How to create a schema for an unordered list of XML nodes, with occurrence constraints

Question

Given an XML layout like this, I'm trying to create a XSD schema to validate it.

<RootNode>
  <ChildA />
  <ChildC />
  <ChildB />
  <ChildB />
  <ChildA />
</RootNode>

The requirements are as follows:

• ChildA, ChildB and ChildC may occur in any order . ( <xs:sequence> unsuitable)
• ChildA is mandatory but may occur multiple times.
• ChildB is optional and may occur multiple times.
• ChildC is optional and may occur once only .

The technique I usually use to create an unordered list of nodes is to use a <xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded"> with each possible node in the list, however, I am unable to create the minOccurs="1" constraint on ChildA and the maxOccurs="1" contraint on ChildC. (The # of occurances of the choice takes precedence over those of the elements here).

<xs:element name="RootNode">
  <xs:complexType>
    <xs:choice minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="unbounded">
      <xs:element name="ChildA" minOccurs="1"/>
      <xs:element name="ChildB" />
      <xs:element name="ChildC" maxOccurs="1"/>
    </xs:choice>
  </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

Answer 1

Update : In XSD 1.1m some of the constraints on all -groups have been lifted. See the answers here and here .

Not a simple one but seems doable. Difficult part here is that Schema definitions must be deterministic. Approach I used was to visualize the problem by drawing a finite state automata of it and then to write a regular expression that corresponded that automata. It is not at all as complicated as it might sound. Still, using some other validation system would have likely provided simpler answer.

I have done some testing but missing out some special cases is easy. Please comment if you spot an error.

...and here is the code:

<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" >

    <!-- Schema for elements ChildA, ChildB and ChildC
        The requirements are as follows:
            * ChildA, ChildB and ChildC may occur in any order.
            * ChildA is mandatory but may occur multiple times.
            * ChildB is optional and may occur multiple times.
            * ChildC is optional and may occur once only.
    -->

    <xsd:element name="root">
        <xsd:complexType>
            <xsd:sequence>
                <xsd:element name="ABC-container" type="ABC" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
            </xsd:sequence>
        </xsd:complexType>
    </xsd:element>

    <xsd:complexType name="ABC">
        <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="ChildB" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
            <xsd:choice>
                <xsd:sequence maxOccurs="1">
                    <xsd:element name="ChildC" type="xsd:string"/>
                    <xsd:element name="ChildB" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
                    <xsd:element name="ChildA" type="xsd:string"/>
                    <xsd:sequence minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
                        <xsd:element name="ChildA" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                        <xsd:element name="ChildB" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                    </xsd:sequence>
                </xsd:sequence>
                <xsd:sequence maxOccurs="1">
                    <xsd:element name="ChildA" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="1"/>
                    <xsd:sequence minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
                        <xsd:element name="ChildA" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                        <xsd:element name="ChildB" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                    </xsd:sequence>
                    <xsd:sequence minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
                        <xsd:element name="ChildC" type="xsd:string"/>
                        <xsd:sequence minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
                            <xsd:element name="ChildA" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                            <xsd:element name="ChildB" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                        </xsd:sequence>
                    </xsd:sequence>
                </xsd:sequence>
            </xsd:choice>
        </xsd:sequence>
    </xsd:complexType>

</xsd:schema>

Answer 2

This should do what you specified:

<xs:element name="RootNode">   
  <xs:complexType>     
    <xs:all>       
      <xs:element name="ChildA" minOccurs="1"/>      
      <xs:element name="ChildB" />       
      <xs:element name="ChildC" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>     
    </xs:all>   
  </xs:complexType> 
</xs:element> 

Answer 3

I was just reading the relax-NG shortcut syntax .

I'm guessing this would be condensed to the following in relax-ng's compact syntax:

head = element root { ChildA & ChildC? & ChildB* }

That sure is pretty.