XSL Transforms

Although XML is a precise and efficient method for storing and transmitting data, it can be difficult for a person to read and understand. A technology called XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) exists that allows you to convert (transform) the data in an XML document into a more readable, browser-renderable format such as HTML.

The basic steps involved in this process are:

1. Write an XSLT transform for a specific type of XML file (e.g., invoice-v2011.1.xml)

2. Associate the two files by adding a reference to the XSLT transform inside the XML file

3. Open the XML file in a browser; the browser executes the transform and displays the HTML

While the creation of XSLT transforms is a decidedly technical task, it is not particularly difficult, and can result in attractive and usable document displays. Your company can create transforms that include your own logo, watermark, fonts, and other information, and that cause the data in the "raw" XML file to be organized and displayed in a visual format of your choice. The screen shot below shows a transformed sample invoice.

NAMM provides further information and maintains some XSLT transform examples at http://www.namm.org/initiatives/b2b/docs/xslt-transforms-guide. On that page, you can open some XML files that use pre-written XSLT transforms to get an idea of what is possible. Note: You must be logged in to the NAMM site to access this page. If you have an account, you may sign in here: https://www.namm.org/user; if you do not have an account, you may create one here: https://www.namm.org/user/register. NAMM web site accounts are free.

You can learn more about XSLT at the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) W3Schools training site (http://w3schools.com/xsl/default.asp).