Free Online Training Module: Intro to StyleVision

We've just released a new Altova Online Training Module: Introduction to StyleVision. This free training module provides an introduction to the StyleVision stylesheet design tool interface and functionality as well as interactive tutorials for transforming XML and database content into eye-catching HTML pages, RTF documents, PDF reports, Word 2007 (OOXML) documents, and intuitive Authentic® forms. Detailed tutorials will help users create an effective StyleVision design and insert dynamic and static content. This module also explores how to format the components of the StyleVision design and create global templates.

Check out the full list of free Altova Online Training modules, all of which are available in a convenient, on-demand format.

As always, please share your feedback and suggestions about Altova Online Training with us, either by using the survey included in the training module or by leaving a comment on this blog.

Altova MissionKit and DatabaseSpy Named Jolt Award Finalists

We received an exciting piece of news that brightened a cold winter day when snow was in the forecast: The Altova MissionKit has been selected as a finalist for the 2009 Jolt Award in the Development Environment category.

And it gets even better: Altova DatabaseSpy as a standalone application has also been selected as a Jolt Award finalist in the Database Engines and Data Tools category.

The 19^th Annual Jolt Award winners will be announced at the SD West Conference in Santa Clara, CA in March, 2009. The Jolt Awards are designed to “recognize the most innovative, trend-making, ahead of the curve products,” according to Dr. Dobb’s, the award sponsor.

Even before the winners are announced, it’s an honor to be selected as a Jolt Award finalist, since the judges select five finalists in each category from the literally hundreds of development tools and apps available in today’s fast-moving marketplace. The judges are all noted software industry leaders with experience across a wide range of development technologies and projects.

We’re pleased that Altova continues to be recognized in such acclaimed company. XMLSpy was a 2003 Jolt Award winner in the Languages and Development Environments category, MapForce was a 2004 Jolt Award winner in the Business Integration and Data Tools category, and UModel was a 2006 Jolt Award finalist in the Design Tools and Modeling category.

You can see the entire list of this year’s Jolt finalists at http://www.joltawards.com/finalists.html.

New Altova Solutions Center

Take a look at our new Solutions Center design!

Not only does it look great (thanks to the Altova Art and Web Development teams), but it also gives a clear breakdown of Altova MissionKit tools and how they can help you be prepared and well-armed to approach common business and technology challenges.

As always, we’d love to hear from you about how you use the Altova MissionKit in your organization – we are always looking for great case studies!

New Demo Video: Intro to DatabaseSpy

We’re expanding our Flash video series to cover DatabaseSpy, Altova’s multi-purpose database utility.

Available to view now, the first DatabaseSpy video is a two-minute introduction that quickly highlights many DatabaseSpy features and shows off its elegant and fun-to-use interface.

If you have ever wondered how a multi-database query and design tool can help with a range of database analysis, design, and editing tasks, check out this quick tour. You’ll get to see the DatabaseSpy Quick Connection Wizard, Database Browser, SQL Editor, data editing functionality, and the Graphical Design Editor that lets you visualize, create, or modify database tables and relationships without writing SQL commands.

Find out for yourself why DatabaseSpy has received such high acclaim – and look for more Flash videos coming soon in the DatabaseSpy series!

Voting is Open in the Developer.com POY Awards

The US presidential election might be over, but your votes are still needed! Altova DatabaseSpy and Altova XMLSpy are finalists in the 2009 Developer.com Product of the Year Awards. We’d like to ask for your vote to help show your support for Altova tools.

Please cast your vote for Altova DatabaseSpy in the “Database Tool or Add-in” category and Altova XMLSpy in the “.NET Tool or Add-in” category.

The polls close soon, so please vote today. As always, we thank you for your support!

Next Altova Online Training Module is Available

We recently blogged about the return of free Altova Online Training, with its new, more convenient, on-demand format. The first module available was Introduction to MapForce, and we're pleased to announce that the next module in the series is now available.

MapForce Data Sources and Targets is aimed at the intermediate MapForce user and provides students with step-by-step tutorials for mapping XML, databases, CSV, EDI, text, and Excel 2007 files in the data mapping tool. Detailed tutorials also walk you through how to process and map legacy text files using MapForce FlexText. This module also covers the methods of mapping and allows you to practice each method, including source-driven, target-driven, and copy-all mapping.

MapForce Data Sources and Targets is in BETA status, and we hope you'll give us your feedback and suggestions so that we can continue to improve. Please respond either using the survey included in the class or by leaving a comment on this blog.

Microsoft PDC 2008 Recap

The Altova team exhibited at Microsoft PDC (Professional Developers Conference) in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. PDC is billed as a tradeshow for “leading-edge developers and software architects,” and, true to its promise, this event delivered a crowd of high level technology professionals. We enjoying catching up with a large number of current Altova customers and other .NET developers interested in learning more about using Altova MissionKit tools to solve XML, UML, and database design and development challenges. Our visitors were particularly interested in MapForce, a powerful and VERY affordable alternative to large-scale ETL solutions like BizTalk and SSIS, and UModel, for its advanced UML support and integration with Visual Studio.

We also took this opportunity to introduce visitors to the MissionKit and the huge savings offered through downloading it as an integrated development suite. The MissionKit was also a popular conversation topic because of the powerful plugins it offers for Visual Studio - in XMLSpy, MapForce, and UModel.

One of the most enjoyable memories that this exhibitor has in particular from PDC is the large number of current customers who brought their friends by to encourage them to try our tools – telling them how they could solve problems that they had previously discussed and even answering questions from other visitors listening in! It really made me recognize and appreciate the enormous amount of support that Altova and Altova tools have from the .NET community…

Thank you everyone. We hope that you continue to enjoy Altova MissionKit tools and to see you all again the next time PDC rolls into town!

Lastly, here's a video from the show: Allyson and David demoing UModel live at PDC.

Altova UModel at PDC 2008

New video available: UML round trip engineering

We’ve just uploaded a new Flash video in the UModel UML modeling series titled "Round Trip Engineering."

The Round Trip Engineering video describes how to move your software modeling project ahead either by working directly in the source code or by expanding and refining your UML model, while keeping both the code and model in sync.

Even if you’re a code jockey who prefers to work directly in your IDE, maintaining an accurate UML model promotes good communication tool among team members. You can use the UModel UML project documentation feature to quickly generate customized project docs in HTML, rich text, or Microsoft Word formats that will keep the project manager happy too. And don’t forget, the UModel Enterprise Edition integrates with both the Visual Studio and Eclipse development environments and features automatic real-time synchronization of changes in either your source code library or UML model.

We’re also thrilled with the popularity of the UModel video titled Creating UML Use Case Diagrams on both our site and YouTube. We posted it on YouTube just over a year ago, and it has accumulated over 18,000 views, becoming one of the most popular videos on YouTube covering the Unified Modeling Language.

 

Please let us know what you think of the new Round Trip Engineering video, and stay tuned for upcoming installments on the DatabaseSpy database tool! 

Altova to exhibit at Microsoft PDC next week

The Altova team is busy preparing to head to LA and exhibit at next week's Microsoft PDC (Professional Developers Conference) 2008. If you're attending, be sure to stop by and visit us at booth #711, where we'd be happy to show you a demo of the Altova MissionKit tools for .NET developers working on XML, Open XML, database, UML, Web, and data integration projects. We may even have some nice swag and a drawing for you to enter... We hope to see you next week in LA or at another event in the future!

Integration Watch: Remember good tools at low cost?

Andrew Binstock, principal analyst at Pacific Data Works, recently published a great article in SD Times about some of the software tools he relies on to make his life easier. In "Integration Watch: Remember good tools at low cost?" he notes:

"Today, of course, tools are either free or terribly expensive; there is little middle ground. And there are very few small vendors of tools, with the notable exception of the components market for Windows applications—but those are more libraries than pure tools.

One vendor, however, that has persevered making great [tools] at remarkably approachable prices is Altova, which has put out a variety of interesting products for a long time."

Read the complete article here and let us know what you think! What are some of the inexpensive software tools that you rely on?

Free Altova Online Training is Back!

Back by popular demand, Altova Online Training is now available in a brand new format. It's still free - only now it's offered in a convenient, self-service training model. Classes are available on-demand, and you no longer have to sign up or arrange your day around fixed class times. You can learn at your own pace, on your own schedule.

Each interactive training module contains guided instruction, tutorials, quizzes to test your learning, and resources for further study. You can complete each module in one sitting, or return to the class as often as you'd like to pick up where you left off.

The first new Altova Online Training class available is Introduction to MapForce, which is currently in BETA status.

During the BETA period, we'll be relying on your feedback to help us improve future courses. Please share your comments and suggestions using the survey included in the Introduction to MapForce module, or post your comments on this blog.

We're excited that Altova Online Training is back, and we hope you find it helpful for learning more about Altova tools and technologies!

Oracle OpenWorld 2008 recap

The Altova team exhibited at Oracle OpenWorld 2008 in San Francisco last week. The exhibit halls were packed, and we were happy to have a steady stream of visitors to our booth. We had the pleasure of talking with many Altova customers as well as other Oracle users and developers interested in Altova XML, database, and UML tools. Of particular interest with this crowd were MapForce and DatabaseSpy, but we talked with lots of folks whose challenges - from publishing XML and database data, to UML modeling, to Web services testing - could be met with other tools across the Altova product line. We also had the opportunity to introduce many visitors to the Altova MissionKit, and people were happy to hear that they could get a full suite of tools and save some money at the same time.

Here are a few videos chronicling our trip, including some on-the-spot product demos.

The first is a 1-minute bird’s eye tour of downtown San Francisco and the Altova booth in the Moscone West exhibition hall.

Here we learn how to efficiently migrate legacy relational data to a 21^st-century XML application using XMLSpy. Bonus Scene: a water feature to improve your Feng Shui.

Finally, this video includes a demo of DatabaseSpy, featuring how to use the Graphical Database Design editor to explore and modify database tables. Bonus Scene: take a ride on a San Francisco cable car!

These were shot live on the floor of the exhibition, as you’ll hear from the enthusiastic crowds in the background, and at other spots around town. Whether you attended the show this year or not, we hope you’ll enjoy our video postcards.

Altova's next exhibit will be at Microsoft PDC in Las Vegas - we hope to see you there!

New demo video: Mapping Excel 2007 / OOXML

We've just put the finishing touches on the latest Altova product demo video. This new module demonstrates the recently added support for mapping Excel 2007 data in MapForce.

The video walks you through two data mapping scenarios, one where Excel 2007 data is filtered and then mapped into a relational database, and another where XML data is converted to Excel 2007. Other supported data formats for mapping are EDI, flat files, and even Web services.

Please check out the video and let us know what you think! You can also try this new functionality for yourself with a free, fully functional 30-day trial of MapForce.

Diff / Merge Tools and Dog Food

Since its release in 2005, the Altova marketing team has been actively using the DiffDog diff / merge tool to compare and merge changes on our Web pages (something Product Marketing Manager David McGahey likes to call "eating our own dog food." Get it? Dog food? Anyway...).

We create and edit our content directly in XML using the XMLSpy XML editor and use WinCVS as our version control client. This way, we [not-so-technical marketing folks] can easily view and revert changes to any files in our CVS repository. When we need to compare changes made in two versions of a given file, we simply highlight the versions and launch DiffDog directly from WinCVS. It's a lightning-fast way to see exactly what has been changed.

Our Web Development team also makes good use of DiffDog's directory comparison functionality to diff and merge between our test and live Web servers.

Using DiffDog with Team Foundation Server

Jeff Levinson, Microsoft MVP and Application Lifecycle Management practice lead at Northwest Cadence, also recently shared his DiffDog story in an online article for Visual Studio Magazine, "Performing Comparisons with Team Foundation Server." He details how you can replace the default merge tool in TFS with DiffDog.

Do you have any stories to share about how you use our tools? Let us know!

Service Pack 2 Now Available

Just a quick note to let you know that Service Pack 2 of Altova Software Version 2008 Release 2 (2008r2 SP2) is now available... This service pack includes bug fixes and other enhancements and is a free update for all 2008r2 customers, as well as any customer with an active Altova Support and Maintenance Package.

If you've not yet upgraded to v2008r2, check out all the new features or download a free trial.

Case Study: Equifax

Check out the case study below to learn how leading US credit reporting entity Equifax® built an advanced SOAP interface for their identity verification and authentication Web service.

Overview

Equifax is a leading credit reporting entity and provider of analytical and decision support tools. Their real-time authentication system, eIDverifier, offers government and businesses personalized online security measures that help protect them against fraud and comply with federal legislation.

The eIDverifier process is used within e-commerce and other online applications to authenticate users’ identities based on their answers to personalized questions drawn from Equifax’s extensive data stores. The authentication process consists of five steps:

1. Integrity Check - eIDverifier standardizes and screens applicant-provided information to test for data inconsistencies and irregularities.
2. Pattern Recognition - A pattern recognition algorithm is conducted on each transaction. For example, a velocity parameter determines the number of times an applicant has applied for authentication in a specific time frame.
3. Identity Validation - To confirm an identity’s legitimacy, eIDverifier uses a “waterfall” approach in gathering validation information from multiple data sources. This means that if the identity cannot be validated with the first data source, eIDverifier will proceed to the next data source until the identity is validated.
4. Interactive Query - eIDverifier presents multiple-choice questions to the applicant based upon “shared secret” information that should only be known to the applicant and Equifax. The question sets are customizable to meet individual risk thresholds.
5. Decision Logic / Output Assessment - There are two output components to eIDverifier – an assessment score and reason codes. The assessment score indicates the likelihood of an applicant presenting fraudulent information, while reason codes provide important details on questionable information and highlight any discrepancies between the consumer’s application information and Equifax data sources.

eIDverifier relies on the SOAP protocol to send messages defining these interactions back and forth between the client interface and the Equifax servers. Third party institutions license the eIDverifier SOAP interface for use within their online application processes, enabling them to integrate its functionality and access information contained in Equifax’s databases.

Equifax uses the XMLSpy XML Schema editor to graphically design the XSDs that serve as the foundation for their SOAP interface.

The Challenge

Equifax needed a sophisticated tool for designing the XML Schemas that would define the data types for their Web service, as well as a mechanism for creating the WSDL documents that would describe the interface as a whole.

As a Java shop, Equifax needed a solution that would be compatible with their other development tools, and that would work seamlessly with the Eclipse IDE. Though there are plenty of Java tools available that have the capacity for XML Schema development, XMLSpy presented the most attractive option for schema design because of its comprehensive graphical design and editing options.

The Equifax development team took a further step to simplify their Web services creation, using XML Beans and the Codehaus XFire/CXF Java SOAP framework to auto-generate WSDL from their XML Schemas.

The Solution

eIDverifier relies on a variety of different technologies to bring identity verification and authentication to its clients. XMLSpy provides the following benefits:

XML Schema

XML Schema is used to express the structure of the data, as well as the individual elements and attributes that it is comprised of. Because a large portion of the data relies on end-user input in the form of address, phone number, driver’s license number, etc., it is vital that this information is in a format that can be digested by the system.

Using XMLSpy’s graphical XML Schema editor, the Equifax development team was able to easily visualize and maintain the structure of their XML Schema. A portion of the schema that was created appears below:

This data type definition provides the syntax, and dictates the structure, for the data that is transmitted by the eIDverifier Web service.

XMLSpy’s unique graphical XML Schema editor allowed the Equifax development team to create and maintain a complex schema definition without writing any code manually. They were also able to automatically generate human-readable documentation that can be used to present the architecture for review at any time in the development process, and that describes each element and attribute in detail.

WSDL

The processes executed by eIDverifier are described by a WSDL document that incorporates the XML Schema to provide information about data types, functions, and other interface details to the client - defining and dictating the actions taken by the client application to send and retrieve information between the end-user and the Equifax servers.

The Equifax team chose to autogenerate a WSDL document using the Codehaus XFire/CXF framework. The XML Schema was used as the basis for an XMLBeans implementation, which was then compiled as a Java service class. Once the eIDverifier service was exposed, XFire automatically generated a WSDL – the WSDL is shown below in the XMLSpy graphical WSDL editor.

This WSDL serves as the basis for the eIDverifier application, defining the ports and messages that make up the communication infrastructure of the Web service.

The Results

The eIDverifier SOAP interface allows external applications to access Equifax’s backend data stores, exposing it as a Web service and enabling them to retrieve secure information without jeopardizing the integrity of the Equifax mainframe. Utilizing WSDL and SOAP, and surrounded by Java architecture, eIDverifier is able to confirm user identity by returning a set of multiple choice questions based on the secure data maintained by Equifax.

XMLSpy enabled the Equifax team to quickly and easily create a graphical schema representation and the matching documentation to serve as the basis for the Web service. It also allowed the development team to focus on their Java code, rather than the intricacies of XML Schema and WSDL design.

The Altova MissionKit provides numerous tools for advanced Web services development, from the graphical XML Schema and WSDL editing discussed here, to SOAP debugging, and even graphical Web services generation and data mapping. Download a free trial to check it out for yourself.

Editing Database Views and Stored Procedures

“Ninety percent of the time you just need to make a simple modification,” the Redmond Magazine reviewer wrote in the introduction to the recent review that selected DatabaseSpy as Redmond Roundup Champion among database tools.

DatabaseSpy lets you make those quick updates with its intuitive interface that is consistent across multiple database types.

For the other ten percent of the time, DatabaseSpy can also be an appropriate tool for more advanced database maintenance tasks, such as creating or altering database views and stored procedures.

Let’s take a look . . .

The DatabaseSpy 2008 Online Browser lets you explore views and procedures by navigating and expanding them the same way you can explore tables in the hierarchical display of the Online Browser helper window.

Edit Database Views

When you select an existing database view in the Online Browser window, the right-click context menu offers options to generate new statements in the SQL Editor that can quickly get you started editing a view, or to assist creating a new one.

For instance, when you generate a create statement for an existing view, DatabaseSpy displays the formatted and color-coded view definition for immediate access in a new SQL Editor window.

Create a New Database View

You can modify the statement any way you like in the SQL Editor. As an example, let’s assume you’ve been assigned to create a company phone directory view. All the data you need is already contained in the employees view – plus a lot more! You can start by saving a copy of the employee view with a new name. Simply edit the database view name, execute your statement, and the new database view is created.

As you refresh the database connection in the Online Browser window, the new view is immediately visible and available for access.

Alter a Database View

You can choose the Alter selection from the right-click context menu to edit any database view, including the new phone directory view.

You can revise the existing view to make the changes you want, taking advantage of all the DatabaseSpy SQL Editor functionality, including color coding, automatic formatting, and even auto-completion.

When your edits are complete, the SQL Editor Execute button runs the alter statement and modifies the view in the database.

To make access to the new phone directory view even easier for the HR department, you can save a select statement for the view in a SQL file and add it to the HR manager’s DatabaseSpy Project menu.

Use SQL Refactoring to Create a View

If you don’t have an existing view to use as a template, DatabaseSpy 2008 offers a convenient alternative. The SQL Refactoring menu includes an option to convert any select query to a create view statement. The default view name is even highlighted so you can immediately assign a more relevant name.

Edit Stored Procedures

The DatabaseSpy 2008 Online Browser also lets you edit stored procedures in your database. You can highlight any stored procedure, then can expand your selection to explore it. Or, use the right-click context menu to generate SQL statements for operations available to act on stored procedures.

You can edit stored procedures in the DatabaseSpy SQL Editor, and execute your revised statements using the same techniques described above for database views.

Execute Stored Procedures

The Execute option in the DatabaseSpy 2008 context menu for stored procedures builds a time-saving template for an execution script for the stored procedure.

For procedures that require parameters, all you have to do is set the parameter values, then it’s just one click to execute the stored procedure and view the results.

Edit User-defined Functions

DatabaseSpy 2008 even lets you navigate and edit user-defined functions stored in your database, starting from the same convenient right-click context menu in the Online Browser.

Try this for yourself with a free trial of Altova DatabaseSpy.

Case Study: Wrycan, Fitz & Floyd, MarketLive

Fitz and Floyd is a leader in design and manufacture of hand painted ceramic gift ware. In 2007, they approached Wrycan, an Altova partner focused on content-centric XML expertise and related software development, for help creating a solution that would allow Fitz and Floyd to interface their existing CRM system to their new Web-based storefront application from MarketLive, the leader in e-commerce software solutions.

Fitz and Floyd had already purchased a license for the Altova MissionKit software suite, so Wrycan was able to jump right in and start mapping data from Fitz and Floyd's Oracle database to MarketLive's proprietary schema using Altova MapForce.

Wrycan assigned the project to a Principal Consultant, who had plenty of previous experience with XML technologies (including XSLT and XML Schema) as well as with large-scale databases, but who had never before used MapForce, Altova’s data conversion, transformation, and integration tool.

The Challenge

Fitz and Floyd required a solution that would automatically synchronize data from their Oracle database to MarketLive’s storefront application. It needed to perform the following functions: inventory updates, product updates, and order status updates. This way, when a customer ordered a Fitz and Floyd product via the MarketLive interface, they would be getting real-time information about the company’s inventory.

The solution needed to be simple to use, easy to maintain, cost effective, and completed on time, so they could put their new storefront into production promptly.

Fitz and Floyd’s existing data was housed in an Oracle 8.0.5 database and was organized according to internal requirements. In order to transform their data into a format that would work with MarketLive’s storefront application, Fitz and Floyd’s data needed to be mapped to MarketLive’s XML Schema. In addition, there needed to be a system in place to track and log any transaction errors that occurred.

The Solution

Because of MapForce’s ease-of-use, the Principal Consultant was able to get started using its intuitive features right away. Wrycan used MapForce to map the transformation from Fitz and Floyd’s Oracle database to the XML Schema definition (XSD) instance provided by MarketLive. Using the database as the source component and the XSD as the target, the following mapping was produced:

In order to map to some XML Schema entities that were not explicitly defined in the original MarketLive schema, Wrycan used Altova XMLSpy's graphical XML Schema editor to fill in the gaps, adding attributes to the schema that had not previously existed and thus ensuring that all necessary Fitz and Floyd data would be mapped to the MarketLive Web interface.

An example of the schema modifications is shown below:

Wrycan used MapForce’s unique code generation capabilities to automatically produce a Java applet that was used to update Fitz and Floyd’s product, inventory, shipping, and order status information programmatically. This specialized applet was then packaged along with Wrycan's proprietary Transaction Manager.

MapForce made it very easy to update and redeploy the data mapping requirements as they changed throughout the project. Because of MapForce’s ease of use and built-in code-generation capabilities, less technical users can also update the data mapping when there are changes.

Simple Web-based Transaction Manager

Utilizing open source Java technologies such as Apache Tomcat and Quartz Enterprise Job Scheduler, Wrycan was able to create a simple transaction manager that allowed the transactions handled by the MapForce-generated, Java-based data integration applet to be scheduled, processed, and logged.

The Transaction Manager is a custom software application made specifically for Fitz and Floyd by Wrycan, but built in such a way that it can be reused for future clients. It consists of several components:

• User interface – allows the integration of MapForce-generated Java code
• FTP interface – adds the ability for files to be downloaded for transformation from Oracle database format to the eCommerce platform XML format or vice versa
• Scheduler – allows the automation of the data migration
• Reporter – stores transaction results in XML files accessible in the user interface and also has the ability send emails in case of exceptions

The Transaction Manager’s user interface is the point of contact for Fitz and Floyd to control and schedule any data transformations. Because Wrycan wanted to be able to reuse the Transaction Manager, they chose to generate the MapForce code in Java, a platform-independent programming language. (MapForce can also generate application source code in C# and C++.) This code is an integral part of the Transaction Manager, as it dictates the data mapping process, allowing Fitz and Floyd’s internal information to be accessed via the MarketLive interface.

The FTP interface is a simple way to manage the transfer and delivery of files from within the Transaction Manager once the MapForce-generated Java applet has transformed the data according to the MarketLive schema.

A built-in batch scheduler allows Fitz and Floyd to automate the data migration operations by content type (i.e. order, inventory, product, etc.).

The reporting component allows the result of each transaction to be logged in XML. Because of this, if any transaction errors occurred, Wrycan was able to use Altova XMLSpy to analyze and debug the issues.

The Results

Fitz and Floyd now has an easy to use data integration layer that is extensible by adding new MapForce transformations, and they can easily adjust their current transactions. Any updates made to the Fitz and Floyd Oracle database are automatically transferred to the MarketLive application in a format that it can readily understand.

Because the Transaction Manager application is based on platform-independent Java code (generated by MapForce), Wrycan also has a reusable application that can be used as an asset by any online retail company. Wrycan is now able to approach potential clients with a proven data integration layer product that provides job scheduling, email notification, and FTP integration and can utilize any database or schema output via a custom Altova MapForce transformation.

When speaking about this project, Dan Ochs, the principal consultant at Wrycan involved with the Fitz and Floyd application stated "MapForce has proven to be an easy-to-use, effective tool for making the data integration and mapping process much easier and faster to implement."

This and many other customer case studies involving Altova solutions are available in the Altova library.

Redmond Roundup: Tooling Around in Your Database

RedmondMag.com just published a great article by Peter Varhol, a principal at Technology Strategy Research LLC, an industry analysis and consulting firm. This "Redmond Roundup" discusses common database management tasks and reviews some of the tools that are popular in that space:

Sometimes you don't need a full-fledged database-management environment. Maybe you just need to go in and add a field, change a table or write an ad hoc query.

Certainly you can do all those things in the SQL Server administration tools, writing your own SQL at the command line. Unless you're a SQL expert, though, that process can be lengthy and error-prone.

Having a graphical tool that's easy to learn and use -- and one that you don't have to use every day to remember how to perform simple actions -- is much more productive. Simply point it at the database, click the mouse to tell the tool what to do and your database maintenance is done...

Varhol examines three leading database tools and concludes by awarding Altova's very own DatabaseSpy Redmond Roundup Champion, noting, “DatabaseSpy is the best overall in terms of range of features.”

Image source: http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530

How to Recommend Improvements or New Features

The most valuable input the Altova team receives is from our customers and potential customers. This feedback shapes our future development plans for improving our tools and adding new features and functionality.

We receive this feedback in multiple ways: by interacting with users at industry events, through comments on this blog, through customer case studies, and, most often, through Altova's Online Support Center.

You can use the Support Center to report a problem you're having, get help with licensing questions, request new features, and more. The form will guide you to the right place to enter your request.

As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback!

StyleVision Review on Blogcritics Online Magazine

Check out the review that T. Michael Testi just posted on Blogcritics.org -- it has excellent information about and screenshots of Altova StyleVision.

Testi has a long list of other software and book reviews if you're interested in reading more.

Agile Modeling with UModel

Agile development is quickly becoming a leading model in the forward-thinking software community. The agile method seeks to bring development out of the document-heavy rigidity that exists within architecture-centric projects with a flexible and lightweight alternative that focuses heavily on adaptivity and customer communication. The agile model seeks to reduce the vast amounts of paperwork and planning put into many software development projects, shifting the focus to adapt to changing requirements and overall customer satisfaction.

The Unified Modeling Language™ (UML®) has long been the de facto industry standard for object oriented software modeling, offering thirteen diagram types to represent three different system views: structure, behavior, and interaction.

Altova’s UML modeling tool, UModel, presents an approach to UML that is both iterative and flexible, giving software documentation the ability to adapt and change with each new iteration, and offering customer-facing development teams the opportunity to present compelling application model designs every step of the way.

UML

Adopted as a standard by the Object Management Group (OMG) in 1997, and later formalized as ISO 19805, UML is actually the product of several different prevalent OO modeling languages which emerged in the early 1990s.

UML is a graphical language for organizing, analyzing, and planning object-oriented or component-based software projects. The UML 2.1 specification defines thirteen major different diagram types and over one thousand graphical and textual language elements, as well as additional extension mechanisms. Traditionally these diagrams have been used by software developers and project managers as a powerful, standardized planning language to verify application logic and confirm that end-user needs will be met.

UML is complex by design, offering a multitude of options for visually detailing software implementations in a wide variety of hierarchical models that can provide representations for every stage and process within the development cycle.

Structure Diagrams

• Class diagram
• Component diagram
• Composite structure diagram
• Deployment diagram
• Object diagram
• Package diagram

Behavior Diagrams

• Activity diagram
• State machine diagram
• Use case diagram

Interaction Diagrams

• Communication diagram
• Interaction overview diagram
• Sequence diagram
• Timing diagram

With this complexity comes a learning curve that can be easily addressed by choosing an intuitive UML modeling tool that includes advanced usability features and seamless graphical representations, as well as the agility to adapt and grow with a software development project.

The Agile Manifesto

Drafted in early 2001, the Agile Manifesto documents a set of principles for a faster, lighter, and goal-oriented approach to software development that contrast with the traditional waterfall method that has long existed at a majority of technology companies. The ideas behind agile development had been gaining notoriety over many years with the creation of other similar lightweight methodologies, many of which have since been incorporated into the agile family.

The manifesto is built on the concept of software development as an iterative process that must be able to quickly adapt to ever-changing requirements and customer needs. The document focuses on:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

An adherence to these overall goals intends to keep software projects limber and malleable enough to adapt to changing requirements, while keeping developers focused on the quality of their work at every stage of the process.

Agile Modeling

The agile methodology requires a modeling and documentation process that reflects the fluidity of its founding principles. The agile modeling process is a means to support development projects, addressing interaction and collaboration through the presentation of action plans in a visual format that stakeholders can readily understand, while also being technical enough to provide developers with a basis for their design.

Agile modeling focuses on simplicity and the ability to process and handle changing requirements, leading to an incremental approach, where software projects are visually modeled and presented in phases, rather than a traditional model in which all encompassing plans are drawn up at the outset.

The Agile Model Driven Development (AMDD) approach dictates a relatively short requirements analysis phase, with successive just-in-time modeling to address project needs at each iteration. Using this method, working software is available for review and testing at a much earlier stage, giving collaborators the opportunity to change requirements as the project evolves.

UML and Agile Modeling

The widespread adoption of UML as a modeling language stems largely from its ability to express software design in many different ways and at many different stages. In addition, its rapid acceptance as a standard suggests a recognized need for a unified approach to modeling, helping disparate development communities to collaborate over shared projects.

As a predecessor to agile methods, UML was developed to address more stringent object-oriented design methods, which have more robust modeling and documentation requirements. However, with the right tool, developers, project managers, and stakeholders can take advantage of this standard modeling language in their agile projects.

Agile Modeling with UModel

Altova UModel is a full featured UML development tool, supporting all diagram types with additional support for code and documentation generation, reverse engineering, and advanced usability features. Fully compliant with the latest UML specification (2.1.1), UModel is a valuable asset to any form of software development.

UModel’s unparalleled flexibility and functionality make it the ideal UML tool for agile modeling, allowing developers and collaborators to take advantage of the trusted UML standard by applying its modeling capabilities to agile methods.

UModel offers advanced usability features that help lessen the UML learning curve, making modeling accessible to all project collaborators. With a focus on versatility in model design, UModel offers a completely customizable interface with color-coded elements to clearly indicate model characteristics.

Users can also add additional customizations to enhance usability and communication that can be automatically applied to single elements, groups, or project-wide.

UModel’s rich visual interface enables developers to quickly and easily sketch software designs to communicate all aspects of system architecture. This lightweight approach to UML design melds perfectly with the agile methodology, opening avenues for communication over dynamic project representations. UModel provides additional support for collaboration through support for shared packages, which enable developers to distribute their functional designs to other team members or import designs from other projects for reuse.

Visual design representations can also easily be saved or printed as images for conceptual review by non-technical contributors.

Another compelling feature in UModel that drives inter-project communication as well as customer collaboration is the ease at which developers can create informative use case diagrams. UML use case diagrams tend to be a popular choice in agile modeling because they address one of the most challenging phases of the software development process, the visualization of user interaction. UModel use case diagram representations can be seamlessly illustrated with the help of advanced usability features and sophisticated graphical output.

UModel also allows developers to auto-generate detailed documentation, including embedded images, in HTML, RTF, or Microsoft® Word. This feature addresses the second point of the Agile Manifesto, enabling teams to focus their efforts on software design, rather than getting buried in overbearing documentation that can sometimes stall project flow.

UModel’s robust round-trip engineering capabilities provide agile developers with the ability to quickly adapt and respond to change over the course of their project(s). UModel interprets modifications to project source code and synchronizes this with the corresponding UML diagram. UModel supports Java, C#, and Visual Basic, bringing advanced functionality and flexibility to the iterative development process.

UModel also offers tight integration with the leading integrated development environments, Visual Studio® and Eclipse, giving developers the ability to seamlessly switch between the UML model and code editing windows and see any updates and changes reflected in real-time.

UModel’s extensive usability and communication features offers development teams the ability to quickly change and adapt project requirements based on the results of incremental collaboration. Its graphical design interface and intuitive modeling capabilities enable team members to create compelling visual designs that can be easily interpreted by both technical and non-technical stakeholders at every stage of the project.

Conclusion

The wide acceptance of agile practices signifies a shift from the role-based, waterfall approach that was the norm just a few years ago. Businesses are recognizing that software projects are constantly changing and evolving at every step of the way. Development teams need to be able to manage change, to meet deadlines, and to lower costs.

Nothing is quite as effective as the right set of concise diagrams to represent the essence of a software implementation. UML has the capacity to deliver structure to vague and abstract customer requirements, enabling developers to easily conceptualize the task at hand.

With its flexible and advanced UML design interface, UModel is an ideal modeling tool for agile development, giving developers an inexpensive, easy-to-use, comprehensive modeling option with robust features for project collaboration and communication. UModel gives users the opportunity to capitalize on the extensive capabilities of the UML standard, but also offers the plasticity required of agile implementations.

You can try UModel for free in your next agile development project.

This technical brief and other resources are available in the Altova Library.

Altova UModel adds Business Process Modeling, Layers, Java 6.0, C# 3.0, and VB 9.0, plus much more in v2008r2

The Altova UML tool for software modeling and application development keeps getting better and better, with recently launched UModel Version 2008 Release 2 adding exciting new features including support for business process diagrams in BPMN notation, code engineering support for Java 6.0, C# 3.0, and Visual Basic 9.0, diagram layers, enhanced auto-completion, and much more.

We can’t wait to see how users take advantage of the new layers feature:

In UModel 2008 Release 2 you can assign each diagram element to a specific layer and set each layer to be hidden or visible. Just imagine how you could take advantage of layers to build simplified views within complex activity diagrams, state machine diagrams that contain superstates and substates, to identify the roles of different parties in business process diagrams, or in virtually any UML diagram that grows to more than two dozen or so elements!

Technical Brief: Streamlining Localization Processes with Altova Tools

Rapid globalization has had a profound effect on the documentation requirements of many forward-thinking companies. The need to quickly and accurately localize content for distribution to a host of different languages, while at the same time adhering to strict budgetary requirements, means that many companies have to rethink their legacy documentation technologies and workflows.

XML and single source publishing have revolutionized content management, document exchange, and multilingual communications by separating content structure from appearance. An XML-based documentation system can greatly reduce costs through facilitating ease of conversion for delivery to many different data formats and types of applications. However, in order to take advantage of the full benefits XML provides, changes must be made in the traditional documentation workflow process.

Throughout the documentation workflow, checks and balances are underway to ensure high quality content delivery. The single source concept ensures that these processes (i.e. conversion, edits, etc.) do not have to be repeated or reworked – that all content in the repository requires only minimal restructuring and promotion before being loaded to respective applications for delivery.

In a global setting, where documentation needs to be simultaneously distributed to a variety of different languages, archival XML source documents can easily be translated by applying translation scripts as well as rendering scripts that can localize formatting attributes based on language-specific requirements. In addition, translation and maintenance costs can be significantly reduced by normalizing content for an international market.

XML Documentation

XML has long been lauded by the publishing industry as a cost-cutting solution to many process-related issues in content production and delivery. Having content converted to XML allows for enhancements in content organization, indexing, linking, storage, reuse and delivery/display. But just having content converted to XML does not allow it to reach its full benefit. XML and its associated technologies call for redesigned workflows to demonstrate their enormous potential.

An optimized workflow for content publishers requires minimal process repetition. Once content is delivered, it is edited and converted to XML and stored in a centralized single source repository within the content management architecture. The XML files themselves will be minimally defined (tagged) so as to allow maximum flexibility. This repository now becomes the core storage mechanism for all deliverable content.

It is on the delivery side that this process model demonstrates its primary benefits. Storing content in the single source repository transforms exporting the content to different formats and applications for delivery into a primarily automated process. There is no need for additional conversions or edits each time content is to be delivered to a different medium. In addition, any complications that arise will now be instantly recognized as process-oriented rather than data-oriented.

Translation

Legacy translation memory databases attempt to modularize content by segmenting source and translated text and storing it in a searchable database for reuse. Though these partially automated systems have been proven to reduce costs when compared to manual processes, the fact that translation is generally done at the sentence level means that is often taken out of context and therefore often loses its meaning.

XML documents, on the other hand, are inherently modular and do not require the extensive parsing applied by traditional translation memory systems. In addition, XML assets can easily be encoded (with metadata, for example) and tracked throughout the translation process, ensuring that it remains closely associated with the contextual information often required by translators.

An XML-enabled single source publishing model is designed to leverage content reuse, enabling organizations to save significant time and money through reducing or even eliminating repeated translations. XML gives publishers the ability to conceptually segment content assets for translation purposes, while at the same time keeping them closely tied to context.

In the case of document frameworks, such as technical publishing, where text is often repeated in many different places, the ability to consolidate resources offers potentially enormous savings in translation costs alone.

Standards

A growing number of emerging standards are designed to aid in the localization of document frameworks. Methodologies for translation workflows and document exchange are designed to streamline content management architectures for multilingual environments. These include:

• Translation Memory eXchange (TMX) – a vendor-neutral XML standard for the exchange of translation memory data between tools and/or translation vendors
• Term Base eXchange (TBX) – an open XML-based standard for exchanging structured terminological data
• Open Lexicon Interchange Format (OLIF) – an open, XML-compliant standard for the exchange of terminological and lexical data
• XML Localization Interchange File Format (XLIFF) – an XML-based vocabulary for the exchange of localizable software and document-based objects and related metadata (XLIFF is also represented in the DITA Translation Subcommittee)
• Translation Web Services (TransWS) – specifies the calls needed to use Web services for the submission and retrieval of files and messages relating to localization projects
• XML-based Text Memory (xml:tm) – an open XML standard for embedding text memory directly within an XML document using XML namespace syntax

The extensible nature of XML lends itself to the creation of a wide variety of industry specifications, many of which enable businesses to streamline business processes and improving communication.

Formatting

In today’s global marketplace, organizations are often challenged with having to produce content in a variety of different languages. In a traditional documentation workflow model, this is an extremely arduous process. Legacy publishing software such as Quark, PageMaker, FrameMaker, etc. require expensive and resource-intensive desktop publishing and engineering processes for repurposing. In addition, these page layout applications are generally not well suited for delivery to multiple output formats.

XML is inherently extensible, offering an infinite number of ways to define and structure markup. This flexibility also enables it to handle arbitrary data structures and convey information for both human users and machines for processing. In addition, XML also provides broad support for Unicode characters, enabling the automation of text normalization processes and making it natively accessible to multilingual environments.

An XML documentation framework offers significant productivity enhancements to the localization workflow. The separation of content from structure and appearance that is inherent to XML gives companies the ability to translate text while at the same time maintaining the document structure dictated by an XML Schema or DTD. Any additional formatting that is required can also be simultaneously implemented through the application of XSLT and/or XSL:FO stylesheets.

Altova Tools for XML-based Single Source Publishing in a Global Environment

There are, of course, several different methods for internationalizing content with XML technologies. Included below are just a few of examples of how Altova tools can be used to streamline global publishing workflows.

Multiple Output Formats
StyleVision is a graphical stylesheet design tool that enables users to create one design for simultaneous output to HTML, RTF, PDF, Word 2007 (OOXML), and Authentic electronic forms.

Language-specific Stylesheets
StyleVision also supports user-defined parameters that allow designers to maintain the modularity of their XML assets through the application of variables. This enables publishers to add unlimited new languages to their documentation by importing language-specific stylesheets and leaving XML content untouched.

Of course, this approach to multi-lingual publishing can lead to the creation of an enormous number of stylesheets that are increasingly difficult to maintain.

SchemaAgent, Altova’s XML-based file management system offers advanced support for managing XSLT (as well as XML Schema and WSDL) document relationships in a large publishing environment.

 XSL Lang() Function
StyleVision also supports the XSL lang() function, which pulls the correct translation from XML source document(s) based on the xml:lang attribute. In this scenario, the translations could be stored together in one XML instance as specified in the xml:tm standard, or stored separately in language-specific directories.

WYSIWYG Authoring Tool
Authentic gives content contributors the opportunity to edit XML directly through e-Forms based on the stylesheet design created in StyleVision. Authentic is available through a free license so that it can be deployed to an unlimited amount of users without increasing costs. This enables translators to work directly with XML, rather than having it transposed at a later date for publishing.

Authentic also includes a multi-lingual spell-checker that references built-in dictionaries in 18 different languages and vocabularies, allowing writers and translators to ensure the accuracy of their work.

Conclusion

Single source publishing calls for the creation of a centralized store of content that can be accessed, reused, and deployed to a variety of different mediums. This enables the integrity of the content to be maintained throughout an infinite number of iterations. In a large documentation localization pool, the ability to adapt to different language and formatting requirements provides significant business advantages.

There are several different approaches to maintaining single source content for a global audience. A careful and informed approach to preparing and storing content assets can ensure a variety of benefits including increased quality and consistency, reduction of translation costs, and increased longevity of translation investments.

In addition, the XML-enabled single source publishing model facilitates document repurposing for delivery to a variety of different formats, making it accessible to end-users in HTML, RTF, PDF, Word 2007 (OOXML), etc. Incorporating this system within organizations documentation workflow processes enables the presentation accurate, consistent, and standardized information. XSL transformations apply format-specific processing instructions while ensuring that document content and structure remain intact.

Migrating content to XML-based single source publication workflows requires some initial planning and technology investment, but the rewards are numerous. Cost reductions in translation and type-setting, faster time-to-market, and the ability to adapt to new language and data structures requirements in the future make the relatively small investment worthwhile.

Discover how single source publishing can optimize your global documentation workflows with a free trial of StyleVision. 

Please note that StyleVision and the other products mentioned above are available as part of Altova’s software bundle, MissionKit, which offers XML and data management tools for distributed publishing environments.

 

This technical brief and other resources are available in the Altova Library.