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The XML

interface

BACKCLICK has  offers the possibility, feature to receive structured Content content and control information from external system, for example  Contentmanagementsystemen or systems (i.e. content management systems, process automation systems). As a The data exchange format it used is used XML.

Tasks,

usage of the XML interface

and the way it works

BACKCLICKs XML interface can be used for two different kinds of tasks:Transferring

• Transfer of structured

• content to BACKCLICK

• to display (and/or send) it as sorted lists within newsletters. These lists

• contain single datasets that have to be provided to BACKCLICK as XML

• data. You can, for example,
   take the newest sports news

• , delivered

• as XML, and use them within

Funktions of the XML interface:

• your newsletter in regards to every single subscriber’s interests.
•  Control of compilation and distribution of newsletters to compose and even send entire HTML or text newsletters with external systems with the aid of specific XML attributes.

The way the XML interface works

All XML data that gets “pushed” by external systems have to be put in the “~/XMLImport” folder. These datasets can be put via FTP, NFS, SMB or some else. Which variation you use remains to you. For the import the central controlling process the any other way. The variant used is your choice. The control process MCP is responsible . Sould be a Controll file are in included for the production of the newsletters, the MCP creates one and dispatches them also if the dispatch date is put on NOW or in the past. Should the XML files contain no control functions, the structured data are filed as records in the  BACKCLICK database. You are able to do the contents of this data bank in the administration surface inside of  Campaign - Management ->; Content records can be seen and deleted when required. Editing isnt included here

Use of the XML interface:

The following text  is about  how you generate and dispatch this by email as a newsletter from  imported XML data structured lists. In addition own computer for importing. If the datasets contain any newsletter generating control dataset, the MCP generates those and even sends them, should the delivery date be set to NOW or the past. Without any control datasets within the XML data they get added to BACKCLICKs own content database. Use the administrator surface (Campaign - Management -> Contentmanager) to take a look at or delete any content of this database as needed. Editing is not provided.

Usage of the XML interface

The following deals with how to generate structured lists from imported XML data and how to send those as newsletters by email. BACKCLICK uses its own programming language (GIS-API) is used in BACKCLICK. This computer programming language is treated explained in detail on the basis of examples in detail. Also Likewise the possibility is described to put on to generate and send entire newsletters via XML without the use of the administration surface by XML and to dispatch. The administrator interface is explained. Since the following chapter uses automatic compensations substitution of user - defined key words by certain contents occur, for the start we explain this function which is called GIS-SUBSTITUTIONSkeywords with certain content, called GIS-SUBSTITUTION, we start with the explanation of this feature.

GIS-

SUBSTITUTION

You will certainly encounter text passages that are repeated over and over again within your newsletters. To simplify the ease insertion of these text segments, passages the functionality GIS-SUBSTITUTIONS SUBSTITUTION feature was insertedintroduced. This function substitutes for feature replaces certain expressions with other expressions or text blocks which u passages defined . In the menu System administration->; configuration menu you find the function 'Substitutions - manager'. If you call the function by  clicking on the -button, you will find here an overview of key words which are substituted with certain contents with the construction and mailing of newsletters. Now you have the possibility to extend, edit, look or delete the Keywords. If you click on the button, a new input field in which you insert the expression to be substituted (key word) on the left side and on the right side the contents to be substituted. By a click on you finish the allocation. However, you can not only  substitute for expressions or automate linkingby you. You can find the “Substitutions-Manager” in the menu under “System-Administration -> Substitutions”. Clicking the edit button opens up an overview of keywords that get replaced with certain content when composing and sending newsletters. Use this overview to add new keywords or take a look at, modify or delete existing ones.

Clicking the button opens up a new input box, use the left-hand side for the keyword you want to replace and the right-hand side for the content you want to replace it with. Clicking “save” ends the assignment. But it’s not only replacing keywords or links that can be automated. The main advantage of GIS-SUBSTITUTIONS is that you can make available complicated SUBSTITUTIONs is providing each editor with complex GIS_API instructions assignments (the BACKCLICKs integrated computer programming language of BACKCLICK) to every editor. GIS_API allows an entire automation of the contents you to fully automate the content of your newsletters. The contents coming from any sources which must be entered in the form of XML files in Content from any source, added to the BACKCLICK system in the list ~/XMLImport can be automatically read with the help of GIS_API instructions, and be given sorted and formatted. Anhand eines Beispiels wird nun erklärt, wie Sie Newsletter automatisch erstellen und versenden können. With the help of an example it is explained how the Newsletter is getting created and dispatched.

XML interface - controll creation and the dispatch of the newsletter

With the help of the following XML attributes in the tax file XML to be transmitted in BACKCLICK folder “~/XMLImport” as XML data, can automatically be imported, sorted and displayed in a certain format using the GIS_API. The following example explains how to compose and dispatch newsletters automatically.

XML interface – controlling composition and dispatch of newsletters

The following XML attributes, provided to BACKCLICK in the XML control dataset, controls the dispatch of a newsletter is steered. The XML file must be filed in the list ~/XMLImport. You can infer from the example illustrated below as such a XML file is baseddata has to be added to the “~/XMLImport” folder. The following example shows how an XML file like this has to be built.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" standalone="yes"?>
<FILE>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-NO">1</META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-SUBJECT">Heise News Flash $$VORNAME$$</META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-PUBLISH-DATE"></META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-STATUS">0</META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-AUTHOR-LOGIN">bcadmin</META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-DESCRIPTION">XML Test</META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-PRIORITY">3</META>
<META NAME="NEWSLETTER-ATTACHMENTS">test.pdf</META>
<META NAME="CONTENT-MAIN">Beispiel für Text</META>
<META NAME="CONTENT-ALTERNATIVE">Das ist die Textversion</META>
</FILE>

In the following the  XML attributes are getting more  describedThe XML attributes will be explained in detail below:

NEWSLETTER-NO 

Here This returns a number is given between 1 and N which n that specifies the number of the newsletter distributor list to which “Newsletterlist” used for delivery of the newsletter should be dispatched.

NEWSLETTER-SUBJECT

Here the reference line This relates to the subject of the newsletter is given. They You can also use personalization arrays like $$ GIVEN NAME $$ or $$ PLACE $$personalizing fields like “$$VORNAME$$” or “$$ORT$$” al well.

NEWSLETTER-PUBLISH-DATE

Here This determines the dispatch mailing date of the newsletter is fixed. They have the possibility to give . You can specify several formats for the dispatch mailing date:

"now" - immediately dispatch by activiate

-          “now” – immediate delivery as soon as the XML file gets activated

"

-          “tt.mm.yyyy hh.mm

" -

” – 01.01.2003 11.11.00

statement exact

specification to-the-minute

"dddddddddd"

-          “dddddddddd” – Unixtime (10-

figure information of the time

digit specification in seconds since 1970)

NEWSLETTER-STATUS

Here This allows you give to specify whether you liked to provide the newsletter and then should want your neswsletter to be visible in the administration surface under edit newsletteryour administrator interface under “Edit existing campaign” after creation. You can also fix that schedule the newsletter is provided and is taken up with a dispatch time immediately in to be created with a certain mailing date, added to the list of the newsletters to be dispatched delivered and is sent automatically dispatched. There are the conditions 0. 1 and 2 which have the following meaning:

Status 0 - Design (appears under newsletter list: Newsletters edit)

Status 1 -  ready for sending (appears, in addition, in newsletter dispatch)

Status 2 - 

ready for sending with sedate dispatch time

( appears in newsletter dispatch too)

as soon as a NEWSLETTER PUBLISH DATE is given, the status is put on 2.

as well. The states/statuses are as follows:

-          state/status 0 – “Draft” (shows up under “Campaign - Management: Edit existing campaign”)

-          state/status 1 – “Mailable” ( shows up under “Publish Campaign”)

-          state/status 2 – “Mailable” with a set mailing date ( shows up under “Publish Campaign”)

-          as soon as you specify a NEWSLETTER-PUBLISH-DATE the state/status is set to “2”

NEWSLETTER-AUTHOR-LOGIN

This specifies a name. This name

defines

represents the

producer

author of the newsletter and

findsitself

is displayed in the overview of

thecreating or ready for dispatch newsletters 

created or “Mailable” newsletters.

NEWSLETTER-DESCRIPTION

Hier wird die Kurzbeschreibung des Newsletters angegeben, um ihn auch später noch im Archiv wieder finden zu können.

This specifies the brief description of the newsletter

is given

to be able to

find lateinthe

relocate it in your archive.

NEWSLETTER-PRIORITY

This specifies the priority displayed at your recipient.

NEWSLETTER-ATTACHMENTS

Hier geben Sie einen Dateinamen ein. Diese Datei muss sich bereits als Attachment im BACKCLICK-System befinden. 

This specifies a filename. This file

must already  exist in the Attachment of theBACKCLICKsystem

already has to be located in the BACKCLICK-System as attachment.

CONTENT-MAIN

Hier geben Sie den HTML-/Text-Part an. Bitte beachten Sie, dass UNBEDINGT alle “<” durch “<” und alle “>” durch “>” zu ersetzen. 

This specifies the HTML/text part. Please

note that absolutly all "<" have to substitute with a " <" and all ">"with a ">"

make sure to replace all “<” with “<” and all “>” with “>”.

CONTENT-ALTERNATIVE

This specifies the alternative text part by the alternative newsletter for newsletters. Now you you know how a an XML file is based has to be built and which <META> Tags you have to be insert, so that you can automatically tags to use in order to dispatch a newsletter automatically. In the following it is explained with the help of The following will explain which GIS_API instructions  BACKCLICK contents from assignments to use in order to make BACKCLICK import and display content of this XML file can read in and be economical afterwards.

 

Code Block
theme Eclipse language xml collapse true
<GIS> READ <<UEBERSCHRIFT>> FOREACH {PRINT"<<UEBERSCHRIFT>><BR><BR>" } CLEAR READ <<HEADER>> FOREACH {PRINT "<<HEADER>><BR><BR>" } CLEAR READ <<BODY>> FOREACH {PRINT "<<BODY>><BR><BR>" } </GIS>

 

With the help of these

instructions you read in

assignments you can import information from

the BACKCLICK

BACKCLICKs internal content database and

print out

return them

afterwards

sorted. Please

note that the single

keep in mind that each GIS_API

instructions are described

assignment gets explained in detail in the chapter

Individuation in detail. You make available these GIS_API instructions to the editors, with storing the instructions wiht the help of the substitution (name: beispiel_ru).Now the editor only have to insert the expression "beispiel_ru" in a Template which should be

“Individualization”. You can provide your editors with GIS_API assignments by saving them with the help of “Substitution” (Name: sample_ru).

All the editor has to do now is inserting the expression “sample_ru” into a template that gets published with the newsletter and the newsletter and

the contents are  given in the waytheGIS-APIinstructions tell them.Below you

its corresponding content is displayed as specified by the GIS_API assignments. Below you can see the HTML code of an example

of a

template. Create a template

inthepresentationmanagement 

under the “Campaign templates” and insert the following code

here

. Name the

Template " XML import"

template “XMLImport”.

 

Code Block
theme Eclipse language xml collapse true
<HTML> <BODY bgcolor="#cccc99" text="black"> <font face="verdana" size="2"> <STRONG>Sehr $$geehrter$geehrte$$ $$ANREDE$$ $$NACHNAME$$, <BR><BR> beispiel_ru <BR><BR> Mit freundlichen Grüßen<BR><BR> Ihre Newsletter-Redaktion</STRONG></font> </BODY> </HTML>

 

 

Create

a

an XML file with the following attributes:

HEADLINE

-          UEBERSCHRIFT

-          HEADER

-          BODY

-          CONTENT_SOURCE

-          CONTENT_ID

The XML

filme

file should

be

look like this:

Code Block
theme Eclipse language xml collapse true
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" standalone="yes"?> <FILE> <META NAME="UEBERSCHRIFT">Blindflug mit Windeln</META> <META NAME="HEADER">Abenteurer und Multimilliardär Steve Fossett über seinen waghalsigen Rekordversuch, allein in einem Düsenflugzeug nonstop die Erde zu umrunden.</META> <META NAME="BODY">Alles, was ich brauche, ist längst im Flugzeug. Nun warte ich nur noch auf günstiges Flugwetter. Derzeit führt der Jetstream über den USA zu Turbulenzen. Ich hoffe, dass es ab dem 16. Februar ruhiger wird - das sagt zumindest mein Chefmeteorologe, der von Belgien aus das Wetter für mich überwacht.</META> <META NAME="CONTENT_SOURCE">BACKCLICK</META> <META NAME="CONTENT_ID">283476</META> </FILE>

If you cover up now

By adding this XML file

in

to the

list ~/XMLImport, the contents

folder “~/XMLImport” the content of the file

are

is read

in and filed in

/imported and added to the content database.

If you provide now a newsletter with the Template invested on top, the following is shown

Using the template above to create a newsletter will display the following:

 

Abb. 11.18.1 - Newsletter mit Template erstellt 

Please

,

open the

preshow-window

“preview window” and activate

'personalize' and 'individualize'. Then an accordingly formatted newsletter is shown

“personalize” and “individualize”. You’ll see a newsletter formatted accordingly.

 

Abb. 11.8.2 - Vorschau auf individualisiertem Newsletter mit externem XML Content The example on top should give you an insight into the possibilities of GIS_API with the help of an example. The chapter "Individuation" deals with the exact functions of the XML interface and describes the skripting language GIS_API and their possibilities. Please, note that it concerns a technical chapter and was written less or not for editors.Content