Transfering XML Between USPS

[surfincajun]

Hello,

I am a complete newbie to Filemaker. But I am picking it up gradually. My question is I am trying to transfer data between our filemaker database and the USPS using XML for address verification. The USPS Form is in:

(AddressValidateRequest USERID="xxxxxxx" PASSWORD="xxxxxxxx")

(Address ID="0")

(FirmName)XYZ Corp.(/FirmName)

(Address1)(/Address1)

(Address2)6406 Ivy (/Address2)

(City)Greenbelt(/City)

(State)MD(/State)

(Zip5)(/Zip5)

(Zip4)(/Zip4)

(/Address)

(/AddressValidateRequest)

Their is also a server that I have to connect to:

http://production.shippingapis.com/shippingapi.dll

I have all of the corresponding fields for the request to USPS but I do not know where to get started. I also need to know if I will need any plugins to accomplish this task. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.

[Martin Brändle]

Question:

Can this be done by exporting XML out of FM and then posting the XML file to this URL, or must the process be completely web-based? In the former case, you can stick to FM Pro, in the latter you need FM Server 7 Advanced.

In both cases, XSLT is the way to go. You need it for transforming the XML produced by FM into the grammar required by the USPS service. See here for hints.

Martin

[surfincajun]

Thanks for the reply Martin.

The transfer is supposed to be entirely web based. I would get the data from the database from the specific fields (First Name, Last Name, Address ..etc) and then translate those entries into xml. Then I would send those values via xml to the website listed above for verification. The website above would then send the information back corrected to ou filemaker database.

I am just stuck on where to begin. We have filemaker 7 and filemaker 7 server if that helps. I am also unsure if I need any plugins to accomplish this. Please help if you can.

Josh

[Martin Brändle]

Do you have Server or Server Advanced? For XML/XSLT, you would need Server Advanced. A plugin is not needed - or you try PHP, then see the PHP fmforum for help and useful plugins there.

                                                                    XSLT

The scheme would be FM data --> FM XML -----> USPS XML

                                                                    XSLT           

                                                   USPS XML -----> FM query --> FM

Is the process synchronous e.g. FMSA --> USPS server --> FMSA , or is it asynchronous, e.g.

FMSA --> USPS server, some pause

USPS server --> FMSA

Does the USPS need the XML data by a POST submission, or a is a GET ok? Or must the XML be sent as an attachment with a query, then you would need the fmxslt:set_header extension function.

Good start points are:

- the books and websites mentioned in this forum (for a general thread, see

here)

- the XSLT Site Assistant provided with FMS7A

- the CDML2XSLT conversion tool, if you have already CDML pages

- the FMS7A Custom Web Publishing Guide

Martin

[Martin Brändle]

Do you have Server or Server Advanced? For XML/XSLT, you would need Server Advanced. A plugin is not needed - or you try PHP, then see the PHP fmforum for help and useful plugins there.

                                                                    XSLT

The scheme would be FM data --> FM XML -----> USPS XML

                                                                    XSLT           

                                                   USPS XML -----> FM query --> FM

Is the process synchronous e.g. FMSA --> USPS server --> FMSA , or is it asynchronous, e.g.

FMSA --> USPS server, some pause

USPS server --> FMSA

Does the USPS need the XML data by a POST submission, or a is a GET ok? Or must the XML be sent as an attachment with a query, then you would need the fmxslt:set_header extension function.

Good start points are:

- the books and websites mentioned in this forum (for a general thread, see

here)

- the XSLT Site Assistant provided with FMS7A

- the CDML2XSLT conversion tool, if you have already CDML pages

- the FMS7A Custom Web Publishing Guide

Martin

[Martin Brändle]

Do you have Server or Server Advanced? For XML/XSLT, you would need Server Advanced. A plugin is not needed - or you try PHP, then see the PHP fmforum for help and useful plugins there.

                                                                    XSLT

The scheme would be FM data --> FM XML -----> USPS XML

                                                                    XSLT           

                                                   USPS XML -----> FM query --> FM

Is the process synchronous e.g. FMSA --> USPS server --> FMSA , or is it asynchronous, e.g.

FMSA --> USPS server, some pause

USPS server --> FMSA

Does the USPS need the XML data by a POST submission, or a is a GET ok? Or must the XML be sent as an attachment with a query, then you would need the fmxslt:set_header extension function.

Good start points are:

- the books and websites mentioned in this forum (for a general thread, see

here)

- the XSLT Site Assistant provided with FMS7A

- the CDML2XSLT conversion tool, if you have already CDML pages

- the FMS7A Custom Web Publishing Guide

Martin

[surfincajun]

Thanks for the help. I have found that my employer had a previous employee that was using the Troi URL plugin to accomplish the XML task, but I would like to know if it is possible to transfer the data without the use of a plugin.

What happens is: One of our users enters an address, then would push a button that would send the data via xml to the usps validation site with the before mentioned data. that data would then be cleaned through USPS and sent back tyo our filemaker database with the corrected data filled in.

I have everything that I need for the request, I am just stuck on how to send the request to the usps validation site. If anyone can give me a strating point I would greatly appreciate it.

[beverly]

Was the plug-in used because it was needed to make a secure request (https) or to send a user name and password with the request? If this is true, then just import/export with XSLT may not be possible. Use the plug-in or use Custom Web Publishing with FileMaker Server 7 Advanced.