I have taken a brief look at Biztalk to get some idea if DFDL V1 is capable of supporting the same formats. I have more details but to avoid containing developers I will only post a summary here. Biztalk is an XML based integration suite but has 2 non-XML assemblers/ disassemblers for non-XML data: Flat File and EDI. The purpose of these is to transform from non-XML formats to and from XML as data enters/leaves the system. All data within the system is XML. So far I have only look at the Flat File assembler. The EDI assembler seems to be Covast. Summary: · A file is defined by an optional header schema, a body schema and an optional trailer schema. · Schema consists of root node(s), records (complex element), field elements and field attributes. But underlying schema contains complex types, sequences, etc. · Flat File properties are annotations and are allowed on schema, elements and attributes. · Some properties set at schema level codepage, lengthUnits 'bytes' (usually characters) · Defaults set on schema. Local properties have value or 'use default' · Flat files are always text · The children of a record can all be fixed length or delimited · prefix, infix, postfix Child delimiter, Suppress Trailing Delimiters, Preserve Delimiter For Empty Data · Repeating Delimiter · Records can have Tags (initiators) but not terminators. · · No restrictions on logical types. (inc gday, gtime, etc). · Only dates/times have a formatting pattern. Other types seem to have a default representation. · Alignment, padding, minLength · Escape character, Wrap block (escape block), Restricted Characters · Convert all fields to upper/lower case or leave asis The DFDL deficiencies seem to be Lack of support of attributes. Limited set of logical types. Upper/lower case conversion I have only investigated the flat file specific properties as these should be the representation properties. There are other XML properties, such as restricting to parse only, that may apply. Regards Alan Powell Development - MQSeries, Message Broker, ESB IBM Software Group, Application and Integration Middleware Software ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IBM MP211, Hursley Park Hursley, SO21 2JN United Kingdom Phone: +44-1962-815073 e-mail: alan_powell@uk.ibm.com Unless stated otherwise above: IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 741598. Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU