#happy2022workday day-088
Happy 2022 day-088! Today’s step is backwards from WWS to XSLT…
Before Workday Boomerangs end with a Workday Web Service (WWS) operation call, there is typically a transformation needed as the middle step between the initiating RaaS and the ending WWS.
The middle step transformation uses an XML technology called XSL Transformation (XSLT) to change from one XML document (RaaS output) into another XML document (suitable Request XML for an Inbound WWS operation).
For today, you can ignore those who tell you to purchase a software tool to help you run XSLT, because you can run XSLT for free inside of Workday Studio (thank you to the not-Workday-specific parts of the Eclipse download that supports XML and specifically XSLT):
- In the HelloWWS Sample project, expand ws > WSAR-INF to see a CreateWorkerSummary.xsl file for example XSLT.
- Yesterday (day 87) we called an Outbound WWS operation to grab all the workers. This gives us the worker data in XML format.
- The xslt-plus step specifies which .xsl or .xslt file to use on the XML from the Outbound WWS operation.
- Recall that you have a browser inside of Eclipse (Workday Studio), so feel free to search for XML and XSLT information.
- This particular web page mentions an XML technology we are saving for a future day called XPath.
- This XSLT Example is of course free via an online search, but this example has little to do with Workday. The helpful warning is that online XSLT materials will be 90% for those building web pages as that is the most popular use of XSLT. It’s still helpful for you to see the free online examples, but it will be more helpful to see examples targeting your RaaS output and your Inbound WWS operation input, so stay tuned (many more #happy2022workday days to come.)
- The shown example XML document is not from RaaS, but a good one for hungry sharing fans.
REMINDER: Weekly Wednesday at the Sharing Café (2022-03-30) remains focused on Workday Boomerang integrations.