What represent the xml file(s) referenced in the .lyrx files?

Question

I'm trying to understand .lyrx files and I don't find much info about the .xml files referenced in them. For example, I exported the symbology for a layer called "hydroWaterBodies" (first part below), but don't find this map/hydrowaterbodies.xml anywhere on my computer. I understood it's for the layer metadata? Where is this file located? Any clarification on this?

{
"type" : "CIMLayerDocument",
"version" : "2.7.0",
"build" : 26828,
"layers" : [
"CIMPATH=map/hydrowaterbodies.xml"
],
"layerDefinitions" : [
{
"type" : "CIMFeatureLayer",
"name" : "Water body",
"uRI" : "CIMPATH=map/hydrowaterbodies.xml",
"sourceModifiedTime" : {
"type" : "TimeInstant"

...

danretired · Answer

No problem.  You may want to close the thread if your question was answered

MarcFasel2 · Answer

Thanks, it's clearer now.

danretired · Answer

"type" : "CIMLayerDocument",
  "version" : "2.7.0",
  "build" : 26398,
  "layers" : [
    "CIMPATH=npgeom_tests/x2.xml"

In the above example The CIMPATH refers to the map (npgeom_tests) that the input layer resides.

The actual location of the geodatabase that file that it references is given later.

"workspaceConnectionString" : "DATABASE=..\tests.gdb",

The lyrx references what was use to produce the file and the properties of the symbology.  If you are looking to see a nice little package describing the symbology, you will have to scroll through lyrx and its multitudinous list of nested curly brackets 😁.  The above simple lyrx file that I extracted the examples from was only 1433 lines long.  But it is best not to mess with the file