problem reading an XML physical data model created in Powerdesigner 11

[Joe]

I have a trial version of powerdesigner 11.0. I created a simple
physical model with just 1 entity/table. I saved the physical model as
file type XML, with an .XML file type. I then tried to open the .XML
model in ERWin 4 (also a trial version). I got an error opening XML
file type, which said 'handle is invalid'. I'm not sure the problem
is the way the file was created in powerdesigner, or if the problem is
in ERWin - ie a problem reading the XML file in ERWin. Can anyone
help? Is this a trial limitation in Powerdesigner? Thanks.

[Metadata Junkie]

Joe

I think the answer is simple. I assume (correct me if I'm wrong) that
you saved the model as "Physical Data Model (XML)", which defaults to a
suffix of ".PDM", and changed the suffix to ".XML". the top few lines
of your file would look something like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?PowerDesigner AppLocale="Cp1252"
ID="{FDDF9250-DF67-4BEE-A9FD-060457698441}" Label="" Name="ACORD Access
Data Dictionary" Objects="134" Symbols="7" Target="Microsoft Access 95
&amp; 97" Type="{CDE44E21-9669-11D1-9914-006097355D9B}"
signature="PDM_DATA_MODEL_XML" version="10.0.0.1077 Evaluation"?>
<!-- please do not edit this file -->

<Model xmlns:a="attribute" xmlns:c="collection" xmlns:o="object">

<o:RootObject Id="o1">
<c:Children>
<o:Model Id="o2">
<a:ObjectID>FDDF9250-DF67-4BEE-A9FD-060457698441</a:ObjectID>
<a:Name>ACORD Access Data Dictionary</a:Name>
<a:Code>PHYSICALDATAMODEL_3</a:Code>

It won't be built to the same schema as ERWIN, so ERWIN won't be able
to read it. If you want to try the same model in both tools, I suggest
that you create it in ERWIN first, then import it into Power Designer
(see the import option of the file menu). I've never used ERWIN, so I
don't know how to create the right kind of file for Power Designer to
open.

Hope this helps

George McGeachie

Post by Joe
I have a trial version of powerdesigner 11.0. I created a simple
physical model with just 1 entity/table. I saved the physical model as
file type XML, with an .XML file type. I then tried to open the .XML
model in ERWin 4 (also a trial version). I got an error opening XML
file type, which said 'handle is invalid'. I'm not sure the problem
is the way the file was created in powerdesigner, or if the problem is
in ERWin - ie a problem reading the XML file in ERWin. Can anyone
help? Is this a trial limitation in Powerdesigner? Thanks.

[Joe]

George - Thank you very much for your reply. Yes, that is very similar
to what my XML file looks like, and yes your assumptions were correct
in how I was saving the file. We have users who have ERWin who would
like to view a data model that has been created and maintained in
PowerDesigner, so that's what I'm investigating. I assumed that
creating an XML file from Powerdesigner would accomplish this, sounds
like I need a different solution. Can you think of any other solution?

[Metadata Junkie]

Joe
If they don't need to be able to view the model in ERWIN, take
advantage of the HTML report generator in Power Designer - a little
trial and error will pay off. If your users insist on seeing the model
in ERWIN, then you'll have to do one of several things:
* generate DDL or a database, to reverse-engineer into ERWIN
* write VB to output ERWIN format XML
* write XSLT to convert PD XML to ERWIN

If I were you, I'd concentrate on selling the HTML documentation to
them.

Going off at a tangent, you could even generate documentation as an RTF
file, and save it in Word format, import it into Mind Manager
(www.mindjet.com), and then generate a web site from a Mind Map - see
http://www.infomindsolutions.com/fda/ICHQ7a7252005/index.html for an
example of what can be done.

George

[Metadata Junkie]

Joe

Sorry, but I should have given you the more serious answer as well. If
you need to be able to copy metadata between the two tools on a regular
basis, then you need metadata integration capabilities - have a look at
www.metaintegration.net and http://www.reischmann.com/.

George