TS XML DataServer lets you share Thoroughbred data with remote servers and third-party tools using XML. With simple SQL-style syntax you can pull data from any Dictionary-IV defined database and get the result back as XML. The XML can be rendered as HTML in a browser or passed to other applications. TS XML DataServer is tightly coupled with Dictionary-IV and is supported by the Thoroughbred Environment and OPENworkshop.
Requests
TS XML DataServer supports these request types:
- READ an XSchema, to return a related data set built across several Links
- READ a Link, to return records from one file or table
- INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE on a Link. New and changed data is validated against the Format definition, and I/O triggers run as usual.
- METHOD, to run an XML Method that receives and returns XML
A request is an HTTP query string. For example, to read customer 100100 from a Link named OELCUST:
https://www.example.com/xml.tbred?xmlrequest=READ+OELCUST+USING+KEY+100100XSchema definitions
XSchema is a Dictionary-IV definition type for mapping complex relational data across multiple Links. An XSchema names the Links, the data elements, the relationships between them and the logic needed to build the data set. A single request can return, for example, a customer with its salesperson, invoices, invoice lines and item descriptions.
Architecture
The TS XML server process manages all communication on the server. It receives requests as URL-encoded HTTP query strings and passes them to the TS XML DataServer engine. The engine uses the Dictionary-IV Format, Link and XSchema definitions to build the data collection as an XML string, which the server process returns to the HTTP or HTTPS requestor.
How it fits
TS XML DataServer can be the back end for your own web and mobile apps, and it works alongside TS WebServer for browser applications. The Solution-IV analytics demo was built with it.