The latest version of XAware, an open source data integration software, offers the "data-first design" feature and a data services design wizard. XAware development team recently announced the general availability of XAware 5.2 version. Data-first design feature, which is based on the Eclipse Data Source Explorer (DSE), is useful for users who don't have a specific XML format they are trying to conform to, but just want to expose the data as XML.
The new data services design wizard enables new users to build and test services with relational data sources. XAware provides the ability to design, build and implement the data services with other feature enhancements that include a new outline view, improved search functionality and run-time query control. The outline view shows predicted results for components, making it easier to predict the data to be returned without having to run the BizView.
Based on projects like Eclipse Data Tools Project (DTP), Connection Profiles and Data Source Explorer, XAware allows the users to create data services by starting with data sources using the bottom-up design option, which is a good fit for data oriented developers and architects, especially those who need to combine data from multiple sources. XAware also gives developers the option of starting the design process with XML Schemas, an approach known as top-down design.
XAware Designer component has been upgraded to work as a plug-in into Eclipse 3.4 IDE. The designer plug-in now supports the following features:
- The Data Source Explorer supports building BizDocuments from connection profiles and BizComponents from connection profiles or individual database tables.
- Existing XAware BizDrivers are imported into the DSE, letting you connect to and view database catalogs and tables.
- The tree view (in the Design tab) now supports search functions, which is especially useful in long documents.
- Users can limit the number of records returned from a request at run-time in Designer.
- Results for HTTP put and delete actions now appear in the Test tab of the Package Assembly Tool.
XAware 5.2 is available for free use under the GPLv2 license and via a commercial license. There is a technical webinar on Wednesday, hosted by Darin Black, on the introduction of handling inbound data, one of the new features of XAware 5.2 release.