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How can I see the content of an XBRL file?

This is a very common question since very long time ago in the XBRL community; but today, this question has two very simple answers.

1. Using the tool to visualize the content of XBRL reports
2. Use the new XhBtRmL language and develop simple templates that are able to generate HTML for you.

See a real example:

Step 1: Download the sample instance document and taxonomy of Google Inc. financial information.
(*) Click here to see the page in google server.

Step 2: Optionally change the content of the instance document.

This is a demonstration of one possible use of the XBRL Transformation Engine of Reporting Standar S.L. Other uses are the storage of XBRL data into any kind of repository etc...

The demonstration is able to generate an HTML web page from an instance document using a set of templates written in the XhBtRmL language.

Templates can be created specifically for a DTS or generic enough to deal with general XBRL representation.

Templates are very easy to build, certainly much easier than XSLT templates because:

• Templates have access to all the information in the DTS, labels, references ... new variables can be added by the configuration file and they become available.
• Templates are specifically designed for XBRL reports.
• Templates contains iterators for the following information:
• Dates in contexts or groups of dates in contexts
• Trees in the presentation linkbase
• Trees in the calculation linkbase
• Other hierarchical organizations stored in linkbases
• Domain members of dimensions
• Concepts in a taxonomy
• Fact elements in the instance filtered by previous iterators
• Templates may use IF THEN ELSE conditions
• Templates may be nested inside other templates
• Templates may use XPath 2.0 expressions and may use XBRL specific functions

For more information about XBRL Templates download the examples used for the google instance document.