BDC model schema reference for SharePoint

Contains reference documentation for the BDC model schema (BDCMetadata.xsd), which you can use to create external content types in SharePoint.

AccessControlEntry element

Contains an access control entry (ACE) that specifies access rights for the parent element.

See Business Connectivity Services security overview to learn more about the Business Connectivity Services and security.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<AccessControlEntry Principal = "String"> </AccessControlEntry>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Principal	Required. The name of the security principal that has this ACE. Attribute type: String

Child elements

Element	Description
Right Element in AccessControlEntry (BDCMetadata Schema)	A Right element that specifies the permissions available to the security principal.

Parent element

Element	Description
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The access control list (ACL) that contains this ACE.

AccessControlList element

Specifies an access control list (ACL) for the parent element.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<AccessControlList></AccessControlList>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
AccessControlEntry Element in AccessControlList (BDCMetadata Schema)	An access control entry (ACE).

Parent element

Element	Description
Model Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	A model that contains external content types in a business application.
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)	The LobSystems contained inside the model.
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)	An external content type.
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)	A method of an external content type.
Association Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)	An association.
MethodInstance Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)	A method instance of an external content type.

Action element

Specifies an action supported by an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

Actions bridge the gap between SharePoint and Office 2013 and an external system's user interface by providing a link back to the external system.

By default, the Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service provides actions such as View Item, Edit Item, and Delete Item after you model these operations in the BDC model. In addition to these default actions, you can create actions for other functionality you want to attach to your external content type. For example, you can use actions to perform simple actions, such as sending email messages to a customer from the Customer external content type or opening a customer's home page in a browser.

Actions travel with an external content type. That is, after you define an action for an external content type, the action appears everywhere you display that external content type—whether in an external list or Business Data web part or in an External Data column.

<Action Position = "Integer" IsOpenedInNewWindow = "Boolean" Url = "String" ImageUrl = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Action>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Position	Required. The suggested position of this action among the other actions of this external content type. Attribute type: Integer
IsOpenedInNewWindow	Optional. Specifies whether the results of executing an action are presented in a new user interface window. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
Url	Required. The URL to go to when the action is invoked. The URL string is a .NET Framework format string. Each format specifier (for example, {0}) corresponds to an Action parameter. Attribute type: String
ImageUrl	Optional. The absolute or relative path to the icon image for the action. The icon image should be 16 x 16 pixels. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. The name of this action. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name for this action. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this action is used frequently. This is used by the BDC client runtime to cache this action. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of the action.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the action.
ActionParameters Element in Action (BDCMetadata Schema)	The parameters of the action.

Parent element

Element	Description
Actions Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	The list of actions of an external content type.

ActionParameter element

Specifies the parameters of a URL-based action. It defines how to parameterize the URL of an action with EntityInstance-specific data.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

The URL attribute of a URL-based action can receive parameters by using the ActionParameter element.

Important: ActionParameters can either represent identifier values, or values that correspond to TypeDescriptors in a SpecificFinder of the Entity. The ActionParameter represents an identifier value when the IdOrdinal property is present. The value of the property specifies the index of the identifier whose value this ActionParameter represents. If the IdOrdinal property is not specified, the ActionParameter represents a TypeDescriptor, and the Name attribute specifies which type descriptor is being represented. The Name attribute is specified as a Dotted Path.

The ActionParameter element accepts the following property.

Important: Properties are case-sensitive.

Properties

Property	Type	Description	Required.	Default Value	Limits/Accepted Values
IdOrdinal	System.Int32	Specifies if the ActionParameter represents an identifier instead of a field.	Optional

<ActionParameter Index = "Integer" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </ActionParameter>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Index	Required. An ordinal attribute that specifies the position of this ActionParameter among other ActionParameters in the URL. Attribute type: Integer
Name	Required. The name of the ActionParameter. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name for the ActionParameter. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this ActionParameter is used frequently. This attribute is used by the BDC client runtime to cache this Action. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized display names for the ActionParameter.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the ActionParameter.

Parent element

Element	Description
ActionParameters Element in Action (BDCMetadata Schema)	The ActionParameters element that contains this ActionParameter.

ActionParameters element

Specifies a list of ActionParameters for an action.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<ActionParameters></ActionParameters>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None.

Child elements

Element	Description
ActionParameter Element in ActionParameters (BDCMetadata Schema)	An ActionParameter.

Parent element

Element	Description
Action Element in Actions (BDCMetadata Schema)	The Action that these ActionParameters belong to.

Actions element

Specifies a list of actions of an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Actions></Actions>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Action Element in Actions (BDCMetadata Schema)	An action of an external content type.

Parent element

Element	Description
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)	The external content type that these actions belong to.

Association element

The Association element links related external content types within a system. For example, a customer is associated with a sales order in the AdventureWorks system: a customer makes sales orders. An Association holds pointers to the source and destination external content types and a pointer to the business logic (a MethodInstance object) that allows a client to get the destination external content type from the source external content type. The traversal of an Association is a method call on the external system.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

Important: Properties are case-sensitive.

Properties

Property	Type	Description	Required	Default Value	Limits/Accepted Values
HideOnProfilePage	System.Boolean	Specifies whether the related external content type should be added to the profile page of the master external content type.	Optional

<Association Type = "String" Default = "Boolean" ReturnParameterName = "String" ReturnTypeDescriptorName = "String" ReturnTypeDescriptorLevel = "Integer" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Association>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Type	Required. The MethodInstanceType that specifies the type of the Association. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description AssociationNavigator The MethodInstance is an AssociationNavigator. Associator The MethodInstance is an Associator. Disassociator The MethodInstance is a Disassociator. BulkAssociatedIdEnumerator The MethodInstance is a BulkAssociatedIdEnumerator. BulkAssociationNavigator The MethodInstance is a BulkAssociationNavigator.
Default	Optional. Specifies whether the Association is the default among all Associations sharing its type within the containing external content type. If set to true, the Association is the default among all Associations sharing its type within the containing external content type. If set to false, the Association is not the default among all Associations sharing its type within the containing external content type. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
ReturnParameterName	Optional. The name of the parameter that contains the ReturnTypeDescriptor of the Association. The Direction attribute of the parameter must contain a value of either "Out", "InOut", or "Return". Attribute type: String
ReturnTypeDescriptorName	Optional. This has been deprecated. Use the ReturnTypeDescriptorPath instead. Attribute type: String
ReturnTypeDescriptorLevel	Optional. This has been deprecated. Use the ReturnTypeDescriptorPath instead. Attribute type: Integer
ReturnTypeDescriptorPath	Optional. The dotted path of the TypeDescriptor of the Association. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. The name of the Association. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name for the Association. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this Association is frequently used. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The LocalizedDisplayNames element specifies a list of localized names for the Association.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The Properties element specifies the properties of the Association.
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The AccessControlList element specifies a set of access rights for the Association.
SourceEntity Element in Association (BDCMetadata Schema)	The SourceEntity element specifies the source external content type in the association.
DestinationEntity Element in Association (BDCMetadata Schema)	The DestinationEntity element specifies the destination external content type in the Association.

Parent element

Element	Description
MethodInstances Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	The MethodInstances element that contains the Association.

AssociationGroup element

Specifies an AssociationGroup. AssociationGroup is a construct that ties the related AssociationMethods together. For example, GetOrdersForCustomer, GetCustomerForOrder, and AssociateCustomerToOrder are all association methods that work on the same relationship between Customer and Order.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

AssociationGroup must be defined on the Entity element that is the Destination of the AssociationReferences that are not marked as Reverse, or the Source of the AssociationReferences that are marked as Reverse.

<AssociationGroup Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </AssociationGroup>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Name	Required. The name of the AssociationGroup. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the AssociationGroup. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether the AssociationGroup is used frequently. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of the AssociationGroup.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the AssociationGroup.
AssociationReference Element in AssociationGroup (BDCMetadata Schema)	An AssociationReference of an AssociationGroup.

Parent element

Element	Description
AssociationGroups Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	The AssociationGroups element that contains this AssociationGroup.

AssociationGroups element

Specifies a list of AssociationGroup elements.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<AssociationGroups></AssociationGroups>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
AssociationGroup Element in AssociationGroups (BDCMetadata Schema)	An AssociationGroup.

Parent element

Element	Description
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)	The external content type that this AssociationGroups element is associated with.

AssociationReference element

Specifies an AssociationReference in an AssociationGroup.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<AssociationReference EntityNamespace = "String" EntityName = "String" AssociationName = "String" Reverse = "Boolean"> </AssociationReference>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
EntityNamespace	Optional. The namespace of the external content type where the Association is defined. If EntityName is specified, EntityNamespace is required. Attribute type: String
EntityName	Optional. The name of the external content type where the Association is defined. If EntityNamespace is specified, EntityName is required. Attribute type: String
AssociationName	Required. The name of the Association. Attribute type: String
Reverse	Optional. Specifies that the referenced Association has its source and destination reversed. This would indicate the Association is working in the opposite direction compared to other associations in the same AssociationGroup. For example, if the AssociationGroup references an Association "GetOrdersForCustomer", returning Order items for the given Customer item, then the AssociationGroup is in the direction of Customer to Order. The other AssociationReference, referencing another association "GetCustomerForOrder", must be marked as reverse, because this association is in the direction of Order to Customer. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
AssociationGroup Element in AssociationGroups (BDCMetadata Schema)	The AssociationGroup that this AssociationReference belongs to.

ConvertType element

Specifies the rule to convert the data type of a data value into another data type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

The Convert element specifies the rule to convert the data type of a data value into another data type. When the rules are applied in order, this rule specifies the data type of the data value to be converted to the data type specified by the BDCType attribute. When the rules are applied in reverse order, this rule specifies the data type of the data value to be converted to the data type specified by the LOBType attribute. For example, this rule can specify converting a date value obtained from an external system, into a culture and locale sensitive string which will eventually be displayed to the user, and converting the updated value for that string back into the date that is compatible with the external system.

Caution: ConvertType does not support non-Gregorian calendars for conversions between System.String and System.DateTime.

<ConvertType LOBType = "String" BDCType = "String"> </ConvertType>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
LOBType	Required. The data type to convert the data value into when the rules are applied in reverse order. Attribute type: String
BDCType	Required. The data type to convert the data value into when the rules are applied in order. Attribute type: String
LOBLocale	Optional. The locale of the data that is received from the external system.

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
Interpretation Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)	The rules to apply to the data stored in the data structures that are represented by a TypeDescriptor.

DefaultValue element

Represents a default value.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<DefaultValue MethodInstanceName = "String" Type = "String"> </DefaultValue>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
MethodInstanceName	Required. The name of the MethodInstance to which this DefaultValue applies. Attribute type: String
Type	Required. The data type of the default value. The following are the acceptable values for this attribute. System.Int16 System.Int32 System.Int64 System.Single System.Double System.Decimal System.Boolean System.Byte System.UInt16 System.UInt32 System.UInt64 System.Guid System.String System.DateTime Any other serializable type (such as where Type.IsSerializable == true) Attribute type: String

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
DefaultValues Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)

DefaultValues element

Specifies a list of DefaultValues of a TypeDescriptor.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<DefaultValues></DefaultValues>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
DefaultValue Element in DefaultValues (BDCMetadata Schema)	The default value of a TypeDescriptor for a MethodInstance.

Parent element

Element	Description
TypeDescriptor Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The TypeDescriptor that these DefaultValues belong to.

DestinationEntity element

Specifies the destination external content type in the Association.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<DestinationEntity Namespace = "String" Name = "String"> </DestinationEntity>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Namespace	Required. The name of the entity namespace. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. The name of the destination entity. Attribute type: String

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
Association Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)

Entities element

Specifies a list of external content types in an external system.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Entities></Entities>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)	An external content type in an external system.

Parent element

Element	Description
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)	An external system.

Entity element

Specifies an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Entity Namespace = "String" Version = "String" EstimatedInstanceCount = "Integer" DefaultOperationMode = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Entity>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Namespace	Required. The namespace that this external content type belongs to. Attribute type: String Note: The namespace should not contain the asterisk special character " *".
Version	Required. The version number of this external content type. Attribute type: String Caution: When the BDC model changes, you must increase the version number of the external content type. If the structure of an external content type changes, you should increase the major number. Examples of structural changes include adding a field to a SpecificFinder or changing an identifier field. If the change does not affect the structure of the external content type, for example, when adding a creator method, changing connection information, or when changing names of LobSystems and type descriptors, you should change the build number and revision number.
EstimatedInstanceCount	Optional. The estimated number of external items contained by the external system. Default value: 10000 Attribute type: Integer
DefaultOperationMode	Optional. Specifies the default behavior when interacting with the external system while creating, deleting, updating, or reading external items. Default value: Default The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description Online Bypass the cached external items for all operations and interact with the external system directly. Cached Perform Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations directly against the cached external items. For Read operations, if the requested external items are available in the cache, use the external items in the cache. Otherwise, bypass the cache to obtain the external items from the external system, and put it in the cache for later use. Offline Perform Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations against only the cached external items. Default Use the System default behavior. This uses Cached mode if the environment supports caching external items.
Name	Required. The name of the external content type. Attribute type: String Note: The name of an external content type should not contain the asterisk special character " *".
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the external content type. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this external content type will be frequently used. If set to true, Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service will cache this external content type in memory. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized display names of this external content type.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of this external content type.
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The access control list (ACL) of this external content type.
Identifiers Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	The identifiers of the external content type.
Methods Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	The methods of the external content type.
AssociationGroups Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	The association groups of the external content type.
Actions Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	The actions of the external content type.

Parent element

Element	Description
Entities Element in LobSystem (BDCMetadata Schema)	The list of external content types in this external system.

FilterDescriptor element

Specifies a filter descriptor of a method.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<FilterDescriptor Type = "String" FilterField = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </FilterDescriptor>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Type	Required. The type of the filter descriptor. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description Limit Used while querying an external system and the value of which can be interpreted as a limit on the number of external items EntityInstances that are returned when the method that it belongs to is called. PageNumber Wildcard Used while querying an external system. Its value represents a pattern of regular and wildcard characters that is matched against the value of a particular field of the set of EntityInstances. The external system returns only those EntityInstances whose field values match the specified pattern. UserContext Used while querying an external system. Its value can be set automatically by any client application to the identity of the user who is calling the external system. This value can then be used by the external system to authorize and then filter the results returned. UserCulture Username Password LastId SsoTicket UserProfile Used while querying an external system. Its value can be obtained by examining the current user's profile. The external system can use its value to filter the results returned. Comparison Used while querying an external system. An external system can compare a ComparisonFilter value with the value of a particular field of a set of EntityInstances and only those EntityInstances where the field values pass the comparison test can be returned. Timestamp Input Used while calling an operation in an external system. An external system can use the value of an InputFilter as additional arguments for the operation. Output Used while calling an operation in an external system. Additional results of an operation that cannot be captured by ReturnTypeDescriptor can be retrieved as a value of the InputOutputFilter. InputOutput Used while calling an operation in an external system. An external system can use the value of an InputOutputFilter as additional arguments for the operation, and additional results of an operation that cannot be captured by ReturnTypeDescriptor can be retrieved as a value of the InputOutputFilter. Batching BatchingTermination ActivityId ActivityId is used when calling an operation on the external system. Its value is set to a GUID that represents the current operation context. If no such value is available, this filter generates a random GUID. On SharePoint Foundation 2010, this filter uses the CorrelationID.
FilterField	Optional. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. The name of the filter descriptor. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the filter descriptor. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this filter descriptor is used frequently. If set to true, Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service caches this filter descriptor in memory. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized display names of this filter descriptor.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of this filter descriptor.

Parent element

Element	Description
FilterDescriptors Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	A list of filter descriptors of a method.

FilterDescriptors element

Specifies a list of filter descriptors of a method.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<FilterDescriptors></FilterDescriptors>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
FilterDescriptor Element in FilterDescriptors (BDCMetadata Schema)	A filter descriptor.

Parent element

Element	Description
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)	The method this list of filter descriptors belongs to.

Identifier element

Specifies an identifier of an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

Note

Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service enables the mapping of identifiers to fields with nullable data types. However, for primary identifiers, BDC will cause an error when the value of these identifiers are null.

<Identifier TypeName = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Identifier>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
TypeName	Required. The data type of the value that corresponds to the identifier. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description System.Boolean A bit. System.Byte A number ranging from 0 to 255 inclusive. System.Char A Unicode character. System.DateTime A date and time ranging from 12:00:00 midnight, January 1, 1 Anno Domini (Common Era) to 11:59:59 P.M. December 31, 9999 Anno Domini (Common Era) inclusive, in resolution of 100 nanoseconds. System.Decimal A number ranging from negative 79,228,162,514,264,337,593,543,950,335 to positive 79,228,162,514,264,337,593,543,950,335 inclusive. System.Double A double precision number ranging from negative 1.79769313486232e308 to positive 1.79769313486232e308 inclusive, and positive zero, negative zero, positive infinity, negative infinity, and not-a-number (NaN). System.Guid A GUID. System.Int16 A number ranging from negative 32768 to positive 32767 inclusive. System.Int32 A number ranging from 0 to 4,294,967,295 inclusive. System.Int64 A number ranging from 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 inclusive. System.SByte A number ranging from negative 128 to positive 127 inclusive. System.Single A single precision number ranging from negative 3.402823e38 to positive 3.402823e38 inclusive. System.String A string of Unicode text. System.TimeSpan A duration ranging from negative 10675199 days 2 hours 48 minutes 5 seconds 477 milliseconds 580 microseconds 800 nanoseconds to positive 10675199 days 2 hours 48 minutes 5 seconds 477 milliseconds 580 microseconds 800 nanoseconds inclusive, in resolution of 100 nanoseconds. System.UInt16 A number ranging from 0 to 65535 inclusive. System.UInt32 A number ranging from 0 to 4,294,967,295 inclusive. System.UInt64 A number ranging from 0 to 18,446,744,709,551,615 inclusive.
Name	Required. The name of the identifier. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the identifier. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this identifier is used frequently. If set to true, Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service caches the identifier in memory. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized display names of the identifier.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the identifier.

Parent element

Element	Description
Identifiers Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	A list of identifiers of an external content type.

Identifiers element

Specifies a list of identifiers of an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Identifiers></Identifiers>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Identifier Element in Identifiers (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies an identifier.

Parent element

Element	Description
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)	The external content type that contains this list of identifiers.

Interpretation element

Specifies the rules to apply to the data stored in the data structures represented by a TypeDescriptor. These rules are typically specified to change the data values returned by an external system to make it easier to represent them in the user interface. When the data value is obtained from the external system, the specified rules must be applied in the order they are specified in the Interpretation element. The first rule must be applied to the data value received from the external system; the consecutive rules apply to the data value that result from the application of the previous rule. When the data value is sent to external system, the specified rules must be applied in the reverse order they are specified in the Interpretation element. The first rule must be applied to the data value received from the user; the consecutive rules apply to the data value that result from the application of the previous rule.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Interpretation></Interpretation>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
ConvertType Element in Interpretation (BDCMetadata Schema)	A ConvertType element that specifies the conversion of a data type to another data type.
NormalizeDateTime Element in Interpretation (BDCMetadata Schema)	A NormalizeDateTime element that specifies the conversion of the date and time representation of a value obtained from an external system into another representation.
NormalizeString	A NormalizeString element that specifies the conversion of the string representation of a value obtained from an external system into another representation.

Parent element

Element	Description
TypeDescriptor Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The TypeDescriptor element.

LobSystem element

Represents an external data source.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<LobSystem Type = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </LobSystem>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Type	The type of the LobSystem. Required. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description Database The represented external data source is a database. DotNetAssembly The represented external data source is a set of .NET Framework classes. Wcf The represented external data source is a WCF Service endpoint. WebService The represented external data source is a Web service. This has been deprecated, use WCF instead. Custom The represented external data source has a custom connector implemented to manage the connection and data transfer.
Name	The name of the LobSystem. Required. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	The default display name of the LobSystem. Optional. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Specifies whether the LobSystem is frequently used. If frequently used, Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service caches the LobSystem. Optional. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of the LobSystem.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies the properties of an LobSystem.
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies the access control list (ACL) of an LobSystem.
Proxy Element in LobSystem (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies a user-provided proxy that is identical to the one that would be generated if this element was not present.
LobSystemInstances Element in LobSystem (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies the external system instances for this external system.
Entities Element in LobSystem (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies the external content types in this external system.

Parent element

Element	Description
LobSystems Element in Model (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies a list of external systems in this model.

LobSystemInstance element

Specifies an external system instance.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<LobSystemInstance Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </LobSystemInstance>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Name	Required. The name of the external system instance. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the external system instance. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this external system instance is used frequently. If set to true, Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service caches the external system instance. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of this external system instance.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of this external system instance.

Parent element

Element	Description
LobSystemInstances Element in LobSystem (BDCMetadata Schema)	A list of external system instances.

LobSystemInstances element

Specifies a list of external system instances.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<LobSystemInstances></LobSystemInstances>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
LobSystemInstance Element in LobSystemInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)	An external system instance.

Parent element

Element	Description
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)	An external system.

LobSystems element

Specifies a list of LobSystem elements of a model.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<LobSystems></LobSystems>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)	A LobSystem element that specifies a external system.

Parent element

Element	Description
Model Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	An application definition (BDC model).

LocalizedDisplayName element

Specifies a localized name.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<LocalizedDisplayName LCID = "Integer"> </LocalizedDisplayName>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
LCID	Required. The language code identifier (LCID). Attribute type: Integer

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The LocalizedDisplayNames element that contains this LocalizedDisplayName.

LocalizedDisplayNames element

Specifies a list of localized names of a MetadataObject.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<LocalizedDisplayNames></LocalizedDisplayNames>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayName Element in LocalizedDisplayNames (BDCMetadata Schema)	A localized name.

Parent element

Element	Description
Model Element (BDCMetadata Schema)
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)
LobSystemInstance Element in LobSystemInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)
Identifier Element in Identifiers (BDCMetadata Schema)
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)
FilterDescriptor Element in FilterDescriptors (BDCMetadata Schema)
Parameter Element in Parameters (BDCMetadata Schema)
TypeDescriptor Element (BDCMetadata Schema)
Association Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)
MethodInstance Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)
AssociationGroup Element in AssociationGroups (BDCMetadata Schema)
Action Element in Actions (BDCMetadata Schema)
ActionParameter Element in ActionParameters (BDCMetadata Schema)

MetadataObject element

Namespace:

Schema:

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Child elements

Parent element

Method element

Specifies a method of an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Method IsStatic = "Boolean" LobName = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Method>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
IsStatic	Optional. Specifies whether the execution of this method requires an external item ( EntityInstance) to serve as a context for execution. If set to true, the method represents a static method and does not require a specific EntityInstance to provide context for execution. If set to false, the method represents an instance method and requires an EntityInstance to provide the context for execution. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean
LobName	Optional. The name of the operation defined in the external system that is represented by this method. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. The name of this method. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the method. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether this method is used frequently. If set to true, Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service caches this method in memory. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized display names of the method.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the method.
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The access control list (ACL) of this method.
FilterDescriptors Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	The filter descriptors of the method.
Parameters Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	The parameters of the method. A method cannot have more than one return parameter.
MethodInstances Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	The method instances of the method.

Parent element

Element	Description
Methods Element in Entity (BDCMetadata Schema)	A list of methods of an external content type.

MethodInstance element

Specifies a MethodInstance.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

The following two cases in a BDC model result in an InvalidOperationException at run time:

• Two SpecificFinder method instances that return the same set of fields.

• Two SpecificFinder method instances that have the same number of fields and that share the same number of fields with another method instance, such as a Finder.

<MethodInstance Type = "Strig" Default = "Boolean" ReturnParameterName = "String" ReturnTypeDescriptorName = "String" ReturnTypeDescriptorLevel = "Integer" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </MethodInstance>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Type	Required. Specifies the type of the MethodInstance. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description Finder A type of MethodInstance that can be called to return a collection of zero or more EntityInstances of a particular Entity. Finder input is defined by the FilterDescriptors that are contained in the Method that contains the Finder. SpecificFinder A type of MethodInstance that can be called to return a specific EntityInstance of a specific Entity given its EntityInstanceId. SpecificFinder input is defined and ordered by the Identifiers that are associated with the Entity. GenericInvoker A type of MethodInstance that can be called to perform a specific task in an external system. GenericInvoker input and output is specific to the Method. IdEnumerator A type of MethodInstance that can be called to return the Field values that represent the identity of EntityInstances of a specific Entity. The IdEnumerator input is defined by the FilterDescriptors that are contained in the method that contains the IdEnumerator to get the list of IDs, which are the unique keys for each entity that should be searchable. This method instance enables external data search in SharePoint Server. ChangedIdEnumerator A type of MethodInstance that can be called to retrieve EntityInstanceIds of EntityInstances that were modified in an external system after a specified time. DeletedIdEnumerator A type of MethodInstance that can be called to retrieve EntityInstanceIds of EntityInstances that were deleted from an external system after the specified time. Scalar A MethodInstance that returns a single value that you can invoke in the external system. For example, you can use a scalar method instance to get the total sales made to date from the external system. Entities have zero or more scalar method instances. AccessChecker A type of MethodInstance that can be called to retrieve the permissions that the calling security principal has for each of a collection of EntityInstances that are identified by the specified EntityInstanceIds. Creator A type of MethodInstance that can be called to create an EntityInstance. The set of fields that are required to create the EntityInstance is referred to as the Creator View. Deleter A type of MethodInstance that can be called to delete an EntityInstance with a specified EntityInstanceId. Updater A type of MethodInstance that can be called to update an EntityInstance identified by a specified EntityInstanceId. The set of fields that is required to update the EntityInstance is known as the Updater View. The set of fields whose values should be passed before they are changed is known as the PreUpdater View. StreamAccessor A type of MethodInstance that can be called to retrieve a field of an EntityInstance in the form of a data stream of bytes. BinarySecurityDescriptorAccessor A type of MethodInstance that can be called to retrieve a sequence of bytes from an external system. The system-specific byte sequence describes a set of security principals and the associated permissions that each security principal has for the EntityInstance identified by a specified EntityInstanceId. BulkSpecificFinder A type of MethodInstance that can be called to return a set of specific EntityInstances of an Entity, given a set of corresponding EntityInstanceIds. BulkIdEnumerator A type of MethodInstance that can be called to retrieve minimal information about the external items corresponding to the given identities. This method instance can be used to optimize synchronization of cached data. This method should return only the identities and version information of the external items that correspond to given Identities, which the calling application can compare with the local version to identify if anything has changed, and if so, request the changed external items to update the cached data.
Default	Optional. Specifies whether the MethodInstance is the default among all MethodInstances that share its type within the containing external content type ( Entity). Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
ReturnParameterName	Optional. The name of the Parameter that contains the ReturnTypeDescriptor of the MethodInstance. The Direction attribute of the Parameter must be a ParameterDirection attribute with a value of Out, InOut, or Return. This attribute must be specified for all types of MethodInstances except GenericInvoker, Creator, Deleter, and Updater. Attribute type: String
ReturnTypeDescriptorLevel	Optional. This has been deprecated. Use the ReturnTypeDescriptorPath instead. Attribute type: Integer
ReturnTypeDescriptorPath	Optional. The dotted path of the TypeDescriptor of the Association. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. Specifies the name of the MethodInstance. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. Specifies the default display name for the MethodInstance. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether the MethodInstance is used frequently. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized display names of the MethodInstance.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the MethodInstance.
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The access control lists (ACLs) of the MethodInstance.

Parent element

Element	Description
MethodInstances Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	The MethodInstances element that contains this MethodInstance.

MethodInstances element

Specifies a list of associations and method instances of a method.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<MethodInstances></MethodInstances>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Association Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)	An association.
MethodInstance Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)	A method instance.

Parent element

Element	Description
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)	The method that this method instance belongs to.

Methods element

Specifies a list of methods of an external content type.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Methods></Methods>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies a method.

Parent element

Element	Description
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)	The external content type that this list of methods belongs to.

Model element

Specifies the root element that represents an application definition. Models define external content types that are contained by external applications.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Model Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Model>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Name	The name of the Model. Required. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	The default display name of the Model. Optional. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Specifies whether the Model is used frequently. If this is set to true, then the Model is cached by the Business Data Connectivity (BDC) service. Optional. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of the Model.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the Model.
AccessControlList Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	The access control list (ACL) of the Model.
LobSystems Element in Model (BDCMetadata Schema)	The LobSystems contained inside this Model.

Parent element

None

NormalizeDateTime element

Specifies the rule used to convert the representation of a date and time value to another representation. For example, this rule can specify converting a value represented in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) into a local time zone.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<NormalizeDateTime LobDateTimeMode = "String"> </NormalizeDateTime>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
LobDateTimeMode	Required. Specifies the conversion to apply. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description UTC The value that is received from the external system is UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). If the value received is Local, it is converted to UTC. BDC sends UTC to the external system. Local The value received from the external system is Local. If the value received from the external system is Local, then it will be converted to UTC. BDC sends Local to the external system. Unspecified The value sent by the external system has Unspecified kind. BDC assumes the value is in UTC by overwriting the kind to be UTC. BDC sends UTC values as Unspecified kind to the external system.

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
Interpretation Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)	An Interpretation element that specifies the rules to apply to the data that is stored in the data structures represented by a TypeDescriptor.

NormalizeString element

Specifies a parameter of a method.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Child elements

Parent element

Parameter element

Specifies a parameter of a method.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Parameter Direction = "String" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </Parameter>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Direction	Required. The direction of the parameter. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description In The represented Parameter is an input parameter. Out The represented parameter is an output parameter. InOut The represented parameter is an input and output parameter. In C#, these correspond to "ref". Return The represented parameter is a return parameter.
Name	Required. The name of the parameter. Attribute type: String
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The default display name of the parameter. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether the Parameter is used frequently. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of the parameter.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the parameter.
TypeDescriptor	The root type descriptor of the parameter.

Parent element

Element	Description
Parameters Element in Method (BDCMetadata Schema)	The Parameters element that contains this parameter.

Parameters element

Specifies a list of parameters of a method.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Parameters></Parameters>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Parameter Element in Parameters (BDCMetadata Schema)	A parameter.

Parent element

Element	Description
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)	The method these parameters belong to.

Properties element

Specifies a list of properties of a metadata object.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Properties></Properties>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
Property Element in Properties (BDCMetadata Schema)	Specifies a property.

Parent element

Element	Description
Model Element (BDCMetadata Schema)
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)
LobSystemInstance Element in LobSystemInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)
Entity Element in Entities (BDCMetadata Schema)
Identifier Element in Identifiers (BDCMetadata Schema)
Method Element in Methods (BDCMetadata Schema)
FilterDescriptor Element in FilterDescriptors (BDCMetadata Schema)
Parameter Element in Parameters (BDCMetadata Schema)
TypeDescriptor
TypeDescriptor Element (BDCMetadata Schema)
Association Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)
MethodInstance Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)
AssociationGroup Element in AssociationGroups (BDCMetadata Schema)
Action Element in Actions (BDCMetadata Schema)
ActionParameter Element in ActionParameters (BDCMetadata Schema)

Property element

Specifies the name and type of a property of a metadata object.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Property Name = "String" Type = "String"> </Property>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Name	Required. Specifies the name of the property. Attribute type: String
Type	Required. Specifies data type of the property. Attribute type: String

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The Properties element that contains this property.

Proxy element

Specifies a user-provided proxy that is identical to the one that would be generated if this element was not present. This is used to improve performance by removing the proxy generation overhead. To specify custom business logic that connects to an external system, .NET Connectivity Assembly type external systems must be used.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Proxy></Proxy>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
LobSystem Element in LobSystems (BDCMetadata Schema)	The LobSystem element that this proxy applies to.

Right element

Specifies a single access permission for an access control entry (ACE).

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<Right BdcRight = "String"> </Right>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
BdcRight	Required. The permission available to the security principal holding the right. The following table lists the possible values for this attribute. Value Description None No permissions. Execute The represented security principal has the permission to invoke a MethodInstance. Edit The represented security principal has permission to change the attributes of a metadata object or its relationship to other metadata objects. SetPermissions The represented security principal has permission to change the set of permissions for a metadata object. SelectableInClients The represented security principal has permission to select the metadata object this right refers to. If a user does not have this permission, the metadata object should not be selectable.

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
AccessControlEntry Element in AccessControlList (BDCMetadata Schema)	The AccessControlEntry element that contains this right.

SourceEntity element

Specifies a source external content type of an Association.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<SourceEntity Namespace = "String" Name = "String"> </SourceEntity>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
Namespace	Required. The namespace of the external content type that is the source of the Association that contains this element. Attribute type: String
Name	Required. The name of the external content type that is the source of the Association that contains this element. Attribute type: String

Child elements

None

Parent element

Element	Description
Association Element in MethodInstances (BDCMetadata Schema)	The Association that contains this element.

TypeDescriptor element

Specifies a TypeDescriptor.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<TypeDescriptor TypeName = "String" LobName = "String" IdentifierEntityNamespace = "String" IdentifierEntityName = "String" IdentifierName = "String" ForeignIdentifierAssociationName = "String" ForeignIdentifierAssociationEntityName = "String" ForeignIdentifierAssociationEntityNamespace = "String" AssociatedFilter = "String" IsCollection = "Boolean" ReadOnly = "Boolean" CreatorField = "Boolean" UpdaterField = "Boolean" PreUpdaterField = "Boolean" Significant = "Boolean" Name = "String" DefaultDisplayName = "String" IsCached = "Boolean"> </TypeDescriptor>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
TypeName	Required. The identifier of the data type of the data structure that is represented by the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String
LobName	Optional. The data structure that is represented by the TypeDescriptor. The default value of this attribute is the name of the TypeDescriptor. For example, a line-of-business (LOB) system data structure named "CN1A" can be represented by a TypeDescriptor with Name attribute equal to "Customer Name", if the LobName attribute of this TypeDescriptor is equal to "CN1A". Attribute type: String
IdentifierEntityNamespace	Optional. The namespace of the external content type that contains the identifier that the TypeDescriptor references. If the TypeDescriptor does not reference an Identifier, this attribute must not be present. When this attribute is present, the IdentifierEntityName and IdentifierName attributes must also be present. The default value of this attribute is the namespace of the external content type that contains the method containing the parameter that contains the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String
IdentifierEntityName	Optional. The name of the Entity that contains the Identifier that the c TypeDescriptor references. If the TypeDescriptor does not reference an Identifier, this attribute must not be present. When this attribute is present, the IdentifierEntityNamespace and IdentifierName attributes must also be present. The default value of this attribute is the name of the Entity that contains the Method containing the Parameter that contains the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String
IdentifierName	Optional. The name of the Identifier referenced by the TypeDescriptor. If the TypeDescriptor does not reference an Identifier, this attribute must not be present. Attribute type: String
ForeignIdentifierAssociationName	Optional. The name of the Association referenced by the TypeDescriptor. If the TypeDescriptor does not reference an Association, this attribute must not be present. When this attribute is present, the IdentifierName attribute must also be present. The ForeignIdentifierAssociationName attribute must be specified when the Identifier referenced by this TypeDescriptor is related to an Association, and the Identifier is contained by a source Entity of the Association. Attribute type: String
ForeignIdentifierAssociationEntityName	Optional. The name of the Entity that contains the Association referenced by the TypeDescriptor. If the TypeDescriptor does not reference an Association, this attribute must not be present. When this attribute is present, the ForeignIdentifierAssociationEntityNamespace and ForeignIdentifierAssociationName attributes must also be present. The default value of this attribute is the name of the Entity that contains the Method containing the Parameter that contains the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String
ForeignIdentifierAssociationEntityNamespace	Optional. The namespace of the Entity that contains the Association referenced by the TypeDescriptor. If the TypeDescriptor does not reference an Association, this attribute must not be present. When this attribute is present, the ForeignIdentifierAssociationEntityName and ForeignIdentifierAssociationName attributes must also be present. The default value of this attribute is the namespace of the Entity that contains the Method containing the Parameter that contains the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String
AssociatedFilter	Optional. The name of a FilterDescriptor that is associated with the TypeDescriptor. If the TypeDescriptor is not associated with a FilterDescriptor this attribute must not be present. Attribute type: String
IsCollection	Optional. Specifies whether the TypeDescriptor represents a single data structure or a collection of data structures. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
ReadOnly	Optional. Specifies whether the data stored by the data structure represented by the TypeDescriptor can be modified. This attribute must not be specified if the value of the Direction attribute of the Parameter that contains the TypeDescriptor is "In". Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
CreatorField	Optional. Specifies whether the TypeDescriptor represents a field for MethodInstances of type Creator that are contained by the Method that contains the Parameter containing the TypeDescriptor. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
UpdaterField	Optional. Specifies whether the TypeDescriptor represents a field for MethodInstances of type Updater that are contained by the Method that contains the Parameter containing the TypeDescriptor. When this attribute is specified, a PreUpdaterField attribute must not be specified. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
PreUpdaterField	Optional. Specifies whether data structure represented by the TypeDescriptor stores the latest data value received from the external system of a field for MethodInstances of type Updater. When this attribute is specified, a UpdaterField attribute must not be specified. Default value: false Attribute type: Boolean
Significant	Optional. Specifies whether values stored by the data structure represented by this TypeDescriptor are included in calculating a hash code or comparing values stored in the data structures. For example, a TypeDescriptor representing a customer's last name is taken into account when determining whether a record has been modified, and so it is significant, whereas the TypeDescriptor representing the date on which the customer record is last modified typically is not taken into account to determine whether a record has been modified, and so it is not significant. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean
Name	Required. The name of the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String Note: The name of a TypeDescriptor should not contain the special characters for forward slash ("/"), period ("."), or opening bracket ("[").
DefaultDisplayName	Optional. The display name of the TypeDescriptor. Attribute type: String
IsCached	Optional. Specifies whether the TypeDescriptor is used frequently. Default value: true Attribute type: Boolean

Child elements

Element	Description
LocalizedDisplayNames Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The localized names of the TypeDescriptor.
Properties Element in MetadataObject (BDCMetadata Schema)	The properties of the TypeDescriptor. When the TypeDescriptor is of type System.String, the Properties element can contain a Property of type System.Int32 with the Name attribute set to Size. The value of the Property specifies the expected maximum string length of the value of the data structure described by this TypeDescriptor.
Interpretation Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)	The rules for the data stored by the data structure represented by the TypeDescriptor.
DefaultValues Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)	The default values of the TypeDescriptor.
TypeDescriptors Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)	The child TypeDescriptors of the TypeDescriptor.

Parent element

Element	Description
TypeDescriptors Element in TypeDescriptor (BDCMetadata Schema)

TypeDescriptors element

Specifies a list of TypeDescriptors of a parent TypeDescriptor.

Namespace: http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog

Schema: BDCMetadata

<TypeDescriptors></TypeDescriptors>

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

None

Child elements

Element	Description
TypeDescriptor Element (BDCMetadata Schema)	A TypeDescriptor.

Parent element

Element	Description
TypeDescriptor Element (BDCMetadata Schema)
TypeDescriptor

See also

• Changes in the BDC model schema for SharePoint

• External content types in SharePoint

• Get started using the client object model with external data in SharePoint

• Business Connectivity Services in SharePoint

• What's new in Business Connectivity Services in SharePoint

• Get started with Business Connectivity Services in SharePoint

• Business Connectivity Services programmers reference for SharePoint