING CONSENT CODE>02</MARKETING CONSENT CODE><FC/IA CODE> </FC/IA CODE><CANADA REGISTERED PLAN NUMBER> </CANADA REGISTERED PLAN NUMBER><CONFIRMATION NUMBER>1009421A</CONFIRMATION NUMBER><EXPECTED PAYMENT METHOD TYPE CODE>10</EXPECTED PAYMENT METHOD TYPE CODE>

<LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>C</LOGICAL RECORD TYPE><LOGICAL RECORD COUNT>000000003</LOGICAL RECORD COUNT><PURCHASE NUMBER>00000001</PURCHASE NUMBER><COMMUNICATION NUMBER TYPE CODE>01</COMMUNICATION NUMBER TYPE CODE><COMMUNICATION NUMBER AREA CODE>604 </COMMUNICATION NUMBER AREA CODE><COMMUNICATION NUMBER LOCAL>2769155</COMMUNICATION NUMBER LOCAL><COMMUNICATION NUMBER EXTENSION>0 </COMMUNICATION NUMBER EXTENSION><COMMUNICATION NUMBER COUNTRY CODE> </COMMUNICATION NUMBER COUNTRY CODE><ACTIVITY TYPE CODE> </ACTIVITY TYPE CODE>

<LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>C</LOGICAL RECORD TYPE><LOGICAL RECORD COUNT>000000003</LOGICAL RECORD COUNT><PURCHASE NUMBER>00000001</PURCHASE NUMBER><COMMUNICATION NUMBER TYPE CODE>05</COMMUNICATION NUMBER TYPE CODE><COMMUNICATION NUMBER AREA CODE>604 </COMMUNICATION NUMBER AREA CODE><COMMUNICATION NUMBER LOCAL>3633333</COMMUNICATION NUMBER LOCAL><COMMUNICATION NUMBER EXTENSION>0 </COMMUNICATION NUMBER EXTENSION><COMMUNICATION NUMBER COUNTRY CODE> </COMMUNICATION NUMBER COUNTRY CODE><ACTIVITY TYPE CODE> </ACTIVITY TYPE CODE>

 

[palbano]

>> Where do I begin please.

Isn't a .tiff file an Image format? Do you know how to produce that file format? If not that would be one place to “begin”

>> create an 8.5 X 11 sheet report

That’s your requirements? LOL good luck, I wouldn’t know where to begin either if that’s all I had.

-pete

 

[RedLion]

Why don't you make a nice html page / report with the help of xsl. Every user can read and print the report in a nice way. And if all xml files in the future are from the same format you only have to point those xml files to that xsl file and it will all work just fine.


Charl

 

[jel]

RedLion is right.
However: the example you give IS NOT VALID XML!
Valid XML has one rootnode, so at leat you'd have to enclose your text within <ALLRECORDS> and </ALLRECORDS> (or something like that).
Even then, it would be a mess to format, because all nodes would be on the same level. You'd expect a structure like this:

<ALLRECORDS> 
<RECORD>
<LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>B</LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>etc
</RECORD>
<RECORD>
<LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>C/LOGICAL RECORD TYPE>etc
</RECORD>
</ALLRECORDS>

So: better get in touch in with your customer, if he wants you to format XML he 'd better give you XML...