Working with Source XML

Introduction

The attribute-driven customization of source objects in Code Effects is highly effective. However, there are scenarios where you may not have a concrete .NET class at design time, or you want full control over the authoring structure — for example, in multilingual scenarios or when you prefer not to rely on class reflection. In such cases, a declarative XML representation of your source object - called Source XML - is a viable alternative.

Why Use Source XML?

You might choose Source XML for any of the following reasons:

• You want to skip the reflection process and reuse the same source definition across multiple sessions or HTTP requests.
• You need to present fields, in-rule methods, and actions in different languages and want to externalize display text.
• You need precise control over the metadata that the Rule Editor uses, beyond what reflection allows.

How to Create Source XML

You can create a Source XML document in one of two ways:

• Generate from an existing .NET class — Use the Rule Editor on a temporary page, set its SourceType to your class, then call GetSourceXml() to extract the XML. Edit and validate the XML against the schema, then store it (file system, database) for reuse.

using CodeEffects.Rule.Editor;

var editor = new Control("divEditorContainer") { SourceType = typeof(MySourceClass) };
string sourceXml = editor.GetSourceXml();

• Create manually from scratch — Author the XML document based on the published schema instead of generating it via reflection. This offers full control. The Xml class can help you get an empty SourceXML document:

using System.Xml;
using CodeEffects.Rule.Editor.Utils;

string sourceSchemaLocation = Xml.SourceNamespace;
XmlDocument sourceXml = XML.GetEmptySourceDocument();

Loading Source XML into the Rule Editor

Once you have a valid Source XML document, you can configure the Rule Editor to use it instead of a class:

using System.Xml;
using CodeEffects.Rule.Editor;

string sourceXmlString = YourStorage.GetSourceXmlSomehow();
var sourceXml = new XmlDocument();
sourceXml.LoadXml(sourceXmlString);

var editor = new Control("divEditorContainer")
{
    SourceXml = sourceXml
};

Alternatively, you can use the Control.SourceXmlFile property to specify a file path.

Multilingual and Variant Use-Cases

In applications supporting multiple languages/cultures, you may maintain separate Source XML documents per culture. Each document sets DisplayName and/or Description attributes for fields, in-rule methods, and actions in the target language. At runtime you load the appropriate version.

Important Considerations

• Source XML must adhere to the specified schema. Since version 3.0, the Rule Editor uses schema versioning namespaces.
• Generic methods (methods with generic parameters) cannot be used in Source XML as in-rule methods or rule actions. Use a .NET class instead for those.
• If you later switch from Source XML to a corresponding .NET class (or vice-versa), ensure consistency of field, method, and action names so that stored rules remain valid.
• For multilingual scenarios, maintain consistent IDs or field names across culture variants to avoid authoring errors when switching.

Summary

Using Source XML gives you full control of the authoring surface for the Rule Editor - allowing you to define available fields, methods, actions, and display names externally, without relying solely on reflection of classes. It is especially useful when a class is unavailable, when you need variant sources, or when you require multilingual labeling.