Connection Types
The following connection types are available in MapForce:
•Target-driven connections (Standard)
•Source-driven connections (Mixed Content)
•Matching-children connections
•Copy-all connections (Copy Child Items)
Target-driven vs. source-driven connections
Target-driven and source-driven connections are mutually exclusive. The choice between these two options depends on the order in which nodes need to be mapped. In target-driven connections, the order of nodes in the output is determined by the target schema. This connection type is suitable for most mapping scenarios and is the default connection type in MapForce. A target-driven connection is shown as a solid line (see screenshot below).
Target-driven connections might not be suitable when you want to map XML nodes with mixed context (child nodes and text). In this case, a source-driven connection is recommended: The order of nodes in the output is determined by the source schema.
Matching-children and copy-all connections
Matching-children and copy-all connections belong to a subset of target-driven and source-driven connections. Matching-children and copy-all connections map data between nodes with child nodes that are similar or the same in the source and target components. Copy-all connections are similar to matching-children connections but have only one thick connection instead of multiple connections, which prevents the mapping area from being visually cluttered.
This section provides information about each connection type and the scenarios when these connection types are useful.