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Import Specifications

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Import Specifications

DriveWorks Autopilot has the ability to import specifications in XML or Tab delimited format and translate the content into a DriveWorks specification.

This is particularly useful when performing tests on the autopilot function as the xml can contain many specifications for processing at once.

To import a specification file you must have either a XML or Tab delimited text file, correctly formatted (see XML Format and Tab delimited format sections below) that can be imported into DriveWorks Autopilot.

Child Specification Support
  • XML Format supports both single level projects and projects that contain child specifications.
  • Tab delimited format supports single level project only.
  1. Launch DriveWorks Autopilot and log into the Group the specification is to be imported into.
  2. Click the Import Specifications button from the command bar of DriveWorks Autopilot.
  3. In the Browse for Specifications File window, change the file type (to the right of the File Name field) to the file type you are importing (XML or Tab Delimited)
  4. Browse to and select the file to be imported and click Open
  5. Click OK in the message box that confirms the import has been found and queued.

Process Imported Specifications

Once imported a specification has all required outputs generated by processing through DriveWorks Autopilot.

  1. Select Autopilot from the task explorer in DriveWorks Autopilot
  2. Click the Start button from the command bar

XML Format

The structure of the xml is as follows, :

  • Create New Specifications
  • Modify Existing Specifications

The file should be saved with the .xml extension

To Create New Specifications

Example XML specification (to create a new specification)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Specifications xmlns="http://schemas.driveworks.co.uk/interop/specification/1/0"> 
    <Specification Project="[Project Name]" Transition="[Name (Not Title) Of Transition]"> 
        <Input Name="[Control Name]">[The Control Value]</Input> 
    </Specification>
</Specifications>

To Modify Existing Specifications

Example XML specification (to modify an existing specification)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Specifications xmlns="http://schemas.driveworks.co.uk/interop/specification/1/0"> 
    <Specification Project="[Project Name]" SpecificationName="[Specification Name]" Transition="[Name (Not Title) Of Transition]"> 
        <Input Name="[Control Name]">[The Control Value]</Input> 
    </Specification>
</Specifications>
The element SpecificationID can also be used in place of the SpecificationName element. If both are used SpecificationID will take preference.

Replace the element [Project Name], in the above xml, with the name of the project in the currently open group the XML specification belongs to.

Replace the element [Specification Name], in the above xml, with the name of the existing specification in the currently open group the XML specification belongs to. (Used to modify existing specifications only)

Replace the element [Name (Not Title) Of Transition], in the above xml, with the name of the transition to apply to the specification; (Finish, ReleaseAutopilot, ReleaseLocal, Save)

See Tip at the bottom of this page for help on identifying the Name of a Transition.

Replace the element [Control Name], in the above xml, with the name of a user form control to apply a value to.

Replace the element [The Control Value], in the above xml, with a valid value to apply into the user form control specified by the [Control Name] element.

Multiple user form controls are added by repeating the line

<Input Name="[Control Name]">[The Control Value]</Input>

in between the </Input> and </Specification>tags

Multiple specifications are added by repeating the code

<Specification Project="[Project Name]" Transition="[Name (Not Title) Of Transition]">
<Input Name="[Control Name]">[The Control Value]</Input>

in between the </Specification> and </Specifications> tags

Passing values into XML that use reserved characters

Reserved characters in XML must be replaced with character entities.

Examples of common reserved characters include the symbols &, >, <

When using these characters the character entity must be used:

CharacterCharacter Entity
& (ampersand)&amp;
> (greater than)&gt;
< (less than)&lt;

Examples of replacing reserved characters with character entities

ExampleResult
ACME & Co. is to be passed into the Control Name Customer<Input Name="Customer">ACME &amp; Co.</Input>

For further examples of Character Entities please see w3schools - HTML Characters and Entities.

XML Format when used on projects that use Child Specification Lists

The structure of the xml is as follows, the file should be saved with the .xml extension:

Example XML specification
<Specifications xmlns="http://schemas.driveworks.co.uk/interop/specification/1/0"> 
    <Specification Project="[Project Name]" Transition="[Name (Not Title) Of Transition]"> 
        <Input Name="[Control Or Constant Name]">The Control Or Constants Value</Input> 

        <ChildSpecification Control="[Control Name]" Project="[Project Name]" Transition="[Name (Not Title) Of Transition]"> 
            <Input Name="[Control Or Constant Name]">The Control Or Constants Value</Input> 
        </ChildSpecification> 
    </Specification> 
</Specifications>

The use of a Child Specification list in a project introduces tags that identify the project being specified from the child specification list. The tags for the top level project still exist and remain the same as the example above.

Replace the element [Control Name], in the above xml, with the name of the child specification list control name in the currently open group the XML specification belongs to.

Replace the element [Name (Not Title) Of Transition], in the above xml, with the name of the transition to apply to the project being specified at the child level; (Finish, ReleaseAutopilot, ReleaseLocal, Save)

See Tip at the bottom of this page for help on identifying the Name of a Transition.

Replace the element [Control Or Constant Name], in the above xml, with the name of a user form control or constant in the child project to apply a value to.

Tab Delimited Format

Tab delimited format does not support Child Specifications.

The structure of the tab delimited file is as follows, the file should be saved with the .tab extension:

To Create New Specifications

The first row of the file contains the user form control names and Project headings.

Each subsequent row contains the values to be passed into their corresponding heading names.

Each column heading and specification value is separated by a tab.

Example Tab delimited (to create a new specification)
Color    Length    BasePlate    Transition        Project
Blue     2778      True         Finish            Canopy
Red      3100      False        ReleaseAutopilot  Canopy

To Modify Existing Specifications

Example Tab delimited (to edit an existing specification)
Color    Length    BasePlate    Transition        Project   SpecificationName
Blue     2778      True         Finish            Canopy    Canopy 0028
Red      3100      False        ReleaseAutopilot  Canopy    Canopy 0056
The header SpecificationID can also be used in place of the SpecificationName header. If both are used SpecificationID will take preference.
Identifying a Transition Name

When a Transition is created it is automatically given the same Name and Title.

However the Default Specification Flow caters for releasing a specification locally and to Autopilot.

These transitions have the same Title but are distinguished by their Name (ReleaseLocal) and (ReleaseAutopilot).

The Name of a transition can be identified, from the Specification Flow task and by:

  1. Click the Customize Specification button (if not already customized).
  2. Click the expand arrow on the State that contains the transition.
  3. Locate the transition and hover the mouse over until Title and Name links appear alongside.
  4. Click the Name link and the Name of the Transition will appear for editing.

DriveWorks Tech Tips Portal

Import Specifications

Using either the .tab file or a .xml file provided in the drivepkg, generate multiple specifications at once using Autopilot.

View all Tech Tips

DriveWorks Tech Tips Portal is available to DriveWorks Pro customers with an active subscription and support contract.

Tech Tips provide cut down projects that highlight specific functionality for faster and more effective learning.

To access the portal:

  1. Go to https://my.driveworks.co.uk/learn/tech-tips/
  2. Login with your DriveWorks Pro account credentials, if asked
  3. Click the Visit Tech Tips Portal button for access

The portal provides a search facility, start typing the name of the Tech Tip (as indicated above) to display the Tip you require.