Import Preferences

To configure importing options, open the Preferences dialog box (Options > Preferences) and go to XML > Import. This page allows you to configure how empty values and null values are handled when they are encountered in imported database tables or Excel sheets. Also you can configure the format of date / time values recognized in the imported database tables or Excel sheets.

The following options are available:
Create empty elements for empty values
If checked, an empty value from a database column or from a text file is imported as an empty element.
Create empty elements for null values
If checked, null values from a database column are imported as empty elements.
Escape XML content
Enabled by default, this option instructs Oxygen XML Editor to escape the imported content to an XML-safe form.
Add annotations for generated XML Schema
If checked, the generated XML Schema contains an annotation for each of the imported table columns. The documentation inside the annotation tag contains the remarks of the database columns (if available) and also information about the conversion between the column type and the generated XML Schema type.
Date / Time Format section
Specifies the format used for importing date and time values from Excel spreadsheets or database tables, and in the generated XML schemas. You can choose from the following format types:
  • Unformatted - The date and time formats specific to the database are used for import. When importing data from Excel a string representation of date or time values are used. The type used in the generated XML Schema is xs:string.
  • XML Schema date format -The XML Schema-specific format ISO8601 is used for imported date / time data (yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss for datetime, yyyy-MM-dd for date and HH:mm:ss for time). The types used in the generated XML Schema are xs:datetime, xs:date and xs:time.
  • Custom format - If selected, you can define a custom format for timestamp, date, and time values or choose one of the predefined formats. A preview of the values is presented when a format is used. The type used in the generated XML Schema is xs:string.