Organization of This Book (XML Schema)

0.4. Organization of This Book

Chapter 1, "Schema Uses and Development": This chapter examines why we would want to bring a new XML Schema language onto the XML scene and what basic benefits W3C XML Schema offers.
Chapter 2, "Our First Schema": This chapter presents a first complete schema, introducing the basic features of the language in a very "flat" style.
Chapter 3, "Giving Some Depth to Our First Schema": With W3C XML Schema, style matters. This chapter gives a second example of a complete schema, describing the same class of documents, and written in a completely different style called "Russian doll design."
Chapter 4, "Using Predefined Simple Datatypes": W3C XML Schema also provides datatyping. In this chapter, we explore how these types can be bound to the content of our document.
Chapter 5, "Creating Simple Datatypes": This chapter guides you through the process of defining your own simple types.
Chapter 6, "Using Regular Expressions to Specify Simple Datatypes": This chapter explores how to constrain new datatypes using regular expressions.
Chapter 7, "Creating Complex Datatypes": Now that we know all about simple types, this chapter explores the different complex types that can be used to define structures within an XML document.
Chapter 8, "Creating Building Blocks": This chapter shows how to organize schema tools into reusable building blocks.
Chapter 9, "Defining Uniqueness, Keys, and Key References": In addition to content (simple types) and structure (complex types), W3C XML Schema can constrain the identifiers and references within a document. We explore this feature in this chapter.
Chapter 10, "Controlling Namespaces": Support for XML namespaces is one of the top requirements of W3C XML Schema. This chapter explains how this requirement has been implemented and its implications.
Chapter 11, "Referencing Schemas and Schema Datatypes in XML Documents": This chapter shows how schema information may be embedded in the XML instance documents.
Chapter 12, "Creating More Building Blocks Using Object-Oriented Features": This chapter explains how more building blocks may be defined, by playing with namespaces and justifying the object-oriented qualification given to W3C XML Schema.
Chapter 13, "Creating Extensible Schemas": This chapter gives some hints to write extensible and open schemas.
Chapter 14, "Documenting Schemas": This chapter shows how schemas can be documented and made more readable, either by humans or programs.
Chapter 15, "Elements Reference Guide": This is a quick reference guide to the elements used by W3C XML Schema.
Chapter 16, "Datatype Reference Guide": This is a quick reference guide to the W3C XML Schema predefined types.
Appendix A, "XML Schema Languages": W3C XML Schema is not the only language of its kind. Here we provide a short history of this not-so-new family and see some of its competitors.
Appendix B, "Work in Progress": If you want to look ahead at what's to come from the W3C, you may be interested in this list of promising developments yet to be done in relation with W3C XML Schema.
Glossary: This provides short definitions for the main concepts and acronyms manipulated in the book.