XSAMS Schema design policies

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ID and IDREF tags and references

• Define ID types in typesAttributes.xsd,

• Always define the ID prefix letter (or several letters, if we run out of them) to avoid collisions between different IDs in instance documents

• Always document the ID and what would be the use of it.

  • In the documentation of an ID type, name the elements/types that are referencing it.

• Never define attributes/elements of type IDREF without specifyng what ID elements they should refer to! Not everyone is as smart as you, so to deny him making stupid things, don't do this.

• Define IDREF types in typesAttributes.xsd, next to the ID definition.

General tips

• Avoid using and Instead define simple type and define attribute as <xs:attribute name="attributeName" type="attributeSpecificType"/> This is required to avoid the need to include xsams default namespace name in each of the occurrences of such elements/attributes.

• Create a basic built-in documentation for added types/elements. It will enable people to understand what you meant. That would also make the output of automatic xsd documentation tools meaningful.

• Put some example instance files to tests/valid and tests/invalid to demonstrate the use of the element.