[Animl-develop] More coments on the AnIML schema

[Mark F. B. <sa...@co...>]

Hi again  (Mark Bean writing from home)


Validation of AnIML Schema.  I believe that XMLSpy may not be catching all
the Schema errors in validation.

Our reference point is always http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema.  By the way,
Schema 1.1 is in the works and open for comment and those changes may well
effect this discussion.

The point here is derivation from a complex type by restriction.  Here are
the w3 definitions:

"[Definition:]  A type definition whose declarations or facets are in a
one-to-one relation with those of another specified type definition, with
each in turn restricting the possibilities of the one it corresponds to, is
said to be a restriction. The specific restrictions might include narrowed
ranges or reduced alternatives. Members of a type, A, whose definition is a
·restriction· of the definition of another type, B, are always members of
type B as well.

[Definition:]  A complex type definition which allows element or attribute
content in addition to that allowed by another specified type definition is
said to be an extension.


See also http://www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-1/#Complex_Type_Definitions


An example of the types in question is TemplateType:

<xs:complexType name="TemplateType">
    <xs:complexContent>
        <xs:restriction base="ExperimentStepType">

If we loook at TemplateType and ExperimentStepType we will see a different
number of elements.  It is my contention that as ExperimentStepType has new
elements not seen in TemplateType, that it should be derived by extension
from TemplateType rather than TemplateType being derived from
ExperimentStepType by restriction.  This may also require changes in the
complexContent tagging.  I have NOT made these changes and request help in
doing so (which means that I tried to do it but it wouldn't validate!)

regards, Mark