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Specify Relations Between Elements with No Nesting

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When elements are not nested, no implicit relations are created. You can, however, explicitly specify relations between elements that are not nested by using the msdata:Relationship annotation.

The following example shows an XML Schema in which the msdata:Relationship annotation is specified between the Order and OrderDetail elements, which are not nested. The msdata:Relationship annotation is specified as the child element of the Schema element.

<xs:schema id="MyDataSet" xmlns=""
             xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
             xmlns:msdata="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msdata">  
 <xs:element name="MyDataSet" msdata:IsDataSet="true">  
  <xs:complexType>  
    <xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">  
      <xs:element name="OrderDetail">  
       <xs:complexType>  
         <xs:sequence>  
           <xs:element name="OrderNo" type="xs:string" />  
           <xs:element name="ItemNo" type="xs:string" />  
         </xs:sequence>  
       </xs:complexType>  
      </xs:element>  
      <xs:element name="Order">  
       <xs:complexType>  
         <xs:sequence>  
           <xs:element name="OrderNumber" type="xs:string" />  
           <xs:element name="EmpNumber" type="xs:string" />  
         </xs:sequence>  
       </xs:complexType>  
      </xs:element>  
    </xs:choice>  
  </xs:complexType>  
  
  </xs:element>  
   <xs:annotation>  
     <xs:appinfo>  
       <msdata:Relationship name="OrdOrderDetailRelation"  
                            msdata:parent="Order"
                            msdata:child="OrderDetail"
                            msdata:parentkey="OrderNumber"
                            msdata:childkey="OrderNo"/>  
     </xs:appinfo>  
  </xs:annotation>  
</xs:schema>

The XML Schema definition language (XSD) schema mapping process creates a DataSet with Order and OrderDetail tables and a relationship specified between these two tables, as shown below.

RelationName: OrdOrderDetailRelation  
ParentTable: Order  
ParentColumns: OrderNumber
ChildTable: OrderDetail  
ChildColumns: OrderNo
Nested: False

See also