Hello!
Here at UCLan we use a daily XML file extracted from our student record system to synchronise Blackboard with current users and institution roles.
I run the XML that syncs the users in "manual mode" which means records are never deleted, just inserted or updated.
(To delete users I use a separate XML file that has been explicitly created, to avoid accidents!)
Anyway, I have noticed a strange "feature" of the XML sync process that becomes apparent if a user permanently drops their middle name:-
If the student record system recorded that Bob Sigmund Dobbs had dropped his middle name the following XML would result:
The XML file produces an empty XML tag for that field e.g.
<first>Bob</first>
<middle />
<last>Dobbs</last>
Blackboard does not see the empty tag as an instruction to update this field to empty and performs no action. i.e. Bob still appears to have a middle name of Sigmund.
Does anyone know how to update a field to empty/null via the xml manual process?
I suppose this leads to the old database chestnut confusing a field that is definitely known to be empty, with a field for which we have no known data (i.e. null).
Cheers!
--
Guy
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