MetaData exception duing creating new component using core service

Question

I am using below code to create a new component from a existing component. However I am getting metadata exception

ReadOptions _ReadOptions = new ReadOptions() { LoadFlags = LoadFlags.Expanded };
ComponentData OriginalComponentData =
    (ComponentData)_CoreServiceClient.Read(ComponentID, _ReadOptions);

ComponentData NewComponent = new ComponentData();
NewComponent.Title = "new-" + OriginalComponentData.Title;           
NewComponent.Content = OriginalComponentData.Content;
NewComponent.Metadata = OriginalComponentData.Metadata;

... few more lines of code to set location info and call to create method.

I am getting below error:

XML validation error. Reason: The element 'Metadata' in namespace 
'http://www.mycompany.com/tridion/schema/feedback' has invalid child element   
'embedded_workflow' in namespace 
'http://www.mycompany.com/tridion/schema/feedback'. 
List of possible elements expected: 'embedded_global' in namespace 
'http://www.mycompany.com/tridion/schema/feedback'.

I am unable to find why I am getting this error. When I check the value of OriginalComponentData.Metadata it's having below XML value

<Metadata xmlns="http://www.mycompany.com/tridion/schema/feedback">
      <embedded_workflow>
        <workflow_release>Non-Release</workflow_release>
        <effective_date>2013-01-29T15:35:53</effective_date>
      </embedded_workflow>
</Metadata>

So why it's invalid for new component. I am creating the component at the same location of its original component.

Answer 1

Have you changed the original component's schema's fieldname at some point after it was created?

Components are not updated field name changes, mandatory data etc. when you change their schema. The CME does this for you when you open the component (you should see an information message stating this) but you must also then save it again to save the changes.

You can fix the original component as Peter suggests by opening it in the CME and saving it.

If you're using SDL Tridion 2013 SP1, you might also be able to leverage the CoreService2013 endpoint's synchronisation methods to try synchronise your new component before creating it. Something like...

NewComponent = (ComponentData) (_CoreServiceClient.SynchronizeWithSchema(
    NewComponent,
    new SynchronizeOptions
        {
            SynchronizeFlags = SynchronizeFlags.All
        }
    ).SynchronizedItem);

Also, if you want to create a copy of a component you could just use

RepositoryLocalObjectData _CoreServiceClient.Copy(
    string id,
    string destinationId,
    bool makeUnique,
    ReadOptions readBackOptions)

Answer 2

Looks like the Metadata of "OriginalComponentData" is invalid. It's likely that someone changed the Schema after it was created. The Components do not automatically get updated when a Schema is changed (hence the giant warning about editing existing Schemas :)).

So it is possible for a Component to return invalid content or metadata, which would mean that you have to fix it before it will save.

To fix the error, you can try opening and saving the original Component in the UI -- which may fix it to match the current state of the Schema.