Creating Data Input Files

Input files containing dynamic transactions for processing by SMADDI must be in a specific format. Each file must be a string of ASCII text in the form of an XML document and must be less than two megabytes (MB). You do not need in-depth knowledge of XML to create a working input file.

caution

If a data input file is larger than two megabytes (MB), the SMADDI service cannot process the file. Continuous recommends that you delete data input files larger than two MB.

XML Terms and Structure

Understanding the following terms helps you create valid input files:

Term	Definition
Element	An input file component consisting of a start tag, data, and an end tag.
Start Tag	The first component of an element. Format: <elementname>
Element Data	The second component of an element. This is the data written to the OpCon database. In some cases the data is optional.
End Tag	The last component of an element. Format: </elementname>
Nesting	The placement of one element inside another. A parent element requires one or more child elements placed in its data.
Parent Element	An element that requires one or more nested child elements in its data.
Child Element	An element placed within the data of another element. If a child element is not placed within its parent element, the data is invalid.

note

Some elements can be both parent and child elements.

Example — nested elements in a parent/child relationship:

<job>
  <jname>Job1</jname>
  <pmname>WindowsMachA</pmname>
</job>

In this example, jname and pmname are child elements nested inside the job parent element.

Formatting Rules

The SMADDI service requires that all elements be nested as described in Data Input Message Elements. The exact layout of elements does not affect processing; however, Continuous recommends using indentation for readability. Carriage returns, line feeds, and non-significant spaces are optional and are ignored by the service.

To comment out a line, prefix it with two forward slash characters (//). The service ignores commented lines during processing.

note

Spaces within the data portion of an element are significant and are treated as part of the data written to the OpCon database.

Example — equivalent formatting:

The SMADDI service treats the following two representations identically:

<id1><elt1>a</elt1><elt2>b</elt2></id1>

<id1>
  <elt1>a</elt1>
  <elt2>b</elt2>
</id1>

// This is an example of a commented line.