The Drybridge Schema Investigator for schema difference analysis quickly analyzes two schemas or groups of schemas and reports on their differences in an easy to read format.

1. Drybridge Investigator
Comprehensive Schema Comparison
Simplifying implementation of schema
improvements through business and
technical difference analysis
Drybridge Consulting
Last update: October 14, 2008

2. Introduction
What is the Drybridge Schema Investigator?
The Drybridge Investigator analyzes and compares two
schemas, or groups of schemas, and reports on the
differences.
Microsoft Excel 2003/2007 add-in

Spreadsheet output enables the analysis to be used as a work document

Business view of the differences

– How the changes impact users of the schema
Technical views of the differences

– What was done to create the difference
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

3. Introduction
How can I use the Drybridge Schema Investigator?
With the Drybridge Investigator you can produce
reports that meet your needs.
I’m working to implement XML communications with a trading partner

and I want to know the differences between their implementation and
mine.
– Single schema analysis showing business impact.
I need to walk through the schema changes with people who are

unfamiliar with XML.
– Root element analysis showing business impact
I’ve implemented several schemas from a standards organization.

How does their new version impact me?
– Schema folder analysis showing business impact.
I’m a schema developer and I want to make sure that no inadvertent

changes have been made to the schema during an upgrade. How can
I be sure?
– Schema folder (or single schema) analysis showing technical impact.
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

4. Introduction
Workbook Layout
Root Analysis
Supporting Items
Enumerations
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

5. Introduction
1
Analysis Options Select the “Add-Ins” tab
to access the
Drybridge Technologies
Value added programs.
Click on the “Investigator”
icon to open the options
3
window.
Select the schema,
2
the type of analysis,
In Excel 2003 choose
the layout and then
“Drybridge & Investigator”
“Start”.
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

6. Case Study 1
Schema Item, Single Schema, Business Analysis – Options
Analysis

 Single Selected Schema
Presentation

 By Schema Item
Type of Analysis

 Business Version
Basic Options

 Show Equal Children
 Include Where Used
 Bubble-up Changes
Advanced Options

 Print Details for Equal Children
 Generate Process Audit Info
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

7. Case Study 1
Schema Items Analysis Worksheet
Changes communicated in a straight forward fashion

Links provided to additional information

You can choose to suppress items without any changes

The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

8. Case Study 2
Root Element, Business Analysis – Options
Analysis

 Single Selected Schema
Presentation

 Root Element Based
Type of Analysis

 Business Version
Basic Options

Primary Items Level = 3
–
 Show Equal Children
 Include Where Used
 Bubble-up Changes
Advanced Options

 Print Details for Equal Children
 Generate Process Audit Info
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

9. Case Study 2
Root Element Analysis Worksheet
Comparison starts at the

root element
Cardinality and type

changes communicated in a
straight forward fashion
Links provided to additional

information
You can choose to suppress

items without any changes
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

10. Case Study 2
Supporting Items Worksheet
Alphabetic listing of all

elements used by the
primary items.
Cardinality and type

changes communicated in a
straight forward fashion.
Links provided to facilitate

navigation.
Where-used information

permits impact
determination.
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

11. Case Study 3
Schema Item, Schema Folder, Business Analysis – Options
Analysis

All Schema in Folder
Presentation

 By Schema Item
Type of Analysis

Business Version
Basic Options

Show Equal Children
Include Where Used
Bubble-up Changes
Advanced Options

 Print Details for Equal Children
 Generate Process Audit Info
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

12. Case Study 4
Schema Item, Technical Analysis – Options
Analysis

 Single Selected Schema
Presentation

 By Schema Item
Type of Analysis

 Technical Version
Basic Options

 Show Equal Children
 Include Where Used
 Bubble-up Changes
Advanced Options

 Print Details for Equal Children
 Generate Process Audit Info
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

13. Case Study 5
Schema Item, Schema Folder, Technical Analysis – Options
Analysis

 All Schema in Folder
Presentation

 By Schema Item
Type of Analysis

 Technical Version
Basic Options

 Show Equal Children
 Include Where Used
 Bubble-up Changes
Advanced Options

 Print Details for Equal Children
 Generate Process Audit Info
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

14. Appendix
Obtaining Updates, Submitting Feedback, Documentation
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

15. Appendix
Selecting Schemas to Process
Single Schema
Folder Select
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

16. Appendix
Selecting Schemas to Process in a Packaged Environment
Single Schema
Multi Schema
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

17. Appendix
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the various types of changes?

Adds, Changes, Deletes. Changes to type, cardinality and
–
content model.
How are local items handled?

Local items are associated with their parent and analysis
–
performed on the group.
How is a where-used match determined?

With global items the matching is straight-forward. When you
–
factor in local items the Investigator first looks for a local match
and then for the global item match.
How is a change determined?

With the exception of “position within the parent” every change,
–
as indicated above, is processed.
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

18. Appendix
Enumerations Worksheet
Alphabetic listing of all elements and attributes whose enumerations have

changed.
Only the differences are shown.

Where-used information permits impact determination.

The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting

19. Appendix
Process Audit Example for Folder Analysis
The process audit

worksheet provides
information about errors
and content found during
the analysis process.
This sample illustrates

the folder processing
steps.
The Drybridge Investigator – An Excel add-in for XML Schema Comparison Drybridge Consulting