RE: [xml-dev] Re: XML Zebra, a path-based tool for generating diff finge

["DMS Lists" <lists@d-m-s.co.nz>]

Hi Tony, What you propose (keeping instead of pruning) makes sense.

I conclude the fingerprint file can be created for a single schema version also, without the need for 'diffing' it against a newer minor  version?

As far as I remember, Ken Holman's stylesheets are for UBL purposes, requiring all valid UBL XPaths which are included in Ken's solution.

I however was thinking of a more generic solution suitable for non-UBL contexts, like our approach at the New Zealand Ministry of Education, where at present we don't have all valid XPaths for our custom, UBL-NDR-LIKE schemas.

Is my understanding correct?

Cheers
Juerg

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Anthony B. Coates (XML-Dev) [mailto:abcoatesecure-
>xmldev@yahoo.co.uk]
>Sent: Monday, 18 January 2010 9:13 a.m.
>To: xml-dev List
>Subject: [xml-dev] Re: XML Zebra, a path-based tool for generating diff
>fingerprints for XML Schemas
>
>Hi Juerg.  Yes, it should be possible to do that. What I would do is use
>the XML fingerprint file to create a stylesheet of which keeps content
>for
>that version of the Schemas, and discards any other content.  I think
>this
>is safer than trying just to prune off the new content.  It can also be
>used no matter how many new minor versions you have.
>
>At this point, I should mention that Ken Holman has already written code
>that generates this kind of stylesheet, by processing a set of XML
>Schemas, so you should probably talk to him, as what I have is half of
>the
>solution, while he has (I believe) a complete solution.
>
>Cheers, Tony.
>
>On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:47:05 -0000, DMS Lists <lists@d-m-s.co.nz> wrote:
>
>> Hi Tony,
>>
>> Without trying out the tool, I can see potential for it.
>>
>> One particular scenario I am thinking of, but not certain whether it
>> could be covered, is this:
>>
>> Goal: Eliminate branches in an XML instance document which belong to a
>> newer MINOR version than currently installed on the messaging server.
>>
>> Example: The messaging server is on W3C schema A version 1.4, but
>> receives a message based on schema A version 1.5 and processing is to
>be
>> attempted.
>>
>> If XML Zebra can identify all 1.5 specific additions (which by NDR
>> definitions must be backward compatible with v1.4),
>> could XML Zebra output be used to generate a stylesheet specific for A
>> version 1.4 which would trim out all 1.5 branches from an 1.5 instance
>> document?
>>
>> Such a generator could basically run for any minor versioned schema,
>> generating a forward compatibility stylesheet for each minor schema
>> version.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Juerg
>>
>> -------------
>>
>> Juerg Tschumperlin
>> Data Management Solutions,
>> Wellington, New Zealand
>> www.d-m-s.co.nz
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Anthony B. Coates (XML-Dev) [mailto:abcoatesecure-
>>> xmldev@yahoo.co.uk]
>>> Sent: Monday, 18 January 2010 5:17 a.m.
>>> To: xml-dev List
>>> Subject: [xml-dev] XML Zebra, a path-based tool for generating diff
>>> fingerprints for XML Schemas
>>>
>>> I have written a tool (in Scala) that can be used to check the
>>> differences
>>> between versions of a set of W3C XML Schemas.  The tool can be run
>with
>>> Scala, Java, or Apache Ant.  The idea is that for each version, you
>>> create
>>> a fingerprint file that contains paths (like XPaths, but with an
>>> extended
>>> syntax).  By comparing the two fingerprint files for two versions,
>you
>>> can
>>> see what has changed between the versions of the Schemas.  The tools
>>> makes
>>> use of the XMLBeans API for examining the structure of W3C XML
>Schemas.
>>>
>>> How does this differ from just doing diffs of the individual Schema
>>> files
>>> themselves?  The difference is that the path-based approach shows you
>>> not
>>> only what has changed, but also shows all of the places that are
>>> directly
>>> or indirectly impacted by the change.  Also, the path-based approach
>>> ignores restructurings that don't impact users, like renaming of
>Schema
>>> types or moving of definitions to a different Schema file.  Put
>another
>>> way, the path-based approach allows you to evaluate how the Schemas
>have
>>> changed from a user-impact perspective, rather than from a simple
>>> file-change perspective.
>>>
>>> The software is open source, released under the Apache licence.  For
>>> more
>>> details, and to download it, see
>>>
>>> http://www.xmlzebra.com/
>>>
>>> There will be a presentation about this software at the XML Prague
>2010
>>> conference, 13-14 March.
>>>
>>> http://www.xmlprague.cz/2010/index.html
>>>
>>> Feedback would be very welcome.  Thanks,
>>>
>>> Cheers, Tony.
>
>--
>Anthony B. Coates
>Director and CTO
>Londata Ltd
>UK: +44 (20) 8816 7700, US: +1 (239) 344 7700
>Mobile/Cell: +44 (79) 0543 9026
>Data standards participant: genericode, ISO 20022 (ISO 15022 XML),
>UN/CEFACT, MDDL, FpML, UBL.
>http://www.londata.com/
>
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