my first xml schema - I think it's good. Is it really?

[Ultrus]

Hello XML gurus,
After much reading, I made my first XML Schema! May I trouble you all
for your thoughts? Perhaps there is a better way to go about it, or I
did something totally wrong without knowing.

My project goal is to make a randomly generated story generator using
recursive xml. There will be random elements within random elements,
within random elements, etc.,.
Here is sample xml:

<randomstory>
<settings />
<story>
Once upon a time...
<random>
<i>A man was born. No one knew what became of him.</i>
<i>
A man was born.
<random>
<i>He grew up, lived long, prospered, then died.</i>
<i>He joined the Navy, fell off the boat, then died.</i>
</random>
</i>
</random>
The end.
</story>
</randomstory>
Here is sample output:

Once upon a time... A man was born. He joined the Navy, fell off the
boat, then died. The end.
Here is the schema:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace ="http://www.w3schools.c om"
xmlns="http://www.w3schools.c om"
elementFormDefa ult="qualified" >

<xs:element name="randomsto ry">
<xs:complexType >
<xs:all>
<xs:element name="settings" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
<xs:element name="show" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
<xs:complexTy pe mixed="true">
<xs:all>
<xs:element name="random" type="randomTyp e"
minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbo unded"/>
</xs:all>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:all>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

<xs:complexTy pe name="randomTyp e">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="i" type="iType" minOccurs="1"
maxOccurs="unbo unded"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

<xs:complexTy pe name="iType" mixed="true">
<xs:all>
<xs:element name="random" type="randomTyp e" minOccurs="0"
maxOccurs="unbo unded"/>
</xs:all>
</xs:complexType>

Pardon any odd line breaks. Any thoughts? Much appreciated! :)

[Ultrus]

Peter,
That was very helpful! I can see how my initial draft could be
confusing. Your DTD was also very much smaller than the XML Schema.

While chatting, research, and posting, people are telling me that XML
Schema may replace DTD. What are your thoughts on this? To me this
doesn't matter right now as my xml interpreter will take DTD or XML
Schema for validation purposes. DTD does seam simpler in this case.

[usenet]

On 19 Jul, 15:39, Ultrus <ownthe...@gmai l.comwrote:

Hello XML gurus,
After much reading, I made my first XML Schema! May I trouble you all
for your thoughts? Perhaps there is a better way to go about it, or I
did something totally wrong without knowing.

My project goal is to make a randomly generated story generator using
recursive xml. There will be random elements within random elements,
within random elements, etc.,.

Here is sample xml:

<randomstory>
<settings />
<story>
Once upon a time...
<random>
<i>A man was born. No one knew what became of him.</i>
<i>
A man was born.
<random>
<i>He grew up, lived long, prospered, then died.</i>
<i>He joined the Navy, fell off the boat, then died.</i>
</random>
</i>
</random>
The end.
</story>
</randomstory>

Here is sample output:

Once upon a time... A man was born. He joined the Navy, fell off the
boat, then died. The end.

Here is the schema:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace ="http://www.w3schools.c om"
xmlns="http://www.w3schools.c om"
elementFormDefa ult="qualified" >

<xs:element name="randomsto ry">
<xs:complexType >
<xs:all>
<xs:element name="settings" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
<xs:element name="show" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
<xs:complexTy pe mixed="true">
<xs:all>
<xs:element name="random" type="randomTyp e"
minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbo unded"/>
</xs:all>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:all>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

<xs:complexTy pe name="randomTyp e">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="i" type="iType" minOccurs="1"
maxOccurs="unbo unded"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

<xs:complexTy pe name="iType" mixed="true">
<xs:all>
<xs:element name="random" type="randomTyp e" minOccurs="0"
maxOccurs="unbo unded"/>
</xs:all>
</xs:complexType>

Pardon any odd line breaks. Any thoughts? Much appreciated! :)

Just a quick note on your schema...

An element within an xs:all can not have a maxOccurs greater than 1.

I think for what you want, you could change the xs:all to an
xs:choice.

HTH,

Pete.
--
=============== =============== ===============
Pete Cordell
Codalogic Ltd
for XML Schema to C++ data binding visit
http://www.codalogic.com/lmx/
=============== =============== ===============

[Joseph Kesselman]

Ultrus wrote:

don't see RelaxNG listed on the W3C's website. Is RelaxNG a dead end
in some way like DTDs are with namespaces?

RelaxNG is not part of the W3C's standard recommendations suite; it's a
competing tool. That isn't _necessarily_ a reason to avoid it; after
all, the SAX APIs didn't originate in the W3C either... but this is part
of the reason Relax is not more widely supported.

If you're concerned with portability of your data, stick with XML Schema
and/or DTD.

--
Joe Kesselman / Beware the fury of a patient man. -- John Dryden