xml-dev - Re: XML-Schemas: purpose of elementFormDefault?

[Roger Costello <costello@mitre.org>]

Francis Norton wrote:
> 
> Which I take to mean that using elementFormDefault="unqualified" simply
> says that schema definitions apply to elements in the "" namespace ... 

Thanks a lot Francis.  This raises many more questions...

Consider the following spec for a schema and instance document:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Schema:
-----------------------------------------------------------
targetNamespace = "A"

global element declarations = GE1, GE2, ...
local element declarations = LE1, LE2, ...

global type definitions = GT1, GT2, ...
local type definitions = LT1, LT2, ...
-----------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------
Instance Document:
-----------------------------------------------------------
namespace declaration = xmlns:q="A"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Scenario 1: the schema declared elementFormDefault="qualified"

   here's how to use the global elements in the instance document:
       <q:GE1>, <q:GE2> ...

   here's how to use the local elements in the instance document:
       <q:LE1>, <q:LE2> ...
       

Scenario 2: the schema declared elementFormDefault="unqualified"

   here's how to use the global elements in the instance document:
       <q:GE1>, <q:GE2> ...

   here's how to use the local elements in the instance document:
       <LE1>, <LE2> ...
-----------------------------------------------------------

Questions:

(Assuming that I have correctly interpreted the spec and
the above is correct.)

I conclude from the above that the value of elementFormDefault 
determines whether local elements/types are associated with
the namespace specified by targetNamespace.
That is, if elementFormDefault="unqualified" then only the 
global elements/types are associated with the namespace, i.e.,

Elements, Types associated with the namespace A:
GE1, GE2, ..., GT1, GT2, ...

The local element/types are associated with no namespace

If elementFormDefault="qualified" then both the global 
elements/types and local elements/types are associated 
with the namespace, i.e.,

Elements, Types associated with the namespace A:
GE1, GE2, ..., GT1, GT2, ..., LE1, LE2, ..., LT1, LT2, ...

Is this correct?  This seems very strange indeed.  It was my
understanding that the all the elments/types in the schema
(local and global) are associated with the namespace specified
by targetNamespace. Can someone please shed light on this?
/Roger


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