Creating a Mapping by Dragging and Dropping

You can create a mapping by dragging one or more objects from the Source pane and dropping them onto an object in the Target pane.

Drag one or more objects from the Source pane and drop it onto an object in the Target pane.

A visual link is drawn between the objects and a small symbol is displayed on the source and the target object icons. The mapping details display in the Mappings pane.

Note: If a mapping is already defined for an object icon, the drag and drop feature reuse the existing mapping to complement it.

The pointer becomes a barred circle when it is over an impossible drop position.

When a source object in a multi-selection cannot be dropped in the selected place in the Target pane, the whole selection is rejected.

The result of a drag and drop depends on the objects being dragged and where you drop them:

  • Object > Object - The objects are mapped together, along with any sub-objects that have the same name and code. The mapping is displayed in the Mapping list in the Mappings pane. The source object is in the Sources sub-tab and the mapping of its sub-objects displays in the Sub-Object Mapping sub-tab.

  • Sub-object > sub-object – [where the sub-objects were not mapped because their names are different, and you have to "force" the mapping] The objects are mapped together and this mapping is added to the list of attributes mappings in the Sub-Object Mapping sub-tab.

  • Sub-object owned by a different object > sub-object - The objects are mapped together and this mapping is added to the list of attribute mappings in the Sub-Object Mapping sub-tab.

  • Sub-object or object > folder – The object (and its sub-objects if any) are created in the appropriate folder in the target model and are mapped to their respective source objects. Objects are displayed as new mappings in the Mapping list, and sub-objects are added to the list of attribute mappings in the Sub-Object mapping sub-tab.

  • Sub-object owned by a different object > folder [XML target only] – The object owing the sub-object is mapped to the target object (and displays in the Sources sub-tab), and the sub-object is mapped to a new created sub-object in the target model, and added to the list of attributes mappings in the Sub-Object mapping sub-tab.

[XML Specifics] As an XML element can correspond to a simple type containing only an elementary value (for example <Name>Bill</Name>), you can directly map an element to a class attribute, an element attribute or to a table column using the drag and drop feature.