DFDL - Features

Features

The goal of DFDL is to provide a rich modeling language capable of representing any text or binary data format. The 1.0 release is a major step towards this goal. The capability includes support for:

  • Text data types such as strings, numbers, zoned decimals, calendars and Booleans
  • Binary data types such as two's complement integers, BCD, packed decimals, floats, calendars and Booleans
  • Fixed length data and data delimited by text or binary markup
  • Language data structures found in languages like COBOL, C and PL/1
  • Industry standards such as CSV, SWIFT, FIX, HL7, X12, HIPAA, EDIFACT, ISO8583
  • Any encoding and endian-ness
  • Bi-directional text
  • Bit data of arbitrary length
  • Pattern languages for text numbers and calendars
  • Ordered, unordered and floating content
  • Default values on parsing and serializing
  • Nil values capability for handling out-of-band data
  • Fixed and variable arrays
  • XPath 2.0 expression language including variables to model dynamic data
  • Speculative parsing and other mechanisms to resolve choices and optionality
  • Validation to XML Schema 1.0 rules
  • A scoping mechanism that allows common property values to be applied at multiple annotation points
  • Hiding elements in the data from the information set
  • Calculating element values for the information set

Future releases are anticipated in which it is hoped to include support for:

  • Direct access by offset
  • True multi-dimensional arrays
  • Embedded comments
  • Custom language extensions

Read more about this topic:  DFDL

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