XML Literalist, Volume 2

["Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>]

Hi Folks,

Today I turn my attention to an XML Literalist interpretation of XML Schema.

For simplicity, consider an XML Schema that declares all elements and attributes globally (i.e., no local element or attribute declarations). Each element and attribute acquires a namespace property by virtue of a targetNamespace attribute on the xs:schema element. 

Thus, the XML Schema creates a set of unique names. E.g., 

{http://www.book.com}Book

{http://www.book.com}Title

{http://www.book.com}Author

{http://www.book.com}Date

{http://www.book.com}ISBN

{http://www.book.com}Publisher


The XML Schema can organize the names into various patterns. For example, the schema may sequentially order some of the names and enclose them within a name. E.g.,

{http://www.book.com}Book 
      {http://www.book.com}Title
      {http://www.book.com}Author
      {http://www.book.com}Date
      {http://www.book.com}ISBN
      {http://www.book.com}Publisher

Question: what does it mean to "enclose" a sequence of names within a name? What is the XML Literalist interpretation of this?


An XML instance document may be created that uses the names and conforms to the pattern:

<Book xmlns="http://www.book.com";>
      <Title>______</Title>
      <Author>______</Author>
      <Date>______</Date>
      <ISBN>______</ISBN>
      <Publisher>______</Publisher>
</Book>

Question: can you extend this discussion to take into account data types?

/Roger