The XML read and write features are robust and versatile. The following examples demonstrate common problems that can be solved with the features:

  • Provide interoperability between OpenEdge and another XML-enabled platform or application. For example, Crystal Reports can accept XML data and XML Schema when building and displaying reports.
  • Use XML data and XML Schema as a persistent storage mechanism between ABL sessions.
  • Provide XML Schema from ABL for use in third-party tools. For example, Microsoft Visual Studio has a utility that creates an ADO.NET dataset from an .xsd file. By writing a ProDataSet definition to an .xsd file, you can then use the Microsoft utility to quickly model a ProDataSet as an ADO.NET DataSet class.
  • You might have existing ABL code that performs XML reads and writes with the DOM or SAX interface that you can simplify and replace with the temp-table and ProDataSet object XML read and write features.