XML

Hippani Animator has the ability to load XML data and use it to create data driven web pages. XML can only be loaded from a web server or localhost. If you try to load any XML on your hard drive, the XML object may have status equal to 0. Some browsers like Internet Explorer don't allow direct access to the hard drive or cross domain XML.

XML can be added to the library or loaded from a URL. If you need to load XML from another domain than the one the exported HTML is hosted on, the XML must be redirected from a local server page or include the header Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *.

Be careful when parsing the XML object. Different web browsers handle XML in different ways. Some browsers include empty space as text nodes, some do not. Some browsers allow cross domain XML, some do not. Try listing the node details in different web browsers to see the difference.

A basic example of how to load an XML document called XMLFile1 from the library.

OpenXML("XMLFile1",Result);
function Result(XML){
if(XML.status==200){
alert(XML.documentElement.nodeName);
}else{
alert("Error Code "+XML.status);
}
}

XML Example

This example shows how to read a list of fruit from an XML file into an array.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<List>
<Fruit>Apple</Fruit>
<Fruit>Banana</Fruit>
<Fruit>Orange</Fruit>
<Fruit>Pear</Fruit>
<Fruit>Pineapple</Fruit>
<Fruit>Grapes</Fruit>
</List>

OpenXML("XMLFile1",Result);
function Result(XML){
if(XML.status==200){
var Node=XML.documentElement.firstChild;
var List=new Array();
while(Node!=null){
if(Node.firstChild!=null){
List.push(Node.firstChild.nodeValue);
}
Node=Node.nextSibling;
}
alert("Loaded list. Length="+List.length+" First Item="+List[0]);
}else{
alert(XML.status+" Error!!!");
}
}

Sending XML

The XML functions can be used to send to data to a web server. As long as the web server responds with valid XML. The URL must also be valid, characters such a spaces and punctuation must be converted to URL codes e.g. space is %20.
This example shows how you might send a message and expect back some simple XML <Success/>.

OpenXMLUrl("http://www.MyServer.com?Message=This%20is%20a%20Test", Result);
function Result(XML){
if(XML.status==200){
if(XML.documentElement.nodeName=="Success"){
alert("Message received");
}
}else{
alert(XML.status+" Error!!!");
}
}

Redirecting XML

If you need to load XML from another domain than the one the exported movie is hosted on, the XML must be redirected from a local server page or include the header Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. This is an example of an ASP.NET page that could be used to redirect our RSS feed, so that it appears the feed is coming from the same server as the HTML. We've also added the header to show how that could be achieved. Other server pages could be used such as PHP.

<%@ Page Language="C#" %>
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Net" %>
<%WebClient WC = new WebClient();
string XML=WC.DownloadString("http://www.Hippani.com/?S=RSS");
Response.AddHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*");
Response.ContentType = "text/xml";
Response.Write(XML);
%>

Script

Open XML • Open an XML file into an XML object. This function runs in the background and requires the name on an XML file in the library and a function that the XML object is sent to when it is loaded.

OpenXML("Name",Response:Function);

Open XML Url • Open an XML file into an XML object from a URL. This function runs in the background and requires a URL and a function that the XML object is sent to when it is loaded.

OpenXMLUrl("http://",Response:Function);

Open XML Method Url • Open an XML file into an XML object from a URL. This function runs in the background and requires a URL and a function that the XML object is sent to when it is loaded. The HTTP method can be GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS, PUT, DELETE, TRACE. Some methods, such as POST, allow a data string to be sent.

OpenXMLMethodUrl("http://","GET",null,Response:Function);

OpenXMLMethodUrl("http://www.MySite.com/XML.php","POST","Name=Fruit&Value=Apple",Result);
function Result(XML){

}

XML Object

documentElement • The root node of the XML document.

status • The status of the XML document.
0 - The XML object failed. XML may not be supported by this browser, the page may be on another domain or not on a web server.
1 - The URL is invalid.
2 - The XML is invalid.
200 - Success.
400 to 499 - The request failed. The file may not exist or access may be denied.
500 to 599 - The response failed. The server failed to return the XML document, there may be an error on the web server.

XML Node

attributes • Returns the attributes of the node. e.g. <Node attribute1="Value1" attribute2="Value2" />"

nodeName • The name of the node. A text node is named #Text.

nodeValue • The value of the node. For a text node, the value is the text.

To get the text within a node:

var InnerText=null;
if(ExampleNode.firstChild!=null){
InnerText=ExampleNode.firstChild.nodeValue;
}

nodeType • The type of node.

parentNode • The parent node.

firstChild • The first child node of this node.

lastChild • The last child node of this node.

nextSibling • The next node.

previousSibling • The previous node.

List the details of all the child nodes in a node:

var Node=ExampleNode.firstChild;
var List="";
while(Node!=null){
List+=Node.nodeName+" "+Node.nodeType+" "+Node.nodeValue+"\r\n";
Node=Node.nextSibling;
}
alert(List);

XML Attributes

length • The number of attributes in the node.

item • Returns an attribute by index.

.item(Index:Number)

getNamedItem • Returns an attribute by name.

.getNamedItem("Name")

List all the attributes in a node:

var Attr=ExampleNode.attributes;
var List="";
for(var i=0;i<Attr.length;i++){
List+=Attr.item(i).name+"="+Attr.item(i).value+"\r\n";
}
alert(List);

XML Attribute

name • The name of the attribute.

value • The value of the attribute.

YouTube

Using JavaScript