FME Schema Features

Since the XML Reader is an FME plug-in reader, it must be able to return FME schema features, either to FME or to a third-party application through FME Objects. An xfMap document may contain an optional <schema-type> element that instructs the XML Reader on how the FME schema features should be constructed. On default, if the <schema-type> element is not present, the schema features are constructed by scanning all of the FME features returned by the XML Reader. Currently, the XML Reader can construct FME schema features by three different methods which are specified through the <schema-type> element’s child element.

If the <schema-type> element is present, then it must contain one of the following child elements:

1. <scan> element - this is the XML Reader’s default method for constructing schema features. If the <schema-type> element is not present in an xfMap document, then this method is assumed.
2. <generate> element - this element contains two attributes, the xfMap and document attributes, that specify the XML document with the schema feature information and the xfMap document which maps that information into FME schema features.
3. <inline> element - this element can contain zero or more <schema-feature> child elements. A <schema-feature> element represents an FME schema feature explicitly; it contains a type attribute that specifies a schema feature’s feature type, and zero or more <schema-attribute> elements that specify the schema feature’s attributes and attribute types.

The following sections describe each element.