Service Pack 1 for Altova Software Version 2015 Release 4 is now available with helpful bug fixes. This is a free update for all v2015r4 customers of Altova MissionKit desktop developer tools, as well as v2015r4 server software products.
Download and install SP1 now.
Altova MobileTogether empowers enterprises of any size to design and deploy custom mobile solutions that run on all mobile platforms. This post is part 2 of a discussion of the MobileTogether Actions Dialog that lets developers quickly create sophisticated event handlers, control flow, and operations that work the same on iOS®, Android™, Windows® Phone 8, and Windows 8 devices, as well as an HTML5 browser-based client, without worrying about the unique details of the API or SDK for each mobile operating system. (Click here if you missed part 1, titled Defining Event Handling and Control Flow for Cross-Platform Mobile Applications.)
This post covers some of the MobileTogether actions that manipulate data and are flexible, powerful, and accelerate building data-driven mobile enterprise apps to deliver up-to-the-minute information to busy users on the go.
We’ve recently updated our free, online XPath Training course to include information on what’s new in XPath 3.1, which is the latest version of the XML Path Language.
The XPath Training course covers these in detail, explaining each new function and operator and illustrating its use with helpful examples.
The course also provides sample XML files that you can download for hands-on practice as you progress through the chapters.
Access the free XPath 3.0 and 3.1 Training now!
Or check out our other free online course offerings, including XMLSpy Training, XML Schema 1.1 Training, and more.
The recently launched Release 4 of XMLSpy 2015 included some pretty powerful speed increases for validations jobs, achieved by strengthening synergy between Altova products. Now, developers using XMLSpy can take advantage of RaptorXML Servers installed on their network for the processing of large or complex XML, XBRL, and project-based validation jobs – directly inside the XML editor.
The XML validator in XMLSpy is powered by the Altova RaptorXML validation engine, which already provides the closest possible standards conformance coupled with fast validation speeds. However, the validation rates achieved are still limited to single-core execution on the CPU available in the developer's machine. RaptorXML Server, on the other hand, benefits from the substantial increase in processing power afforded by multi-CPU, multi-core servers for increased throughput and more efficient memory utilization.
What does this mean for you? Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of connecting XMLSpy to RaptorXML Server.
Altova MobileTogether empowers companies of any size to quickly design and deploy custom enterprise mobile solutions that run on all mobile platforms. The Actions dialog in the MobileTogether Designer is one key feature that makes it possible to develop robust mobile solutions in days, not months. The Actions dialog lets developers create sophisticated event handlers, control flow, and operations that work the same on iOS®, Android™, Windows® Phone 8, and Windows 8 devices, as well as an HTML5 browser-based client, without worrying about the unique details of the API or SDK for each mobile operating system, because the ActionTrees built with MobileTogether are independent of any particular device-specific programming language.
For instance, to assign an event handling action to a button to respond to an OnButtonClicked event, the developer simply selects Control Actions from the context menu:
We’re pleased to announce availability of Version 2015 Release 4 (v2015r4) of the Altova MissionKit desktop developer tools and complete line of server software products!
This release provides new functionality to greatly increase validation speeds for XML and XBRL, adds frequently requested functionality for EDGAR filing validation, provides support for SQLite databases and the TRADACOMS EDI format, and much more.
New features are detailed below.
RaptorXML Server is a lightning-fast XML validation and transformation server that benefits from the parallel processing power afforded by multi-core servers. Now XMLSpy users can take advantage of a RaptorXML Server installed on the same network to harness the speed provided by multi-core execution. This makes validation of large and complex XML documents faster than was ever possible before – directly inside XMLSpy. Developers can also take advantage of this integration to validate entire XMLSpy projects at warp speed.
Similarly, when a RaptorXML+XBRL Server is present, XMLSpy developers can utilize it for hyper-fast validation of XBRL documents, as well as execution of XBRL Formula calculations and EDGAR filing validation (below).
Test cases reveal validation speeds anywhere from 6 to 18 times faster!* For example, we compared validation speeds in XMLSpy alone on a typical developer's machine [Win7 32bit, Core2 Duo E8600 3.3GHz (2 cores), 4GB RAM] against validation speeds using a common RaptorXML Server configuration [Linux server 64bit, Xeon E5-2630 2.3GHz (12 cores), 128GB RAM] from inside XMLSpy over a 1 GB network. Results from a variety of test cases include:
| Examples folder (as it comes with XMLSpy): | 8.5 times faster |
| CityGML 2.0 (6 files): | 6.5 times faster |
| AirBase (41 files): | 9 times faster |
| SEC Filings (1229 files): | 18.5 times faster |
EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) is a system that performs automated collection, validation, and indexing of financial statements filed by companies to the United States SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).
With Version 2015 Release 4, EDGAR filing validation is now available on both RaptorXML+XBRL Server and in XMLSpy.
This ability for customers to perform EDGAR validation prior to submitting files to the SEC is one of the most often requested XBRL-related features.
TRADACOMS is an early EDI standard used primarily in the United Kingdom retail, insurance, and book industry business sectors. Although the development of TRADACOMS standards ceased in 1995, it is still widely used in legacy systems, and data mapping of TRADACOMS messages is frequently required. In Version 2015 Release 4 of MapForce and MapForce Server, TRADACOMS data may now be used as a source, intermediate, or target component in data mapping projects involving other EDI data, XML, relational databases, flat files, and more.
Altova database-enabled products support all major relational databases, the most recent addition being SQLite, which has become increasingly popular on a variety of platforms. SQLite support was introduced in Altova MapForce and MobileTogether in earlier releases, and has now been extended to XMLSpy, StyleVision, DatabaseSpy, and other products in the Altova MissionKit, as well as Altova Server Software products.
For more details and a complete list of all of the new features included in version 2015r4, check out: www.altova.com/whatsnew.html .
*Performance results based on Altova internal tests. Your results may vary.
We’re proud to announce MobileTogether Version 1.5 with more than 18 important new features and enhancements, adding even more power for building and deploying multi-platform mobile app solutions for enterprises of all sizes.
Here is a list of 10 highlights introduced in this release, which include enhancements to Actions and Action Groups that define behaviors of MobileTogether app solutions, new and enhanced UI controls, and new tools for improving developer efficiency.
To learn more or download the free MobileTogether Designer to get started creating your first enterprise mobile solution now, visit: http://www.altova.com/mobiletogether.html. Or, install the free MobileTogether client from the app store for your Android, iOS, Windows 8, or Windows Phone 8 device, then try out any of more than a dozen examples on the MobileTogether Demo server.
For a complete list of new features and enhancements in MobileTogether version 1.5 visit: http://www.altova.com/whatsnew_mobiletogether.html
StyleVision provides the ability to quickly and easily generate multichannel renderings and reports of XBRL data. Because it employs a visual, drag-and-drop design model and includes numerous XBRL-formatting wizards, even stakeholders without deep technical XBRL expertise can leverage the full power of standards-based XBRL data to generate rich business reports on a one-time or recurring basis. Starting with Version 2015 Release 3, StyleVision provides built-in support for rendering data according to XBRL Table Linkbase definitions.
Let’s take a look at how this works.
MobileTogether is a cross-platform mobile development framework that finally makes it practical for businesses to connect to their back-end data and create enterprise mobile solutions for their workforce – regardless of which devices they use – in record time. Here are the top 10 reasons you should be looking at this solution for your organization.
1. Cross platform support with native apps for all devices
Ideal for BYOD scenarios, MobileTogether provides cross-platform support via native mobile apps for iOS®, Android™, Windows® Phone 8, and Windows 8, as well as an HTML5 browser-based client for any other OS. Businesses create a custom mobile solution one time in the MobileTogether Designer and then deploy it with continuity across all of these platforms.
2. Seamless connectivity to back-end systems
Connecting to your back-end systems couldn’t be easier with MobileTogether. MobileTogether provides full connectivity to data housed in any major relational database, XML, or HTML - and just about any other data format via integration with Altova FlowForce Server.
3. Build once; deploy to mobile and desktop devices instantly
Once you build a mobile solution in MobileTogether, end users can access it instantly - depending on security configurations - via the free, native MobileTogether Mobile App on their device of choice.
And because MobileTogether includes a Windows 8 app as well as an HTML5 browser-based client, all enterprise solutions are immediately available on any desktop or laptop computer in addition to mobile devices. This gives companies the ultimate flexibility to react to changes, end user preferences, and business requirements. They can deploy in-house solutions to all mobile workers, no matter if they prefer a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
4. Powerful visual & functional programming paradigm
MobileTogether uses a combination of visual programming (using drag & drop to design the user interface as well as to build ActionTrees) and functional programming (using the standardized XQuery/XPath expression languages) to build your mobile solution. The majority of the typical event handling in the user interface of your mobile solution is easily accomplished by dragging and dropping actions into ActionTrees that provide a visual programming flow for the most common tasks. For the evaluation of expressions as well as for the manipulation of data, XQuery and XPath can be used, and MobileTogether includes a powerful expression builder and evaluator that makes it easy to build and debug such expressions.
5. Utilize in house development or IT teams
Because the MobileTogether Designer employs an intuitive, visual approach to cross-platform mobile development, organizations don’t need to hire or train mobile developers. In-house development or IT teams find it easy to build elegant mobile solutions quickly and easily. An understanding of XPath and how XML data is structured is helpful, but no mobile programming experience is necessary to create powerful business mobile solutions for all platforms.
6. Affordable for organizations of all sizes
MobileTogether is an extremely affordable and easily-implemented business solution for a paradigm shift that can otherwise be both expensive and confusing.
Unlike other mobile app solutions, there aren’t any consulting fees or complicated licensing models. The powerful MobileTogether Designer and the MobileTogether Mobile App for iOS, Android, and Windows are free-to-own downloads—and the MobileTogether Server scales affordably, based on the number of devices required in your organization.
7. Deploy sophisticated app solutions in record time
We’re talking about hours or days, rather than the months (or more) required by competing approaches. Because MobileTogether employs a drag-and-drop design approach to creating a full-fledged mobile solution that is simultaneously available on all platforms, you can have a sophisticated enterprise mobile app in end users’ hands in anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
8. Immediate deployment to all devices
This is huge. Once you’ve run your solution through the built in simulator and are satisfied with its performance, simply deploy it one time to your MobileTogether Server, where it is immediately available to all your authorized mobile users, on all their various platforms. And when you need to update a solution, your changes are available immediately, with no delays.
9. Robust security options
Mobile solutions created in the MobileTogether Designer are deployed to the MobileTogether Server, where they are accessed by the MobileTogether Mobile App. The server provides comprehensive security options including management of user and roles definition, user access control, SSL encryption, optional Active Directory integration, and granular password options that make it easy to control the level of security required on a per-server or per-solution basis.
10. Connects employees with the data they need to be productive – anytime, anywhere
With MobileTogether, end-users can finally access mission-critical business resources to get some real work done on their device of choice, regardless of what OS it is running.
Learn more and download the free MobileTogether Designer to get started creating your first enterprise mobile solution now: www.altova.com/mobiletogether
