Re: Extensible enumerations in XML Schema

Hi,

You can define the base state to be anySimpleType. Then define the 
extendedRequestState as a union:

<xs:simpleType name="extendedRequestState">
     <xs:union memberTypes="ns0:RequestState">
       <xs:simpleType>
         <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
           <xs:enumeration value="open.running.new1"/>
           <xs:enumeration value="open.running.new1"/>
           <xs:enumeration value="open.running.new1"/>
         </xs:restriction>
       </xs:simpleType>
     </xs:union>
   </xs:simpleType>


As a side note, in Relax NG that is really easy, assume that the base 
schema defines a test element with 2 possible values, all it has to do 
is to specify those values in a named pattern and allow it to be 
combined with other patterns with the same name:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<grammar xmlns="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0">
     <start>
         <element name="test">
             <ref name="testValues"/>
         </element>
     </start>
     <define name="testValues" combine="choice">
         <choice>
             <value>ABORTED</value>
             <value>PARTIALLY_COMPLETED</value>
         </choice>
     </define>
</grammar>

Then the user will include this schema and specify in a testValues 
pattern the additional values he wants to be allowed:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<grammar xmlns="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0">
   <include href="test.rng"/>
   <define name="testValues" combine="choice">
     <choice>
       <value>open.running.new1</value>
       <value>open.running.new2</value>
       <value>open.running.new3</value>
     </choice>
   </define>
</grammar>


in compact syntax that will be

start = element test { testValues }
testValues |= "ABORTED" | "PARTIALLY_COMPLETED"

and:

include "test.rnc"
testValues |=
   "open.running.new1" | "open.running.new2" | "open.running.new3"

Best Regards,
George
---------------------------------------------------------------------
George Cristian Bina
<oXygen/> XML Editor, Schema Editor and XSLT Editor/Debugger
http://www.oxygenxml.com


andreas.ebbert-karroum@nokia.com wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> my problem is the following. I have a complex type that has one attribute that is based on an enumeration. The XML schema that I define is fixed, but a customer/user of that schema should be able to add items to the enumeration in an additional schema. 
> 
> Currently the approach is:
> 1) use an element reference in the complex type
> 2) have an abstract element of type string
> 3) define a simple type that contains the enum literals based on string
> 4) have another element, that is of simple type and has the abstract element as substitution group.
> 5) Users can extend the enumeration, by repeating step 3&4 in an own schema, and provide a different enumeration simpleType, which ideally includes the enum values of the original/parent simpleType.
> 
> Details to the steps are further down.
> My questions are:
> => Is there a better way to do this? For example that a client/user don't have to repeat all existing enums, but can somehow merge them in with a union simple type?
> => How could a complex type definition look like that is an array of the enum, and is also capable of using the customer extension?
> 
> 1) 
> 	<complexType name="BusinessInteractionValue">
> 		<complexContent>
> 			<extension base="ns3:EntityValue">
> 				<sequence>
> 					<element ref="ns0:baseState" minOccurs="0"/>
> 				</sequence>
> 			</extension>
> 		</complexContent>
> 	</complexType>
> 
> 2)
> 	<element name="baseState" type="string" abstract="true"/>
> 
> 3)
> 	<element name="state" type="ns0:RequestState" substitutionGroup="ns0:baseState"/>
> 
> 4)
> 	<simpleType name="RequestState">
> 		<restriction base="string">
> 			<enumeration value="ABORTED"/>
> 			...
> 			<enumeration value="PARTIALLY_COMPLETED"/>
> 		</restriction>
> 	</simpleType>
> 
> 5) -- in a separate schema --
> 	<simpleType name="ExtendedRequestState">
> 		<restriction base="string">
> 			<enumeration value="ABORTED"/>
> 			...
> 			<enumeration value="PARTIALLY_COMPLETED"/>
> 			<enumeration value="open.running.new1"/>
> 			<enumeration value="open.running.new2"/>
> 			<enumeration value="open.running.new3"/>
> 		</restriction>
> 	</simpleType>
> 	<element name="extendedRequestState" type="aek:ExtendedRequestState" substitutionGroup="om:baseState"/>
> 
>  _         __                _  _
> //\ndreas.[|-bbert-[]/arroum(a)[|\|okia.com
>            `-        `
>    Andreas Ebbert-Karroum
>          Senior Software Design Engineer
>                 Nokia Networks Services / Middleware 
>    phone: +49-211-94123928, fax: +49-211-9412-3838
>    Heltorfer Straße 1, 40472 Düsseldorf, Germany 
> 
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Received on Tuesday, 28 November 2006 08:35:24 UTC