XML format

The XML data import format for process instance-independent measures is preset by the following document type definitions:

DTD pikidata.dtd (referencing of data series as import data)

s_ppm_tr_xml_dtd_pikidata

DTD _tabledata.dtd (table format for importing process instance-independent data):

s_ppm_tr_xml_dtd_datacols

Thus, import data of process instance-independent measures in XML format have the following general structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<!DOCTYPE pikidata SYSTEM "pikidata.dtd">

<pikidata>

<pikicube name="...">

<datacols>

<datacol name="..."/>

...

</datacols>

<datarow>

<value relevance="...">...</value>

...

</datarow>

...

</pikicube>

...

</pikidata>

ELEMENT and ATTLIST pikidata

Description

pikidata

List of import data on any number of process instance-independent data series (PIKI cube)

pikicube

Data series into which the specified data is to be imported

name

Data series identifier. Must match the name of the PIKI cube (pikicube name XML attribute) specified in the measure configuration.

ELEMENT and ATTLIST datacols

Description

datacols

Import data structure (table columns of the data series)

datacol

Specification of a table column. A column is specified for each process instance-independent measure and each relevant referenced dimension.

name

Table column identifier. Must match the names of the process instance-independent measures (pikidef name) specified in the measure configuration and the names of the referenced dimensions (refdim name).

format

Optional import format for column values. Supported formats are floating point numbers, time and time of day values.

datarow

Specific import data for the data series in the form of a data row. The sequence of import values (value elements) must match the column sequence (datacols) so that each criterion of the data series (process instance-independent measure or referenced dimension) can be assigned a unique value. 

value

Data row column value to be imported (value of a referenced dimension or a process instance-independent measure) 

relevance
(optional)

Relevance value referring to the corresponding value of a process instance-independent measure

Example 1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<!DOCTYPE pikidata SYSTEM "pikidata.dtd">

<pikidata>

<pikicube name="PIKICUBE_COSTS">

<datacols>

<datacol name="OVERHEAD_COSTS"/>

<datacol name="PROCESSTYPE"/>

<datacol name="TIME" format="MMM yyyy"/>

<datacol name="MATERIAL"/>

</datacols>

<datarow>

<value relevance="100">1000 EUR</value>

<value>Order processing\Car industry</value>

<value>June 2000</value>

<value>NaviSet B6{Navigation system}</value>

</datarow>

<datarow>

...

</datarow>

...

</pikicube>

...

</pikidata>

Specification of the import data structure (XML elements datacols and datacol)

The XML-Element datacols specifies the identifiers of the process instance-independent measures and referenced dimensions (datacol name="...") that the data import refers to for the relevant data row. The import data structure is specified in a simple table format in which each criterion of the data series (process instance-independent measure or referenced dimension) represents a table column. 

Data import

The actual import values are extracted from the datarow XML elements. Each of these elements represents a data row that is imported. Each specified value element corresponds to the matching datacol element of the specified import data structure.

The sequence of the values (value XML element) in a data row (datarow XML element) must match the sequence of columns (in the datacols XML element) in the import data structure.

In the XML attribute format="MMM yyyy", the data format for the value to be imported for the referenced dimension TIME is specified. Format information is optional.

Specifying a descriptive text in curly brackets { } means that the values for the one-level dimension MATERIAL are expected in the form <Identifier>{<Descriptive text>}. Specifying a descriptive text is optional, as only the identifier is crucial for the dimension reference.

The example data set has a relevance value for the process instance-independent measure OVERHEAD_COSTS. If you do not specify a relevance value, relevance="1" is the default value.

If no unit is specified for a data value, by default the base unit for the attribute data type is used on which the process instance-independent measure or referenced dimension is based.

Example 2

There are two different formats for importing values of two-level dimensions:

The values are separated by a back slash (\).

...

<datacols>

...

<datacol name="PRINCIPAL"/>

...

</datacols>

...

<datarow>

...

<value>DE{Germany}\0000000001{Becker}</value>

...

</datarow>

...

The values are specified in two XML elements that directly follow one another.

...

<datacols>

...

<datacol name="PRINCIPAL"/>

<datacol name="PRINCIPAL"/>

...

</datacols>

<datarow>

...

<value>DE{Germany}</value>

<value>0000000001{Becker}</value>

...

</datarow>

...