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| <title>Generating an XML file from an XML schema</title> |
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| <h1 class="topictitle1">Generating an XML file from an XML schema</h1> |
| <div><div class="skipspace"><p>You can generate an XML file from an XML schema file. You can |
| then further customize that file in the XML editor.</p> |
| <p>Generating an XML |
| file from an XML schema can be useful if you want to quickly create an XML |
| file that is based on your XML schema.</p> |
| <p>The following instructions were |
| written for the Resource perspective, but they will also work in many other |
| perspectives.</p> |
| <p>To generate an XML file from a schema file follow these |
| steps:</p> |
| </div> |
| <ol><li class="skipspace"><span>In the Navigator view, right-click the XML schema file that you |
| want to work with.</span></li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>From its pop-up menu click <span class="menucascade"><span class="uicontrol">Generate</span> > <span class="uicontrol">XML File</span></span>.</span></li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>Select a project or folder to contain the XML file and type a name |
| for it.</span> The name of the file must end in<tt class="sysout">.xml.</tt> .</li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>Click <span class="uicontrol">Next</span>.</span></li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>Click the <span class="uicontrol">Root element</span> of the XML file.</span> The root element of an XML file is the element that contains all other |
| elements in that file. All of the global elements you have defined in the |
| XML schema will be included in the Root Element list. If you do not have any |
| global elements in your XML schema, you cannot create an XML file from it.</li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>Select from the following content options: </span><ul><li><span class="uicontrol">Create optional attributes</span> - Both mandatory |
| and optional attributes will be generated</li> |
| <li><span class="uicontrol">Create optional elements</span> - Both mandatory and |
| optional elements will be generated.</li> |
| <li><span class="uicontrol">Create first choice of required choice</span> - |
| The first option of a required choice will be generated in your XML file.</li> |
| <li><span class="uicontrol">Fill elements and attributes with data</span> - any |
| elements and attributes generated will be filled with sample data.</li> |
| </ul> |
| If you do not select any of these options, then only the minimum amount |
| of content required for the XML file will be created.</li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>The Namespace information section contains information about the |
| target namespace of the XML schema, its prefix, and the schema location.</span> For more information about namespaces and namespace prefixes, refer |
| to the Related reference below. </li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>Select the entry you want to edit and click <span class="uicontrol">Edit</span>. </span></li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>The value in the <span class="uicontrol">Namespace Name</span> field is |
| the target namespace of the XML schema.</span> Your XML file should be |
| associated with the same namespace as its XML schema is associated with.</li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>All qualified elements and attributes in the XML file associated |
| with the namespace will be prefixed with the <span class="uicontrol">Prefix</span> value. </span></li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>The <span class="uicontrol">Location Hint</span> field contains the location |
| of the XML schema.</span></li> |
| <li class="skipspace"><span>Click <span class="uicontrol">OK</span>, then <span class="uicontrol">Finish</span>.</span></li> |
| </ol> |
| <div class="skipspace"><p>The XML file appears in the Navigator view and, by default, automatically |
| opens in the XML source page editor. The XML source page editor offers limited |
| functionality compared to the XML editor, so before editing the file, you |
| should close it, then right-click the file in the Navigator view and click <span class="uicontrol">Open |
| With > XML Editor</span> to open the file in the XML editor. </p> |
| <p>To |
| make the XML editor the default editor for XML files, select <span class="uicontrol">Window |
| > Preferences > Workbench > File Associations</span>, then select <span class="uicontrol">*.xml</span> and <span class="uicontrol">XML |
| Editor</span> from the Associated Editors list. Click <span class="uicontrol">OK</span>. </p> |
| <p>The |
| XML file will contain the selected root element and any elements or attributes |
| contained in the root element. It also contains information about the XML |
| file namespace and location. You can now add elements and attributes to the |
| XML file.</p> |
| <p><b>Note:</b> In certain cases, when an XML file is generated |
| from a complex XML schema file, the XML file may not be valid. If this occurs, |
| you can open the generated file in the XML editor and correct any errors that |
| occur. Usually, only a few errors need to be fixed. The following XML schema |
| constructs may present problems:</p> |
| <ol><li>Restrictions. Sometimes restricted elements are erroneously generated. </li> |
| <li>Facets: Default generated data values may not conform to complex facets |
| (for example, patterns).</li> |
| <li> Abstract elements. abstract elements are sometimes erroneously generated.</li> |
| </ol> |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div><p><b class="relconceptshd">Related concepts</b><br /> |
| <a href="../topics/cwxmledt.html" title="The XML editor is a tool for creating and viewing XML files">XML editor</a><br /> |
| </p> |
| <p><b class="reltaskshd">Related tasks</b><br /> |
| <a href="../topics/tcretxml.html" title="You can create a new empty XML file, which you can then edit in the XML editor.">Creating an XML file from scratch</a><br /> |
| <a href="../topics/tcrexdtd.html" title="Generating an XML file from a DTD"></a><br /> |
| <a href="../topics/txedttag.html" title="Editing XML files"></a><br /> |
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