VantagePoint, Smart Charts, and XML Smart Data Exchange

Article Index

XML Smart Data Exchange is a simple, flexible XML format for transfering data between software tools. The first two tools to use this new format are VantagePoint and Smart Charts from BizInt Solutions. This article outlines the procedure to move data between these two tools.

VP and SC

Note: For a BETA description of the XML Smart Data Exchange format, please click this link to visit the BizInt Solutions web site (opens in a new window). We are developing a companion article on VantagePoint's implementation.

Exporting Records from BizInt Smart Charts

The export from Smart Charts is accessed from the File menu under Export ... Choose export format XML - Smart Data Exchange, and save the XML file to a convenient location.

Importing XML Smart Data Exchange into VantagePoint

Open VantagePoint and click the Import XML Smart Data Exchange button, select the XML file you exported from Smart Charts.

VP-SC-buttons

The full dataset is imported into VantagePoint with all of the fields from your Smart Charts table.

VP Summary

Analyze your Smart Charts data in VantagePoint

Use all of the tools in VantagePoint to clean, browse, group, categorize, analyze, visualize, and map your data.

Clean

Exporting Data from VantagePoint to Smart Charts

When you are ready to return to Smart Charts, click the Export XML Smart Data Exchange button, and follow the wizard.

VP-SC-buttons

	You probably want to export All Records, but you can export only selected records or records in a group.
	Be sure to add "recordID" to the Fields to Export. This is a 'key' field that Smart Charts uses to put the new data with the correct record in the chart. Export only the new fields from your VantagePoint dataset (in addition to recordID). Otherwise, you will make extra copies of your original columns in Smart Charts.
	If the data originally came from Smart Charts, the export wizard defaults to send the data back to Smart Charts. Alternatively, you can save the data to a file. NOTE: To automatically merge your new fields into the original chart, Smart Charts should be running with the original chart loaded.
	In Smart Charts, select the chart to which the new data should be applied, and click OK.
	The new fields are applied to your chart in Smart Charts at the end of the row.