DFDL parser and domain
Data Format Description Language (DFDL) is an XML-based language used to define the structure of formatted data in a way that is independent from the data format itself.
IBM® App Connect Enterprise provides support for a DFDL domain. The DFDL domain can be used to parse and write a wide variety of message formats, and is intended for general text and binary message formats, including industry standards. It is not intended for parsing and writing XML or JSON formatted messages, which have their own message domains.
IBM App Connect Enterprise uses the DFDL parser to read and write messages in the DFDL domain. When reading a message, the DFDL parser interprets a bit stream by using grammar defined in a DFDL schema file, and generates a corresponding DFDL domain logical message tree in the integration node. When writing a message, the DFDL serializer generates a DFDL formatted bit stream from a DFDL domain logical message tree.
Because the DFDL parser is model-driven, it can perform validation of messages against the message model that is defined in the DFDL schema file. The level of validation that is performed by the DFDL parser is the same as the level that is defined by XML Schema 1.0; see Validating messages.
The DFDL parser is an on-demand parser. See Parsing on demand.
To process messages with the DFDL parser, select DFDL as the Message Domain on the relevant node in the message flow.