Custom XML Providers

Composite 3.8 introduce Custom XML Providers which enable .Net developers to deliver XML to XSLT developers. Seen from the XSLT developer point of view Custom XML Providers are just like any other Data Query.

• The ICustomXmlProvider interface
  A Custom XML Provider must implement one function - ICustomXmlProvider.WriteXml()
• Reading parameters
  How to read parameters defined by the XSLT developer
• Writing XML
  Use XmlWriter or XmlDocument to manifest your XML
• Developing Custom Xml Providers with Visual Studio 2005
  Start developing and debugging Custom Xml Providers with Visual Studio 2005 in a matter of minutes
• Custom XML Provider Samples
  Simple samples that demonstrate the use of Custom Xml Providers

The bridge between ASP.NET and XSLT

XML from the Custom XML Providers are available to the front-end XSLT plug-ins (Data Query XSL Render, Extranet Guard and Mail Builder) and the .Net based providers can seamlessly access both build-in and custom .Net libraries as well as HTTP Context information like the current user’s cookies, session data, authentication information, ASP.NET providers etc.

This makes Custom XML Providers especially useful for bridging the gap between ASP.NET Controls and XSLT. Business logic intensive code can be placed in the .Net code while the visual logic can be written using XSLT.

Please note that Custom XML Providers can not be executed from within the administrative module. This means that the plug-ins “Data base applications”, “Composite Properties” and “Newsletter” can not execute Custom XML Providers.