System and method for enhancing XML schemas

• US 7,089,491 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): HILLERY, NATHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/138,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715522-524
• US Class Current: 715/234
• 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 computer-implemented system for generating a run-time XML schema, the system comprising:

an XML input schema comprising a definition of a first set of elements;

an XML preamble file comprising a definition of a first component comprising an attribute to be added into the run-time XML schema;

an XML parameter file comprising a rule, which modifies the XML input schema based on the definition of the first component, wherein the rule includes an element from the first set of elements to be excluded from the attribute; and

a schema enhancer module resident on a computer, which generates an XML schema by modifying the XML input schema based on the rule in the XML parameter file and the definition of the first component in the XML preamble file,

wherein the run-time XML schema comprises an XSD schema.

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

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component further 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 the XML input 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 a run-time XML schema on a computer, the method comprising:

providing to a software module resident on a computer an XML input schema comprising at least two elements;

providing, to the software module resident on the computer, an XML parameter file comprising an instruction, which modifies the XML input schema, the parameter file also specifying an element to be excluded from an attribute to be added into the run-time XML schema;

providing, to the software module, a preamble file which defines the meaning and syntax of the attribute to be added into the run-time XML schema; and

generating, by the software module resident on the computer, the run-time XML schema by modifying the XML input schema according to the instruction in the XML parameter file, wherein the run-time XML schema comprises an XSD schema.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least two elements are associated with an attribute.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the run-time XML schema comprises inserting the attribute into the XML input schema according to an instruction in the XIVJL parameter file.

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

14. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the XML schema further comprises collecting information concerning the run-time XML schema from at least one of the XML input schema, the XML parameter file, and the ZML preamble file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information concerning the XML schema comprises information about at least one of a group and a substitution group.

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

17. A computer storage media containing computer-executable instructions implemented by a computer for performing a method for transformation of a first design-time XML schema into a second run-time schema, the method comprising:

providing the 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, wherein the rule enables customization of the transformation of the first XML schema into the second XML schema by adding elements and attributes of a preamble file;

providing the preamble file which defines the meaning and syntax of the elements and attributes to be added into the second XML schema; and

generating a second XML schema by inserting into the first schema, the elements and attributes defined in the preamble file, according to the rule included in the parameter file, wherein, the parameter file further specifies one or more elements to be excluded from an addition of one of the attributes to be added, and wherein the run-time XML schema comprises an XSD schema.