Using XML Schema Built-in Datatypes

This section describes what is a built-in datatype and how to use a built-in datatype.

XML Schema 1.0 specification provides about 46 built-in datatypes. Here are some examples of built-in datatypes:

Rule 1. All built-in datatypes are simple datatypes, which do not allow any attributes or sub (child) elements if it is used in an element declaration component.

Rule 2. Build-in datatype names have the namespace name of "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema".

Here is a sample schema, holiday.xsd, that uses the built-in datatype "date":

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<!-- holiday.xsd
 - Copyright (c) 2002-2013 HerongYang.com. All Rights Reserved.
-->

 <!-- Using XML Schema built-in datatype "date" -->
 <xs:element name="holiday" type="xs:date"/>

</xs:schema>

The following XML document, holiday.xml, conforms to holiday.xsd:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<holiday>2007-01-01</holiday>

The following XML document, holiday_error.xml, does not conform to holiday.xsd, because the content of "holiday" element is not a "date" value:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<holiday>New Year Day</holiday>

Table of Contents

 About This Book

 Introduction to XML Schema

 XML Editor and Schema Processor - XMLPad

 Java API for XML Processing - JAXP

 JAXP - XML Schema (XSD) Validation

 Xerces2 Java Parser - Java API of XML Parsers

 Using Xerces2 Java APIs

XML Schema Language - Basics

 Schema and Schema XML Representation

 Checking Schema Documents - XsdSchemaChecker.java

 Creating Schema Documents - "schema" Element

 Declaring Root Elements - "element" Element

 Specifying Element Datatype - "type" Attribute

Using XML Schema Built-in Datatypes

 Using XML Schema Built-in Datatypes Incorrectly

 Validating XML Documents against Schema Documents

 Deriving New Simple Datatypes - "simpleType" Element

 Defining Complex Datatypes - "complexType" Element

 Validation Error Examples on Complex Datatypes

 Introduction of XSD Built-in Datatypes

 "string" and Its Derived Datatypes

 "decimal" and Its Derived Datatypes

 "dateTime" and Its Related Datatypes

 Miscellaneous Built-in Datatypes

 Facets, Constraining Facets and Restriction Datatypes

 "simpleType" - Defining Your Own Simple Datatypes

 Complex Element Declaration

 Identity-Constraints: unique, key and keyref

 Assertion as Custom Validation Rules

 XML Schema Location and Namespace in XML Documents

 Overriding Element Types in XML Documents

 Linking Multiple Schema Documents Together

 Glossary

 Archived Tutorials

 References

 Full Version in PDF/EPUB