Introduction

The Format Builder tool assists you in creating descriptions of non-XML data records. Format Builder allows you to describe the layout and hierarchy of the non-XML data so that it can be transformed to or from XML. With Format Builder, you can describe sequences of bytes as fields. Each field description includes the type of data (floating point, string, etc.), the size of the data, and the name of the field. Format Builder allows you to further define groupings of fields (Groups), repetition of fields and groups, and aggregation.

The descriptions you create in Format Builder are saved in an XML grammar called Message Format Language (MFL). MFL documents are used at run-time to transform an instance of a non-XML data record to an instance of an XML document (or vice-versa).

Overview

This help system describes how to use Format Builder to define schemas for non-XML documents. These schemas can be used by Xquery Mapper tools to automatically transform data between XML and non-XML formats.

Format Builder Main Window describes how to navigate the main window of Format Builder.
Message Format Detail Window describes the fields on the Message Format detail window.
Group Detail Window describes the fields on the Group Details detail window.
Field Detail Window describes the fields on the Field Details detail window.
Reference Detail Window describes the fields on the Reference Details detail window.
Comment Detail Window describes the fields on the Comment Details detail window.
Format Builder Options describes the fields on the Format Builder Options detail window.
Format Tester describes how to use Format Tester.
Importing Meta Data describes how to use Format Builder to import a COBOL Copybook, or C Structure to generate XML files.
Format Builder Menus describes the commands you can execute from the Format Builder menus.
Using the Palette describes the Format Builder palette feature and how to use it.
How Do I? gives you step-by-step instructions for performing the basic tasks in Format Builder.
Supported Data Types Provides a list of supported MFL and COBOL Copybook Importer data types.
Glossary provides definitions of some of the unfamiliar terms you may encounter when using Format Builder.

Using Format Builder

Introduction

Overview