OSS XSD to ASN.1 Translator

True Interoperability, the Compactness of ASN.1, and the Flexibility of XML

Technical Description

A Simple Example

A More Complex Example

Convert your XML Schema into ASN.1

Technical Description

This command line tool maps your XSD schemas into ASN.1 modules. One module is generated for each target XML namespace. The generated ASN.1 can be used with the OSS ASN.1 Tools, or any ASN.1 tools that support E-XER, to generate binary or XML encodings of the global XML elements defined in the XSD. The generated XML documents (also known as ASN.1 E-XER encodings) will conform to the original XML Schema. This conversion allows you to interoperate, using XML, with the peers that use XSD, and at the same time, you can exchange data with other peers that use ASN.1 and can understand binary encodings.

Figure 1: The OSS XSDASN1 Translator

Figure 2: Interoperability between XSD and ASN.1 tools

Figure 2 demonstrates how various ASN.1 and XSD peers can exchange data. Once you convert your XML Schema into ASN.1, you can use any XSD tools and any ASN.1 tools which support E-XER to exchange data using XML. If you use the OSS XSD tools, you will be able to exchange data with any XSD tools using XML, and at the same time with any ASN.1 tools using highly efficient binary encoding formats such as PER.

A Simple Example:

This example is based on the "W3C XML Schema Part 0: Primer" Purchase Order schema. It shows how you can convert schema po.xsd, into equivalent ASN.1, po.asn.

  • Input XML schema (po.xsd)
  • Command line syntax to translate schema: xsdasn1.exe po.xsd
  • Output ASN.1 modules ( po.asn, xsd.asn)
Download zip file of the simple example

A more complex example:

This example shows an advanced use of the XSDASN1 Translator using the NewsML 1.2 Schema. It shows three variations on generating E-XER instructions:

  1. E-XER instructions generated inline within the ASN.1 modules (default mode)

    In this mode, all of the E-XER instructions are generated inline with the ASN.1 syntax.

    Download zip file of ASN.1 Inline example

  2. E-XER Instructions generated in an XER control section of the ASN.1 module

    In this mode, all of the E-XER instructions are generated under an XER control section. Note that the generated ASN.1 files describe the same binary and XML data as in the previous example, but the files look different because in this example the E-XER syntax is localized and not spread across the file.

    Download zip file of ASN.1 Control example

  3. E-XER instructions generated within ASN.1 comments

    In this mode, all of the E-XER instructions are generated within ASN.1 comments. This allows you to use the generated ASN.1 with an old ASN.1 compiler that does not understand E-XER instructions. However, these ASN.1 modules can not be used to generate XML (E-XER). They can be used to generate binary encodings only.

    Download zip file of ASN.1 Comment example

Convert your XML Schema into ASN.1:

OSS has the tools and expertise to help you convert your XML Schema into ASN.1. Once you have succesfully converted your XML Schema, you can download the "OSS ASN.1 Tools with E-XER support" to generate XML and Binary encodings.

For more information about our conversion tools/services contact us at info@oss.com.

 

.:. Top

Copyright © 2010 OSS Nokalva, Inc.   All Rights Reserved.