New Tools for Shopify, OpenAPI, and More

With Version 2025 Release 2, we’ve expanded functionality for working with YAML, OpenAPI, and XBRL, while also introducing new support for Shopify data integration.

Our ongoing commitment to integrating and enhancing support for popular technologies means developers have the functionality they need to stay in step with evolving industry standards—using tools they already know and trust.

Let’s take a look at the highlights in this release.

Integrating Shopify data in MapForce

The Shopify ecommerce platform recently standardized on GraphQL as the format for its API and will soon require that all new Shopify apps use GraphQL. Unfortunately, integrating data from GraphQL can be challenging due to its flexible query structure, deeply nested responses, pagination complexity, and the need for careful error handling and performance optimization.

To help teams working to integrate Shopify data in ETL and data integration workflows, Shopify has been added to the long list of data formats supported by MapForce. Support for Shopify (as well as for generic GraphQL calls used by other services) in MapForce makes it easy to integrate this data with other data formats such as XML, CSV, databases, and Excel.

MapForce supports calls to Shopify/GraphQL APIs as the source or target of any data mapping project. This can be used to, for instance, write Shopify sales data to a backend database or to import real-time data from an inventory system to a Shopify store.

Extract data from Shopify for data integration

Visual data mapping tools and a powerful function library make it easy to define Shopify data mapping rules to access this important data.

OpenAPI Tools

The OpenAPI Specification (OAS) is a language-agnostic standard for describing web APIs. It defines how applications communicate over the Internet using a blueprint written in JSON or YAML, detailing endpoints, data, and security. This allows other programs to interact with the API without accessing its internal code.

Adding to OAS extensions in the XMLSpy JSON Schema editor are a new OpenAPI editor and support for creating HTTP requests from an OpenAPI-defined API.

OpenAPI Editor

XMLSpy supports editing OpenAPI documents in both text view and the graphical grid view. Intelligent editing features include syntax highlighting, source folding, auto-completion, and entry helpers.

To help developers get started with new documents, XMLSpy ships with templates for creating YAML documents that conform to OpenAPI 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0.

This functionality complements existing support in MapForce for defining data mapping projects that include calls to OpenAPI-based APIs. When you specify the OpenAPI file that describes the web service you require, MapForce automatically processes the structure of the call and displays it as a graphical component for mapping to/from other data formats.

Creating HTTP messages for OpenAPI

XMLSpy includes a helpful HTTP Testing Window that guides you through the process of creating and sending an HTTP request to a web server or API. Then, you can receive, check, and troubleshoot the response directly in the window.

The HTTP Testing Window now includes built in support for selecting OpenAPI to define requests for testing. Once you specify the location of the OpenAPI document, the HTTP testing window displays the available paths with their corresponding operations.

Based on the operation and parameters you select to test, XMLSpy autogenerates the test message, which you can send to the API, and then view the results.

The ability to send requests and inspect responses ensures the API behaves as expected during development and integration, whether you’re testing your own API or exploring one from a third party.

New YAML tools

XMLSpy already provides extensive support for validating, editing, and converting YAML. New in this release are the ability to convert from XSD to YAML schema as well as the option to query YAML documents with XQuery.

This is unique functionality since, unlike XML, other popular structured data format like JSON and YAML do not have an official query language. However, JSON can be queried with XPath/XQuery 3.1 expressions. Now, XMLSpy has made that same functionality available for YAML documents in its handy XPath/XQuery window.

When a YAML document is active in Text View or Grid View, you can enter an XQuery expression for JSON in the XQuery builder, and XMLSpy will immediately evaluate the expression.

To get started quickly, point to a target location in the active YAML file, and select Copy XPath from the right click menu and paste that expression into the XPath/XQuery builder as a starting point. To refine the expression, the builder includes autocomplete and point and click expression building via a comprehensive list of operators, expressions, and built-in functions.

The ability to take advantage of XQuery for YAML is another innovative feature unique to XMLSpy.

Support for ESEF Reporting Manual 2024

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has mandated that companies with securities within the EU and UK submit their financial reports in ESEF, which is an iXBRL format.

As a follow up to the original spec, the ESEF Reporting Manual 2024 provides updated guidance for preparing annual financial reports in ESEF. These updates are designed to address implementation challenges and improve the overall quality of digital financial reports and are the result of ongoing efforts by ESMA to adapt to evolving market needs.

XMLSpy includes the ability to validate ESEF reports in iXBRL and now also supports validation according to the guidelines put forth in the ESEF Reporting Manual 2024.

This support is also available on RaptorXML+XBRL Server for high-volume, high-performance XBRL validation.

Get the Latest Version Now

These new features are just a few of the highlights of what’s new in Altova desktop developer tools and server software products. Learn more by visiting the What’s New page.

Update to the latest version – or try any Altova product for free – on the download page.