EclipseLink/UserGuide/MOXy/Simple Values/Special Schema Types/Unions

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Mapping to a Union Field

The following XML schema and class diagram show a typical use of an XML Schema Union:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
    <xsd:element name="customer" type="customer-type" />
    <xsd:complexType name="customer-type">
        <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="shoe-size" type="size-type" />
        </xsd:sequence>
    </xsd:complexType>
    <xsd:simpleType name="size-type">
        <xsd:union memberTypes="xsd:decimal xsd:string" />
    </xsd:simpleType>
</xsd:schema>

The figure below illustrates a mapping to a union field in an XML document that conforms to the example schema. When EclipseLink unmarshalls the XML document, it tries each of the union types until it can make a successful conversion. The first schema type in the union is xsd:decimal. Because "10.5" is a valid decimal, EclipseLink converts the value to the appropriate type. If the Object attribute is specific enough to trigger an appropriate value, EclipseLink will use that type instead. Otherwise, EclipseLink uses a default (in this case BigDecimal). You can override this behavior in Java code.

In a second example document, the value "M" is not a valid xsd:decimal type, so the next union type is tried, xsd:string.

Example

Currently, EclipseLink does not support the mapping of Unions using Annotations or OXM Metadata. However, an EclipseLink XML Customizer can be used to create the mapping.

First, we annotate the shoeSize attribute with @XmlTransient, to avoid automatically generating a mapping for it. We also include an @XmlCustomizer annotation; the CustomerCustomizer class will create the Union mapping in code.

package example;
 
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.*;
import org.eclipse.persistence.oxm.annotations.*;
 
@XmlRootElement
@XmlAccessorType(XmlAccessType.FIELD)
@XmlCustomizer(EmployeeCustomizer.class)
public class Customer {
   @XmlTransient
   private Object shoeSize;
 
   ...
}

package example;
 
import org.eclipse.persistence.config.DescriptorCustomizer;
import org.eclipse.persistence.descriptors.ClassDescriptor;
import org.eclipse.persistence.oxm.*;
 
public class CustomerCustomizer implements DescriptorCustomizer {
 
   @Override
   public void customize(ClassDescriptor descriptor) throws Exception {
      XMLDirectMapping shoeSizeMapping = new XMLDirectMapping();
      shoeSizeMapping.setAttributeName("shoeSize");
 
      XMLUnionField shoeSizeField = new XMLUnionField();
      shoeSizeField.setXPath("shoeSize/text()");
      shoeSizeField.addSchemaType(XMLConstants.DECIMAL_QNAME);
      shoeSizeField.addSchemaType(XMLConstants.STRING_QNAME);
 
      shoeSizeMapping.setField(shoeSizeField);
 
      descriptor.addMapping(shoeSizeMapping);
   }
 
}

To override the default conversion, use the XMLUnionField method addConversion:

shoeSizeField.addConversion(XMLConstants.DECIMAL_QNAME, Float.class);

Mapping to a Union of Lists

Given the XML schema in Schema for XML Direct Mapping to Union of Lists, the XML Direct Mapping to Union of Lists figure illustrates an XML direct mapping to a union of lists in a corresponding XML document. The Java for XML Direct Mapping to Union of Lists example shows how to configure this mapping in Java.

Schema for XML Direct Mapping to Union of Lists

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

    <xsd:element name="vacation" type="unionOfLists"/>
    <xsd:simpleType name="unionOfLists">
        <xsd:union memberTypes="xsd:double">
            <xsd:simpleType>
                <xsd:list itemType="xsd:date"/>
            </xsd:simpleType>

            <xsd:simpleType>
                <xsd:list itemType="xsd:integer"/>
            </xsd:simpleType>
        </xsd:union>
    </xsd:simpleType>
</xsd:schema>

XML Direct Mapping to Union of Lists

Note that in this example, valid XML documents contain either all xsd:double, all xsd:date, or all xsd:integer values.

Java for XML Direct Mapping to Union of Lists

XMLDirectMapping mapping = new XMLDirectMapping();
mapping.setAttributeName("vacation");
mapping.setXPath("UnionOfLists/text()");

Mapping to a Union of Unions

Given the XML schema in the Schema for XML Direct Mapping to a Union of Unions example, the Java Class for XML Direct Mapping to a Union of Unions figure illustrates a Java class that can be mapped to a corresponding XML document. The Java for XML Direct Mapping to a Union of Unions example shows how to configure this mapping in Java.

Schema for XML Direct Mapping to a Union of Unions

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
    <xsd:element name="vacation" type="unionOfUnions"/>
    <xsd:simpleType name="unionOfUnions">
        <xsd:union>

            <xsd:simpleType>
                <xsd:union>
                    <xsd:simpleType>
                        <xsd:list itemType="xsd:date"/>
                    </xsd:simpleType>
                    <xsd:simpleType>

                        <xsd:list itemType="xsd:integer"/>
                    </xsd:simpleType>
                </xsd:union>
            </xsd:simpleType>
            <xsd:simpleType>
                <xsd:union>

                    <xsd:simpleType>
                        <xsd:list itemType="xsd:string"/>
                    </xsd:simpleType>
                    <xsd:simpleType>
                        <xsd:list itemType="xsd:float"/>
                    </xsd:simpleType>

                </xsd:union>
            </xsd:simpleType>
        </xsd:union>
    </xsd:simpleType>
</xsd:schema>

Java Class for XML Direct Mapping to a Union of Unions

Java for XML Direct Mapping to a Union of Unions

XMLDirectMapping vacationMapping = new XMLDirectMapping();
vacationMapping.setAttributeName("vacation");
XMLUnionField vacationField = new XMLUnionField();
vacationField.setXPath("vacation/text()");
vacationField.addSchemaType(XMLConstants.DATE_QNAME);
vacationField.addSchemaType(XMLConstants.INTEGER_QNAME);
vacationField.addSchemaType(XMLConstants.STRING_QNAME);
vacationField.addSchemaType(XMLConstants.FLOAT_QNAME);
vacationMapping.setField(vacationField);

Version: 2.2.0 Draft
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