Oxygen XML Forum

Is it possible to define a complex type that can contain any element from the local namespace except for one specified element. I have a schema with about 1500 elements of the same type. I am trying to define another element that can contain any number of the other elements in any order except for one or two specific elements. I cannot find a way to define this is xsd. Thank you for you help.

Hi,

No, you cannot do that in XML Schema.
You can allow all the elements and add a Schematron rule to report an error if one of the elements you do not want to appear is present.
Relax NG schema has an except pattern that does exactly what you want.
oXygen has support for both XML Schema with Schematron embedded rules (and can validate against such a schema) and for Relax NG.

Best Regards,
George