XmlSchema Element with Namespace/Qualified Name

[John Ruiz]

hi.

--short version--
i have an .xsd file (XML Schema). It has many elements in it (tags).

Sometimes, my application wants to know everything there is to know
(attributes, constraints, etc) about a specific element within that schema,
and it cares nothing for the rest of the schema. If you tell the
application more than it wants to know, if will get mad and probably eat
you.

How do I smartly (in the context of performance) pull the definition of an
element from the 'master schema' and create a 'mini-schema' that only
defines the target element such that I can allow an end user of the
application to create (via dynamic forms) XML data that I can then validate
against the 'mini-schema' ?
--longer version--
Basically, I am given a very large and rather complex schema from an
external (immutable) system. With only the schema, I am to create an
application (ASP.NET via C#) that generates a TreeView which represents the
elements within the schema. When an element gets clicked in the TreeView, a
dynamic form is generated such that the user is prompted to enter the data
required to create the element they initially clicked on. This allows a
user to intuitively create XML data - piecemeal - against a very complex
schema that I can then send back to that external system.

The problem is that I want to be able to validate each element as the user
submits it as opposed to validating the totality of their entry against the
entire schema. To do this, I need to know the schema definition for the
element that the user is entering data for so that I can validate their
piecmeal entry on the spot.

How, therefore, can I get a 'mimi schema' for an element within a much
larger schema?

Thanks and stuff!
John Ruiz
-------------------------------------------------------
I am John's witty signature. Only fools don't laugh at it.

[Oleg Tkachenko]

John Ruiz wrote:

i have an .xsd file (XML Schema). It has many elements in it (tags).

Sometimes, my application wants to know everything there is to know
(attributes, constraints, etc) about a specific element within that schema,
and it cares nothing for the rest of the schema. If you tell the
application more than it wants to know, if will get mad and probably eat
you.

How do I smartly (in the context of performance) pull the definition of an
element from the 'master schema' and create a 'mini-schema' that only
defines the target element such that I can allow an end user of the
application to create (via dynamic forms) XML data that I can then validate
against the 'mini-schema' ?

Well, using System.Xml.Sche ma namespace you should be able to load and compile
big schema, then pull definition of some element form it and build mini-schema
for it on the fly. But I share you concerns about performance, that isn't
going to be fast validation, but I believe you should try it first and measure.
--
Oleg Tkachenko
http://www.tkachenko.com/blog
Multiconn Technologies, Israel