Hi Radek,

I've managed to put together a simple example that illustrates an approach to each of the 3 challenges listed above - see: geonamesgmlwriter2018.zip . You are still welcome to follow up via the support system for questions specific to your dataset and schema.

Question 1: How to expose and preserve or modify the FeatureCollection attributes.

By default, FME's GML writer tends to hide the FeatureCollection container object. However, the following approach will let you expose and preserve or modify it as needed.

First, make sure you set the GML or in this case the INSPIRE reader parameter gml:FeatureCollection to gml.

Next, you will need to import FeatureCollection feature type on both the reader and writer. You may need to set import featureType from schema not dataset. Once you have the FeatureCollection feature type, then on the writer you will need to set these GML writer parameters:

FeatureCollection: FeatureCollection

FeatureCollection ID: AT.HR.IT.0

FeatureCollection NS URI: http://www.opengis.net/gml/3.2

In my example, I'm using the GeographicalNames.xsd application schema which doesn't have any additional FeatureCollection attributes, so I enabled Map Predefined Properties to Yes so I could add a value for the gml_description field to the FeatureCollection object. Notice how each of the NamedPlace features have their gml_parent_id set to AT.HR.IT.0

Question 2: How to suppress null elements in the output

At present, the GML writer does not have a setting for suppressing null outputs. FME does support nillable, so if an attribute is nillable then FME will set xsi:nil=true for null values.

To suppress null writing <gml:name/> in this case, there are 2 possible workarounds. You can use the GMLFeatureComposer to generate the GML, then pass it through the XMLFormatter and set it to 'remove empty elements to Yes. You would then need to use the TextFileWriter to write out your GML.

My preferred approach is to stick with the GML writer, and use a NullAttributeMapper to detect null attributes and map them to 'missing'. This effectively removes the field from the FME feature schema. In the attached example I use the NullAttributeMapper to scan all attributes and map any empty or null attributes to missing. This picks up the gml_name{2} list element and effectively removes it from the list.

Question 3: How to set the default namespace to remove namespace prefix from the element names

In your case, you have <eczr:FeatureMember> and you want this to show up as just <FeatureMember >. To do that you need to make eczr the default namespace.

In my case I have <gn:NamedPlace>. If I want to remove the gn namespace prefix, I need to make the namespace associated with gn the default namespace. Looking at the namespace header of my output I see that:

xmlns:gn="urn:x-inspire:specification:gmlas:GeographicalNames:3.0"

So to remove this namespace we need to set:

Override XSD and Use Namespace Declarations to:

xmlns="urn:x-inspire:specification:gmlas:GeographicalNames:3.0"

Thereafter, the output will have <NamedPlace> not <gn:NamedPlace>

Hopefully this gives you a few things to try. Because you can't share your application schema, I thought it might be useful to have a basic example of GML writing to play with. The above example is based on the INSPIRE GeoNames article. Feel free to edit this workspace for testing purposes and send back your modified version if you run into trouble, or manage to reproduce a problem with it.

If you have questions specific to your data feel free to follow up via the support system.

Dean

Hi Radek,

I've managed to put together a simple example that illustrates an approach to each of the 3 challenges listed above - see: geonamesgmlwriter2018.zip . You are still welcome to follow up via the support system for questions specific to your dataset and schema.

Question 1: How to expose and preserve or modify the FeatureCollection attributes. 

By default, FME's GML writer tends to hide the FeatureCollection container object. However, the following approach will let you expose and preserve or modify it as needed.

First, make sure you set the GML or in this case the INSPIRE reader parameter gml:FeatureCollection to gml.

Next, you will need to import FeatureCollection feature type on both the reader and writer. You may need to set import featureType from schema not dataset. Once you have the FeatureCollection feature type, then on the writer you will need to set these GML writer parameters:

FeatureCollection: FeatureCollection

FeatureCollection ID: AT.HR.IT.0

FeatureCollection NS URI: http://www.opengis.net/gml/3.2

In my example, I'm using the GeographicalNames.xsd application schema which doesn't have any additional FeatureCollection attributes, so I enabled Map Predefined Properties to Yes so I could add a value for the gml_description field to the FeatureCollection object. Notice how each of the NamedPlace features have their gml_parent_id set to AT.HR.IT.0

Question 2: How to suppress null elements in the output

At present, the GML writer does not have a setting for suppressing null outputs. FME does support nillable, so if an attribute is nillable then FME will set xsi:nil=true for null values.

To suppress null writing <gml:name/> in this case, there are 2 possible workarounds. You can use the GMLFeatureComposer to generate the GML, then pass it through the XMLFormatter and set it to 'remove empty elements to Yes. You would then need to use the TextFileWriter to write out your GML.

My preferred approach is to stick with the GML writer, and use a NullAttributeMapper to detect null attributes and map them to 'missing'. This effectively removes the field from the FME feature schema. In the attached example I use the NullAttributeMapper to scan all attributes and map any empty or null attributes to missing. This picks up the gml_name{2} list element and effectively removes it from the list.

Question 3: How to set the default namespace to remove namespace prefix from the element names

In your case, you have <eczr:FeatureMember> and you want this to show up as just <FeatureMember >. To do that you need to make eczr the default namespace.

In my case I have <gn:NamedPlace>. If I want to remove the gn namespace prefix, I need to make the namespace associated with gn the default namespace. Looking at the namespace header of my output I see that:

xmlns:gn="urn:x-inspire:specification:gmlas:GeographicalNames:3.0"

So to remove this namespace we need to set:

Override XSD and Use Namespace Declarations to: 

xmlns="urn:x-inspire:specification:gmlas:GeographicalNames:3.0"

Thereafter, the output will have <NamedPlace> not <gn:NamedPlace>

Hopefully this gives you a few things to try. Because you can't share your application schema, I thought it might be useful to have a basic example of GML writing to play with. The above example is based on the INSPIRE GeoNames article. Feel free to edit this workspace for testing purposes and send back your modified version if you run into trouble, or manage to reproduce a problem with it.

If you have questions specific to your data feel free to follow up via the support system.

Dean

@DeanAtSafe the attached zip got lost (403) could you please re upload the zip? Thanks.