XMLSampleGenerator

Categories

Format Specific

Web

This transformer generates an XML document based on an XML Schema (XSD) file. While the sample document may not pass a schema validation, it will provide a generate outline of what a valid XML document looks like. The XML generated by this transformer can be used as a base for an XML template used in the XMLTemplater transformer.

In addition to generating entire XML documents, this transformer may also be used to generate small portions of an XML document. All that is required is the path to the element which is to be generated.

Note that in order to prevent infinite recursions, the transformer will not generate recursive complex types or substitution groups. Recursive types and substitution groups will be generated once, and nested types/groups will not be generated.

Input Ports

There are no special requirements for the input features of this transformer. If the Path to Element parameter is set to an attribute value, the attribute should contain a valid XML path expression.

Output Ports

Features output from this transformer will have an attribute containing an XML document that was generated from the XML schema file listed in the transformer parameters.

Parameters

Schema

This parameter specifies the location of the XSD file from which the XML will be generated. It is important that the file selected for this parameter contains the definition of the element to be generated. Since it is common for an XSD file to import other XSD files, the value of this parameter may differ depending on the desired output of the transformer.

If an entire document is to be generated, you should select the "base" XSD file. If a specific element is to be generated, you might have to select a different XSD file.

This parameter serves two purposes:

  • First, for XSD files that contain more than one top-level element, you can use this parameter to specify which element is to be generated.
  • Second, you can use this parameter to instruct the transformer to generate an element that is not a top-level element. To do so, enter the path to the element as the parameter value. For example, the following path may be used to generate an animation element from the Collada 1.4 schema:

/COLLADA/library_animations/animation

Note that this path must be namespace correct. That is, the path elements must match the target namespaces of the XSD schemas being used. For example, to generate a Date element in the AIXM schema, the following path may be used.

aixm:HoldingPatternTimeSlice/aixm:timeSliceMetadata/gmd:MD_Metadata/gmd:dateStamp/gco:Date

This parameter may be used to exclude elements from the generated XML. Multiple element names may be entered in a space separated list. As in the path parameter, the element names in this parameter must be namespace correct; the element names must use the same namespace prefixes as the XSD files. Wildcards may be used in the element names. For example, the following value will cause all elements in the gml namespace to be excluded, along with the gmd:dateStamp element.

gml:* gmd:dateStamp

If the generated XML is being annotated with comments, a comment will be inserted for each excluded element.

XML Generation

An XML schema may designate some XML attributes as optional. If this parameter is set to Yes, the optional attributes will be included in the XML output. If this parameter is set to No, only XML attributes marked as "required" will be included in the output document.

An XML schema may designate the minimum and maximum number of times an element may occur in a particular location. If this parameter is set to No, only elements whose minimum number of occurrences is greater than zero will be included in the output XML document. If this parameter is set to Yes, all elements will be included at least once in the output document.

This parameter controls the output when the XML schema contains abstract substitution groups.

  • First Member Only: This is the default value for this parameter. Only the first member of the substitution group will be generated.
  • All Members: All members of the substitution group will be generated. In general, an abstract substitution group should be substituted by a single member. This parameter may be used to examine all the possible substitution group members. Using this value may lead to an output document which is very large.
  • No Members: No substitution group members will be generated. Instead, if the ‘Annotate XML with Comments’ parameter is set to ‘Yes’, the output will contain a comment listing the path to the substitution group members. These paths could then be used in another XMLSampleGenerator to generate the individual substitution group members.

This parameter controls the output when the XML schema contains an xs:choice. An xs:choice lists a number of possible elements which may appear in the output.

  • First Option Only: This is the default value for this parameter. Only the first option in the choice will be generated.
  • All Options: All of the choice options will be generated. In general, a schema-valid document will contain only a single option. This parameter value may be used to examine all the possible choice options. Using this value may lead to an output document which is very large.
  • No Options: No choice options will be generated. Instead, if the ‘Annotate XML with Comments’ parameter is set to ‘Yes’, the output will contain a comment listing the path to the choice options. These paths could then be used in another XMLSampleGenerator to generate the individual choice options. Note that only paths to elements will be listed. Nested sequences and choices will not produce any paths.

If this parameter is set to Yes, the output will be prefaced with an XML header. If the parameter is set to No, the output will not contain an XML header.

If this parameter is set to Yes, the output will contain XML comments describing the output.

These comments will describe what is required to convert the sample XML into an XML document that is valid according to the given schema. This includes warnings about recursive complex types and substitution groups, details on the acceptable multiplicity of elements and information on the data types that an element may contain.

If Yes, the output will contain annotation documentation and app information from within the XML schema document that is relevant to the XML sample. The annotation content is written to XML comments in the output sample.

Result

This parameter specifies the attribute to which the XML document will be written. The default is _result.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Using a set of menu options, transformer parameters can be assigned by referencing other elements in the workspace. More advanced functions, such as an advanced editor and an arithmetic editor, are also available in some transformers. To access a menu of these options, click beside the applicable parameter. For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters. There are a number of tools and shortcuts that can assist in constructing values, generally available from the drop-down context menu adjacent to the value field.

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

String Functions

These functions manipulate and format strings.

Special Characters

 A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.

Math Functions

Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.

Math Operators

These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.

FME Feature Functions

These return primarily feature-specific values.

FME Parameters

FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters Create your own editable parameters.

Dialog Options - Tables

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

  • Add a row
  • Remove a row
  • Move current row up one
  • Move current row down one
  • Move current row to top
  • Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

  • Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
  • Copy a row to the clipboard
  • Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

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