An automatic report generator (implemented as a Java^TM Servlet) runs on a server. The reports generated by this Servlet are specified using XML files conforming to a proprietary DTD called SRML (Simple Report Markup Language).

Allow authorized users to modify existing report specifications and to add new report specifications for use by the report generator.

The Solution

Use XMLmind XML Editor to create and modify SRML report specifications.

In order to do this, XMLmind XML Editor should allow to browse and open SRML files found on the server (using HTTP GET). It should also allow to save SRML files on the server (using HTTP POST multipart/form-data). See screenshots below.

Moreover, XMLmind XML Editor should allow to preview reports generated using the specification being edited (of course, without having to ``commit'' the corresponding SRML file on the server).

The Implementation

Task	Cost (days)
Create an XMLmind XML Editor configuration for the SRML DTD. This configuration defines a custom menu, a custom toolbar, a number of custom macro-commands and declares custom commands written in the Java^TM language (7,500 lines of Java^TM, 4 dialog boxes).	8
Customize the GUI of XMLmind XML Editor (by the means of a `.xxe_gui` file) in order to add a Report Template sub-menu to the File menu. Implement the Download and Upload actions found in this sub-menu (1,500 lines of Java^TM, 1 dialog box).	2
On the server side, modify the report generator Servlet in order implement the preview function.	2
Total cost:	12

Using XMLmind XML Editor to modify an existing report specification works as follows:

Use File|Report Template|Download to browse the SRML files found on the server.
Select an SRML file and open it.
Modify the SRML file using the tools found in the SRML menu and in the SRML tool bar.
For example, use the Change Text Style dialog box to change the style of the ``header'' of the report.
Other example: use the Edit Graph Specification dialog box to modify the specification of the main graph.
Finally, use File|Report Template|Upload to save the modified SRML file on the server.

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