如何通过使用xsd：sequence允许任何顺序的元素？

Question

I have an XSD with the below code:

<xsd:complexType name="SupplierProfileType">
        <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="Subscriber" type="BIS_SubscriberType"/>
            <xsd:element name="BusinessApplicant" type="BusinessApplicantType"/>
            <xsd:element name="AddOns" type="SupplierProfile_AddOnsType" minOccurs="0"/>
            <xsd:element name="OutputType" type="BusinessProfile_OutputType"/>
            <xsd:element name="Vendor" type="Business_VendorType" minOccurs="0"/>
            <xsd:element name="Options" type="BISOptions3_OptionsType" minOccurs="0"/>
        </xsd:sequence>
    </xsd:complexType>  

I want to use xsd:sequence but want to accept the elements in any order. I am ok to make Java code changes for this. I am using JAXB for unmarshalling of the XML.

Tried xsd:all , but I don't want to change the XSD as it is used by customers.

Answer 1

Don't change the semantics of xsd:sequence

Tried xsd:all , but I don't want to change the XSD as it is used by customers.

That's fundamentally wrong. Your current XSD uses xsd:sequence , which explicitly constrains elements to be ordered. If you want order to no longer be significant, then, change your XSD to say so via a change from xsd:sequence to xsd:all . Saying one thing via your XSD (order matters) and doing something different via your code (order doesn't matter) is a very bad idea.

Basic Responsible Versioning

Your first priority should be to maintain the existing contract expressed in the XSD. If that's impossible, update in a way that preserves backward compatibility. If that's impossible, deprecate the old interface and provide ample transition time to the incompatible interface.

Changing implementation of a published interface in any way that contradicts its associated XSD should not even be a consideration.