Question

I have a Xml-Schema file to validate xml-Files.

Xml-Schema:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" elementFormDefault="qualified" attributeFormDefault="unqualified">
    <xs:element name="Person">
        <xs:complexType>
            <xs:sequence>
                <xs:element name="Firstname"/>
                <xs:element name="Surename"/>
            </xs:sequence>
        </xs:complexType>
    </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

I want to be able to succesfully validate xml-Files, that have additional elements like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Person xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="Test.xsd">
    <Firstname>Jane</Firstname>
    <Surename>Doe</Surename>
    <City>Berlin</City>
</Person>

In this example I added the Element ‘City’.

The Validation fails, because it didn´t expect more Elements.

What I have to add in my Schema, that it accepts additional Elements?

I want to do that, because sometimes new Elements added in the xml-Files. But I don´t want to define them in the schema, because I don´t want to distribute a newer schema even though only one Element is added.

What I search for, is something like a ‘Placeholder’ for an infinite number of additional elements.

Answer 1

add xs:any in your sequence, possibly with a unbounded maxOccurs. For more information : http://www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-1/#element-any .