[oXygen-user] Automatically generating XML schemas using XSLT

[Mark Baker]

 I have the same kind of issue in the SPFE Open Toolkit. Schemas are highly
modular, and sometimes the details you want in a particular low level schema
depend on what you are trying to achieve in the higher level schema. To
accomplish this without duplication, I use groups. Essentially, the trick is
this:

1. Place reusable or variable elements in groups in the lower-level schemas.

2. In the high level schemas, define high-level groups containing whatever
groups (defined in the low level schemas) that you want used throughout your
resulting schema.
3. In the low level schemas, use the high-level groups to encapsulate
variations that depend on which high level schema the low level schema is
being included in.

In other words, use groups in the high-level schemas to determine what
features are turned on in the lower-level schemas.

That explanation may be a bit hard to parse, but you can see an example of
the technique at work in the SPFE Open Toolkit on GitHub:
https://github.com/mbakeranalecta/spfe-open-toolkit/blob/master/spfe-docs/sc
hemas/authoring/roots/element-descriptions.xsd

Mark

> -----Original Message-----
> From: oxygen-user-bounces at oxygenxml.com [mailto:oxygen-user-
> bounces at oxygenxml.com] On Behalf Of Olumide
> Sent: November 21, 2012 1:27 PM
> To: oxygen-user at oxygenxml.com
> Subject: [oXygen-user] Automatically generating XML schemas using XSLT
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Following this tutorial
> (http://www.liquid-
> technologies.com/Tutorials/XmlSchemas/XsdTutorial_04.aspx
> -- don't worry, I use Oxygen ;-) ) I've refactored my 733 line schema
> into 16 separate files or sub-schemas, each with its own namespace. Now
> the top level schema is just 77 lines. The plan is to use these
> sub-schema's to build other top-level schemas.
> 
> The problem is that most top level schema's are quite similar and only
> differ in a few low level details. For example while one top level
> schema supports all PaymentMethodType's (see tutorial) another top-level
> schema may support only VISA and MasterCard. Currently my method of
> creating top-level schemas involves considerable duplication. For
> example, my current method of creating a top-level schema in which only
> VISA and MasterCard are supported would involve duplicating Main.xsd and
> OrderType.xsd, but customizing CommonTypes.xsd and reuse
> CustomerTypes.xsd. (As my actual schema is a lot longer a lot more
> duplication is involved.)
> 
> I find this duplication unacceptable primarily because it introduces a
> maintenance challenge i.e. I would have to maintain any number of
> identical sub-schemas with different names.
> 
> What I would like to know is if there is a method of automatically
> generating a schema without via a config file of some sort (XSLT
> perhaps?), in order to avoid duplicating sub-schemas.
> 
> Also, is it good practice for all the sub-schemas to declare the same
> target namespace in this case (just like the xml schema namespace xs,
> but have custom sub-schemas declare a separate namespace?
> 
> - Olumide
> 
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