Search-sets

The XML Reader partitions the mapping rules that are specified in an xfMap document into subsets. A subset of mapping rules is called a search-set. Every search-set is not examined for matching mapping rules when an element is being read. The XML Reader only looks into a search-set when that search-set becomes an active-search-set.

The XML Reader maintains several active-search-sets:

1. one or more feature-search-set(s): the multi-feature-construction attribute on the <feature-map> element controls the number of feature-search-sets. By default only one feature-search-set exist, several feature-search-set may exist at a time when the multi-feature-construction attribute is set to true. The XML reader allows multiple features to be constructed at a time by always having an additional feature-search-set set to the <feature-map>, only the activation of the mapping rules in the <feature-map> trigger the construction of a new FME feature.
2. one group-search-set: the active-search-set containing group mapping rules.
3. one reference-search-set: the active-search-set containing reference mapping rules.

The next section describes how the contents, i.e., the mapping rules, of an active-search-set change.