NCCTP Standard

Data Export and Import Application

What is it?

• It is an application that will extract the contents of an entire project from any NCCTP member's database as XML and archive the corresponding files so that they can be readily imported into another system using an import application.
• This standard is the network's first project. All members aim to conform to this standard by December 2004. Those that achieve both Export and Import according to the standard will be awarded ‘Certified’ status.

Why do we need it?

• At present each extranet provider stores and accesses project data through its own relational database structure and document object model
• although there are similarities between the systems they are essentially incompatible
• whilst it is possible to extract data out of any NCCTP member's system, any subsequent attempt to import that data into another’s system would be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole
• huge amounts of manipulation would be required to get the data into an importable format (this is assuming that the party doing the import knows how data from one system maps onto their system).

How does it work?

• Technical representatives of the member companies of the NCCTP have agreed an XML schema that describes the fundamental elements and properties that are common to collaborative extranets
• XML (Extensible Markup Language) schemas express shared vocabularies and allow machines to carry out rules made by people. They provide a means for defining the structure, content and semantics of the data stored in XML documents
• each company can then export their project data as XML and transform it into the agreed data structure using an export application
• another company can then take that data, translate it as necessary and import it into their system using an import application
• the important difference is that each company only needs to understand their own data structure and how it maps onto the XML schema (as opposed to x number of others’ systems).

What is exported?

Version 1 of the NCCTP schema provides for the following elements:

• Project
  • Organisations
    • Users
    • Offices
  • Groups
  • Revision statuses
  • Project permissions
  • Folders
    • Folder permissions
    • Documents
      • Document permissions
      • Document audit trail
      • Revisions
        • Revision Permissions
        • Revision audit trail
        • Recipients
        • Revision Links
          • Files
            • File audit trail
    • Aliases (copy of a document in an additional folder)

Further information about the Standard and NCCTP membership contact us.