System and method for automatically generating XML schema for validating XML input documents

• US 20060041838A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Khan, Ayub S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation

Abstract

Techniques, systems and apparatus for automatically generating schema using an initial documents constructed in an XML compatible format are disclosed. A method involves providing an initial XML document that and analyzing the XML document to identify the XML data structures in the document and generating a data framework that corresponds to the data structure of the XML document. The data items of the initial XML document are analyzed to determine data constraints based on the data items of the initial XML. Schema are then generated based on the data framework generated and the data constraints determined from the raw xml data. These principles can be implemented as software operating on a computer system, as a computer module, as a computer program product and as a series of related devices and products.

Claims

1. A method generating XML schema comprising:

providing an initial XML document that includes raw XML data comprising data items arranged in XML data elements;

analyzing the XML document to identify XML data structures;

generating a data framework that corresponds to the format of the data structures in the XML document;

analyzing the data items from the initial XML document;

determining data constraints based on the data items;

generating an XML schema based on the data framework generated and the data constraints determined from the raw XML data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the data constraints based on the data items includes determining type constraints based on the types of the data items in the initial XML document.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the data constraints based on the data items includes determining attribute constraints based on the attributes of the data items in the initial XML document.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method can be implemented to change namespaces for an XML schema.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method can be implemented to change data types for an XML schema.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the method can be implemented to add or remove data elements from an XML schema.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining data constraints includes receiving externally supplied data constraints and wherein generating the schema further includes using one of:

(i) the data constraints determined from the data in the initial XML document or (ii) using the externally supplied data constraints to generate the XML schema.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining data constraints includes receiving externally supplied data constraints and

wherein generating the schema further includes using at least one of:

(i) the data constraints determined from the data in the initial XML document and (ii) using the externally supplied data constraints to generate the XML schema.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining data constraints includes receiving externally supplied data constraints and

wherein generating the schema further includes merging portions of the data constraints determined from the data in the initial XML document and portions of the externally supplied data constraints.

10. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable media including computer program code for generating XML schema, the computer program product including:

computer program code instructions for receiving an initial XML document that that includes raw XML data comprising data items arranged in XML data structures;

computer program code instructions for analyzing the XML document to identify the XML data structures;

computer program code instructions for generating a data framework associated with the format of the data structures in the XML document;

computer program code instructions for analyzing the data items from the initial XML document and determining XML data constraints based on the data items; and

computer program code instructions for generating an XML schema based on the data framework generated and the XML data constraints determined from the data items.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the computer program code instructions for determining data constraints includes receiving externally supplied data constraints and

wherein the computer program code instructions for generating the schema further includes using one of:

(i) the data constraints determined from the data items in the initial XML document or (ii) using the externally supplied data constraints to generate the XML schema.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the computer program code instructions for determining data constraints includes computer program code instructions for receiving externally supplied data constraints and

further computer program code instructions for using at least one of:

(i) the data constraints determined from the data in the initial XML document and (ii) using the externally supplied data constraints to generate the XML schema.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the computer program code instructions for determining data constraints includes computer program code instructions for receiving externally supplied data constraints and

wherein the computer program code instructions for generating the schema further includes instructions for merging portions of the data constraints determined from the data in the initial XML document and portions of the externally supplied data constraints.

14. A computer system comprising:

at least one central processing unit (CPU), memory, and user interface in combination configured to include;

XML structure analyzer for analyzing a received initial XML document that includes raw XML data comprising data items arranged in XML data elements, wherein said analyzing includes identifying the XML data elements of the initial XML document and generating a data framework associated with a data structure for the XML data elements of the initial XML document;

default constraint generator for analyzing the raw XML data from the initial XML document and determining XML data constraints for data items based on the XML raw data;

data constraint merger for receiving at least one of the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and a set of externally supplied data constraints and for outputting a final data constraint file; and

XML schema generator for receiving the data structures from the XML structure analyzer and final data constraint file from the data constraint merger and generating an XML schema associated with said data structures and final data constraint file.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the data constraint merger receives both the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and the set of externally supplied data constraints and merges both sets of data constraints into the final data constraint file.

16. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the data constraint merger receives both the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and the set of externally supplied data constraints and selects one of the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and the set of externally supplied data constraints for output as the final data constraint file.

17. A computer module for automatically generating XML schema, the module comprising:

XML structure analyzer for analyzing a received initial XML document that includes raw XML data comprising data items arranged in XML data elements, wherein said analyzing includes identifying the XML data elements of the initial XML document and generating a data framework associated with a data structure for the XML data elements of the initial XML document;

default constraint generator for analyzing the raw XML data from the initial XML document and determining XML data constraints for data items based on the XML raw data;

data constraint merger for receiving at least one of the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and a set of externally supplied data constraints and for outputting a final data constraint file; and

XML schema generator for receiving the data structures from the XML structure analyzer and final data constraint file from the data constraint merger and generating an XML schema associated with said data structures and final data constraint file.

18. The computer module of claim 17 wherein the data constraint merger receives both the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and the set of externally supplied data constraints and merges both sets of data constraints into the final data constraint file.

19. The computer module of claim 17 wherein the data constraint merger receives both the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and the set of externally supplied data constraints and selects one of the XML data constraints from the data constraint generator and the set of externally supplied data constraints for output as the final data constraint file.

20. A computer module for automatically generating XML schema, the module comprising:

XML structure analyzer for analyzing a received initial XML document that includes raw XML data comprising data items arranged in XML data elements, wherein said analyzing includes identifying the XML data elements of the initial XML document and generating a data framework associated with a data structure for the XML data elements of the initial XML document;

default constraint generator for analyzing the raw XML data from the initial XML document and determining XML data constraints for data items based on the XML raw data; and

XML schema generator for receiving the data structures from the XML structure analyzer and default data constraint file from the default constraint generator and generating therefrom an XML schema associated with said data structures and final data constraint file.