Document Type Definitions

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Document Type Definitions

XML files are generally used to transport data across networks using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Document type definitions (DTDs) provide information about how XML documents are formed.

Siebel eBusiness has the equivalent of a DTD for every integration object, which it uses to create outgoing XML documents and to decide whether incoming XML documents have the proper format (the documents are "validated" by Siebel eBusiness). Avaya IR does not use DTDs at all, but DTDs generated by Siebel eBusiness can be used to construct Avaya IR applications which will be able to send and interpret XML files.

To create a DTD, generate a schema for the integration object within Siebel eBusiness.

In the examples below, separate integration objects exist for query and update operations. Note that this may be the case more often than having one DTD for both operations:

Sample query DTD

<!ELEMENT BubbaAccountDetail (FincorpAccount+) >

<!ELEMENT FincorpAccount (AccountNumber?,

RelationshipLimit?,

CurrentBalance?,

LastName?)>

<!ELEMENT AccountNumber (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT RelationshipLimit (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT CurrentBalance (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT LastName (#PCDATA) >

Sample update DTD

<!ELEMENT BubbaFundsTransferSr (FundsTransferSR+) >

<!ELEMENT FundsTransferSR (ContactFinancialAccounts?,

ContactLastName?,

FundsTransferFromAccountNumber?,

FundsTransferToAccountNumber?,

FundsTransferDollarAmount?,

TransactionId?,

SRNumber?)>

<!ELEMENT ContactFinancialAccounts (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT ContactLastName (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT FundsTransferFromAccountNumber (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT FundsTransferToAccountNumber (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT FundsTransferDollarAmount (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT TransactionId (#PCDATA) >

<!ELEMENT SRNumber (#PCDATA) >

The DTD is used by the application differently for reading incoming documents and creating outgoing documents. Every XML document must match the element definitions given in the DTD.

For XML documents being received by Avaya IR, the element names need to be known so that the application can parse the document and extract the data.
For XML documents being sent by Avaya IR, an XML template can be created separately by the developer, which is then used to build the XML documents that will be sent. The documents are always populated with data. For queries, this data will typically be a key field. Updates include data that will be put into a Siebel database.