Editing, Converting, and Generating JSON

Erin Cavanaugh
/in /by

As the use of JSON as a data transport protocol increases, I thought it would be useful to take a look at JSON support in XMLSpy. There’s been much debate about advantages of JSON vs. XML, but when you boil it down, there are simply some cases for which JSON is the best choice, and others where XML makes more sense. This article on the XML Aficionado blog unpacks this topic quite well.
While you might need to choose between JSON and XML depending on the development task at hand, you don’t have to choose between code editors – XMLSpy supports both technologies and will even convert between the two. Let’s take a look at how that works.
Editing JSON
To make JSON editing as easy as possible, Altova extended its intelligent XML editing features to the JSON editor. If you choose to edit JSON in text view, XMLSpy helps you along with syntax coloring, bracket matching, source folding, entry helper windows and menus, and so on.

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Here’s that same JSON file in grid view, which offers a graphical representation of the JSON structure with drag and drop editing. Both views provide JSON syntax checking and advanced error checking features.

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Another common requirement is converting XML to/from JSON, which is a one-click option on the XMLSpy convert menu. The JSON data above has been converted to valid XML:

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Having JSON editing and conversion functionality directly inside the XML editor is quite useful, especially if you’re using the free Eclipse or Visual Studio integration package.
Check it out and let us know what you think.

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Web Interface Simplifies Automation of Data Transformations

David McGahey
/in /by

FlowForce Server is a new product designed to provide automation of data transformations performed by dedicated high-speed servers. FlowForce Server can start jobs based on a variety of triggers, runs multiple jobs simultaneously, and can even run multiple instances of the same job, depending on workflow.Monitoring all these complex activities is critical to success in a busy production environment. The FlowForce Server Web interface includes customizable views into operations, simplifying management from anywhere on the network.

FlowForce Server viewed in a Web browser window

The screen shot above shows the Home page of the FlowForce Server Web browser interface, displaying all currently running jobs and active triggers. Six instances of the gpxElevationUSGS job are running, each identified by a unique job ID. Four job triggers are also active, three watching hot folders, and one based on a timer. Each FlowForce Server job automates a MapForce data transformation.The orange arrows below each grid are clickable update buttons, and the job names link to the definition pages for each job.The blue headings at the top are also clickable buttons. The Log link displays the Log View, a detailed history of all system activity, shown in a truncated version below.

FlowForce Server Log View Shows History of Operations

Each message line describes one step in one instance of a FlowForce Server job, and may have links to more information, as we described in our earlier blog post titled Automate Data Transformation with FlowForce Server. If the status is anything other than 0, the more link opens a detailed error message.

Description of a single FlowForce Server job step

In a busy environment, all this can be just too much information. In that case, the Log View offers several alternatives to help you find critical information quickly. The options bar above the list lets you filter items displayed by a particular job or Message severity.

Filter FlowForce Server Log messages by date, by job, or by severity

If you only want to know if anything unexpected occurred, select Warning as shown above to hide all normal Info messages.You can also sort the list by any of the column headings Date, Severity, Module, User, or Instance ID in ascending or descending order. When the FlowForce Server is running multiple simultaneous jobs and instances, it’s very likely individual steps from different jobs will be shuffled. Sorting by Instance ID can let you more easily review the job history.Click here to learn more about FlowForce Server Beta 3 at the Altova Web site, or visit the FlowForce Server Beta 3 download page to get started automating data transformations in your data center!

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