Custom import formats

To create a completely new custom format, you need some basic programming knowledge to modify the XSLT file. XSLT stylesheet definition files are XML format files. Stylesheets must be created according to the XSLT standards as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). For details, go to w3.org.

You cannot easily modify or create a stylesheet on the controller. To successfully develop new stylesheet definitions, work on an office computer using a suitable XML file utility program.

Origin version 2021.00 and later supports stylesheets that use the following EXSLT modules:

• math: math functions typically defined to use the math: namespace
• date: date and time functions typically defined to use the math: namespace (except for date:format-date, date:parse-date and date:sum)
• sets: functions to provide set manipulation typically defined to use the set: namespace
• strings: functions to provide string manipulation typically defined to use the set: namespace
• functions: functions that allow users to define their own functions for use within XSLT (except for func:script)

To develop your own XSLT stylesheets, you need:

• An office computer.
• Basic programming skills.
• An XML file utility program with good debugging facilities.
• The JobXML file schema definition that provides the details of the JobXML format required to create a new XSLT stylesheet. There is a link to the schema location at the top of every JobXML file.
• A job or JobXML file that contains the source data.

The basic steps are:

1. Source a Job file or JobXML file from your controller.
2. Create the new format using a predefined XLST stylesheet as a starting point and the JobXML schema as a guide.
3. To create the custom files on the controller, copy the file to the System Files folder on the controller.

For information on how to create your own custom import formats, refer to the Importing Custom Formats into Spectra Geospatial Origin PDF, which can be downloaded from the PDF guides page.