Data templates and transformations

StoryTeller generally takes input data and creates a presentation based on user defined presentation rules. You can configure StoryTeller to use Message data directly, or create a data template together with data transformation. Direct use of Message data is primarily used for old designs (backward compatibility) whereas data template and data transformation is the preferred approach used for new designs.

Data template

A data template is an hierarchy of nodes representing a data structure. The StoryTeller user should prepare a data template in a way that makes the presentation process as easy and straightforward as possible.

Data transformation

Data transformation is a set of rules defined for the data template. These rules provide instructions on how to transform the input data (Message or other data sources) to the dynamic runtime data instance used in the document formatting process.

Data from other source than Message

StoryTeller is not limited to a Message structure defined in an Event, and input data provided by a StreamServer application. There are also ways to have XML loaded from other sources directly into StoryTeller.

In this section

•	Preparations

•	Template Driven Transformation editor

•	Data templates

•	Data transformations

•	Passing external parameters

•	Data transformation process reference