System and method for enhancing XML schemas

• US 20030208498A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Franz, Bryan Richard, Feinberg, Bonnie Nicole
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing XML schemas is presented. A schema enhancer inputs an input schema, a parameter file, and (optionally) a preamble file to generate an enhanced schema. The optional preamble file comprises definitions and syntax for elements and/or attributes to be added and/or to modify relationships in the input schema to create the enhanced schema. Instructions for modifying the input schema to generate the enhanced schema comprise the parameter file.

Claims

1. A system for generating an enhanced XML schema, the system comprising:

an XML input schema comprising a definition of a first element;

an XML preamble file comprising a definition of a first component;

an XML parameter file comprising an instruction for modifying the XML input schema based on the definition of the first component; and

a schema enhancer for generating an enhanced XML schema by modifying the XML input schema based on the instruction in the XML parameter file and the definition of the first component in the XML preamble file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises an attribute of the first element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises a second element.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the XML input schema further comprises a definition of an attribute associated with the first element.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the XML input schema and the enhanced XML schema comprises an XSD schema.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the schema enhancer adheres to a set of rules provided by an authority.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the authority is the World Wide Web Consortium.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the schema enhancer validates the XML parameter file.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an XML parameter file schema for validating the XML parameter file.

10. A method for generating an enhanced schema, the method comprising:

providing an XML input schema comprising an element;

providing an XML parameter file comprising an instruction for modifying the XML input schema;

generating the enhanced schema by modifying the XML input schema according to the instruction in the XML parameter file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the element is associated with an attribute.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an XML preamble file that defines a component.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the element associated with the XML input schema is a first element and the component comprises a second element.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the component comprises an attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute is associated with the first element.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the enhanced schema comprises inserting the second element into the XML input schema according to an instruction in the XML parameter file.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the enhanced schema comprises inserting the attribute into the XML input schema according to an instruction in the XML parameter file.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the enhanced XML schema is modified by modifying an existing relationship between the element and the attribute according to the instruction in the XML parameter file.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the enhanced XML schema further comprises collecting information concerning the enhanced XML schema from at least one of the XML input schema, the XML parameter file, and the XML preamble file.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information concerning the enhanced XML schema comprises information about at least one of a group and a substitution group.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the enhanced XML schema comprises copying the XML preamble file into the enhanced XML schema.

22. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for

providing a first XML schema comprising an element associated with an attribute, wherein a relationship between the element and the attribute is defined;

providing a parameter file comprising a rule for modifying the relationship between the element and the attribute;

generating a second XML schema by inserting into the first schema, the element and the attribute included in the preamble file, according to the rule included in the parameter file.