Schemas¶

Overview¶

File schemas represent the request and response structures for interaction with a data resource. File schemas can be inherited from activities that are initially adjacent to a transformation, or they can be defined directly in the transformation. A schema defined directly within the transformation takes precedence over a schema defined as part of an activity.

Whether a schema is required depends on if the activity is being used as a source or target of a transformation. In some cases, such as in an operation designed to archive files from a data source to a target without a transformation, no schemas are required; if they are specified, they are simply ignored.

These sections or pages are included in this topic:

• Schema Basics
  This topic covers general information about schemas, including when to use a schema, how schemas are processed, how to regenerate schemas, and menu actions that are available for all schemas.
• Schemas Defined in a Transformation
  These pages cover the various ways to create a schema directly in a transformation, including by creating a custom flat or hierarchical schema, by providing a sample file, by reusing an existing schema, or by mirroring (copying) a schema.
• Schemas Defined in an Activity
  This page provides an overview of defining a schema within an activity. Schemas defined in an activity that are inherited by an adjacent transformation are not considered to be part of the transformation. If an activity providing a schema to a transformation is deleted, the schema then becomes part of the transformation and defined directly in the transformation.