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Introduction

If you already have a file available that contains the structure of data you want to use, you can use a sample file within a transformation. This option is effectively the same as providing the file schema during configuration of a file-based activity configuration, except that a schema defined within the transformation (as is described here) takes precedence over a schema defined as part of an activity.

Using a Sample File

To be able to define a file schema using a sample file in a transformation, first add create a transformation to an operation. If the operation also an activity located adjacent to the transformation on the side where you want to use a sample file in the transformation, it must not have a file schema provided in the activity configuration. That is, while configuring the activity, in the area where you can .

The Define Schema option is visible only when a transformation is not already inheriting a schema from an adjacent activity. If an adjacent file-based activity is present, do not provide a request or response schema , make sure to select No so that the schema is not in the activity's configuration, as this would then cause those schemas to be inherited by the transformation.

Provided this condition is met, the Define Schema button is displayed in mapping mode on each side of the transformation that does not already have a schema defined in an activity. Click Define Schema on the source or target side of the transformation and select Use Sample File:

Configuring a Sample File Schema

The sample file schema editor opens. Configuration depends on whether In the file schema editor, select either Use Saved Schema or Provide New Schema is selected.

. Each of these options is covered below.

Anchor
use-saved-schema use-saved-schema

Use Saved Schema

Choose Use Saved Schema to select an existing file schema that has previously been defined in the current project. When this option is selected, these options become available:

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• Saved Schemas: Use the dropdown to select from an existing schema to reuse.

• View /Edit Schema: After an existing uploaded schema is selected, you can view or edit it the schema directly within the text area below the dropdown, or . To view the schema in a larger area, click the popout icon  to edit it in a larger area (once within  (after opening that area, click the return icon  to come back to this screen).

  Info
  NOTE: This area is not applicable for saved schemas that were originally created as a custom flat schema or custom hierarchical schema.

  Validation: As you edit a schema, validation information is provided below the text area, with any errors reported one line at a time. That is, after resolving an error on one line, additional syntax errors to resolve may be reported for subsequent lines. Validation Though a saved schema is not editable, this text area can be copied using Control+C (Windows or Linux) or Command+C (macOS).

  This text area is only for the display of existing uploaded schemas and not for flat, hierarchical, or mirrored custom schemas.

• Validation: Validation information is provided below the text area and is based on the file extension of the saved schema.

• Preview Schema: A preview of the schema is displayed on the right. If you have made edits to the schema structure in the text area on the left, you must first click the Save Changes button for the changes to be reflected in the preview area. The schema is displayed using the standard interface elements described under Nodes and Fields.

• Save Changes: Click to save  This button is not usable, as it is not possible to make changes to the a saved schema and refresh from the schema preview shown on the right side.

  WarningWARNING: If you have edited

  sample file schema editor. To make changes to a saved schema,

  a dialog asks you to acknowledge that the edits will affect other areas of the project where the saved schema is used. If you click Continue, the edits will take effect everywhere the schema is used in the project. If you don't want to affect other areas where the saved schema is used, click Cancel and provide a new schema instead.Image Removed

  instead use the option Edit Schema available in a schema's actions menu.

• Finish: Click to save the schema selection and close its configurationthe sample file schema editor.

• Cancel: Click to close the sample file schema

  configuration. Note that if you have already used the Save Changes button, changes have already been saved and using Cancel simply closes the configuration. Using Cancel without Save Changes closes the configuration without saving.

  editor.

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provide-new-schema provide-new-schema

Provide New Schema

Choose Provide New Schema to define a new schema by loading one from a URL, uploading a file, or manually entering one into the text area. When this option is selected, these options become available:

• Schema Name: Enter a name for the schema into the upper text box, including the file extension (.json, .xml, .xsd, .csv, or .zip). If no file extension is provided, the file is treated as JSON by default. If you are loading the schema from a URL or uploading a file, you can leave this blank, as the name will be populated once the file is loaded. Once you upload a file in a selected format, manually changing the extension has no effect.

• Load URL: Click to open a window dialog where you can load a schema from a URL:

  

  • File Type: Use the dropdown to select from the supported file types, including JSON, XML, XSD, CSV, and ZIP. Take note:

    • XSD: An XSD provided by URL can import/include other XSD URLs by reference.

    • ZIP: A ZIP archive should can contain a collection of XSDs, which may can import/include each other by reference. Any non-XSD files in the archive are ignoredare ignored. Multiple directory levels are supported.

  • URL: Enter a URL that is accessible without authentication. Files up to 5 MB in size can be uploaded.

  • Load: Click to load the schema from the URL. Note that the file is retrieved only a single time for schema generation. In addition, be aware that some data may be converted during processing as described in Schema Processing.

  • Cancel: Click to close the Upload Schema URL window  dialog without saving.

• Upload File: Click to open a window dialog where you can load a schema from a file that is accessible from the current machine:

  

  • File Type: Use the dropdown to select from the supported file types, including JSON, XML, XSD, CSV, and ZIP. Take note:

    ZIP:

    Info
    NOTE: A ZIP archive

    should

    can contain a collection of XSDs, which

    may

    can import/include each other by reference. Any non-XSD files in the archive

    are ignored

    are ignored. Multiple directory levels are supported.

  • File: Use the Browse button to the right to browse to a file that has not yet been used in the current project. Files up to 5 MB in size can be uploaded.

  • Load: Click to load the schema from the file. Note that some data may be converted during processing as described in Schema Processing.

  • Cancel: Click to close the Upload Schema File window  dialog without saving.

• View/Edit Schema: After a schema is loaded If you are not uploading a schema, you can view or edit it directly within enter one manually into the text area below the the Load URL and  and Upload File buttons, or buttons. Otherwise, after uploading a schema, you can view or edit the schema directly within that text area.

  To view or edit the schema in a larger area, click the popout icon Image Modified

   to edit it in a larger area (once within

   (after opening that area, click the return icon Image Modified to come back to this screen).Another option is to manually enter or paste a schema into this area without loading a schema from a URL or

  fileThis text area can also be copied using Control+C (Windows or Linux) or Command+C (macOS).

• Validation: As you edit a schema, validation information is provided below the text area, with any errors reported one line at a time. That is, after resolving an error on one line, additional syntax errors to resolve may be reported for subsequent lines. Validation is based on the file extension of the provided schema.
  

• Preview Schema: A preview of the schema is displayed on the right. After loading a new schema or making edits in the text area on the left, you must first click the Save Changes button for the changes to be reflected in the preview area. The schema is displayed using the standard interface elements described under Nodes and Fields.

• Save Changes: Click to save the schema and refresh the schema preview shown on the right side.

  Warning

  WARNING: If you try to upload a file with the same name as an existing file already defined in the project, a dialog asks if you want to overwrite the existing file. If you click Continue, the file is replaced with the new file with the same name in all places where it is used in the project. If you don't want to overwrite the file, click Cancel and then manually modify the file so it has a name that is not already being used, then try to save it again. Image RemovedImage Added

  Info
  NOTE: When uploading an XSD file that contains multiple top-level elements, on clicking Save Changes, you are prompted to select the desired root node. Select the desired element and then click Finish to save:

• Finish: Click to save the schema and close its configurationthe sample file schema editor.

• Cancel: Click to close the sample file schema

  configuration. Note that if

  editor.

  Info
  NOTE: If you have already used the Save Changes button, changes have already been saved and using Cancel

   simply closes the

  only closes the configuration. Using Cancel

   without 

  without first using Save Changes closes the

  configuration

  sample file schema editor without saving.

Schema Actions Menu

After a schema from the sample file is created, you can access additional menu options that are available for all schemas.

These include deleting Delete, renaming, viewing dependencies of, deploying, configurable deploying, and adding to a group, as well as editing a schema or clearing a schema from a transformation. For Rename, View Dependencies, Deploy, Configurable Deploy, and Add to Group, as well as Edit Schema and Clear Schema. For details on these actions, see Schema Actions Menu.