Hi XML masters...!

I have been using XML documents for simple data storage for a while, but I am completely new to the game of XML schemas, so I am trying to get better understanding of how they work. I am focusing on the W3C version of these.

The question is... I thought that XML schemas was used to validate the XML document so that you could make an XML document and a schema and then show the XML document using Internet Explorer, and if the XML document is not wellformed, an error would be shown in IE; Is this completely incorrect?

The book says something like ...a validating parser will raise an error in regards to what happens if a wrong tag is added. Isn't IE a parser for the XML document when showing it!?

Thanks.

Jacob.

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You are slightly confusing well-formed and valid. IE is not a validating parser. It will only point out syntax errors such as unquoted attributes and non-nested tags, i.e. whether the document is in fact XML. It doesn't check to see if the elements are allowed by a certain schema. There are two methods of using MSXML for schema validation, you can include references to the schema in the xml or you can refer to them using a schema cache. Both methods are detailed in the SDK.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...asp?frame=true

Joe (Microsoft MVP - xml)

Well, thanks and sorry for this late reply!

So you are saying that the words wellformed refer to syntax in a possible XML document (missing endings etc), and a valid XML document refers to the structure according to some scheme, say MS or W3C style?!

I did all the referencing in the XML document, but thought that IE would read the reference to the schema and then validate the XML document before showing it, and I have now learned that this is not the case!

A have been busy reading about the schemas, and I think I have found the exact thing I was looking for. I thought that IE was doing the parsing, however I have found that you have to do an application that does the actual parsing e.g using the class XmlValidatingReader, right?

Thanks for your help!

Jacob.

No problem, it was your question.
Yes, except that it is valid according to a schema. This normally means an xml schema which are usually files with an xsd extension. Microsoft also had data reduced schema which had an xdr extension but these are falling out of favour. It could also be validated against a DTD.
Exactly.
Well that's if you are using .Net. If you are using Msxml parser no, you just include a reference to the schema or add schemas using the schemaCollection class. What maybe confusing is that although IE uses the msxml parser it only uses it in a non-validating mode. To use it in a validating mode you have to manipulate the class yourself. See the link I posted previously.
My pleasure

Joe (Microsoft MVP - xml)