1. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short- term statistics Francesco Rizzo rizzo@istat.it

2. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics iTable is a pilot project to develop an integrated system to dissaminate on the web Monthly Statistical Bulletin (MSB). The objectives of the system are: improve the efficiency of collection, validation, storing and dissemination improve quality, eliminating errors during the life cycle of the dissemination process improve accessibility and visibility of short-term statistics In order to develop the System, the currently technological opportunities of the ICT market was taken in consideration.

3. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION The production of the MSB tables is made directly by the production Directorates. Each Directorate uses different kind of techniques (automatic or manual) to produce tables in Excel format. Tables are collected by the Dissemination Directorate. Therefore a iterative process starts, in order to review drafts, between production Directorates and Dissemination Directorate. Such process involves a remarkable employment of time that is translate in remarkable delays in the spread of the paper publication.

4. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics THE PROJECT The project was planned in two steps consisting in: building a web dissemination system to allow user to access data following the press release calendar building an automation system to produce the paper publication In order to achieve this, it was designed an integrated information system able to streamline the entire workflow.

5. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics insert and update check Loader iScan * * on-line database contains 16.000 short-term time series (http://con.istat.it) data and metadata universe store in DBMS iDesigner dissemination webTable iConverter iExport *

6. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics iTABLE MODULES The iTable system consists of different modules: check–loader: allows insert or update data into the database iScan: transforms Excel data in a file format that check program can manage iDesigner: creates the structure of tables and stores it in the database webTable: disseminates tables in HTML format on the web iConverter: exports tables in a particular Excel file format. That file is currently used to produce paper publications iExport: using XML-FO transforms XML into PDF files. This module is on development. The core of the iTable system is iDesigner and webTable modules.

7. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics WEBTABLE: THE SOFTWARE TO DISSEMINATING WEB TABLES This software was developed using MS ASP.NET 1.1 and consists of three main modules: registration / authentication navigation ad search facilities query database and display tables

8. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics Use of XML and XML to produce complex statistical tables During design time two characteristics was taken under consideration: Display web tables in a format similar to that of the paper publication. Develop a modular system so in the future it is easy to expand it. It was developed more than one prototypes and it was met in XML technologies the best solution to organize data. Moreover we will use XSL-FO to transform XML to PDF for the paper publication. The following model was used:

9. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics Dati and Metadata Universe Table search XML XSL HTML/Excel Transform Browser The transformation XML to HTML is made on the server. This happen because not all the browsers support XML format.

10. NewDataSet various summary domain sub domain title page sub page level 4 level 2 level 3 columns level 1 time series title time series number start year start period end year end period periodicity language legend Element Attribute table page sub page sub page number The XML data stream

11. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics Main functions of the webTable module Search a table by a tree structure or by keyword and code Select the year and period of the table Paging, if table has more than one page Display the page in excel format Display notes connected to the table and notes connected to time series Display methodological metadata in SDDS format Zoom on a individual time series to display: the whole time series, month-on- month and year-on-year percentage variations and a graph

12. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics iDESIGNER: THE SOFTWARE TO CREATE TABLES This module is a windows client-server application developed using MS visual basic 6.0. The user interface is very simple, so the person in charge to create the table does not need a long training period. iDesigner describes the structure of the table and store it in a database, called Universe.

13. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics a table can contain one or more pages a page can contain one or more sub pages a sub page can contain one o more time series or data in cross-sectional format Moreover a table is constructed on a layout. In the version 1.0, the system manages two layouts, both oriented to time series. Table page 1 sub page 1 sub page 2 sub page N page 2 sub page 1 sub page 2 sub page N page N sub page 1 sub page 2 sub page N...

14. Sub page 2 Sub page 1 Time series LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 FOLLOW FOLLOW TO THE NEXT PAGE LAYOUT 1

15. LEVEL 1 TIME SERIES LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 FOLLOW TO THE NEXT PAGE Sub page 1 Sub page 2 LAYOUT 2

16. Using XML technologies to implement complex tables in short-term statistics Main functions of the iDesigner module define tables, pages, sub pages define, for each table, if displaying annual average and cumulative percentage variation and, for the individual time series, month-on-month and year-on-year percentage variations for each sub table, by a tree search in the database, define which time series will take part to the table define heading levels through a “select and join cells” like Excel give an alternative short description, in Italian and English, to each time series change the order of pages, sub pages and time series