Table of contents

[Home] [W3C Specs]

1.1 Purpose

1.2 Dependencies on Other Specifications

1.3 Documentation Conventions and Terminology

2 Conceptual Framework

2.1 Overview of XML Schema

2.2 XML Schema Abstract Data Model

2.2.1 Type Definition Components

2.2.2 Declaration Components

2.2.3 Model Group Components

2.2.4 Identity-constraint Definition Components

2.2.5 Group Definition Components

2.2.6 Annotation Components

2.3 Constraints and Validation Rules

2.4 Conformance

2.5 Names and Symbol Spaces

2.6 Schema-Related Markup in Documents Being Validated

2.6.1 xsi:type

2.6.2 xsi:nil

2.6.3 xsi:schemaLocation, xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation

2.7 Representation of Schemas on the World Wide Web

3 Schema Component Details

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 Components and Properties

3.1.2 XML Representations of Components

3.1.3 The Mapping between XML Representations and Components

3.1.4 White Space Normalization during Validation

3.2 Attribute Declarations

3.2.1 The Attribute Declaration Schema Component

3.2.2 XML Representation of Attribute Declaration Schema Components

3.2.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Attribute Declarations

3.2.4 Attribute Declaration Validation Rules

3.2.5 Attribute Declaration Information Set Contributions

3.2.6 Constraints on Attribute Declaration Schema Components

3.2.7 Built-in Attribute Declarations

3.3 Element Declarations

3.3.1 The Element Declaration Schema Component

3.3.2 XML Representation of Element Declaration Schema Components

3.3.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Element Declarations

3.3.4 Element Declaration Validation Rules

3.3.5 Element Declaration Information Set Contributions

3.3.6 Constraints on Element Declaration Schema Components

3.4 Complex Type Definitions

3.4.1 The Complex Type Definition Schema Component

3.4.2 XML Representation of Complex Type Definitions

3.4.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Complex Type Definitions

3.4.4 Complex Type Definition Validation Rules

3.4.5 Complex Type Definition Information Set Contributions

3.4.6 Constraints on Complex Type Definition Schema Components

3.4.7 Built-in Complex Type Definition

3.5 AttributeUses

3.5.1 The Attribute Use Schema Component

3.5.2 XML Representation of Attribute Use Components

3.5.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Attribute Uses

3.5.4 Attribute Use Validation Rules

3.5.5 Attribute Use Information Set Contributions

3.5.6 Constraints on Attribute Use Schema Components

3.6 Attribute Group Definitions

3.6.1 The Attribute Group Definition Schema Component

3.6.2 XML Representation of Attribute Group Definition Schema Components

3.6.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Attribute Group Definitions

3.6.4 Attribute Group Definition Validation Rules

3.6.5 Attribute Group Definition Information Set Contributions

3.6.6 Constraints on Attribute Group Definition Schema Components

3.7 Model Group Definitions

3.7.1 The Model Group Definition Schema Component

3.7.2 XML Representation of Model Group Definition Schema Components

3.7.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Model Group Definitions

3.7.4 Model Group Definition Validation Rules

3.7.5 Model Group Definition Information Set Contributions

3.7.6 Constraints on Model Group Definition Schema Components

3.8 Model Groups

3.8.1 The Model Group Schema Component

3.8.2 XML Representation of Model Group Schema Components

3.8.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Model Groups

3.8.4 Model Group Validation Rules

3.8.5 Model Group Information Set Contributions

3.8.6 Constraints on Model Group Schema Components

3.9 Particles

3.9.1 The Particle Schema Component

3.9.2 XML Representation of Particle Components

3.9.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Particles

3.9.4 Particle Validation Rules

3.9.5 Particle Information Set Contributions

3.9.6 Constraints on Particle Schema Components

3.10 Wildcards

3.10.1 The Wildcard Schema Component

3.10.2 XML Representation of Wildcard Schema Components

3.10.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Wildcards

3.10.4 Wildcard Validation Rules

3.10.5 Wildcard Information Set Contributions

3.10.6 Constraints on Wildcard Schema Components

3.11 Identity-constraint Definitions

3.11.1 The Identity-constraint Definition Schema Component

3.11.2 XML Representation of Identity-constraint Definition Schema Components

3.11.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Identity-constraint Definitions

3.11.4 Identity-constraint Definition Validation Rules

3.11.5 Identity-constraint Definition Information Set Contributions

3.11.6 Constraints on Identity-constraint Definition Schema Components

3.12 Notation Declarations

3.12.1 The Notation Declaration Schema Component

3.12.2 XML Representation of Notation Declaration Schema Components

3.12.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Notation Declarations

3.12.4 Notation Declaration Validation Rules

3.12.5 Notation Declaration Information Set Contributions

3.12.6 Constraints on Notation Declaration Schema Components

3.13 Annotations

3.13.1 The Annotation Schema Component

3.13.2 XML Representation of Annotation Schema Components

3.13.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Annotations

3.13.4 Annotation Validation Rules

3.13.5 Annotation Information Set Contributions

3.13.6 Constraints on Annotation Schema Components

3.14 Simple Type Definitions

3.14.1 (non-normative) The Simple Type Definition Schema Component

3.14.2 (non-normative) XML Representation of Simple Type Definition Schema Components

3.14.3 (non-normative) Constraints on XML Representations of Simple Type Definitions

3.14.4 Simple Type Definition Validation Rules

3.14.5 Simple Type Definition Information Set Contributions

3.14.6 Constraints on Simple Type Definition Schema Components

3.14.7 Built-in Simple Type Definition

3.15 Schemas as a Whole

3.15.1 The Schema Itself

3.15.2 XML Representations of Schemas

3.15.3 Constraints on XML Representations of Schemas

3.15.4 Validation Rules for Schemas as a Whole

3.15.5 Schema Information Set Contributions

3.15.6 Constraints on Schemas as a Whole

4 Schemas and Namespaces: Access and Composition

4.1 Layer 1: Summary of the Schema-validity Assessment Core

4.2 Layer 2: Schema Documents, Namespaces and Composition

4.2.1 Assembling a schema for a single target namespace from multiple schema definition documents

4.2.2 Including modified component definitions

4.2.3 References to schema components across namespaces

4.3 Layer 3: Schema Document Access and Web-interoperability

4.3.1 Standards for representation of schemas and retrieval of schema documents on the Web

4.3.2 How schema definitions are located on the Web

5 Schemas and Schema-validity Assessment

5.1 Errors in Schema Construction and Structure

5.2 Assessing Schema-Validity

5.3 Missing Sub-components

5.4 Responsibilities of Schema-aware Processors

Appendices

A Schema for Schemas (normative)

B References (normative)

C Outcome Tabulations (normative)

C.1 Validation Rules

C.2 Contributions to the post-schema-validation infoset

C.3 Schema Representation Constraints

C.4 Schema Component Constraints

D Required Information Set Items and Properties (normative)

E Schema Components Diagram (non-normative)

F Glossary (non-normative)

G DTD for Schemas (non-normative)

H Analysis of the Unique Particle Attribution Constraint (non-normative)

I References (non-normative)

J Acknowledgements (non-normative)

1 Introduction

Introduction

This document sets out the structural part (XML Schema: Structures) of the XML Schema definition language.

Chapter 2 presents a [Conceptual Framework] for XML Schemas, including an introduction to the nature of XML Schemas and an introduction to the XML Schema abstract data model, along with other terminology used throughout this document.

Chapter 3, [Schema Component Details], specifies the precise semantics of each component of the abstract model, the representation of each component in XML, with reference to a DTD and XML Schema for an XML Schema document type, along with a detailed mapping between the elements and attribute vocabulary of this representation and the components and properties of the abstract model.

Chapter 4 presents [Schemas and Namespaces: Access and Composition], including the connection between documents and schemas, the import, inclusion and redefinition of declarations and definitions and the foundations of schema-validity assessment.

Chapter 5 discusses [Schemas and Schema-validity Assessment], including the overall approach to schema-validity assessment of documents, and responsibilities of schema-aware processors.

The normative appendices include a [Schema for Schemas (normative)] for the XML representation of schemas and [References (normative)].

The non-normative appendices include the [DTD for Schemas (non-normative)] and a [Glossary (non-normative)].

This document is primarily intended as a language definition reference. As such, although it contains a few examples, it is not primarily designed to serve as a motivating introduction to the design and its features, or as a tutorial for new users. Rather it presents a careful and fully explicit definition of that design, suitable for guiding implementations. For those in search of a step-by-step introduction to the design, the non-normative [bib-expo] is a much better starting point than this document.

[Next Chapter] [Home]