RE: [xml-dev] Need some advice from an XML expert

["Michael Kay" <mike@saxonica.com>]

> 
> For one, I'm not happy with the fact that the xml file needs 
> so much information regarding namespaces.
> 
> This is what the top section of my XML file looks like:
> 
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
> <n:Transactions
> xmlns:n="dsTransaction"
> xmlns:mstns="http://tempuri.org/dsTransaction.xsd";
> xmlns:msdata="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msdata"
> xmlns:codegen="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msprop"
> xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance";
> xs:schemaLocation="dsTransaction.xsd">
> 
> I don't see why the customers should have to include this 
> stuff in their files.

They don't have to. The only namespace actually used is
xmlns:n="dsTransaction", so that's the only one that needs to be declared.

(It's not a good choice of namespace URI, however. You should really make it
an absolute URI and try to make it globally unique.)

> 
> It seems to me that when the file is uploaded, I should be 
> able to validate the file against any schema I like. Does 
> this sound right?

Yes, you can apply any schema you like. Though of course you can't expect to
get the answer "valid" if you validate against a schema that the instance
doesn't conform to.

> Could I take an XML file that looks like this:
> 
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
> <WireTransfers>
>      <WireTransfer>
>           <Value_Date>2007-02-15</Value_Date>
>           <Amount>22222.33</Amount>
>           <Bank_Action>R</Bank_Action>
>           <Date_Blocked_Rejected>2007-02-15</Date_Blocked_Rejected>
>           <Wire_Transfer_Transaction_Type>Bank to 
> Bank</Wire_Transfer_Transaction_Type>
>            <other elements>
>      </WireTransfer>
> </WireTransfers>
> 
> And then validate it against my schema? 

You can validate it, and validation will fail, because your schema says that
the element must have a name whose namespace URI is "dsTransaction". You
don't need to define a target namespace in your schema (though I would
recommend it), but if the schema defines a target namespace then the users
must use it. Rules is rules.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/