Automated tool to convert XML from DTD to DTD
 

Hi… this is regarding XML to XML conversion, based on different DTDs

I have one XML file based on a given DTD, I am trying to convert the XML content to a new XML based on a different DTD.

DTD 2 is a subset of DTD 1 with different element names. DTD1 is huge, DTD2 as well. I started to do this manually but it is taking a lonf time. I am trying to get some automated program tool to generate me a XLST transform to go from existing XML 1 (using DTD 1) to generated XML 2 (using DT2). Something that allows me to map the DTD elements and attributes, say, element “A” in XML 1 transforms into element “A1” in XML 2, so it then generates XSL for me. Do you know of any tool that would do that?

Thanks in advance for your time, I really appreciate it

Leonardo

If its simply a one to one mapping then you can start by specifying the identity template:

<xsl:template match="node()|@*">
   <xsl:copy>
   <xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
   <xsl:apply-templates/>
   </xsl:copy>
 </xsl:template>

And then defining 'replace' templates:

<xsl:template match="A">
<A1>
  <xsl:apply-template select="@*"/>
  <xsl:apply-template/>
</A1>
</xsl:template>

Repeat this for each element that is changed.

I don't know of any products that could do this automatically for you however.

/- Sam Judson : Wrox Technical Editor -/

Stylus studio has a graphical tool that does this kind of thing, and I think there's something similar in XML Spy as well. In my experience these tools only work well when there is quite a close correspondence between the two DTDs, i.e. when it's mainly a matter of renaming the elements (they can do a lot more than that, but my experience is that it becomes easier to write the code).

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/
Author, XSLT Programmer's Reference and XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference