1 MDM Syndicator Reference Guide
1.2 Managing Map Files
This section provides instructions for performing basic map operations in Syndicator. It also describes map properties.
1.2.1 Syndication Maps
Syndication maps tell MDM which records to syndicate and how those records should appear in the syndication file. All syndication maps are saved with the repository itself for easy reuse by other Syndicator users or MDSS.
Syndication Map Components
Setting Description
Item Mappings Item mappings tell MDM which source fields to export to
which destination fields.
Search Selections Search selections limit the number of records to export to those which match the search criteria. When you open the map, the saved search selections are automatically applied to the current table records.
Map Properties Map properties are global settings which control the map’s
output format, which remote system keys to include, and op
tions such as the date, currency, and delimiter formatting to apply to record values.
Source Field Transformations You can customize the available source fields to meet the specific needs of the map’s intended destination schema.
These transformations are saved with the map rather than affecting the source data itself.
Destination Items Destination items represent the schema of the map’s inte
dended destination. For XML-based maps, the schema is preloaded based on the map’s associated XML schema. For flat text maps, the destination items are created within Syn
dicator. Destination item properties let you apply field-spe-cific transformations to the values of the mapped source field.
Current Table The current table indicates which repository table to export
records from.
1.2.2 Creating a New Syndication Map
Context
To create a new syndication map:
Procedure
1. Choose File New… from the main menu to open the New Map Properties dialog.
2. In the Type box, select the map type from the drop-down list.
3. Fill in the map properties that correspond to the selected type.
Map properties are described in section New Map Properties linked below.
4. Click OK.
Related Information
New Map Properties [page 11]
1.2.2.1 New Map Properties
The following table describes the map properties that you fill in when creating a new table. The properties depend on the map type.
New Map Properties
Type Description
Property Flat XML Schema XML Schema File Port
Remote System ● ● ● ● The target remote
system for the map.
For more informa
tion about remote systems, see Map
ping Remote Keys linked below.
Port ● The map will only syndicate records to this port.
XML schema* ● The XML schema
used to define the map’s destination items.
XML file name** ● The external XML
schema file used to define the map’s destination items.
Namespace ● ● The root elements
available for selec
* Use for XML schemas which have been saved to the repository using MDM Console
** Use for XML schema files located on your external file system
Related Information
Mapping Remote Keys [page 77]
1.2.3 Opening Maps
Context
Only one map can be open at a time in Syndicator.
To open a map:
Procedure
1. To open the Open Map dialog, choose File Open . 2. In the Remote System list, select the map’s remote system.
3. In the Available Maps list, select the map to open.
4. Click OK.
The selected map is now the current map.
Note
Syndicator does not display source or destination items that exist on the map but not on the current table or XML schema.
1.2.4 Deleting Maps
Context
Deleting maps permanently removes them from the repository.
To delete a map:
Procedure
1. To open the Delete Maps dialog, choose File Delete… . 2. In the Available Maps list, select the maps you want to delete.
3. Click Add.
The selected maps now appear in the Maps to Delete list.
4. Click OK.
The selected maps are now deleted from the repository.
1.2.5 Exporting Map Files
Context
The File Save and File Save As options save syndication maps to the repository only. To save a map to an external file, use File Export .
To export a map:
Procedure
1. To open a Save As dialog, choose File Export… .
2. Browse to the location where you want the map file to be saved.
3. In the File Name box, enter a name for the map file and save it as .syn file.
Caution
Do not save the map as an .xml file, as the underlying XML schema definition may be changed in the future. Also, directly modifying the contents of an XML map file may result in the file being unloadable.
4. Click OK.
The map file is saved to the specified location.
1.2.6 Importing Map Files
Context
To import a syndication map file:
Procedure
1. To open an Open dialog, choose File Import… . 2. Browse to the syndication map file and click OK.
Syndicator now reflects the imported map.
1.2.7 Making a Map Available to Other Remote Systems
Context
Saving copies of a map to different remote systems spares you from having to recreate the same map for each of your remote systems.
To save a map to a different remote system:
Procedure
1. To save any changes to the current map, choose File Save . 2. To open the Save As dialog, choose File Save As… .
3. Select a new remote system to save a copy of the map to.
4. Enter the name which the new map will appear as under the new remote system.
5. Click OK.
The new map is now the current map.
1.2.8 XML Schema Enforcement in Syndicator
When loading a map’s XML schema, Syndicator reads the structure of the elements and attributes contained in the schema and reflects this structure in the XML trees displayed in the Item Mapping, Destination Items, and Destination Preview tabs.
Note
Currently, Syndicator only supports a very basic subset of XML schema options. Some options, including xsd:choice and xsd:union, may cause a schema to be rejected outright while others are simply ignored.
Although it is common for additional element and attribute properties (such as datatype restrictions and default values) to be included in an XML schema, the only properties and values which Syndicator actually uses to define destination items are:
● name
● minOccurs
● maxOccurs
● mixed="true"
The values of these properties are displayed in the Syndicator Destination Items tab, as described in Table XML Schema Properties Displayed in Syndicator, and reflected in the item’s name and icon in the Item Mapping tab, as described in Table Element and Attribute Icons in the Destination Items Grid.
XML Schema Properties Displayed in Syndicator
XML Schema Property Destination Item Property
name Name
minOccurs XML Required
maxOccurs XML Repeatable
Note
MDM interprets minOccurs values of >1 as indicating "required" and maxOccurs values of "unbounded" or
>1 as indicating "repeatable".
On the Destination Items grid of the Item Mapping tab, Syndicator displays descriptive icons before each element or attribute name. These icons make it easy for users to “match” destination items to source items during the mapping process.
Element and Attribute Icons in the Destination Items Grid
Icon Description
Childless, non-repeatable element or attribute Repeatable element containing child elements
● Element containing property mixed="true" in the XML schema –or–
● Childless, repeatable element or attribute Non-repeatable element containing child elements
Finally, Syndicator italicizes the names of required items on the Destination Item grid of the Item Mapping tab, making it easy to identify which items will always included in the syndication file.
XML Namespaces
If the targetNamespace attribute is missing in an XML schema, the target namespace is considered empty.
Root elements are always associated with the namespace value found in the targetNamespace attribute.
All other destination items are associated with the targetNamespace value if their form attribute value is qualified, or, if their form attribute is missing, their FormDefault value is qualified.
Note
If multiple namespaces are available, the target namespace to use must be selected when the map is created or an Update XML Schema operation is performed.
1.2.8.1 Updating the XML Schema of a Map
Context
Syndicator uses the XML schema associated with an XML map to define the destination items available on that map. If changes are made to the XML schema after a map has been created, or if you wish to use a different XML schema with the map, you can use the Update XML Schema operation to reload the XML schema into the map.
To update or switch the XML schema of a map:
Procedure
1. Choose File Update XML Schema… from the main menu (map must be in an unmodified state for this option to be enabled).
2. Choose the new or updated XML schema and its related properties.
Syndicator refreshes the Destination Items tree of the map with the information contained in the selected XML schema.
Note
Existing destination items and mappings may change or disappear according to the new XML schema.
Syndicator displays warnings and enters log messages in these cases.
1.2.9 Editing Map Properties
Context
The Map Properties tab displays a list of properties which apply to the syndication files generated by the current map. Not all map properties apply to all maps – some properties are enabled only for XML maps, others only for flat text maps.
To edit map properties:
Procedure
1. On the Map Properties tab, edit property values.
2. To reset a property to its factory default value, in the Reset column click the checkbox corresponding to the property that you want to reset.
Syndicator resets the value to its factory default value and updates the Reset column checkbox from unchecked ( ) to checked ( ).
3. To cancel property changes, right-click and choose Restore to restore the last saved map values.
4. To save map property changes, press Shift + Enter or right-click and choose Save Map Properties.
1.2.9.1 Map Properties
Read-only properties appear grayed out, as do properties that are not available for the current map type (XML or Flat). Default property values appear in bold.
Note
Remote System and Format properties are defined at the time the map is created.
Map Properties Columns
Column Description
Name The name of the map property
Reset Whether not the property is set to its “factory default” value
● - property is set to its default value
● - property is not set to its default value
● - property has no default value
Value The current value of the map property
● Values in gray are inherited from the factory default set
tings
● Values with a light-blue background have been modified but not saved
Map Properties
Flat XML Property Description
● ● Remote System The remote system of the map.
Flat XML Property Description
● ● Format The format of syndication files gener
ated from the map (flat or XML)
● Namespace The XML schema namespace
● Must be 255 characters or less
● For more information, see XML Namespaces in section XML Schema Enforcement in Syndi
cator linked below.
● XML File Output The number of files to generate when
a syndication is executed
● One output record per file
● All output records in one file
● For more information, see Cus
tomizing XML File Syndication linked below.
● Repeating Record Node The name of the record element in
the XML schema
● ● Max Records Per Output File The maximum number of records to
include in an XML syndication file, af
ter which a new file is created. 0 = no limit.
● For more information, see Cus
tomizing XML File Syndication linked below.
● ● Include UNICODE Byte Order Mark Prepends UTF-8 byte order mark to
the beginning of the syndication file.*
● Include Item Names Adds names of destination items as
column headers in the syndication file
● If Item Format is Name/Value Pairs, item names are pre
pended to each item value in
stead of added as column head
ers
● Item Format The format of items in flat syndica
tion files:
● Fixed Width
● Variable Width
● Name/Value Pairs
Flat XML Property Description
● Item Delimiter Character used to separate destina
tion item values when Item Format is Variable-Width:
● Custom Delimiter Item delimiter used when Item De
limiter is Custom
● Name/Value Separator Delimiter used to separate destina
tion item names and values when Item Format is Name/Value Pairs:
● Custom Separator Name/Value Separator used when
Name/Value Separator is Custom
● Name/Value Terminator Delimiter used to separate destina
tion items when Item Format is Name/Value Pairs:
● Custom Terminator Terminator used when Name/ Value
Terminator is Custom
Flat XML Property Description
● Language Format How values from the source item
Language appear in the syndication file:
● 2-Letter Language Code
● 3-Letter Language Code
● Country Code
● Region Code**
● ● Date Format Date format used for data from
source items of type Literal Date and
<date> tokens in a custom item:
● YYYY:MM:DD:HH:MM:SS:MSS
● YYYYMMDD
● MM/DD/YYYY
● DD.MM.YYYY
● YYYY-MM-DD
● ● Timestamp Format Format used for create/change time
stamp fields:
● Internal outputs dates in the for
mat mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss GMT
● .XML dateTime outputs dates in the XML-valid format yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ssZ, where
<T> denotes the beginning of the time.
● ● Numeric Decimal Symbol Decimal symbol used for data from
source items of type Currency, Meas
urement, Real, or Numeric:
● .
● ,
● ● Numeric Thousand Separator Thousand symbol used for data from
source items of type Currency, Meas
urement, Real, or Numeric:
● ,
● .
● None
● Space
Flat XML Property Description
● ● Use Currency Symbol For currency fields, includes a cur
rency symbol as part of the field value. The symbol used is defined for the currency field in MDM Console.
● ● Suppress Unchanged Records Excludes records from syndication
which have not changed since the last time they were syndicated to a port or remote system
● For more information, see Sup
pressing Unchanged Records linked below.
● ● Suppress Records Without Key Excludes records from syndication
when they possess no key mapping for the destination or overriding re
mote system
● For more information, see Sup
pressing Unchanged Records linked below.
● ● Remote Key Override Adds a separate copy of each record
to the syndication file for every re
mote system listed
● For more information, see Re
mote System and Remote Key Override linked below.
● ● Filter Multi-Valued Lookup Fields Excludes values which do not match
selections made in the search pa
rameter pane
● For more information, see Filter
ing Multi-Valued Lookup Fields linked below.
● ● Filter Qualified Links Excludes qualified links which do not
match selections made in the search parameter pane
● For more information, see Filter
ing Qualified Links linked below.
● ● Multilingual Fields This property is not editable.
Flat XML Property Description
● ● Language Inheritance The level of language inheritance to
apply to mapped multilingual items:
● None
● Primary
● Secondary
● For more information, see Map
ping Multilingual Fields and At
tributes linked below.
● Suppress Empty Language/Value Pairs Excludes syndication of a language/
value pair when the language has no corresponding value
For more information, see Mapping Multilingual Fields and Attributes linked below.
* Regardless of setting, all syndication files are UTF-8 encoded.
** An internal MDM code
Related Information
XML Schema Enforcement in Syndicator [page 15]
Customizing XML File Syndication [page 83]
Suppressing Unchanged Records [page 81]
Remote System and Remote Key Override [page 78]
Filtering Multi-Valued Lookup Fields [page 56]
Filtering Qualified Links [page 59]
Mapping Multilingual Fields and Attributes [page 73]