The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange IPEX XML feed and XML starter kit IPEX Correspondents meeting The Hague, november (Jerry Hilbert, Gianpaolo Araco, Enrico Stronati)

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange BACKGROUND Increase confidence in IPEX: the platform is attractive as much as the information stored in the database is promptly updated, accurate and of high quality Initiative launched by the IPEX Board to improve the content and spread the adoption of IPEX Main milestones 19-SEP-2008: Kick-off meeting of the pilot group 07-APR-2009: IPEX XML feed in production

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Costs and Benefits Costs – Development of a collecting system on the IPEX side (DG ITEC of EP) – Development of a feeding system on the NP side (IT Dept of NP) Benefits – Increase IPEX usability for National Parliaments in uploading information (easier and quicker) – Reduce the manual workload on staff (IPEX Correspondents) of National Parliaments – Improve the content and timeliness of information shown on the IPEX website

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Status of adoption The following chambers* use the XML feed for sending information already to IPEX: – Czech Senate, – Eduskunta, – French Senate, – German Bundestag, – Irish Houses of Oireachtas, – Italian Senate, – Slovakian National Council, – Swedish Riksdagen – United Kingdom, both chambers About 10 other chambers have investigated how to set up the XML feed in connection to their local IT infrastructure (* list in alphabetical order)

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange What is XML and why using it ? XML is a mean to structure the content of a file in bits and pieces so that a program can identify those elements that it needs to process (f.i. import) – XML files can be created with a lot of different programming tools: All programming platforms have libs to build it It generates files that can be easily read (even by humans) – It improves data quality: No manual upload, no human mistakes Validation procedure ensures data quality and data relation – It improves uploading performance: Uploading process is perfomed by means of automatic systems Using identical XML structures guarantees that computers can successfully exchange data (XML examples will be on upcoming slides)

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Starter kit

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Introductory note 1/2

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Introductory note 2/2 Introduction Major steps of the pr oject – Identify where the necessary information is and how it can be collected – Develop a procedure for generating the XML file, according the IPEX XML schema – Create a procedure for assembling the XML data and (eventually) attached documents into a file to be transferred to IPEX – Set up an exception handling procedure Development and test environments The XML editor: an alternative approach Contacts

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Scrutiny integration via webservice Technical specification 1/2

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Scrutiny integration via webservice Technical specification 2/2 Introduction Business aspects: how it works Communication: how it talks Other technical aspects (e.g. related to criptography) Annexes

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Scrutiny XML Schema 1/2 XSD (XML Schema Definition): the grammar for messages

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Scrutiny XML Schema 2/2

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Schema documentation 1/2

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Schema documentation 2/2

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Slide: 15 IPEX scrutiny page

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange reference documentLinks contacts scrutiny NP Scrutiny page NP/chamber

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Sending information to IPEX Your parliament

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange A typical exchange or what it would be if it was humans (1)IPEX: “Hello” (2)NP: “Hello I am the XML feed from the italian senate, here is my login and password” (3)IPEX: “Ok, checked. Please send your file(s).” (4)NP: “Here is the information that I want to publish on the scrutiny page linked to the document COM/2012/0001” (5)IPEX: “Good, I have indeed the document COM/2012/0001 and it is linked to a single dossier; so I know what to do with the information you want to send” (6)IPEX checks whether the information send is coherent (it can not check whether it is accurate); if so, it copies the information to the website. (7)IPEX: “Good job, all your information was ok and is now published. Bye.” (8)NP: “Ok. Thanks and bye”

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Services on the IPEX end

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Data editing with the desktop Important to know: Transmitting data by the XML feed is an alternative to manual coding, by using the IPEX desktop However, the received information is stored similar to what manual coding would be It is therefore possible to edit already published information either by sending an update with the XML feed, or eventually use the Desktop to correct an issue. PS: the opposite way around is not working, because a few bits of information (identifier) will miss.

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange IPEX XML Editor An alternative approach Uses the IPEX XML feed Adopts IPEX XML Schema A MS Windows application Requirements A demonstration…

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange The kit: IPEX XML Editor 1/5

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange The kit: IPEX XML Editor 2/5

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange The kit: IPEX XML Editor 3/5

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange The kit: IPEX XML Editor 4/5

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange The kit: IPEX XML Editor 5/5

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange reference documentLinks contacts scrutiny XML Editor: Update of a scrutiny page NP/chamber

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange Add new contact information contacts scrutiny NP/chamber Reference XML

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange reference documentLinks contacts scrutiny XML feed upload result NP/chamber

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange WHOM TO CONTACT First time contact and organisational matters – Gianpaolo ARACO – Enrico STRONATI Contacts with the local IT team and other technical matters – Jerry HILBERT

The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange IPEX XML Editor Live demo