SDMX Visualisation

SDMX – Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange International initiative Improve data and metadata exchange and sharing Version 1.0 is ISO TS 17369 SDMX-ML is an XML implementation covering the field of aggregated statistics. Pilot projects have demonstrated technical feasibility SODI pilots (Eurostat with DE, EN, FR, SE, UK), NAWWE (OECD), ESCB statistics (ECB) In Agenda 2000, the Commission proposed to bring together the different forms of pre-accession support provided by the Union within a single framework, the Accession Partnerships. At its meeting on 12-13 December 1997, the Luxembourg European Council endorsed the Accession Partnership as a new instrument which would be the key feature of the enhanced pre-accession strategy. As the Commission indicated in Agenda 2000: "The reinforced pre-accession strategy has two main objectives. First, to bring together the different forms of support provided by the Union within a single framework, the Accession Partnerships, and to work together with the applicants, within this framework, on the basis of a clearly defined programme to prepare for membership, involving commitments by the applicants to particular priorities and to a calendar for carrying them out. Secondly, to familiarise the applicants with Union policies and procedures through the possibility of their participation in Community programmes." 2

The Background of SODI: SDMX SDMX - Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange - is an initiative sponsored by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the European Central Bank (ECB), Eurostat, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations (UN) and the World Bank (WB), aimed at fostering more efficient processes for exchange and sharing of statistical data and metadata among international organisations, their constituencies and users. Full information on the SDMX standards and organisation are available on http://www.sdmx.org.

Free tools for SDMX On behalf of the SDMX consortium, Metadata Technology (www.metadatechnology.com) LTD have created a number of (MS-Windows-based) tools for SDMX, for example: Converter GESMES to SDMX-ML transformation SDMX to HTML SDMX query tool Eurostat is as well developing several tools, under which you will find: SDMX Registry: web enabled data base of Data Structure Definitions for SDMX-ML (first version November, 2006) SDMX Converter: converts SDMX-ML to and from GESMES and CSV (beta available since August, 2006) SDMX Visualisation: conversion tool from SDMX-ML to human-readable HTML and generation of web graphics (first version available September, 2006) A good source for free SDMX and other statistical software is the CIRCA IG “OSS and Statistics” on http://circa.europa.eu/dsis

The principles of SDMX-ML visualisation Online tools using standard browser technologies (i.e., client based rather than server based) Either using XSL stylesheets to convert SDMX-ML into tables or JavaScript to convert SDMX-ML to graphics Limited offline-tools as well available

Examples Extract Reference XSL for SDMX-ML Dissemination SDMX-ML Data base

Intended Use Online-Dissemination of aggregated data not for paper publications not for raw data Dissemination to experts (including metadata), further automatic treatment is possible not for dissemination to the wider public The tools available are demonstrators showing the technical feasibility, they will normally not be used for web publishing (look and feel is not preserved) but tools may be adapted for this purpose (source code and documentation are freely available)