2023.1:XML Schema Integration (Functionality)

This article is about an older version of Grooper.

Information may be out of date and UI elements may have changed.

2025

2023.1

XML schemas are common formats that Grooper can leverage for generating models and exporting data.

About

You may download and import the file(s) below into your own Grooper environment (version 2023.1). There is a Batch with the example document(s) discussed in this tutorial, as well as a Project configured according to its instructions.

Given the proprietary nature of SharePoint and Database connections, the connection objects and their configuriations cannot be shared.
Please upload the Project to your Grooper environment before uploading the Batch. This will allow the documents within the Batch to maintain their classification status.
The XML Schemas and Files.zip file is not a Grooper ZIP file, therefore it is not meant to be uploaded into Grooper. Instead, unzip the contents of this file normally.

The XML format has been around since 1996 and, from a business perspective, can play a large role in your ability to organize data. This article will focus chiefly on XML Schemas and how Grooper can leverage them to define Data Model structures as control how data is exported out of Grooper.

How To

EDI Standards

XML Schema Integration was actually born from a necessity for Grooper to efficiently collect data from medical EDI files, therefore, we will begin our understanding by learning how to work withm them. Below we will work with a mocked up EOB form.

Follow the instructions in the screenshots below.

With the "EDI Integration - Batch" selected...
...on the "Viewer" tab...
...we can see the contents of this EDI file. This is a standardized format used by businesses to send data in a way that might typically be seen in the form of a document like an "Invoice" or "EOB Form". Understanding the structure of this document, especially to the untrained eye, is daunting at best. Grooper will do the hard work for us.

Selecting an EDI Schema

There is a massive library of EDI standars, and Grooper has built into a small selection of X12 schemas to choose from. These act as templates that will populate a Data Model with all the appropriate Data Elements necessary to house all data from a given format.

Right-click on the "EDI Integration" Data Model and choose "Import Schema"
Check "Remove Existing" if you want to remove existing Data Elements from the model
In the "Import Schema" dialog click teh drop-down for teh "Source" property and choose "EDI Schema Importer"
Once set, expand the sub-properties of "Source"
Choose "X12 837 Professional" in the drop-down for the "X12 Schema" property

Execute Activity to Collect EDI Data

Extraction using EDI Schemas does not leverage the standard Extract activity. Instead, the Execute activity will be used.

Data View to see Results

XML Schemas

EDI schemas are incredibly useful if you are working with that specific style of template. However, they are useless outside of their specific use case. XML schemas, on the other hand, are ubiquitous across businesses and industries and can be leveraged in a very similar way.

Follow the instructions in the screenshots below.

Adding .xsd Resource File

Just about any file can be added as a Resource File object in Grooper. For XML schemas the .xsd file standard will be used.

Creating Data Elements from .xsd Resource File

We can now leverage the added Resource File object as a reference to create Data Elements from the schema.

Execute Activity to Validate XML Schemas

We can leverage an XML schema file to validate if a document matches a provided schema.

Execute Activity to Collect XML Data

Like with the EDI Schemas, the Execute activity with an appropriate command is used to collect data from XML files.

Export XML Format

XML Formats for the Export of data from Grooper are quite powerful, because in spite of the fact that there are a myriad of ways in Grooper export data directly to backend systems, plenty of businesses still prefer to use this format to control how data enters whatever system they are using.

You can define the structure of your XML Format output by leveraging .xsd schema files.

XML Format as an Attachment Using the Merge Activity

An XML Format can be created as an attachment to a document by using the Merge activity. This attachment can later be leveraged by the Export activity.

XML Format through Export Behavior

The functionality of the Merge activity is also built into the Export activity and can be handled by an Export Behavior.