Using the wizard for XML files
The DataMapper wizard for XML and JSON files helps you create a data mapping configuration for an XML file. The wizard lets you select the type of node and the trigger that delimit the start of a new record. Next, the wizard extracts the data in one extraction step.
This wizard can also be used to extract data from a JSON file. JSON files are automatically converted to XML.
If there is no root element in the JSON it will be added and each object without a named parent element is called an 'item'.
Note that in addition to being valid, the JSON should follow naming rules for XML elements. For example, "adress_line_1:" is a valid key name in JSON, but it cannot be converted to a valid element name in XML because the colon is reserved for namespaces. For XML naming rules and best naming practices, see: XML elements on W3Schools.
The wizard cannot create detail tables. If the file contains transactional data, the data mapping configuration is best created without a wizard (see Creating a new data mapping configuration).
There are two ways to open an XML/JSON file with a wizard: from the Welcome screen or from the File menu.
- From the Welcome screen
- Open the PlanetPress Connect Welcome page by clicking the icon at the top right or select the Help menu and then Welcome.
- Click New DataMapper Configuration.
- From the Using a wizard pane, select XML.
- Click the Browse button and select the file you want to work with. For a JSON file, change the file type to JSON first. Click Next.
- From the File menu
- In the menu, click File > New.
- Click the Data mapping Wizards drop-down and select From XML File.
- Click Next.
- Click the Browse button and select the file you want to work with. For a JSON file, change the file type to JSON first. Click Next.
After selecting a file, you have to set the split level and trigger type:
- XML Elements: This is a list of node elements that have children nodes. Select the level in the data that will define the source record.
- Trigger: Select On element to create a record in the Data mapping for each occurrence of the node element selected in the XML Elements field, or select On change to create a record each time the element is different. (Check the option to include attributes in the list of content items that can trigger a boundary.)
The DataMapper only extracts elements for which at least one value is defined in the file. Attribute values are not taken into account.
Attribute values (prefixed with an @ sign in the Data Viewer) are not extracted automatically.
Click Finish to close the dialog and open the data mapping configuration.