Providing Access to Statistics Through the Internet Clive Jerome Office For National Statistics UK

Agenda Background Technology Base Why XML? SVG Walkthrough of Data Rendering Implementation

Background Major modernisation in ONS to automate data production processes wherever possible, reducing human intervention. Need for a robust, controlled publishing process to minimise errors and improve efficiency. Need to minimise technical skills required for publishing to the Internet.

Technology Base Data & Metadata Handling using: J2EE Environment Oracle 9i Database Oracle Application Server Publishing to Internet using: Tridion Dialogserver V.5.0 Content Management System (CMS) Result: Major challenge to integrate data handling facilities with the CMS

Why XML? XML mandated as integrating mechanism for UK Government Organisations XML has been extended by a range of associated technologies: XPath is a language for addressing parts of an XML document Extensible Style sheet Language Transformation (XSLT) is a language for transforming XML documents into other types of document Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a language for describing two-dimensional graphics in XML. SVG drawings can be interactive and dynamic. Using XML as a basis for dissemination adds to the overall system coherence

XSLT Produces consistent output from XML files based upon a common schema. XML File 1 XML File 2

SVG XML – based graphical display Good detail retention when zooming Interactive Demo

Data Rendering Implementation Screenshots of actual application in development Will go live in early 2005 Neighbourhood (Local Area Statistics) System - NESS Demo of display only – areas and variables already selected