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Input XML File Questions

Article Number: 1792 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Thu, Jun 22, 2023 at 10:18 PM

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Input XML File Questions

Clear Input Database (not offered for application transactions)

Tick this box if you want the input database first to be cleared of data before data import.

Create New Records (not offered for application transactions)

Tick this box if you want to create new records in the database. If the database is prime indexed, then if records already exist they are updated. New records will only be created in a prime-indexed database (if this box is ticked) if a record with that index value is not already present in the database.

Auto-Audit when Complete (not offered for application transactions)

Where a database is indexed, then ticking this box ensures an audit function is performed on the database on completion of the run. Auto Expand-By if required (not offered for application transactions) Enter here the number of new records by which the database should be expanded if the import function should fill up the database. If you do not enter a value here, the import process will stop with an error if the database becomes full.

Ignore if Input Item Null or Blank

Enter here the item number of an item that, if the incoming value is blank or null (not referenced), then you won’t create/update the database record. (Note: don’t confuse this prompt with Ignore Items if Blank prompt below.)

Automatic Run With No User Prompts

Tick this box if you do not want any options to be offered (other than selection criteria if appropriate) at run-time. The purpose of this is to make the option easier to use. It has no effect, of course, if the option is included within a ProFiler queue, when the process does not stop for user input anyway.

Ignore Items if Blank

This prompt concerns what happens when updating databases records, and the input item is present but blank. If you do not tick this box, then the equivalent field in the existing database record is set to blank. If you want to leave the existing contents unchanged in this event, then tick this box.

Directory Path for Processed Files

This allows you to transfer processed XML files to a separate folder for archiving purposes. Where you have automated runs, then this ensures that XML files are not processed more than once by accident. You may leave it blank.

File Extension for Processed Files (input XML only)

This prompt allows you to change the suffix of processed XML files to a different suffix, in conjunction with any movement to a separate folder. If you leave this blank, the suffix is left unchanged.

Save annotated copy of XML errors

Tick this box to cause a copy of the XML to be saved if any error is discovered. Errors are already reported on the audit trail (see above). This option adds error messages to the copy XML file within every tag where an error has occurred.

Directory Path for XML error files
File extension for XML error files

Give the folder where annotated XML error files are to be stored, and the suffix to be used. The filename is always the same as the original XML file.

Lock records as required

If you do not tick this box, then the database file is locked before records are added or updated. If you tick this box, however, only the appropriate record will be locked.

Note
The danger of record locking for an XML input process is that a particular record may be locked already, thus preventing the process from fully completing. In general it is safer not to lock records for such processes.

Printer Control Set For XML Printout

Enter the standard Datafile print style definition (1–8) to use for XML prints.

Link to SOP Batch Update (SOP input options only)

For incoming sales orders, you may link the process directly to an SOP batch update option to add the orders into the SOP system. Some users, however, may prefer to validate the incoming orders before passing them into SOP. In this case separate menu options will be given to allow these processes to be undertaken independently.

Auto-run SOP Invoice document (SOP input options only)

Tick this box if you want to run the SOP batch update without any user intervention. This means that any SOP batch update options such as selection criteria are taken as given, without the opportunity to change them.

Link to (POP Invoice) Document (POP input options only)

On the purchase order side, your supplier may send you order responses, delivery notifications and/or purchase invoice XML files against your orders. You can process these directly into the POP system, updating stock and the purchase ledger too as appropriate, by linking the XML process with an appropriate POP document —probably dedicated to XML use. Choose the POP document you wish to use — see Linking to POP Document Layouts below.

This option marks the Batch Document ID data item (see below) in the purchase order header (POH) with an internal document reference, so that a subsequent document processing option (or ProFiler option, maybe) can select the purchase orders to process.

Auto-run POP Invoice document (POP input options only)

Tick this box to chain XML processing directly to document processing. If not ticked, then you’ll have to initiate document processing later as a separate option.

If ticked, the XML application chains direct to the document process defined, and uses the Batch Document ID data item in the POH to determine which headers to process.

Process in real-time (POP input options only)

The purpose of this option is to force the XML process to switch between unravelling an XML document instance within a batch of documents and processing that document with the purchase order system as each document is handled. Otherwise the XML process unravels the whole of a batch of documents before switching to processing those documents within the purchase order system.

You’d need to use the real-time option where (say) two purchase invoices in the same batch could refer to the same purchase order, so each document must be processed immediately it has been unravelled by the XML process.

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