XML Schema
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Objectives
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• Define schema
• Distinguish between a schema and DTD
• Create schema using XML schema vocabulary
• Identify the elements in an XML schema
• Describe validation and constraints
• Explain element inheritance in an schema
Schemas
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Schemas
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• DTD though they define document structure and validate XML
documents, but they have some limitations. XML schema has
been introduced to overcome the drawbacks of DTDs.
• An XML Schema defines the valid building blocks of an XML
document.
• The XML Schema language is referred as XML Schema
Definition (XSD)
What is an XML Schema ?
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• An XML Schema defines:
– Elements and attributes that can appear in a document.
– Which elements are child elements.
– The order and number of child elements.
– Whether an element is empty or can include text
– Data types for elements and attributes
– Default and fixed values for elements and attributes
How to write an XML Schema
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• You need two files. They are:
– XML File
– XSD File
For storing schema documents, the file saved with “.xsd”
extension. Schema documents are XML document and
can have DTDs, DOCTYPE declarations.
XML Schema New Features
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• Schemas support data types.
• Schemas are portable and efficient.
• Schemas secure data communication.
• Schemas are extensible.
• Schemas catch higher-level mistakes.
• Schemas support namespace.
Limitations of DTD
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• DTDs are written in a non-XML syntax.
• DTDs are not extensible.
• They have no support for namespaces.
• They only offer extremely limited data typing.
Advantages of Schema over DTD
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• Richer data types
• Archetypes
• Attributes grouping
• Refinable archetypes
Data Types in Schema
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XML Schema Vocabulary
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XML Schema Vocabulary
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• Schema Declaration
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xs:schema
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
elementFormDefault="qualified">
<!-- Schema content go here -->
</xs:schema>
Using Schema Declaration
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With namespace
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<BookStore
xmlns:ins="https://fpt.edu.vn"
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xs:schemaLocation="https://fpt.edu.vn BookStore.xsd">
</BookStore>
Without namespace
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<BookStore
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xs:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="BookStore.xsd">
</BookStore>
The element Element
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Syntax
<element
name="element-name"
type="element-data-type"
minOccurs="minimum-appear"
maxOccurs="maximum-appear">
<!-- Element content -->
</element>
The element Element
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• The three attributes of the element “element” are:
– type: used to specify the type of the element
– minOccurs: the minimum number of times the
element must occur
– maxOccurs: the maximum number of times the
element must occur
The element Element
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The relationship between the minOccurs and maxOcuurs attribute
minOccur maxOccur Number of times an element
can occur
0 1 0 or 1
3 3 3
0 unbounded Infinitive
1 unbounded At least one
>0 unbounded At least min occurs times
> maxOccurs Any value Error
Any value < minOccurs Error
The datatype Element
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• It specifies the datatype of an element or attribute.
• It includes the attribute “xs:type‟.
• Values allowed in the xs:type attribute include:
– string
– boolean
– int
– float
–…
The ComplexType element
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• Schemas assign a type to each element and
attribute it declares.
• Element with complex type may contain nested
elements and have attributes.
• Only elements can contain complex types.
• Complex type element have 4 variations.
The ComplexType element
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Empty element
Empty element optionally specify attributes type, but
do not permit content. <img src="cover.jpg"/>
<element name="img">
<complexType>
<attribute name="src" type="string"/>
</complexType>
</element>
The ComplexType element
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Only element
These elements can only contain elements and do
not contain attributes.
<element name="Book" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<complexType>
<sequence>
<element name="Name" type="string"/>
<element name="Author" type="string"/>
<element name="Price" type="float"/>
</sequence>
</complexType>
</element>
The ComplexType element
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Only text and attribute
These elements can only contain text and have
attributes. <Price currency="usd">12</Price>
<element name="Price">
<complexType>
<simpleContent>
<extension base="string">
<attribute name="currency" type="string"/>
</extension>
</simpleContent>
</complexType>
</element>
The ComplexType element
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Mixed
These are elements that can contain text content as
well as sub elements with-in the element.
<element name="Book" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<complexType mixed="true">
<sequence>
<element name="Name" type="string"/>
<element name="Author" type="string"/>
<element name="Price" type="float"/>
</sequence>
</complexType>
</element>
The ComplexType element
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We can define complex type out side and
reference to it.
<xs:element name="Book" type="bookType"
minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
<xs:complexType mixed="true" name="bookType">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="Name" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="Author" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="Price" type="xs:string"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
The group constructs
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XML Schema Language provides three grouping
constructs that how ordering of individual
element.
□ all
□ choice
□ sequence
The group constructs
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xs:all - Each element in the group must occur at
most once, but that order is not important.
xs:choice - It will allow only one of the choices to
appear.
xs:sequence - It will allow only one of the
choices to appear.
Simple Type
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• XML Schema supports a library of build-in
datatypes. However, developers can declare
new user-defined datatypes.
• A custom user defined datatype can be
created using the <simpleType> definition.
Simple Type
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Syntax
<xs:simpleType name="simple-type-name">
<xs:restriction base="base-data-type">
<xs:constraint value="constraint-value"/>
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
Simple Type - Restriction
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Restrictions can be specified for the simpleType
elements andrestriction types are declared using the
<restriction> declaration.
<xs:simpleType name="priceType">
<xs:restriction base="xs:float">
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
Base data type for
simple type “price”
Restrictions - constraint
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• Constraint are used to restrict the set or range of
values a datatype can contain.
• The value range defined by the facet must be equal
to or narrower than the value range of the base type.
• There are 12 constraint, declared using a common
syntax.
Restrictions - constraint
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Constraint Description
enumeration Defines a list of acceptable values
fractionDigits Specifies the maximum number of decimal places allowed. Must
be equal to or greater than zero
length Specifies the exact number of characters or list items allowed.
Must be equal to or greater than zero
maxExclusive Specifies the upper bounds for numeric values (the value must be
less than this value)
maxInclusive Specifies the upper bounds for numeric values (the value must be
less than or equal to this value)
maxLength Specifies the maximum number of characters or list items
allowed. Must be equal to or greater than zero
Restrictions - constraint
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minExclusive Specifies the lower bounds for numeric values (the value must be
greater than this value)
minInclusive Specifies the lower bounds for numeric values (the value must be
greater than or equal to this value)
minLength Specifies the minimum number of characters or list items
allowed. Must be equal to or greater than zero
pattern Defines the exact sequence of characters that are acceptable
totalDigits Specifies the exact number of digits allowed. Must be greater
than zero
whiteSpace Specifies how white space (line feeds, tabs, spaces, and carriage
returns) is handled
The Attribute
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• It is similar to “Element”.
• It defines the attribute type.
• The fields of the attribute element are:
– name
– type
– use
– default/fixed
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Attribute syntax
<xs:attribute
name="attribute-name"
type="simple-type"
use="how-to-use"
default/fixed="value"/>
type: xs:string, xs:float …
use: required, optional, prohibited
Q&A
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