IDEF Specification

The InfinityQS Data Exchange Format (IDEF) is built on top of the XML specification. This IDEF specification defines how it uses XML (eXtensible Markup Language), but it does not provide specific details about the XML specification. Search the Internet for reference material related to the XML Specification.

InfinityQS Data Exchange Format

The Enterprise Integration Service (EIS) routes data packets that support a specific XML formatted structure referred to as the InfinityQS Data Exchange Format (IDEF). Below is the outer XML schema for the IDEF Measurement Data Specifications.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<IDEF Type="MDI" Version="1.0">

  .

  .

  .

</IDEF>

XML Elements and XML Attributes

All IDEF Data Types are wrapped up within a standard XML structure that includes Elements (nodes) and Attributes. All IDEF data packets begin with a single IDEF node. Within the node is a "Type" attribute which dictates the format of all other elements and attributes within the IDEF element.

Below is a properly structured XML element: The IDEF node.

<IDEF></IDEF>

Element names must not include any blank characters. The IDEF Specification reference material will depict an element as follows.

Below is the same element, but it also includes within it three attributes.

<IDEF Type="MDI" Version="1.0"></IDEF>

Attribute names must not include any blank characters. All attributes include a name' and value' pair, separated with an equal character (=). The value must be enclosed in double-quotation marks. The IDEF Specification reference material will depict an element and its attributes as follows.

Below, the same element now includes child elements.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<IDEF Version="1.0" Type="MDI" CorporateStructure="Company|Division|Region|Site|Department">

<DateTime>2009-06-30T09:20:22Z</DateTime>

<Header>

<Part>

<Group></Group>

<Item>Blue Part</Item>

</Part>

<Process>

<Group></Group>

<Item>Lathe 167</Item>

</Process>

</Header>

<RowData>

<Measurements>

<Measurement CharacteristicIndex="1">

<Value>25.5</Value>

</Measurement>

<Measurement CharacteristicIndex="2">

<Value>2.0</Value>

</Measurement>

<Measurement CharacteristicIndex="3">

<Value>5.0</Value>

</Measurement>

</Measurements>

</RowData>

</IDEF>

IDEF Data Types

IDEF includes different data formats to accommodate different types of data. It is the 'Type' attribute within the <IDEF> element that determine the type of data packet.