You can create an XML definition in PowerCenter from an XML file, DTD file, XML schema, flat file definition, or relational table definition. When you create an XML definition, the Designer extracts XML metadata and creates a schema in the repository. The schema provides the structure from which you edit and validate the XML definition.

An XML definition can contain multiple groups. In an XML definition, groups are called views. The relationship between elements in the XML hierarchy defines the relationship between the views.

When you create an XML definition, the Designer creates views for multiple-occurring elements and complex types in a schema by default. The relative cardinality of elements in an XML hierarchy affects how PowerCenter creates views in an XML definition. Relative cardinality determines if elements can be part of the same view.

The Designer defines relationships between the views in an XML definition by keys. Source definitions do not require keys, but target views must have them. Each view has a primary key that is an XML element or a generated key.

When you create an XML definition, you can create a hierarchical model or an entity relationship model of the XML data. When you create a hierarchical model, you create a normalized or denormalized hierarchy. A normalized hierarchy contains separate views for multiple-occurring elements. A denormalized hierarchy has one view with duplicate data for multiple-occurring elements.

If you create an entity model, the Designer creates views for complex types and multiple-occurring elements. The Designer creates an XML definition that models the inheritance and circular relationships the schema provides.

PowerCenter can work with XML schema that have less than 400 elements. The PowerCenter profile can contain up to three hierarchy levels, and can contain the following complex type elements:

Sequence
Any
Choice

The PowerCenter XML import wizard can create up to 400 views.