In the customization role, the Oracle Metadata Services (MDS) Repository merges customizations with the base metadata. The merging can result in an invalid XML document against its schema. MDS Repository merging does not invoke a schema validation to ensure that the merging always creates a valid XML document. This can cause a problem for MDS clients that rely on the validity of the metadata to render their metadata UI editors.

Whenever a SOA file such as composite.xml becomes invalid, you must switch to Source view in Oracle JDeveloper to directly fix the XML source. If Source view is not editable (for example, you have accessed Oracle JDeveloper using the Customization Developer role), you must use the Structure window in Oracle JDeveloper to fix the XML source.

For example, assume you created a base SOA composite application with a BPEL process that included a customizable scope. The SAR file for the base application was then imported into a new application in which the following components were added when accessing Oracle JDeveloper with the Customization Developer role:

• An outbound file adapter

• An invoke activity (added to the customizable scope) for invoking the file adapter

When version two of the base SOA composite application was created, a synchronous Oracle Mediator service component was added, which caused the routing rules to the BPEL process service component to be updated.

The SAR file for version two of the base application was then imported into the customized application. When the user accessed Oracle JDeveloper with the Customization Developer role, an invalid composite error was displayed. The composite.xml file in the Structure window showed the following invalid structure for the sequence of service components and reference binding components. The following example provides details:

<component> </component>
<reference> </reference>
<component> </component>

The <reference> component (in this case, the outbound file adapter added when the user accessed Oracle JDeveloper with the Customization Developer role in version one of the base application) should have displayed last. The following example provides details.

<component> </component>
<component> </component>
<reference> </reference>

To resolve this error, go to the Structure window and copy and paste these components into the correct order. This action resolves the composite validation error.