Data types for elements in a DFDL schema

IBM® App Connect Enterprise includes a DFDL domain parser and DFDL domain serialiser to create and read the integration node message tree representation of your DFDL domain message as a logical model. For more information, see DFDL parser and domain.

The data types that are used in an integration node message tree are defined as ESQL data types. For details of the how the ESQL data types that are used in the integration node message tree correspond to the XML Schema data types that are used in your DFDL schema message model, see ESQL to XML Schema data type mapping.

Note that the data types that are used in your DFDL schema message models are often derived from base XML Schema types. This derivation is to allow value constraints, ensuring a more accurate mapping of the XML Schema type. For example, the IBM defined data format definition for COBOL models the COBOL data type "PIC 9(19) display" in DFDL as "PIC9-Display-Zoned_integer". In the DFDL schema editor, moving the cursor over a "PIC9-Display-Zoned_integer" type and clicking the Go to button displays this type and its Base Type in the Simple Types table. In this case, the base XML Schema type is listed as "nonNegativeInteger", so the data type that is used in the integration node message tree is "DECIMAL".