This topic applies only to the IBM Business Automation Workflow Advanced configuration.

Substitution groups

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This topic only applies to BAW, and is located in the BAW repository. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15
A substitution group is a construct in XML Schema (XSD) that allows data architects to create a set of elements that can be substituted for a head element.

Any top-level element can be defined as the head element of a substitution group. Any other top-level element can then be a member of the substitution group, and can be substituted for the head element. The substitutable elements must either be of the same type as the head element, or they must be derived from the head element.

Consider the following xsd:
  •  1  StoreName is a substitutable element whose head element is Name.
  •  2  Book is a substitutable element whose head element is Publication.
  •  3  Magazine is a substitutable element whose head element is also Publication.
  •  4  BookStore is a an element that contains Name and Publication..
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
	targetNamespace="http://SubstitutionGroups"
	xmlns:tns="http://SubstitutionGroups">
	
	<!-- ELEMENT DECLARATIONS -->
	
	<xsd:element name="Name" type="xsd:string" />
	 1 <xsd:element name="StoreName" substitutionGroup="tns:Name" type="tns:MyString" />
	
	<xsd:element name="Publication" type="tns:PublicationType" />
 2 	<xsd:element name="Book" substitutionGroup="tns:Publication" type="tns:BookType" />
 3 	<xsd:element name="Magazine" substitutionGroup="tns:Publication" type="tns:MagazineType" />
		
 4 		<xsd:element name="BookStore">
		<xsd:complexType>
			<xsd:sequence>
				<xsd:element ref="tns:Name" />
				<xsd:element ref="tns:Publication" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
			</xsd:sequence>
		</xsd:complexType>
	</xsd:element>
	
	<xsd:element name="LiteratureStore" substitutionGroup="tns:BookStore" />
	
	

	<!--  TYPE DEFINITIONS -->
	
	<xsd:simpleType name="MyString">
		<xsd:restriction base="xsd:string">
			<xsd:minLength value="3"></xsd:minLength>
			<xsd:maxLength value="10"></xsd:maxLength>
		</xsd:restriction>
	</xsd:simpleType>
	
	<xsd:complexType name="PublicationType">
		<xsd:sequence>
			<xsd:element name="Title" type="xsd:string" />
			<xsd:element name="Author" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"
				maxOccurs="unbounded" />
			<xsd:element name="Date" type="xsd:gYear" />
		</xsd:sequence>
	</xsd:complexType>
	
	<xsd:complexType name="BookType">
		<xsd:complexContent>
			<xsd:extension base="tns:PublicationType">
				<xsd:sequence>
					<xsd:element name="ISBN" type="xsd:string" />
					<xsd:element name="Publisher" type="xsd:string" />
				</xsd:sequence>
			</xsd:extension>
		</xsd:complexContent>
	</xsd:complexType>
	
	<xsd:complexType name="MagazineType">
		<xsd:complexContent>
			<xsd:restriction base="tns:PublicationType">
				<xsd:sequence>
					<xsd:element name="Title" type="xsd:string" />
					<xsd:element name="Date" type="xsd:gYear" />
				</xsd:sequence>
			</xsd:restriction>
		</xsd:complexContent>
	</xsd:complexType>

</xsd:schema>
This is what the business object BookStore looks like in the business object editor.
A business object with substitution group

Note that all the elements that are part of the substitution group appear under substitution group in the business object editor. If you click the substitution group, the properties view shows you the head element of the group. You can map each substitutable element by creating an XML map or a business object map.

You cannot map substitution group in the editor, and you cannot create a substitution group in the business object editor.