Re: Indirect imports (XML Spy versus XERCES)

This is sure a FAQ. . .

xs:import plays _two_ roles:

1) It allows references by QName to components in namespaces other
than the target namespace of the enclosing <xs:schema>;

2) It provides a hint about where to find a schema document for that
namespace.

The first very clearly only works within single schema documents.
<xs:include> is _not_ a text substitution facility.

The relevant constraint [1] says:

  "For a ·QName· to resolve to a schema component . . . the
  ·namespace name· of the ·QName· is the same as one of the following:

    * The ·actual value· of the targetNamespace [attribute] of the
      <schema> element information item of the schema document
      containing the ·QName·.

    * The ·actual value· of the namespace [attribute] of some <import>
      element information item contained in the <schema> element
      information item _of that schema document_ [emphasis added].

ht
  
[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/PER-xmlschema-1-20040318/#src-resolve
-- 
 Henry S. Thompson, HCRC Language Technology Group, University of Edinburgh
                     Half-time member of W3C Team
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                   URL: http://www.ltg.ed.ac.uk/~ht/
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