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ATML ToolsThe Key to Success

Mark Skiba

Software Architect

Vektrex Electronic Systems, Inc.

www.vektrex.com

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ATML Tools Overview

• Importance of ATML Tools• ATML Tool/Schema Challenges• .NET Instrument Description Experience• Online ATML Instrument Editor• Recommendations• Discussions

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Importance of ATML Tools

• Tools involved in almost all ATML usage cases– Broad ATML tool adoption = ATML Success

• Tool development an essential part of schema validation– Many XML platforms don’t support all Schema

constructs– Key relationships may be missing

• Iterative “Tool Development”/”Schema Changes” key to getting optimal ATML Schemas

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ATML Tool/Schema Challenges

• Platform Support Issues– Object Oriented Data hosted in relational DBs– Schema constructs not supported

• Application Issues– Inter-document relationships

• Example: Test Configuration, Instrument Description, UUT

– Intra-element relationships• Example: Instrument Description (Ports & NetworkList)

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.NET Platform ExperienceATML Instrument Description Editor

• ADO.NET (.NET XML-DB binding technology) doesn’t support current ATML schema

• XML Spy generated code – problems with abstract elements

• .NET Serialization worked

• Application Issues:– No common way to link documents (e.g. Components)– Relationship between linked elements not clear (e.g.

Ports & NetworkList)

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ATML 3rd Party Tool Sample: Instrument Description Editor

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ATML Tools Recommendations

• Consider our usage cases carefully– Is Relational DB support necessary?

• “Common.xsd” solutions– Inter-document references

• ATML Schema Style-Guide additions– Recommendations on constructs to avoid– Intra-element relationships more explicit (possibly add

foreign key relationships)

• Validate schemas with prototype applications

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Discussion