TapeTrack Documentation

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Table of Contents

TapeTrack XML Stylesheet

The TapeTrack XML Stylesheet file, normally named tapetrack.xslt, controls how TapeTrack billing XML is displayed in a web browser or compatible Desktop UI.

The stylesheet is used by TMSS10LogStatsProcess when producing TapeTrack billing XML.

The generated XML contains billing information such as:

  • Customer-ID.
  • Billing item code.
  • Item description.
  • Quantity.
  • Unit cost.
  • Total charge.

The stylesheet converts this XML data into a readable layout for review.

The stylesheet does not calculate charges, select a billing package, or change the underlying billing information. Billing calculations are performed by TMSS10LogStatsProcess using the Customer Description Map, Package Map and Billing Rules.

Purpose

The tapetrack.xslt stylesheet provides a consistent and readable presentation of TapeTrack billing XML.

The file can be used to:

  • Display billing XML as a formatted table.
  • Make billing output easier to review.
  • Display customer, item, quantity, rate and total values.
  • Apply consistent headings, colors and page formatting.
  • Improve the readability of billing information before it is submitted to QuickBooks.
  • Provide a presentation layer without changing the underlying XML data.

The stylesheet separates the presentation of billing information from its calculation.

Component Purpose
Billing XML Contains the calculated billing data.
tapetrack.xslt Defines how the billing data is displayed.
Desktop UI or browser Applies the stylesheet and displays the formatted billing information.

File Location

The tapetrack.xslt file can be stored in any directory accessible to the account running the billing process and the application displaying the XML. For ease of administration, it is recommended that the stylesheet is stored with the other approved billing configuration files.

Example Windows location: 

C:\Program Files\TapeTrack\TapeTrack Framework Server\etc\billing\tapetrack.xslt

Example Linux location: 

/etc/tapetrack/billing/tapetrack.xslt

The location of the stylesheet can be supplied to TMSS10LogStatsProcess using the -X argument. Omitting the -X argument when running TMSS10LogStatsProcess, the program will default to tapetrack.xslt.

File Format

The TapeTrack stylesheet is an XSLT file containing XML-formatted transformation instructions. The file normally uses the .xslt extension. A billing XML file references the stylesheet using an XML processing instruction.

Example:

In this example, the billing XML expects to find a stylesheet named tapetrack.xslt.

tapetrack.xslt
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
 
  <xsl:template match="/">
    <html>
      <head>
        <title>Sample Processed Statistics Style Sheet</title>
      </head>
      <body>
        <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="20" border="0">
          <thead>
            <th>Customer</th>
            <th>ItemCode</th>
            <th>Description</th>
            <th>Count</th>
            <th>Cost</th>
            <th>Total</th>
          </thead>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="tapetrack_data">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        </table>
      </body>
    </html>
  </xsl:template>
 
  <xsl:template match="item">
    <tr>
      <td>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="customer">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
      </td>
      <td>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="itemcode">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
      </td>
      <td>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="description">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
      </td>
      <td align="right">
        <xsl:apply-templates select="count">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
      </td>
      <td align="right">$
        <xsl:apply-templates select="cost">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
      </td>
      <td align="right">$
        <xsl:apply-templates select="total">
        </xsl:apply-templates>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

The stylesheet reads each item element within tapetrack_data and displays its values as a table row.

Troubleshooting

XML Displays as Unformatted Text

Check that:

  • The XML contains an xml-stylesheet processing instruction.
  • The stylesheet filename is spelled correctly.
  • The stylesheet exists at the referenced location.
  • The Desktop UI or browser has permission to read the stylesheet.
  • The stylesheet is valid XML.
  • The stylesheet uses the correct XSLT namespace.
  • The application supports XSLT processing.

Stylesheet Cannot Be Found

Confirm that:

  • The -X argument specifies the correct stylesheet.
  • The file is named tapetrack.xslt.
  • The XML stylesheet reference contains the correct path.
  • The XML and stylesheet were copied to the Desktop UI together.
  • A relative path is being resolved from the expected directory.
  • The billing process is not referencing an old stylesheet location.

Billing Information Is Missing From the Display

The information may exist in the XML but not be selected by the stylesheet.

Check that:

  • The expected elements exist in the billing XML.
  • The stylesheet uses the correct element names.
  • The xsl:for-each path matches the XML structure.
  • The xsl:value-of expressions match the required fields.
  • The stylesheet was designed for the current billing XML format.

Example selection path: 

<xsl:for-each select="tapetrack_data/item">

Billing Values Are Incorrect

The stylesheet does not calculate billing values.

Check the following billing inputs instead:

  • The .ttstats file.
  • The Customer Description Map.
  • The Package Map.
  • The Billing Rules.
  • The selected billing date range.

Changing tapetrack.xslt will not correct an incorrect quantity, unit cost or total stored in the billing XML.

Desktop UI Does Not Load the XML

Check that:

  • The billing XML is complete and valid.
  • The XML file has not been truncated.
  • The stylesheet is accessible.
  • The XML encoding is supported.
  • The XMLQuickBooks mapping matches the XML elements.
  • The Desktop UI has permission to read both files.
  • Keep the stylesheet in a controlled billing configuration directory.
  • Use one approved stylesheet for each billing environment.
  • Do not maintain uncontrolled copies.
  • Keep the stylesheet compatible with the current billing XML structure.
  • Test stylesheet changes against representative billing XML.
  • Confirm that all billing items are displayed.
  • Do not use the stylesheet to alter billing values.
  • Retain the stylesheet used for each billing period.
  • Back up the stylesheet before making changes.
  • Restrict write access to authorized billing administrators.

Security

The tapetrack.xslt file does not normally contain passwords or authentication details.

However, an XSLT file controls how billing data is transformed and displayed. Unauthorized changes could hide billing items, display misleading information or redirect the presentation to unexpected content.

Access should therefore be restricted to:

  • TapeTrack administrators.
  • Authorized billing staff.
  • The service account that runs the billing process.
  • The account used by the Desktop UI.

The file should not be publicly accessible or stored in an unsecured shared directory.

See Also

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billing/stylesheet.1787021548.txt.gz · Last modified: 2026/08/18 02:52 by Scott Cunliffe