XML Format Files

This type of file contains data that is represented in a hierarchical or tree-type structure. A tag surrounds each data element. A file record tag might group multiple entries.

File layout definitions tie the identifier, along with parent and child relationships, to the file record and file field.

PeopleSoft EDI Manager has no equivalent format.

The following table describes the properties of XML format files:

Property Description

File Format

The XML file format.

File Record ID

The tag name representing the file record.

Field Identifier

The tag name representing the file field.

Field Format

The formatting options for both inbound and outbound field processing.

File Record Name

A user-specified name for the file record.

Field Name

A user-specified name for the file field.

Considerations for XML Format Files

Consider the following points when working with XML format files:

  • The XML input file must contain at least the fields that are specified in the file layout definition that you use.

    If the file is missing any fields, the input rowset does not contain any data.

  • If the XML input file contains extra fields that are not specified in the file layout definition, then the ReadRowset method ignores the extra fields.

  • When you insert a record into a file layout, fields of the Long type are converted to the Character type, with a length of 0.

    You must set the field length to a number greater than 0 before you can save the file layout.

  • The system automatically pads the decimal places with zeros when amounts do not have values beyond the decimal point.

    For example, 100 is automatically written as 100.00.

  • When importing XML files, the longest tag name supported is 30 characters. This restriction is only an issue when importing XML files because PeopleSoft Application Designer automatically enforces the limit .

Exporting Data to ISO Standard-Format XML Files

If you need to export data to an ISO standard-format XML file, with respect to thousands separators, decimal separators, and date format for XML format files, you can enable that behavior for the system by adding a custom section and parameter to the application server and/or Process Scheduler configuration file of the appropriate server process.

If the file layout output is generated from PeopleCode embedded in a PeopleSoft page, the application server configuration file setting is used. If the file layout output is generated by running an Application Engine program through Process Scheduler, the Process Scheduler configuration file is used.

The following procedure assumes a working knowledge of PeopleSoft server administration. See System and Server Administration: Understanding PSADMIN.

To add the custom File Layout settings:

  1. Open the configuration file of the appropriate domain.

    For a Process Scheduler domain, open PSPRCS.CFG, and for the application server domain , open PSAPPSRV.CFG.

  2. Add a new section to the file: [File Layout].

  3. In the [File Layout] section, add the parameter IsoXmlOutput and set it to Y.

    For example:

    [File Layout]
IsoXmlOutput=Y

  4. Save the configuration file.

  5. Reboot the Process Scheduler domain or application server domain.

  6. Repeat these steps for additional domains involved.

Once enabled, XML file layout output would follow ISO standards, regardless of any regional personalizations set by the end-user. For example, these ISO standards would appear in the XML output.

  • No thousands separator and a dot (period) for a decimal separator.

    8000.00

  • Dates in the YYYY-MM-DD format.

    2014-01-12

    Note:

    Enabling ISO output for XML file layouts affects export behavior only (from a database table to a file). It does not change the existing import behavior (from a file to a database table) of an XML-type file layout. As a result, a file exported with IsoXmlOutput enabled may not necessarily be able to act as the source file for importing data into the system.