If the XML Schema definition used to create an IS document type contains a content model with an any element declaration, Integration Server represents the element type contains a content model with a field of type Object named *any. The <any> element declaration in an XML Schema definition acts as placeholder for one or more unknown elements in an instance document. In an <any> declaration, the namespace attribute value determines the namespaces to which the matching element can or cannot belong.

At run time, when Integration Server converts an XML node to a document it replaces the *any field with a field or fields for the replacement elements. Integration Server validates that the replacement element is allowed or not allowed based on the namespace attribute value specified for the <any> element.