Convert Flat File into XML with BizTalk Using XSD Schema

Описание: Learn how to build an XSD schema in BizTalk to transform flat files into structured XML format, focusing on custom delimiters for records.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63600733/ asked by the user 'Gosfly' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6364713/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63605728/ provided by the user 'Dijkgraaf' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2571021/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Transforming Flat Files into XML with BizTalk

Transforming flat files into structured XML can be a challenging task, especially when dealing with custom delimiters. If you're using BizTalk and need to create an XML schema definition (XSD) for flat files with specific start and end delimiters, you're not alone. In this post, we’ll guide you through the process of building the correct XSD to achieve the desired transformation.

Understanding the Problem

Consider a flat file structure that looks like this:

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In this structure:

Records are delimited by :BEGIN and :END.

Each record contains multiple key-value pairs, separated by spaces.

To transform this file into XML using XSD, you want the output to resemble:

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The Challenge

A common challenge is that the BizTalk Flat File Schema Wizard doesn’t support the direct use of custom delimiters like :BEGIN and :END for segmenting records. The goal is to create an effective XSD manually that achieves this.

Creating the XSD

Here’s how to build the XSD to parse your flat file correctly:

Step 1: Basic Schema Structure

First, you must create the basic structure for your schema. This includes defining your root element and setting the parser optimization settings.

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Step 2: Defining Records

In the Record, you need to define the start and end delimiters using specific tags.

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Step 3: Defining Associations

To handle the key-value pairs, you’ll create a complex type for Association, which will hold the Key and Value.

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Step 4: Putting It All Together

Here’s the complete XSD:

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Testing Your Schema

To test the schema, import your flat file into BizTalk and check the transformation result against your expected XML structure. Fine-tune your schema as necessary, especially regarding how lines are terminated.

Conclusion

Building an XSD schema for flat files with custom delimiters in BizTalk is completely feasible with manual construction and testing. By following the outlined steps, you'll be able to transform your specific flat file structure into a well-structured XML format effectively.

If you have any questions or run into issues, feel free to reach out for assistance or further clarification.