XML/A dialects

[jhyde]

I get the impression that Mondrian needs to speak several different dialects of XML for Analysis. Each client which generates XML/A (e.g. JPivot, Excel) seems to generate different requests, and expect slightly different results.
We may need to have a flag which allows us to switch between dialects of XML/A. This would be needed if JPivot's required result format is so different than Excel's result format that neither can understand each other's result.
I think we should have a test for each client, for example, a test which generates the kind of requests that Excel 2003 generates, and another test which generates Excel 2000 requests. If you have an XML/A client which you would like to connect to Mondrian, you could write and contribute a test. Any volunteers?

[goncha]

How to make Excel 2003 connect to a XML/A server? Use the plugin Cube Analysis? I have installed it, but it seems not understand XML/A.

[mondrian_sandeep_giri]

I'm not sure if Excel 2003 uses XML/A to connect to OLAP servers. Currently if you try to create a new OLAP data source in Excel, only options you get are 2 versions of "OLE DB Provider for OLAP". I saw some mention on the web re an XMLA driver (http://www.intelligentapps.com/news/company_news_200802_xmla.asp) , but haven't been able to find a download.
I also remember seeing something on Microsoft site recently tthat was like a OLAP plug-in for Excel, but it was more of a wizard tool to connect to OLAP, rather than providing XML/A interface.

[jhyde]

You're right, I haven't been able to make Excel talk XML/A either.
So, does that mean that Mondrian only supports one dialect of XML/A, namely the one that JPivot produces?

[goncha]

I use JPivot as a client for testing Mondrian's current XML/A implementation.
Another possible client may be Adomd driver from MS. But it needs more metadata than Mondrian can provide.