Handling an updated XML Schema that was imported

[rothnic]

At work I am using Enterprise Architect's XML Import functionality to make sense of an XML Schema that was developed by our contractor.

The need is to get feedback from non-XML experts on what data elements should be filtered when data is sent to a certain party. I imported the schema into Enterprise Architect, and proceeded to create some diagrams at various levels to make sense of the structure. This worked great. I was able to put something together in a day that would of cost ridiculous amounts of time and agony to even get a much less useful XML Spy output from our contractor.

What I don't understand is how to handle updates to the schema. If I try to import a new version of the schema, it will treat the elements completely different from the original ones. Since this is while the system is in development, I do expect to get an update at some point.

The way it imported was like this:
*Schema
**Element1
**Element2 (and so on)

I organized it like this:
*Schema
**Diagram1
**Diagram2
**Elements
***Element1
***Element2

What I'd like to do is to be able to turn on the baseline capability for the "Elements" folder. Then import the updated elements into that folder, and be able to identify the changes to the elements. Additionally, I'd like to see the diagrams be automatically updated with the new elements.

The only thing I have been able to test out is importing the schema again, and trying to overwrite the original elements. However, this just create copies of all the elements instead of replacing the original ones. Is this possible?

[qwerty]

Too long ago to give a satisfying answer, but AFAIR the XML import is what the name says: an import. It does not support synching like for code. What I did in the past was writing my own importer for XSD that was able to synch with existing data. That was back in times of EA V6 and ever since I did not use XML import. But I bet a six-pack of beer against a used car that XML import still does not synch.

q.