The company tightens its XML development and data management products' integration with the IBM DB2 9 data server.Altova has released new versions of its XML development, data management and other products with tighter integration with the IBM DB2 9 data server.
The new offerings, part of Altovas Version 2007 Release 3 product line, extend functionality within the companys XMLSpy, MapForce, StyleVision and DatabaseSpy products and expand users ability to edit, exchange, transform and query XML data stored in IBM DB2 9 databases.
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"Developers and DBAs [database administrators] now have the optimal solution for working with XML data in a relational database," Tim Hale, director of marketing at Altova, said in an interview with eWEEK. "Using XMLSpy, for example, they can write, debug and profile an XQuery statement, then directly execute it against a DB2 9 PureXML database without requiring any adapters or converters. This lets them query the XML data in the database on a granular level and then edit and validate it or transform and process it as needed."
In addition to allowing users to execute XQuery statements against DB2 9 databases, XMLSpy 2007 Release 3 provides support for IBMs extensions to XQuery and lets users register XML Schemas and open and edit XML content in DB2 9.
Altova MapForce will now allow users of IBM DB2 9 to map XML data directly to and from XML-enabled databases by assigning an XML Schema to the data. MapForce then renders the schema as a subtree of the database field for direct mapping with disparate data formats via its visual drag-and-drop interface, said officials of Altova, which has headquarters in Beverly, Mass., and Vienna, Austria.
It also features a quick connect wizard for accessing, previewing and integrating database data, as well as a new database query window that enables users to directly analyze SQL data. MapForce also now supports the SQL-WHERE filter, which allows for filtering of database sources used in data mapping projects.
Altova StyleVision now works directly with XML data stored inside IBM DB2 9. Users can associate database XML fields with XML Schemas upon which their style sheets will be based, then drag defined data elements onto the design pane for rendering and publishing, company officials said. StyleVision also now supports user-defined WHERE conditions via the command line, enabling users to produce multiple output documents in HTML, Word/RTF and PDF formats from XML columns in DB2 9 database tables.
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Altova has expanded the functionality of DatabaseSpy by allowing XML schemas registered in XML-enabled databases to be displayed in DatabaseSpys online browser database tree in hierarchical form for DB2 9 users. Table columns that contain XML data are also shown in the database tree, and the online browser indicates any XML schemas used to validate them. XML schemas shown in DatabaseSpy can now be sent directly to XMLSpy for editing in its schema design view, company officials said.
New columns containing XML data can now be added to database tables via the DatabaseSpy design editor, another added feature exclusively for users of IBM DB2 9. Access to detailed properties of XML data types is also provided.
"Altovas tools for PureXML will be key for developers and DBAs," Salvatore Vella, vice president of DB2 Data Server Development for IBM, based in Armonk, N.Y., said in a statement. "XML is quickly becoming a predominant format for data exchange, and information management professionals need capabilities to store, access and manipulate XML data natively."
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