XML Schema
Design Patterns
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Popular XML Schema Design
Patterns
Russian Doll
Salami Slice
Venetian Blind
Garden of Eden
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Popular XML Schema Design
Patterns
The patterns vary according to the
number of their global elements or
types.
You can conveniently classify the four
most common patterns according to
two criteria, namely:
Ease of use for instance developers
Ease of reuse for schema developers
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Russian Doll
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Russian Doll
The Russian Doll design contains only
one single global element.
All the other elements are local.
You nest element declarations within a
single global declaration
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Example: Russian Doll
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace="http://schemas.sun.com/point/russiandoll"
xmlns:tns="http://schemas.sun.com/point/russiandoll"
elementFormDefault="qualified">
<xsd:element name="Line"> Global element
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:sequence>
<xsd:element name="PointA">
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:attribute name="x" type="xsd:integer"/>
<xsd:attribute name="y" type="xsd:integer"/>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
<xsd:element name="PointB">
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:attribute name="x" type="xsd:integer"/>
<xsd:attribute name="y" type="xsd:integer"/>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
</xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
</xsd:schema> 6
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
Contains only one valid root element.
Could reduce the complexity of
namespace
Easy to use from instance developer's
point of view
Disadvantages
Reuse of elements is limited – not easy to
use from schema developer's point of
view
Supports single-file schema only
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Usage
Russian Doll is the simplest and
easiest pattern to use by instance
developers.
However, if its elements or types are
intended for reuse, Russian Doll is not
suitable for schema developers.
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Salami Slide
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Salami Slice
All the elements in the Salami Slice
design are global.
No nesting of element declarations is
required and you can reuse the
declarations throughout the schema.
You must define all the elements within
the global namespace.
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Example: Salami Slide
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace="http://schemas.sun.com/point/salami"
xmlns:tns="http://schemas.sun.com/point/salami"
xmlns="http://schemas.sun.com/point/salami"
elementFormDefault="qualified">
<xsd:element name="PointA"> Global elements
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:attribute name="x" type="xsd:integer"/>
<xsd:attribute name="y" type="xsd:integer"/>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
<xsd:element name="PointB">
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:attribute name="x" type="xsd:integer"/>
<xsd:attribute name="y" type="xsd:integer"/>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
<xsd:element name="Line">
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:sequence>
<xsd:element ref="PointA"/>
<xsd:element ref="PointB"/>
</xsd:sequence> 11
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
Contains all reusable elements.
Supports reuse of elements from other
documents.
Disadvantages
Exposes the complexity in namespace.
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Venetian Blind
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Venetian Blind
The Venetian Blind design contains only
one global element.
All the other elements are local.
You nest element declarations within a
single global declaration by means of
named complex types and element
groups.
You can reuse those types and groups
throughout the schema and must define
only the root element within the global
namespace.
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Example: Venetian Blind
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace="http://schemas.sun.com/point/venetianblind"
xmlns:tns="http://schemas.sun.com/point/venetianblind"
xmlns="http://schemas.sun.com/point/venetianblind"
elementFormDefault="qualified">
<xsd:complexType name="PointType">
<xsd:attribute name="x" type="xsd:integer"/>
<xsd:attribute name="y" type="xsd:integer"/>
</xsd:complexType>
<xsd:element name="Line"> Global element
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:sequence>
<xsd:element name="PointA" type="PointType"/>
<xsd:element name="PointB" type="PointType"/>
</xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>
</xsd:schema>
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Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
Contains only one single root element.
Allows reuse for all the types and the
single global element.
Allows multiple files
Disadvantages
Limits encapsulation by exposing types.
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Usage
Because it has only one single root
element and all its types are reusable,
Venetian Blind is suitable for use by
both instance developers and schema
developers.
Venetian Blind is considered as an
extension of Russian Doll, in which all the
types are defined globally.
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Garden of Eden
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Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden design is a
combination of Venetian Blind and
Salami Slice.
You define all the elements and types
in the global namespace and refer to
the elements as required.
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Example: Garden of Eden
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace="http://schemas.sun.com/point/gardenofeden"
xmlns="http://schemas.sun.com/point/gardenofeden"
elementFormDefault="qualified">
<xsd:complexType name="PointType">
<xsd:attribute name="x" type="xsd:integer"/>
<xsd:attribute name="y" type="xsd:integer"/>
</xsd:complexType>
<xsd:complexType name="LineType">
<xsd:sequence>
<xsd:element ref="PointA"/>
<xsd:element ref="PointB"/>
</xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>
Global elements
<xsd:element name="PointA" type="PointType"/>
<xsd:element name="PointB" type="PointType"/>
<xsd:element name="Line" type="LineType"/>
</xsd:schema>
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Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
Allows reuse of both elements and types.
Allows multiple files.
Disadvantages
Contains many potential root elements.
Limits encapsulation by exposing types.
Is difficult to read and understand.
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NetBeans Support
on XML Schema
Design Patterns
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NetBeans XML Schema Design
Support
Lets you choose a design pattern by
letting you choose
Scheme of Creating global element
Scheme of Creating type
Creating global element
Create a single global element
Create Multiple global elements
Creating type
Create Type(s)
Do not Create Type(s)
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NetBeans XML Schema Design
Support
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XML Schema
Design Patterns
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