XML to HL7

Hongle,

Let me begin by saying I have not yet done an XML based integration for real in Cloverleaf(R).

Here is my philosophy – take it as you will.

I am not in the Schema/DTD building business.

If a vendor or application designer wants me to receive or send XML here is what I would require:

The vendor or application designer that wants to use XML send me a valid Schema or DTD (I prefer Schema).

If that Schema will not compile, they need to send me one that will – I will not proceed until I have a Schema that compiles (I will use whatever compilers I deem necessary to assure compilation capability).

Once the Schema compiles to my satisfaction, I will validate a sample message/file/etc. (which the vendor/application designer provides) against the Schema. If the Schema does not validate (I may use multiple validation tools), I stop and the vendor/application designer must adjust whatever is necessary and we go back to compiling the Schema step and proceed.

Once we get past compilation and validation, I will proceed.

In other words, my philosophy is if you want to use XML then YOU (Vendor/application designer) need to know what you are doing and do it well – that is not my job.

As far as going to HL/7 form XML (and vice-versa):

Assuming all of the data required for an HL/7 mesage exists in the XML message (or vice-versa), it is appears to be a relatively simple matter to Xlate from XMl to HL/7 and vice-versa (I have played around a little with this and it seems fairly straight forward).

Jim Kosloskey

Hongle,

We have coded an HL7 -> XML, but the process applies to both.

As Jim pointed out, the vendor should supply a valid XML schema, or use one of the hl7.org(.xx). standard schemas.

We grabbed a zip file of the HL7 standard from (I think) hl7.org.au.

The zip file was unzipped (listing below) and installed in /formats/xml creating ../formats/xml/v231/…

Archive:  v231-200401.zip

Length    Date    Time    Name

       0  06-03-03  10:28   v231/

       0  01-03-04  22:35   v231/dtd/

    423  01-03-04  22:20   v231/dtd/ACK.dtd

  1229  01-03-04  22:20   v231/dtd/ADR_A19.dtd

    861  01-03-04  22:20   v231/dtd/ADT_A01.dtd

We then used the XML Package manager to select this XML and skip down the tree, using xsd, and select the message type (adt_ao1.xsd) required and compile using the compile button.

This creates the information that will enable the Cloverleaf ‘Translation Configurator’ GUI to work with XML.

Select the Translation Configurator and ‘new’ to start, then use this to copy from field to field as usual.

Greetings,

We have recently dipped into doing an HL7 to XML and that does work for us.  I agree with the remarks that the schema (if that is the flavor of the month here) needs to be correct.  In my research on XML for Cloverleaf, and as verified by a recent contact with a Quovadx tech support person who does XML on Cloverleaf, the most enhanced version to do XML development work is on Integrator 5.5 Revision one.  We are doing a relatively straight-forward XML schema based interface without lots of XML bells and whistles.  You may run into problems if your schema invokes a feature that your version of Cloverleaf cannot handle.  For the record we are running Integrator 5.3 Revision 3 on AIX5.2 with evaluations on 5.4.1 Rev 2 and 5.5 Rev1.

Anyway, in a nutshell, to create an engine readable schema, find a good text editor – we use Notepad ++ (free off the web); either drag and drop it into an editor session or (gulp) type it in; save and import to your engine formats/xml directory after creating a “package” subdirectory (like an HL7 variant subdirectory).  For example, …/formats/xml/vendorX_app/ and dump your schema.xsd in here.  Using the gui tool – XML package manager – select this .xsd file and do a compile.  A configuration type file with .ocm is created that defines namespaces, variables, etc. for the running engine to digest as it works on your xlate.  Note though that it appears the XML in a translate is a core hog.

It seems reasonable and logicial that an XML to HL7 would work as well.

Have fun.

Enjoy.

Hi Hongle,

Is the project you are working on a Ontario Ministry initiative.

I am curious as we may have to go down the same path of work and

this information could be very relevant.

Thanks

Paul