XML - Validate

Declaration

<AMXMLVALIDATION VALIDATIONTYPE="text [options]">
<Schema FileName="text" />
</AMXMLVALIDATION>

Description: Validates that an XML file in session is well-formed, schema compliant or DTD compliant.

IMPORTANT: Use of XML activities require a basic interpretation of XML schema and general knowledge of XML related terms, such as Nodes, XPath, DTD and XSLT.

Resource Parameters

Property

Type

Required

Default

Markup

Description

File/Session

 

 

 

 

Denotes where the XML data derives from. This is a visual mode parameter used only during design-time, therefore, contains no markup. The available options are:

  • File (default) - XML data will derive from a new file, existing file or specified text.

  • Session - XML data will derive from an existing session.

Session

Text

Yes if resource is set to Session

XMLSession1

SESSIONNAME="myXMLSession"

The name of an existing session in which to associate this activity with. As a safety measure, when a session is created, the XML file bound by that session is saved in memory and the original file is locked. Any modifications by subsequent XML steps are performed on a copy of the XML data saved to memory. Linking several activities to a single session eliminates redundancy. Additionally, a single task supports simultaneous execution of multiple sessions, improving overall efficiency. Use the  XML - Save activity to output the in-memory representation of the XML session to a file or variable. To end the session, use the XML - End session activity. 

Create XML session from

Text (options)

Yes if Resource is set to File

Existing File

  1. XMLDOCUMENTFROM="existingfile"

  2. XMLDOCUMENTFROM="newfile"

  3. XMLDOCUMENTFROM="text"

Specifies where the XML data should derive from to start the new session. The XML data will be saved into memory. Different parameters become active depending on which option is selected. The available options are:

  • Existing file (default) - The XML data originates from an existing file. This option allows you to browse for an existing XML file to use.

  • New file - Creates a new XML file to use.

  • Text -  The XML data originates from specific text.

File

Text

Yes if XML session derives from a new or existing file

(Empty)

FILE="c:\foldername\file.XML"

The path and filename of the new or existing XML file. This parameter is active only if the Create XML session from parameter is set to Existing file or New file.

Overwrite if file exists

Yes/No

Yes if XML session derives from a new file

No

OVERWRITEFILE="YES"

If set to YES, specifies that if an XML file with the same name already exists at the specified location, it will be overwritten with the new file. If set to NO (default), the step fails if the file already exists. This parameter is active only if the Create XML session from parameter is set to New file.

Root node name

Text

Yes if XML session derives from a new file

(Empty)

ROOTNODENAME="Automate"

The root node name for new XML file. This parameter is active only if the Create XML session from parameter is set to New file.

Root node value (optional)

Text

No

(Empty)

NEWVALUE="Value"

The root node value for the new XML file. This parameter is active only if the Create XML session from parameter is set to New file.

Default namespace prefix (optional)

Text

No

(Empty)

DEFAULTNSPREFIX="edi"

The prefix of the default namespace for the new XML file. A namespace prefix is a text string assigned as an element name prefix to a namespace. When an element name is preceded by the prefix and a colon, then that element is in that assigned namespace. This parameter is active only if the Create XML session from parameter is set to New file.

Default namespace URI (optional)

Text

No

(Empty)

DEFAULTNAMESPACE=

"http://net.com/schema"

The default namespace URI for the new XML file. An XML namespace is a collection of element type and attribute names that are uniquely identified by the name of the unique XML namespace of which they are a part. This parameter is active only if the Create XML session from parameter is set to New file.

Text

Text

Yes if XML session derives from text

(Empty)

XMLTEXT="theText"

The text that the XML data should originate from. This parameter is active only if the Start XML session from parameter is set to Text.

Attribute Name

Text

No

(Empty)

Name="AttribName"

The name portion of the attribute name value pair to insert. Use this parameter to insert attributes into the new node. To enter a new row of values select Click here to add new row... To delete an existing row, click the red "X". This parameter supports insertion of multiple attribute name value pairs.

Attribute Value

Text

No

(Empty)

Value="AttribValue"

The value portion of the attribute name value pair to insert. Use this parameter to insert attributes into the new node. To enter a new row of values select Click here to add new row... To delete an existing row, click the red "X". This parameter supports insertion of multiple attribute name value pairs.

Validate Parameters

Property

Type

Required

Default

Markup

Description

Validation type

Text (options)

Yes

Key Container

  1. VALIDATIONTYPE="well_formed"

  2. VALIDATIONTYPE="schema"

  3. VALIDATIONTYPE="dtd"

The type of validation that the in-memory xml document should pass through. The available options are:

  • Well-Formed (Default) -  Specifies that the XML file conforms to the rules that govern a well-formed document.

  • Schema - Performs XML Schema validation. Validates with a schema. Default attributes are expanded from schema. Type information is supplied.

  • DTD - Performs DTD validation. Default attributes and entities are expanded. General entities are loaded and parsed only if they are used (expanded). No type information is supplied.

Schema file(s)

Text

Yes if validation set to schema

(Empty)

FileName="C:\Schema\database.xsd"

Specifies the schema file(s) to validate the in-memory XML document against. This parameter is available only if the Validation type parameter is set to Schema. Click the folder icon to navigate to the schema (.xsd) file in which the in memory XML file will be validated against. To remove an existing schema file, click the red "X". This parameter supports selection of multiple schema files.

Description tab - A custom description can be provided on the Description tab to convey additional information or share special notes about a task step.

Error Causes tab - Specify how this step should behave upon the occurrence of an error. (Refer to Task Builder > Error Causes Tab for details.)

On Error tab - Specify what AWE should do if this step encounters an error as defined on the Error Causes tab. (Refer to Task Builder > On Error Tab for details.)

XML Levels of Accuracy

An XML document has two levels of accuracy:

  1. Well-formed. A well-formed document conforms to all of XML's syntax rules. For example, if an element has an opening tag with no closing tag and is not self-closing, it is not well-formed. A document that is not well-formed is not considered to be XML and a conforming parser is not allowed to process it.

  2. Valid. A valid document additionally conforms to some semantic rules. These rules are either user-defined, or included as an XML schema or DTD. For example, if a document contains an undefined tag, then it is not valid; a validating parser is not allowed to process it

Example

The sample AML code below can be copied and pasted directly into the Steps panel of the Task Builder.

Description: Validate that XML file adheres to the specified schema. Sessionname is "Two".

<AMXMLVALIDATION VALIDATIONTYPE="SCHEMA" 
SESSION="Two"><Schema FileName="C:\Tutorials\XML 
Data\Schema Files\booksSchema.xsd" /></AMXMLVALIDATION>