xml-dev - Re: DTD/Schemas with repeated structure

[tpassin@home.com]

Justin Lipton asked about generating a simple, repetitive DTD structure
automagically (see his post at the end).

Simple - stick with xml and use an xslt stylesheet!.  It's about as easy as
programming it, possibly easier.  Of course, you do have to create the xml
file...

Here's the input xml file:

<things>
 <thing>Mammal</thing>
 <thing>Fish</thing>
 <thing>Bird</thing>
</things>

Here's the stylesheet (the mailer will break the lines at awkward places so
I am also attaching it):

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method='text' disable-output-escaping='yes'/>
 <xsl:template match="/things"><xsl:apply-templates/></xsl:template>

 <xsl:template match='thing'>
<xsl:variable name='name' select='text()'/>
&lt;!ELEMENT <xsl:value-of select='$name'/> (<xsl:value-of
select='$name'/>Name, <xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Type)&gt;
&lt;!ATTLIST <xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Name (latin|common) "common"&gt;
&lt;!ELEMENT <xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Type (#PCDATA)&gt;
 </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

Here's the output, just what you asked for:

D:>xt things.xml things.xsl


<!ELEMENT Mammal (MammalName, MammalType)>
<!ATTLIST MammalName (latin|common) "common">
<!ELEMENT MammalType (#PCDATA)>


<!ELEMENT Fish (FishName, FishType)>
<!ATTLIST FishName (latin|common) "common">
<!ELEMENT FishType (#PCDATA)>


<!ELEMENT Bird (BirdName, BirdType)>
<!ATTLIST BirdName (latin|common) "common">
<!ELEMENT BirdType (#PCDATA)>

Cheers,

Tom Passin


==============================================================
> I was wondering if anyone has come across this problem.
> We are currently using a DTD that has the following structure.
> Ignore the actual names used here as they are purely for illustrative
> purposes but assume that there is no choice but to use such a structure:
>
> <!ELEMENT Mammal (MammalName, MammalType)>
> <!ELEMENT MammalName (#PCDATA)>
> <!ATTLIST MammalName (latin|common) "common">
> <!ELEMENT MammalType (#PCDATA)>
>
> <!ELEMENT Fish (FishName, FishType)>
> <!ATTLIST FishName (latin|common) "common">
> <!ELEMENT FishType (#PCDATA)>
>
> <!ELEMENT Bird (BirdName, BirdType)>
> <!ATTLIST BirdName (latin|common) "common">
> <!ELEMENT BirdType (#PCDATA)>
>
> Image dozens of elements like this!
>
> Is there a way (either with a Schema or a DTD) to generalise this type of
> structure such that:
> <!ELEMENT * (*Name, *Type)>
> <!ATTLIST *Name (latin|common) "common">
> <!ELEMENT *Type (#PCDATA)>
>

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method='text' disable-output-escaping='yes'/>
	<xsl:template match="/things"><xsl:apply-templates/></xsl:template>

	<xsl:template match='thing'>
<xsl:variable name='name' select='text()'/>
&lt;!ELEMENT <xsl:value-of select='$name'/> (<xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Name, <xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Type)&gt;
&lt;!ATTLIST <xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Name (latin|common) "common"&gt;
&lt;!ELEMENT <xsl:value-of select='$name'/>Type (#PCDATA)&gt;
	</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>