is there a way where the final report IS the modified XML? OR is there a tool outside of E1 that will take an XML created from a UBE and apply an XSL and create a resultant XML file?
Thanks In Advance,
Ben again,
Yes there is...
My pointers are too late now because you've solved your issue. But for future reference, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 (it's what I use; I don't know about earlier releases), the same tool we use to code C BSFNs, has built-in tools to parse, debug the XSL and produce the final result.
Open the XML and the XSL in MSVS. Select the XSL. There should be a XML option on the menu. It will have options to show the XSLT output and debugging the XSL.
Or if you want a visual mapper, use JDeveloper 10.1.3.4 or 10.1.3.5. The visual mapper is a godsend. Just drag and drop from source XSD to target XSD. Ingrates complain that the JDev visual mapper can't handle complex relationships. But it gives you a good starting point to roll up your sleeves and code the complex mappings. And it's FREE.
But that's the catch, you have to generate XSDs from your source and target XMLs. No worries though... MSVS will do them for you.
Another thing about JDev, the latest and greatest do not have the XML tools. Or probably I'm just not looking hard enough. Also, JDev 10.3.x is flaky if you install it in a box where it has to co-exist with JDev versions. The only way I've found so far to reliably run it without getting the dreaded "Mapping tool failure. XSL has errors. Fix the source" - that's not the exact wording, but that's the gist of it - is to run it from a VM where it is the only Java based tool installed.
BTW, the error message is generated for a perfectly good XSL - tested to run in MSVC and BIP. JDev just decided to go crazy. Probably why the tool is not in later releases - 11g upwards.