Importing XML data

FileMaker Pro Advanced can import XML data into an existing FileMaker Pro Advanced file, or convert XML into a new FileMaker Pro Advanced file.

The XML can be a file, or the result of an HTTP request sent to a web server. For example, you could set up an Orders database to send tracking numbers to a package delivery company in the form of an HTTP request, and their web server could return the latest package tracking information in XML format, ready to be imported into the Orders database.

The XML that you import must conform to the FileMaker FMPXMLRESULT document type definition (DTD). If your XML is in a different format, you can apply an Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSLT) style sheet during import to transform your XML into the FMPXMLRESULT grammar. See XML format.

To import XML:

1. What you do first depends on whether you are importing XML into an existing FileMaker Pro Advanced file, or converting XML into a new FileMaker Pro Advanced file.

To import XML	Do this
Into an existing FileMaker Pro Advanced file	Continue with step 2.
By converting the XML into a new FileMaker Pro Advanced file	Skip ahead to step 8.

2. If you're updating matching records or replacing existing records, make a backup copy of the target file.

Important Updating matching records or replacing existing records overwrites data in the target file and cannot be undone. To safeguard your data, choose File menu > Save a Copy As to make a backup copy of the target FileMaker Pro Advanced file. You can do this only for a local file (located on your computer). Make sure you understand how updating or replacing records works. See Importing data into FileMaker Pro Advanced.

4. If the target file contains multiple tables, use the Layout pop-up menu to display a layout that shows records from the table you want to import data into.

5. If you're updating matching records or replacing existing records, do the following before you import. (If you're adding new records, skip to the next step.)

•If you're updating matching records, make sure the found set contains only the records you want to update. Records outside the found set will not be updated, even if match field data matches.

•If you're replacing existing records in the file, make sure the found set contains only the records you want to change. If necessary, sort the records so that data from the correct record in the source file replaces data in each record in the target file.

You should only follow steps 8 through 9 if you are converting XML into a new FileMaker Pro Advanced file.

9. In the Open File dialog box, for Files of type (Windows) or Show (macOS), choose XML Data Source.

10. For Specify XML Data Source, choose the source of the XML data to import.

11. To apply an XSLT style sheet to the XML before importing, select Use XSL style sheet and specify the source of the XSLT style sheet.

When the XML you're importing does not conform to the FMPXMLRESULT DTD, you must apply an XSLT style sheet that transforms the XML into the proper grammar. The XSLT source may be a file or the result of an HTTP request.

Using a Xerces-based XML parser and a Xalan-based XSLT processor, FileMaker Pro Advanced applies an XSLT style sheet (if you specified one) to transform the XML data. If an error message appears, correct the error and try importing again.

13. Choose the import action to perform and map fields in the target file to the data you want to import from the source file. (See Setting the import action and mapping fields during import.) Choose options in the dialog box, then click Import.

If you are converting the XML into a new FileMaker Pro Advanced file, type a name for the new file, choose a location, then click Save.

Notes

•For details about the requirements for well-formed XML, see the XML specification, which is available at www.w3.org/XML/.

•FileMaker Pro Advanced uses the Xerces-C++ XML parser, which supports XML data in the following character encodings:

Although Windows-1252 is the default character encoding on Windows, this character encoding is not widely recognized by other XML processing tools. If you're using a Windows-based editing tool to generate XML, check the encoding="..." declaration to see which character set it generates. See the Xerces C++ FAQ on the Apache website at xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/.

•In the Import Records script step when you specify XML Data as the data source, you can specify paths for the XML data and XSL style sheet in two ways:

•For File, the path must be in FileMaker format (see Creating file paths).

•For Calculation, the path must be the full path in the operating system's format. For example:

If you are providing a cross-platform solution, you can use the Get(SystemPlatform) function to identify the current platform and use the correct format for each platform.