Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a specific tool to read xml files?
No, xml files are text files with a built-in structure. You can use any text editor and even browsers to view xml files. However dedicated xml editors offer you a more convenient way of viewing and editing xml files.
Do I need a specific tool to generate xml files?
Typically xml files are generated by an export module of your application. In the rare case you want to generate an xml file yourself, there are many xml editors available on the internet. Most modern development tools have an integrated xml editor, as developers are using xml files alot.
What is an XML schema?
An xml schema is a definition of the allowed tree structure of an xml document and defines which fields are allowed at what place of this tree. In addition it defines the format of all fields (like number, text, date, …). For text fields it defines the minimum length, the maximum length and – if wanted – a list of valid options (like “Red”, “Green”, “Blue”). Many xml schemas also contain descriptions of the content of fields (like the FundsXML schema).
How can I view the FundsXML schema?
There are many xml tools available for viewing and editing xml schemas. If you do not have any of them installed on your computer, go to the fundsxml.org website. There you find an xml schema viewer for FundsXML running in most modern browsers, where you walk around in the xml tree and look for specific data fields.
What is the advantage of an xml schema?
You can use an xml schema for automatic data validation. If an xml document cannot be validated against the schema, you get detailled error messages (e.g. “2017-13-01” is not a valid date). Some database tools allow you to generate a complete database structure based on an xml schema. Working with xml schemas is state of the art software development.
Do I have to fill all data fields defined in the FundsXML schema?
No, most of the data fields (and most of the nodes within the tree structure) are optional. There is only a small number of mandatory fields for each section (like the data supplier and some identifiers). So go for the fields you are interest in and don’t care about the others.