XML Mapping

Creating an XML Mapping

MapForce supports XML mappings based on XML Schema or DTD content models. To develop an XML mapping, simply load two or more schemas into MapForce and drag connecting lines between the nodes of the source and target. Mixed content support even enables you to map text data that is interspersed with XML.

If you do not have an associated schema for an XML instance document, MapForce automatically generates an XML Schema from an XML instance document.

MapForce supports advanced XML transformations between multiple input and multiple output schemas, multiple source and/or target files, or advanced multi-pass data transformations (from schema, to schema, to schema, etc.)

Once you have finished defining your XML mapping and data processing rules, you can load a source file, and the MapForce Built-In Execution Engine will instantly convert the data into the new format.

MapForce also autogenerates XSLT 1.0, XSLT 2.0, or XSLT 3.0 stylesheets for use in transforming data in multiple XML documents based on the source schema to conform to the target XML Schema.

In addition to XML mapping, MapForce supports mapping any combination of XML, JSON, PDF, database, EDI, XBRL, flat file, Excel, Protobuf, and/or Web service data to build data integration or Web services applications.

XML Mapping with Digital Signatures

If an XML signature is embedded in the XML document, a Signature element in the namespace http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig# is added to the XML document. In order for the document to remain valid according to a schema, the schema must contain the appropriate element declarations. If you do not wish to modify the schema of the XML document, the XML signature can be created in an external file using the "Detached" option.

XML Mapping to and from Databases

MapForce includes powerful support for database mapping, including mapping between any of database data and XML, flat files, EDI, Excel (OOXML), XBRL, Web services, and even other database formats.

When you load a database structure in the design window, MapForce automatically interprets the database schema, lets you pick available database tables and views, and recognizes table relationships.

Once you have loaded all of the XML and other content models required for your database mapping, complete the mapping by simply dragging connecting lines between the source and target structures.

Supported Relational Databases:

Supported NoSQL Databases:

MapForce supports all major relational databases, as well as popular NoSQL databases, empowering you to create graphical database mapping designs between database source data, data processing functions and filters, and other data structures of various types.

Database Mapping Features:

Many database mappings require manipulation of data between the source and target based on Boolean conditions or SQL and SQL/XML statements. You may need to perform logical comparisons, mathematical computations, or string operations, check for database data of a particular value, and make other modifications to the data. In screenshot above, data processing functions appear as the boxes between the lines joining the source and the target data model.

Data processing functions enable you perform advanced database mappings on-the-fly for a multitude of real-world transformation requirements. You can, for example, construct database mappings that use XML or EDI messages to extract database rows based on filter criteria from the XML or EDI elements.

Database-to-XML mappings produce an XML output document, database mappings to flat files have output in CSV or fixed-length text files, mappings of databases to EDI can produce EDIFACT, X12, or HL7 messages, database mappings to Excel produce Office Open XML (OOXML) markup, and mappings to XBRL produce XBRL financial reports.

XML mappings into a database produces output in the form of SQL scripts (e.g., SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements) that are run against your target database directly from within MapForce.

Any-to-Many and Chained Data Mappings

MapForce is an extremely flexible XML mapping tool for complex data integration and conversion projects. The input and destination of a data mapping can be mixed formats, including any combination of XML, databases, flat files, EDI, Excel, XBRL, and Web services. A data mapping can have one input mapped to one output, one input to many outputs, many sources to one destination, or many sources to many destinations, all in different data formats.

MapForce lets you integrate data from multiple files and data sources or split data from one source into many outputs. Multiple files can be specified through support for wildcard characters (e.g., ? or *) in filenames, a database table, auto-number sequences, or other methods. This feature is very useful in a wide variety of data integration scenarios; for example, it may be necessary to integrate data from a file collection or to generate individual XML files for each main table record in a large database.

MapForce also allows you to use file names as parameters in your data integration projects. This lets you create dynamic mappings in which specific file names are defined at run-time.

Chained transformations empower you to create complex mappings in which the output of one mapping becomes the input of another. This powerful feature adds to MapForce's ability to execute fully automated transformations. Each chained component becomes a modular entity in an interdependent transformation sequence, allowing for conversions to be made on-the-fly.

Chained transformations can be created using any number of mapping components connected to a final target component. Preview and code generation features can be displayed/generated for intermediate components, as well as for the final mapping result.