A Flat File Schema is metadata that describes the format
and structure of Flat File data processed by the Integration Appliance.
When you create a Flat File Schema, a corresponding internal XML
Schema-based representation of the metadata is also generated.
During run time, the Integration Appliance uses the Flat
File
Schema for the following actions:
- Parse incoming Flat File data (valid to the Flat File Schema)
and convert it to XML data. This parsing is done in the Read
Flat File activity of an orchestration. The converted
XML data is valid to the generated internal XML Schema generated from
the Flat File Schema. For an example orchestration that reads Flat
File data, see the "Developing the BookOrder Project" section of the Getting
Started Guide.
- Convert XML data into outgoing Flat File data valid to a Flat
File Schema. This conversion is done in the Write Flat
File activity of an orchestration.
Use the Flat File Schema Editor to create Flat File Schemas
to describe the following types of data:
- Delimited data
- A Flat File Schema can describe data that is defined using delimiters,
for example: EDI data or by comma-separated values (CSV). A CSV file
containing delimited data is shown in the following figure:
For an example Flat File Schema that parses delimited fields
and contains repeating records, see
"Developing the BookOrder Project" section
of the
Getting Started Guide.
- Fixed
length or 'positional' data: A Flat File Schema can
describe fixed length or positional data. Many mainframe applications
use positional data. Fixed-length data is shown in the following figure: