Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

XML data structures may include:
electronic business XML (ebXML)
XML 1.0 specification produced by the world wide web consortium (W3C).
Various data sources may include:
comma separated value files
native data sources, such as ASCII or the Java-type system
object linking and embedding (OLE) DB data sources, such as spreadsheet files
relational database management systems, such as:
IBM DB2
Microsoft Structured Query Language (MS SQL) server
Microsoft Access
MySQL
Oracle
Ingres.
Common application programming interface may include:
ASP.Net and MSXML and associated APIs
Java XML API (JAXP)
simple API for XML (SAX)
document object model as described by W3C recommendation.
Schema may include:
document type definition (DTD) schema file
XML schema definition (XSD) file as described by W3C recommendation
XML-data reduced (XDR) schema definition file.
Map and transform may include:
eXtensible stylesheet language transformations (XSLT)
XLink
XPath 1.0 and XPath 2.0 queries
XPointer
XQuery.
Three main elements may include identifying:
contents and data types of web service messages
operations of web service messages
protocols of web service messages.
Public web service may include:
public web services located through UDDI registries.
Publish may include:
limiting access to the web service to a local intranet
making the web service available to the internet via a public UDDI registry
simulating the publication of the web service through a virtual machine infrastructure.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
transform data from relational or other native data sources into XML
validate an XML document using a predefined schema
provide access to business functionality via a WSDL file
locate a public web service business function and include it in a website using UDDI and SOAP
implement a web service:
according to business requirement specifications
that adheres to industry standards.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
web service business requirement specifications
industry standards published by the W3C
platform-specific documentation and help files describing the syntax and use of proprietary technologies
a simulated development environment incorporating the following elements:
relational database server
integrated development environment (IDE), including related frameworks, APIs and associated proprietary classes required to implement web services and their enabling technologies
web server
web browsers
XML editors
XPath testing utilities
appropriate learning and assessment support when required
modified equipment for people with special needs.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
written or verbal questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of XML data structures, syntax and validation techniques
observation of candidate demonstrating:
data transformation from relational data to validated XML
the use of XPath queries to extract information from XML or transform XML data structures
evaluation of candidate’s project incorporating all elements of this unit of competency, including both web service publication and web service consumption.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.