XML Format and Structure

Records from an existing system can be extracted into a file and then loaded into Emptoris Sourcing using XML.

The Emptoris Sourcing XML Integration Framework implements the interchange between Emptoris Sourcing and other systems using XML. In XML, tags embedded in files control the interpretation of the data, and may be nested. While the tags in HTML (e.g. <b> for bold) are used for rendering, XML tags are used to decode the contents into records and fields. While HTML tags are standardized, XML tags are user defined for the different field names and record types. Nested XML tags are used to denote the data hierarchy, e.g. fields in a record, a product record in a product category record, multiple occurrences of the same record, etc.

To import and export data, DTDs are used. DTD is the acronym for document type definition. A DTD states what tags and attributes are used to describe content in a XML document, where each tag is allowed, and which tags can appear within other tags. When creating an XML formatted file, you should consult the appropriate DTD(s) as well as the set up DTD (ePASS3.dtd). The two kinds of DTDs used in Emptoris® Sourcing are Support and Data DTD.

A product catalog, for example, might typically reside on an MRP or sales system. A new or existing Emptoris Sourcing user might want to move this data to Emptoris Sourcing without entering all the required information again. The Emptoris SourcingXML Integration Framework lets the user do just that. Records from an existing system can be extracted into a file that is then loaded into Emptoris Sourcing.

The results of an Emptoris Sourcing auction can be downloaded into a purchasing system where the purchase orders would be generated.