Working with XML Entities

 

The following sections explain how to use the XML Finder to find XML entities, and how to manage XML entities in the XML repository:

• Locating XML Entities Using the XML Finder

• Managing the XML Repository

 

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Locating XML Entities Using the XML Finder

The XML Finder dialog box helps you find XML entities stored in the XML repository, or the local file system, or at a URL. The dialog box also maintains a list of the XML entities you used most recently, so you do not have to search for them if you want to use them again. XML entities can be XML documents, DTD files, schema files, and XSLT template documents. Once you select an XML entity, the XML Finder returns the entity to the Studio.

You can access the XML Finder in a couple of ways:

• From Studio dialog boxes, such as the following: XSL Transform, Send XML to Client, Post XML Event, and the XPath wizard.

  Using this method, you can access XML entities stored in the XML repository, the local file system, or at a URL. The following sections provide details.

• By choosing Tools—>Show XML Finder.

  Using this method, you can access XML entities stored in the XML respository only. For details, see Managing the XML Repository.

Retrieving the Most Recently Used XML Entities

The XML Finder maintains a list of the XML entities you used most recently on your workstation. You can re-use the entities in the list without having to search for them again.

To retrieve an entity from the most recently used list:

1. In the XML Finder dialog box, select the Recent tab.

   Figure C-1 Recently Used XML Objects

   
    

2. Select the entity you want to use.

3. To see the contents of the entity, click Preview.

4. To return the entity to the Studio, click OK.

Retrieving XML Entities from the XML Repository

The XML Finder provides a way to obtain XML entities stored in the XML repository maintained by BEA WebLogic Process Integrator. The XML Finder also provides a way to manage the entities in the repository. For more information about the XML repository, see Managing the XML Repository.

To retrieve an entity from the repository:

1. In the XML Finder dialog box, select the Repository tab.

2. Select the folder from which you want to retrieve an XML entity.

   Figure C-2 XML Objects in the Selected Folder

   
    

   The left panel shows you a tree view of the repository with folders and subfolders arranged hierarchically. The top-most panel on the right shows you the entities in the selected folder. The Description field contains a description of the selected folder, and the Notes field contains any notes about the selected folder.

3. In the top-most panel on the right, select the entity you want to retrieve.

4. To see the contents of the entity, click Preview.

5. To return the entity to the Studio, click OK.

Retrieving XML Entities from the Local File System

The XML Finder provides a way to retrieve XML entities from the file system on your workstation.

To retrieve an entity from the local file system:

1. In the XML Finder dialog box, select the File tab.

   Note: The File tab is unavailable if you access the XML Finder from a dialog box that you are using to specify an action that takes place at run time. For example, if you access the XML Finder from the XSL Transform dialog box, the File tab is unavailable because the XSL transformation occurs at run time. Specifying an XSL template document located on the local file system is not appropriate in this case because BEA WebLogic Process Integrator can not access the local file system at run time.

   Figure C-3 XML Objects in the File Sytem

   
    

2. In the Look in field, specify the drive and folder from which you want to obtain the XML entity. If necessary, use the buttons to the right of the Look in field.

3. From the file list, select the entity you want to retrieve.

4. To see the contents of the entity, click Preview.

5. To return the entity to the Studio, click OK.

Retrieving XML Entities from a URL

The XML Finder provides a way to retrieve XML entities from a URL.

To retrieve an entity from a URL:

1. In the XML Finder dialog box, select the URL tab.

   Figure C-4 URL Tab in the XML Finder Dialog Box

   
    

2. In the URL field, enter the complete URL, including the protocol, server, and filename, of the XML entity you want to retrieve.

3. To see the contents of the entity, click Preview.

4. To return the entity to the Studio, click OK.

 

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Managing the XML Repository

The XML repository is maintained by BEA WebLogic Process Integrator, and is used to store XML entities, such as XML documents, DTD files, and XSL template documents.

You can view the contents of the repository, and perform actions on the repository, on folders in the repository, and on XML entities in folders.

Viewing the Contents of the Repository

You can view the contents of the entire repository, or the contents of individual folders in the repository.

To view the contents of the entire repository,

1. Choose Tools—>Show XML Finder. The XML Finder dialog box opens with the Repository tab selected.

2. In the left panel, select XML Repository.

   Figure C-5 Contents of the Entire Repository

   
    

The left panel shows you a tree view of the repository with folders and subfolders arranged hierarchically. The top-most panel on the right shows you a detailed view of the repository. The Folders field lists all the folders in the repository, including their total number. The Entities field lists all the XML entities in the repository, including their total number.

To view the contents of a folder, select the folder you want to view.

Figure C-6 XML Entities in the Selected Folder

 

The left panel shows you a tree view of the repository with folders and subfolders arranged hierarchically. The top-most panel on the right shows you the contents of the selected folder. The Description field contains a description of the selected folder, and the Notes field contains any notes about the selected folder.

The XML repository stores different types of XML entities, each one represented by a symbol, as shown in the following table.

Symbol	XML Entity Type
	DTD file
	MFL file
	Schema file
	Text file
	XML document
	XSLT template document

Working with the Entire Repository

You can perform several different actions at the root level of the repository. To perform actions at the root level of the repository:

1. Choose Tools—>Show XML Finder. The XML Finder dialog box opens.

2. Right-click XML Repository in the tree view of the repository. A pop-up menu appears where you can select the following actions.

   Menu Option	Action
   Add Folder	Add a folder to the root of the repository using the Add Folder dialog box. For details, see Adding a Folder.
   Add Entity	Add an XML entity to the repository using the the Add Entity dialog box. For details, see Adding an XML Entity.
   Paste	Paste an XML entity that was cut from another location in the repository into the current selection. This menu option is available only if an XML entity is cut from another location, and is available to be pasted.

You can also export the contents of the repository to a Java Archive (JAR) file, and import the contents of a JAR file into the repository. For details, see Exporting and Importing Workflow Packages.

Adding a Folder

Clicking Add Folder in the pop-up menu opens the Add Folder dialog box.

Figure C-7 Add Folder Dialog Box

 

To add a folder:

1. In the Name field, enter the name of the folder.

2. Optionally, enter a description and notes about the folder in the Description and Notes fields, respectively.

3. Click OK.

Adding an XML Entity

Clicking Add Entity in the pop-up menu opens the Add Entity dialog box.

Figure C-8 Add Entity Dialog Box

 

To add an XML entity:

1. In the Name field, enter a unique name for the entity you are adding.

2. Using the Type drop-down list, select the type of entity you are adding.

3. Optionally, enter a description and notes about the entity in the Description and Notes fields, respectively.

4. In the Content URL field, enter the URL of the entity you are adding, or use Browse to locate the entity on the local file system.

5. Optionally, click View to display the contents of the entity you are adding.

6. Click OK.

Working with Folders

You can perform several different actions on a folder. To perform actions on a folder:

1. Choose Tools—>Show XML Finder. The XML Finder dialog box opens.

2. Right-click a folder in the tree view of the repository. A pop-up menu appears where you can select the following actions.

   Menu Option	Action
   Add Folder	Add a subfolder to the selected folder using the Add Folder dialog box. For details, see Adding a Folder.
   Delete Folder	Delete the folder from the repository. A folder may only be deleted when it has no subfolders. A dialog box asks you to confirm the delete action.
   Update Folder Info	Change the name, description, and notes about the folder using the Update Folder Info dialog box. For details, see Updating Folder Information.
   Add Entity	Add an XML entity to the folder using the Add Entity dialog box. For details, see Adding an XML Entity.
   Paste	Paste an XML entity that was cut from another location in the repository into the current selection. This menu option is available only if an XML entity is cut from another location, and is available to be pasted.

Updating Folder Information

Clicking Update Folder Info in the pop-up menu opens the Update Folder Info dialog box which displays current information about the selected folder.

Figure C-9 Update Folder Info Dialog Box

 

To update folder information:

1. Change the contents of the Name, Description, and Notes fields as necessary.

2. Click OK.

Working with XML Entities

You can perform several different actions on XML entities in folders in the repository. To perform actions on XML entities:

1. Choose Tools—>Show XML Finder. The XML Finder dialog box opens, displaying the repository.

2. In the tree view of the repository, select the folder that contains the entities with which you want to work.

3. In the top-most panel on the right, right-click the entity with which you want to work. A pop-up menu appears where you can select the following actions.

   Menu Option	Action
   Add Entity	Add an XML entity to the folder using the the Add Entity dialog box. For details, see Adding an XML Entity.
   Export Entity	Export the entity to the local file system using the Save dialog box. For details, see Exporting an Entity.
   Delete Entity	Delete the entity from the folder. A dialog box asks you to confirm the delete action.
   Update Entity	Change the name, description, and notes about the entity using the Update Folder Info dialog box. For details, see Updating Entity Information.
   Cut	Cut the entity from the folder. Once the entity is cut, you can paste it into another location in the repository.

Updating Entity Information

Clicking Update Entity in the pop-up menu opens the Update Entity Definition dialog box which displays current information about the selected entity.

Figure C-10 Update Entity Definition Dialog Box

 

To update entity information:

1. Change the contents of the Name, Description, and Notes fields as necessary.

   Note: You cannot change the entity content type using the Update Entity Definition dialog box. To change the type of an entity, you must create a new entity with the desired content type. For details, see Adding an XML Entity.

2. In the Content URL field, enter the new URL of the entity, or use Browse to specify the new location of the entity in the local file system.

3. Click OK.

Exporting an Entity

Clicking Export Entity in the pop-up menu opens the Save dialog box.

Figure C-11 Save Dialog Box

 

To export an entity to the local file system:

1. From the Look in drop-down list, select the folder to which you want to export the entity.

2. In the File name field, specify the name of the file to which you want to export the entity, or select an existing file.

3. Click Save.