Editing a DFDL schema file

Use the DFDL schema file editor to change an existing file.

Before you begin

Create or open a DFDL schema file. See DFDL schema editor for a description of the DFDL schema editor.

Procedure

  1. Click in the Outline view to select the category that you want to work with.
    For example, to edit message elements, select a child of the Messages item.
    The selected item is displayed in a table in the main editing area. Click Show all sections on the main toolbar of the editor to display all sections, including empty ones.
  2. Use the buttons immediately above the table to modify items in the selected category, for example, deleting or adding elements.
    Different buttons are available, depending on the category that you are working with.
  3. Use the Representation Properties tab on the right of the editor to modify properties.
    Tip:
    • You can select multiple objects in the Editor, but you see properties for only the first item that you selected.
    • Use Filter to find the property that you want to change.
    • Click Show Only Basic Properties to filter properties. If only basic properties are displayed, click Show All Properties to display all properties
    • To unset a property value, use the Clear local property value and Clear all local properties buttons to the right of the filter bar and filter actions. Using the Delete key can result in the property being set to an empty string, rather than being unset.
    • The value that is entered in the Sample Value column in the main editor view, or the Sample value text field in the properties, is the lexical representation of the corresponding XML Schema type. This value is what will appear in the logical instance that is generated. Information on the lexical representation of the different XML Schema types can be obtained from XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes Second Edition.
  4. Save your file.
    Errors or warnings are displayed in the Problems view.

What to do next

Next:

Test your DFDL schema file.