Altova MissionKit 2008 for Enterprise Software Architects

asp:review

Altova MissionKit 2008 for Enterprise Software Architects

A Comprehensive Collection of XML Tools

By Mike Riley

I have been reviewing and using Altova products for years,starting with the company s flagship product, XML Spy. Over time, Altova hasexpanded both the feature set in XML Spy and the company s product line. Thecompany s product catalog has swelled to eight commercial offerings, allcentered on XML development and interaction, with some of their applicationshaving stronger affinity to that theme than others. Licensing the entirecatalog would certainly appeal to those developers whose projects swim in XML. However,if one were to purchase each of these tools separately, the combined cost isnearly four thousand dollars!

Seeing this as a progressive marketing opportunity, Altovahas opted to bundle their entire commercially licensed software catalog underthe MissionKit for Software Architects suite. By doing so, they haveeffectively made MissionKit the most cost-effective way to buy the latestreleases of XML Spy and MapForce together, as MissionKit costs less than thetotal cost of just those two applications combined.

In addition to the enterprise editions of XML Spy 2008 andMapForce 2008, the MissionKit for Software Architects suite also includesenterprise editions of StyleVision 2008 and UModel 2008, as well as DatabaseSpy2008, DiffDog 2008, SchemaAgent 2008, and SemanticWorks 2008 (Altova alsooffers Altova MissionKit 2008 for Professional Software Architects).

Installation

Although the download and setup of the MissionKit iscoordinated via a single file, this is simply a wrapper for the eight separate,standalone programs it installs. A separate license key is provided for each ofthe applications, making the initial execution of each tool come to ascreeching halt until the user name, company, and license key for that specificprogram is correctly entered. Altova should have been able to combine thelicense keys to propagate across the entire suite, or, at the very least,supply a screen where all the license keys can be entered in a single dialogbox. Thankfully, this inconvenience is only encountered once, but itnevertheless imparts a feeling of a disconnected experience, placing anannoying burden of redundant license authorization on the customer. Thislicensing step took longer than the actual software installation of the suite a problem that hopefully will be addressed in future Altova bundles.

XML Spy 2008 Enterprise Edition

This is the program that started it all for Altova, andthe 2008 release retains its king-of-the-XML-tool-category ranking. In additionto the many features XML Spy has amassed over the years (see my review of the2004 version at http://www.aspnetpro.com/productreviews/2004/01/asp200401rm_p/asp200401rm_p.asp),this latest edition packs in a number of improvements that justify its purchaseindependent of its MissionKit inclusion. As the flagship title of the Altovaline, it also is by far the most complex program with the steepest learningcurve in the MissionKit collection. Although the interface is fairly intuitive,it also is loaded with window panes and tabs, toolbars, and many menu items thatlead to more dialog boxes with which to interact and understand. I have beenusing XML Spy on and off for years and occasionally I still have to re-orientmyself when switching between it and other code-editing environments.

Figure 1: XML Spy 2008 continues toreign supreme as Altova s flagship product. It remains one of the mostsophisticated, feature-rich XML creation and editing tools available today.

This latest release of XML Spy sports a number ofimprovements, with one of the most welcome being the ability to work on verylarge XML documents. Altova has reworked its memory management approach andclaims a reduction of up to 80% usage compared to the previous version. I didn tnotice that dramatic of a footprint reduction, but I did notice the applicationwas generally better behaved and seemed more responsive, especially with largeXML files.

Another addition of special interest to developers workingwith Office 2007 s new document formats is XML Spy s full support of the OfficeOpen XML (OOXML) formats, allowing developers to both create and interrogateOffice 2007 XML-generated file types.

Naturally, the vast array of other XML formats that haveaccumulated over the years continues to be supported, such as XQuery, SOAP,VoiceXML, MathML, and the various versions of XPath and XSLT. Also available asseparate, but free, downloads are extensions that allow the XML Spy environmentto be integrated within Visual Studio, or, for Java developers, the EclipseIDE. While I personally prefer working in the standalone application, thechoice is there for those who prefer their tools under a single interface. Inaddition to XML Spy, both MapForce and the enterprise edition of UModel 2008also have such plug-ins to integrate these applications under a Visual Studioor Eclipse umbrella.

Other highlights I found valuable in XML Spy are the RDBM srelational mapping, XML Schema generation, and querying support for all themajor databases (including SQL Server, Oracle, and DB2 MySQL). Setting up aconnection, performing a query, importing and exporting data, and generatingthe schema are all relatively easy to perform.

With literally hundreds of features in XML Spy, it s achallenge to limit the discussion of this product to only a few paragraphs. Butspace is at a premium, and there are still seven other applications to explore.

MapForce 2008 Enterprise Edition

The database support in XML Spy is adequate for generatinginfrequently changing schemas to standard database definitions, but when moreheavy lifting is involved and data needs to be mapped across multiple types andtransforms, MapForce is the right tool for the job. New features in thisrelease include deeper support for database constructs (SQL SELET statementsand inline primary/foreign key creation), Visual Studio 2008 project file typegeneration, the SOAP 1.2 standard, and more.

The real power of MapForce lies in its ability toauto-generate C++, C#, and Java code using any number of file type combinationsfor application integration of data transformations. These can be standard XMLflat files, X12 EDI messages, Web services, and yes, even Microsoft Excel 2007OOXML documents.

Figure 2: MapForce 2008 allowsdevelopers to visually connect XML relationships to other data sources, such asSQL Server databases.

Although the program also has a variety of options fromwhich to choose, it s easier to learn, in part, because of its focus on datatransforms. MapForce exemplifies the theme of specific focus that the otherMissionKit applications demonstrate (with DiffDog being the simplest and moststraightforward tool of the bunch). In other words, while XML Spy can be usedto facilitate data mapping, MapForce is the optimal tool to use for such arequirement. Consequently, it s the choice program for sophisticated transformsand database interactions, ranging from applying various functions likemathematical or string conversions between sources to applying Boolean if/elseconditions and true/false filters. As a standalone product, MapForce is apowerful data integration mapping tool I found it to be one of the mostremarkable applications in the package.

StyleVision 2008 Enterprise Edition

XML documents in and of themselves are not thatinteresting to end users. It is what they get transformed into that make themworth their construction and adherence effort. StyleVision helps developers anddesigners create drag-and-drop XSLT interfaces that can be used to generatemultiple output types, including HTML, RTF, Word 2007, and (with the help ofXSL:FO) PDF generation. Database-driven publishing also can be performed withthe help of StyleVision s Database Connection Wizard. After the connection ismade and queries are submitted, results can be visually mapped to fields fordatabase report generation needs. Because StyleVision supports the XPath 2.0specification, XPath expressions can be validated easily via the built-in XPatheditor.

Figure 3: StyleVision 2008 is apartial WYSIWYG XSLT and XSL:FO editor that works in close conjunction with XMLSpy-authored XML documents.

Unfortunately, the program still has nowhere near the easeof design compared to that of a solid Web user interface creation tool likeAdobe s Dreamweaver. The mega-sized tag representations harken back to the daysof the old HoTMetaL editor. Some of my peers actually preferred those big tags.I m not one of those fans, and can only continue to hope that Altova providesan alternative design surface for people who prefer to work with an unclutteredworkspace with design and data entry processes that are as intuitive as a wordprocessor.

UModel 2008 Enterprise Edition

Of all the applications in the MissionKit bundle, UModelis the furthest from the core XML theme. Sure, it can generate XML in the formof the XMI 2.1 standard for importation of generated model diagrams into otherModel Driven Architecture (MDA) tools, as well as create and export XML Schemasbased on the UML defined structure, but it is mainly a UML modeling utility anda feature-rich and relatively inexpensive one, at that.

UModel supports the creation of all 13 UML 2.1.1 standarddiagram types, and it can be used to export and reverse engineer C#, VisualBasic, and Java code to and from the diagram definitions. Object dependenciesand relationships can be easily discovered via the Show Associations and ShowDependencies menu selections. Exported code can be maintained via UModel sround-trip synchronization. UModel also can diagram and export XSD and XMLSchemas, making foreign XML designs much easier to visualize and manipulate. Theprogram also can output diagrams in HTML, Word, and RTF for documentationneeds.

Figure 4: UModel 2008 is a UMLmodeling toolkit that supports all the UML diagram standards, as well as Java,C#, or VB.NET code generation and reverse code-to-model engineering.

Creating diagrams is as simple as selecting the type ofdiagram from the Diagram Tree pane, dragging and dropping elements from thecontext-aware toolbars, and editing the element attributes via the Propertiespane. Depending on the model type, additional functions are available, such asthe ability to easily define overridden methods in a Class diagram. Elementscan be selectively styled to help de-clutter the design window, which is especiallyuseful when working with reverse-engineered code and cleaning up diagrams sothey re not so verbose. Additionally, diagrams can have selectively visiblelayers to further drill down into object details. As mentioned earlier, UModelis one of the MissionKit applications via a free plug-in download that can behosted inside Visual Studio or Eclipse. This works better than the otherintegration plug-ins because of the tight association with applicationdevelopment and code synchronization.

For a more in-depth review, visit http://www.aspnetpro.com/productreviews/2006/12/asp200612mr_p/asp200612mr_p.aspfor my praise and criticism of the previously released 2006 edition of theprogram. Several improvements have been made to later editions of the utility,most notably the aforementioned inclusion of VB code support and the IDEintegration plug-ins.

DatabaseSpy and DiffDog 2008

Like UModel, DatabaseSpy goes beyond the realm of XMLdesign, but because of the extensive database support in XML Spy, MapForce, andStyleVision, it makes sense to have a comprehensive, easy to use managementinterface that can work with all the RDBMSes those programs support.

Like SQL Server Studio, MySQL Query Browser, and similarsuch interface tools from Oracle and IBM for their respective databaseproducts, DatabaseSpy displays a familiar table view, query browser, storedprocedure views, and more. It also supports a SQL editor with syntaxhighlighting and auto-completion, and can refactor SQL to clean up codecomments, add/remove semicolons and quotation identifiers, and reformat syntaxto improve readability.

Naturally, it wouldn t be an Altova product if it didn tsupport XML. Depending on the data source, DatabaseSpy automatically adapts tothe capabilities of databases that support XML storage (which include newerversions of all the major RDBMSes). Just as database tables can be browsed, sotoo can XML Schemas and datatypes. DatabaseSpy s optimal use case is for when youare designing databases specifically for XML storage, which is why itsinclusion in the MissionKit suite is so valuable and welcome.

DiffDog is a straightforward file system difference andmerging utility. Its power is appreciated when watching it quickly traverse adirectory filled with hundreds of files to sniff out the files you have. Yes,many source code management systems support such functionality, but theoverhead associated with placing vast numbers of files into a revision systemcan get unwieldy, especially if these files change on a frequent basis. Plus,with DiffDog s optimization for XML display, identifying changes in DiffDog sside-by-side tree-friendly TextView or GridView panes is much easier to workwith than a basic text editing interface used in many diff utilities.

SchemaAgent and SemanticWorks 2008

As XML file repositories grow, keeping track of not onlythe files but the relationship between file definition types becomes amanagement nightmare. Fortunately, Altova identified this pain point andcreated SchemaAgent to specifically address this problem. Users simply targetfiles in their XML project s search path (even when these files are distributedacross networked machines) and SchemaAgent does the rest. Files are gatheredand displayed on the Explorer pane.

Dragging a file on to the design surface automaticallyidentifies its relationship with other files existing in the design window. Becausethe files are parsed in advance, these relationships are meaningful identifiersto specific schema and XML elements within the files. File types can range fromvarious XML files (including WSDLs, XSDs, and XSLTs) to MapForce-generateddesign files. SchemaAgent s graphical view makes file relationship managementso much easier than manually keeping track of these associations. It alsoprovides live documentation updates by reflecting any context changes in theview, as well as creating new relationships via simple drag-and-drop editing. Alsomuch appreciated is SchemaAgent s ability to work simultaneously with XML Spyfor real-time updating of file relationship visualization.

Figure 5: SchemaAgent 2008 providesa clean interface to easily construct, evaluate, and modify XML schemas.

SemanticWorks is a cutting-edge tool for the cutting-edge SemanticWeb. Although its functionality is laser focused on creating and editingResource Description Framework (RDF) schemas and vocabularies, as well as WebOntology Language (OWL) files, its first mover advantage in this evolvingmachine-to-machine conversational Web approach makes creating such structuresmuch easier than using XML editors without SemanticWorks optimizations. Creatingnew RDF/OWL files in SemanticWorks involves working with the Classes,Properties, Instances, allDifferent, and Ontology tabs, combined with thevisualization palette to quickly author, import, or export to RDF/XML and N-Triplesfiles.

Figure 6: SemanticWorks 2008, one ofthe newest tools in the Altova catalog, assists developers with the creation ofRDF and OWL documents for output to RDF/XML or N-Triples formats.

For those who have yet to grasp what is meant by the SemanticWeb, Altova has a helpful write-up about the subject on their Web site at http://www.altova.com/semantic_web.html.

Conclusion

The MissionKit is a serious toolkit for serious XMLdevelopers; it covers nearly every aspect of XML creation, interrogation,integration, and testing. Though the commercial license cost isn t inexpensive,it s also not exorbitant considering the number of polished, matureapplications with which it comes bundled.

For those readers who may be interested in seeing theproducts in action, Altova has posted screencasts of several of their morepopular products, including XML Spy, MapForce, and UModel. These Flash-baseddemos can be viewed at http://www.altova.com/videos.asp.For those ready to take the next step and try before buying, a free 30-daytrial can be downloaded from http://www.altova.com/download/missionkit/software_development_tools_enterprise.html.

Even though there is a lot to learn, and even more toperfect, most developers familiar with XML should be able to assess all theseproducts within a few days. In fact, I would advise those who may initiallyonly be interested in test driving XML Spy to download the MissionKit trialanyway to have an opportunity to see how that product s shortcomings areaddressed in other tools included in the package.

I remain impressed by what Altova has been able to amassover the years, as well as the depth of expertise its codified interfaces candeliver to its active customers. MissionKit may be overkill for thosedevelopers who dabble infrequently with XML schemas and transformations. Thissegment will continue to do just fine using inexpensive, and even free,alternatives like XML Notepad. However, for those whose job s success dependson the XML implementations they create and manage, MissionKit is one of themost comprehensive collections of XML tools that will catalyze success.

Rating:

Web Site: http://www.altova.com/products/missionkit/software_architect_tools.html

Price: US$1,990

Mike Riley is anadvanced computing professional specializing in emerging technologies and newdevelopment trends. He also is a contributing editor for asp.netPRO. Readers may contact Mike at mailto:[email protected].