OUTPUT.XML
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|
Permissions required to access this module: |
| Section: | |
| Reviews | |
| Permission(s): | |
| Access student reviews | |
| Add and modify student review designs | |
| Allow users to add edit and delete review periods | |
This file is generated by PARS every time a Student review is run. It contains all of the grading, behaviour and attendance data for a student (even data not visible on the review) as well as a number of other useful pieces of information.
Contents
How to generate an OUTPUT.XML file
If a Review Period Already Exists
The simplest method to generate an OUTPUT.XML file is to go to:
PARS main menu > Grading > Review periods
An OUTPUT.XML file can be generated by selecting an existing review period and clicking the XML button on the top toolbar. This will open a student selector window. A maximum of 5 pupils should be selected, otherwise the OUTPUT.XML file will be too large.
The method above will only work if a review period has already been configured. If that is not the case, the sections below explain how to create a new review period.
Creating a Review Period
Import the Default Slip
To generate an OUTPUT.XML file go to:
PARS main menu > Grading > Configure > Review designer
If there is no existing design called "Default slip", click the Add button at the top left of the page. Name the new design "Default slip" and copy the following text into PARS:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:my="http://whatever" xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:fo="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Format" >
<xsl:template match="/" >
<html>
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="" />
<meta HTTP-EQUIV="content-type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/>
<title>all grades</title>
<style type="text/css">
body {font-family:calibri}
table
{
border-collapse: collapse;
}
.studName{font-size:25pt; font-weight:bold;text-align:center;}
</style>
</head>
<body bgcolor="white" TOPMARGIN="0" onload="" >
<center>
<xsl:apply-templates select="//STUDENT" >
<xsl:sort select="surname" order="ascending"/>
</xsl:apply-templates>
</center>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="//STUDENT" >
<table class="oneStud" border="1" frame= "box" cellpadding="3" width="100%">
<tr><td class="studName" colspan="8"><xsl:value-of select="forename"/> <xsl:value-of select="surname"/> (<xsl:value-of select="reg_group"/>)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Subject</td><td>Class</td><td>ElementID</td><td>Description</td><td>CODE</td><td>Date</td><td>Ev_inst_id</td><td>SCHEME1</td><td>ACTUALMARK</td><td>COMMENTTEXT</td><td>SIMS Details</td></tr>
<xsl:apply-templates select="SUBJECTS" >
<xsl:sort select="SUBJECTDESC" order="ascending"/>
</xsl:apply-templates>
</table>
<br/><br/>
<br style="page-break-after: always"/>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="SUBJECTS" >
<xsl:for-each select="CLASSES/GRADEISSUE">
<tr>
<td><xsl:value-of select="../../SUBJECTDESC"/></td>
<td>
<xsl:if test="../CLASSDESC=''">(Subject)</xsl:if>
<xsl:value-of select="../CLASSDESC"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="ELEMENTID"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="DESCRIPTION"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="CODE"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="DATE"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="EV_INST_ID"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="SCHEME1"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="ACTUALMARK"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="COMMENTTEXT"/>
</td>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="SIMSDETAIL"/>
</td>
</tr>
<xsl:if test="COMMENTTEXT!=''">
<tr>
<td colspan="8">COMMENTTEXT:<br/><br/> <xsl:value-of select="COMMENTTEXT"/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:if>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
Create a Review Period
Next go to:
PARS main menu > Grading > Review periods
Use the Add button at the top of the page to create a new review period. The review period will need a title and the date range should cover the academic year. Click the ellipsis button next to a year group to open a new window. In the drop down at the top of the window, select the Default Slip design, then click OK. Repeat this for each year group.
On the Review Periods page, select the review period you have created then click the XML button on the top toolbar. Select a maximum of five students for whom you wish to generate an OUTPUT.XML and the file will be downloaded to your computer.
Additional info
Student review designs use XSLT to layout the data in the OUTPUT.XML file, converting it to PDF or HTML in the final printable copy.
There are various free pieces of software that make it easier to work with XML and XSLT:
XMLfox rearranges the XML into a grid view and makes it easy to navigate through large files.
Notepad++ is a useful program for editing code and has settings for a wide range of different languages.
Changes to Student review designs can be made by our programmers or by staff at school. For staff, the best way to work on a Student review design is to copy the XSLT review design text to a new text file called e.g. example.xsl. This file should be placed in a folder with an OUTPUT.XML file containing students who already have had the relevant data entered in PARS. The OUTPUT.XML file would need to be edited to insert this text at the very top:
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="example.xsl"?>
The OUTPUT.XML file can then be opened in Internet Explorer (other browsers may not work) and the final report will be generated. Changes can be made to the XSLT file using Notepad++ or a similar text editor. Refreshing Internet Explorer would then display those changes in the report.
