Target XML Files with optional elements

Question

Hi All,
I am using ODI 10.1.3.4. My task is to create an XML file of the following format:
<parent count="2">
<child>
<name>Fred</name>
<age>15</age>
<email>[email protected]</email>
</child>
<child>
<name>Bob</name>
<age>5</age>
*<email />*
</child>
</parent>
I have been able to successfully create a target file. But the file does NOT contain the empty elements. ie the email element for Bob is missing from my target file.
Is there any way to configure the XML connection or the "create xmlfile" command to output the empty element?
Many Thanks
Nat

Answer 1

After speaking to BEA support it appears as though there is a partial solution to this issue. If you add the attributes minOccurs="0" nillable="true" to the elements then the SOAP message is correct. i.e.
<xs:complexType name="SIDSearchCriteriaStructure">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:choice>
<xs:element ref="SIDUniqueReference" minOccurs="0" nillable="true"/>
<xs:element ref="SIDOtherCriteria" minOccurs="0" nillable="true"/>
</xs:choice>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
I say that this is only a partial fix because elements cannot have minOccurs and nillable attribtes when they are references (as opposed to named elements - e.g. <xs:element name="SIDDNA" type="RestrictedStringType"/>). This is according to XMLSpy anyway. Don't know whether it's W3C legal though.
Nick