A plea to XSD 1.1 vendors: provide a "switch" to turn on/off vendor-unique extensions

Hi Folks,

In XSD 1.1 vendors are allowed to extend the language with additional (vendor-unique) datatypes and facets. 

Example: In some countries the decimal point symbol is the comma; so a vendor may provide a new decimal datatype and a new facet for specifying the decimal point symbol:

<xs:simpleType name="money">    
      <xs:restriction base="vendor:decimal">        
            <vendor:delimiter value="," />    
      <xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>

This is very useful. 

However, this capability represents an uncertainty in what things are in the language ("If you're using this XSD 1.1 tool then these x,y,z things are in the language, if you're using that XSD 1.1 tool then these a,b,c things are in the language"). For some of my clients:

     uncertainty = risk

For those clients, risk must be mitigated.

Thus, I issue a plea to all XSD 1.1 vendors: please provide a switch to turn on/off vendor-unique extensions. 
 
I believe that providing a switch to turn on/off vendor-unique extension will give vendors a market advantage.

Thanks for your time.

/Roger

Received on Wednesday, 18 November 2009 20:30:23 UTC