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The XML file structure for multi-level BOM files looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Assemblies>
     <Assembly>
          <Customer/>
          <Name/>
          <Revision/>
          <Configurable/>
          <BOMItems>
               <BOMItem>
                    <AML>
                         … ...
                    </AML>
                    <AltIPN>
                         … ...
                    </AltIPN>
                    <Assembly>
                           …...
                    </Assembly>
                    <ConfigurationOption/>
                    <ConsolidatedReferences/>
                    <CustomerPartNumber/>
                    <CustomFields>
                           …...
                    </CustomFields>
                    <Description/>
                    <InternalPartNumber/>
                    <IsSubAssembly/>
                    <ItemNumber/>
                    <Manufacturer/>
                    <OptionCode/>
                    <Package/>
                    <PartLabel/>
                    <PartRevision/>
                    <PartType/>
                    <Polarized/>
                    <Quantity/>
                    <Reference/>
                    <ResourceTypes>
                         … ...
                    </ResourceTypes>
                    <RevisionMode/>
                    <Socket/>
                    <SubAssemblyType/>
                    <UnitOfIssue/>
               </BOMItem>
          </BOMItems>
     </Assembly>
</Assemblies>

Multi-level BOM example

Consider an XML file with a parent assembly named Parent Rev P1.

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In the following illustration, the phantom assembly is highlighted in red. Note the grouping of the BOM line items in the phantom assembly are not indented but can include a level or parent indicator. In this example, the phantom assembly consists of 4 part numbers: 45999-5, 4589632-89-88, 45999-96, and 45263).

Image Modified

Multi-level BOM behavior

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When a BOM is flattened, the information contained in the sub-assembly indentation is lost. Consider the following example:

Image Modified	Assembly A has three part numbers: B, L, and M. B is an inline assembly that has part numbers C, D, E, and K. Sub-assembly E is a phantom assembly with three part numbers: F, G, and J. G is an inline assembly that has part numbers H and I. Part numbers I and L are conventional sub-assemblies—their BOM line items are not included in the flattened BOM.
Image Modified	When flattened, the information that helps identify which assembly a BOM line item relates to is lost, making it impossible to determine (in this example) which assembly or sub-assembly part J belongs to.
Image Modified	A new column encodes this information in the flattened BOM—the new column value (shown in the illustration on the left) identifies the line item number of the BOM line item's immediate parent.

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sub-assembly
inline assembly (published)
inline assembly (unpublished)
phantom assembly (published)
phantom assembly (unpublished)

Consider an example BOM:

Image Modified
If all of the inline and phantom sub-assembly BOMs are published, the flattened BOM for the parent Assembly A will look like this: Image Modified
If the BOM of inline Sub-assembly B is unpublished, the flattened BOM for the parent Assembly A will look like this: Image Modified Note Note that the icon for the inline Sub-assembly B is highlighted and its BOM line items are not displayed because the BOM is unpublished.

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