 XML is a W3C initiative that allows information to be shared easily between two or more systems using a meaningful text-based structure and with semantics that both humans and computer systems can understand. The advantage of XML is that it can model very complex data, such as data within a LIMS using a hierarchical structure. Companies can create their own tags or meta-data within the XML structure that describe the data in the XML document.
LabWare LIMS is fully XML enabled and provides a comprehensive suite of technologies for both generating and utilizing XML data within the LIMS application. Additionally, LabWare's Web Service modules utilize XML messages in all communication between the Web Service provider and consumer.
LabWare's XML capabilities can be divided into several categories:
Static Data XML Support
All LabWare LIMS setup or master data, referred to as static data, can be exported in XML format and very easily imported into another LabWare LIMS database. This provides a very simple mechanism to share LIMS objects from one database to another, such as from the Development instance to the QA/Testing instance to the Production instance. LabWare additionally provides an administrator level tool called Change Control Manager that can provide a list of all configuration changes made to the LIMS system over a given time period. Change Control Manager has the ability to export all of these configuration changes as individual XML files. These XML files can be imported as a batch or one at a time into a different LIMS database instance.
XML Schema
It is quite common for our customers to extend the LabWare database schema by adding new fields and tables and also modifying the behavior of our existing database fields. LabWare's XML Schema module can dynamically generate a XML Schema document, referred to as an XSD, for the customer's unique LIMS database structure. This allows external tools to validate any XML content that will be generated by the LabWare LIMS application for use by external applications or visa-versa. External applications that want to create XML content for the LIMS database can use the XSD to properly form the XML content so that it is compatible with the customer's LIMS database schema. For example, if Documentum or GxPharma needs to be interfaced with LIMS, then Documentum needs to know what the proper LabWare convention is for exporting a document as an XML file. LabWare's XSD capability can be used by the Documentum team to ensure that the correct XML structure is being generated by the Documentum application.
Dynamic Data XML Support
LabWare LIMS can express dynamic data, such as sample data (samples, tests, and results), as XML and export this information to external applications that would use (consume) the LIMS data. For example, LabWare LIMS can export an entire R&D study as an XML file that can be formatted into any presentation format the external customer desires using an XML Style Sheet (XSLT).
Built-In XML Parser
LabWare LIMS contains a built-in XML parser that can be used to parse XML content or XML files sent to LIMS by external applications. The advantage LabWare provides is that we have implemented a SQL Query Engine into the XML Parser that allows the LIMS Administrator to use ANSI standard SQL to extract data from the XML content just as if it was a database instead of an XML file. This alleviates the need for the LIMS Administrator to have to worry about navigating the hierarchical data structure of the XML file.
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