I'm wondering how the XML Schema specification handles these cases:
<xsd:element minOccurs="1" name="asdf"/>
No maxOccurs given -> Is this the cardinality [1..1]?
<xsd:element minOccurs="5" maxOccurs="2" name="asdf"/>
I suppose this is simply invalid?
<xsd:element maxOccurs="2" name="asdf"/>
Is this the cardinality [0..2] or [1..2]?
Is there an "official" definition on how the XML Schema spec handles these cases?
The default values for minOccurs and maxOccurs are 1. Thus:
<xsd:element minOccurs="1" name="asdf"/>
cardinality is [1-1] Note: if you specify only minOccurs attribute, it can't be greater than 1, because the default value for maxOccurs is 1.
<xsd:element minOccurs="5" maxOccurs="2" name="asdf"/>
invalid
<xsd:element maxOccurs="2" name="asdf"/>
cardinality is [1-2] Note: if you specify only maxOccurs attribute, it can't be smaller than 1, because the default value for minOccurs is 1.
<xsd:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="0"/>
is a valid combination which makes the element prohibited.
For more info see http://www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-0/#OccurrenceConstraints
New, expanded answer to an old, commonly asked question...
minOccurs and maxOccurs default to 1.<xsd:element name="A"/>
means A is required and must appear exactly once.
<xsd:element name="A" minOccurs="0"/>
means A is optional and may appear at most once.
<xsd:element name="A" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
means A is required and may repeat an unlimited number of times.
<xsd:element name="A" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
means A is optional and may repeat an unlimited number of times.
In general, an element is required to appear when the value of minOccurs is 1 or more. The maximum number of times an element may appear is determined by the value of a maxOccurs attribute in its declaration. This value may be a positive integer such as 41, or the term unbounded to indicate there is no maximum number of occurrences. The default value for both the minOccurs and the maxOccurs attributes is 1. Thus, when an element such as comment is declared without a maxOccurs attribute, the element may not occur more than once. Be sure that if you specify a value for only the minOccurs attribute, it is less than or equal to the default value of maxOccurs, i.e. it is 0 or 1. Similarly, if you specify a value for only the maxOccurs attribute, it must be greater than or equal to the default value of minOccurs, i.e. 1 or more. If both attributes are omitted, the element must appear exactly once.
W3C XML Schema Part 1: Structures Second Edition
<element
maxOccurs = (nonNegativeInteger | unbounded) : 1
minOccurs = nonNegativeInteger : 1
>
</element>
Short answer:
As written in xsd:
<xs:attribute name="minOccurs" type="xs:nonNegativeInteger" use="optional" default="1"/>
<xs:attribute name="maxOccurs" type="xs:allNNI" use="optional" default="1"/>
If you provide an attribute with number, then the number is boundary. Otherwise attribute should appear exactly once.
example:
XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="country.xsl"?>
<country xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="country.xsd">
<countryName>Australia</countryName>
<capital>Canberra</capital>
<nationalLanguage>English</nationalLanguage>
<population>21000000</population>
<currency>Australian Dollar</currency>
<nationalIdentities>
<nationalAnthem>Advance Australia Fair</nationalAnthem>
<nationalDay>Australia Day (26 January)</nationalDay>
<nationalColour>Green and Gold</nationalColour>
<nationalGemstone>Opal</nationalGemstone>
<nationalFlower>Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)</nationalFlower>
</nationalIdentities>
<publicHolidays>
<newYearDay>1 January</newYearDay>
<australiaDay>26 January</australiaDay>
<anzacDay>25 April</anzacDay>
<christmasDay>25 December</christmasDay>
<boxingDay>26 December</boxingDay>
<laborDay>Variable Date</laborDay>
<easter>Variable Date</easter>
<queenBirthDay>21 April (Variable Date)</queenBirthDay>
</publicHolidays>
<states>
<stateName><Name>NSW - New South Wales</Name></stateName>
<stateName><Name>VIC - Victoria</Name></stateName>
<stateName><Name>QLD - Queensland</Name></stateName>
<stateName><Name>SA - South Australia</Name></stateName>
<stateName><Name>WA - Western Australia</Name></stateName>
<stateName><Name>TAS - Tasmania</Name></stateName>
</states>
<territories>
<territoryName>ACT - Australian Capital Territory</territoryName>
<territoryName>NT - Northern Territory</territoryName>
</territories>
</country>
XSD:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<xs:element name="country">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="countryName" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="capital" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="nationalLanguage" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="population" type="xs:double"/>
<xs:element name="currency" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="nationalIdentities">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="nationalAnthem" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="nationalDay" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="nationalColour" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="nationalGemstone" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="nationalFlower" type="xs:string"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="publicHolidays">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="newYearDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="australiaDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="anzacDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="christmasDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="boxingDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="laborDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="easter" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="queenBirthDay" maxOccurs="1" type="xs:string"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="states">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="stateName" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="Name" type="xs:string"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="territories">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="territoryName" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:schema>
XSL:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
<xsl:output method="html" indent="yes" version="4.0"/>
<xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<xsl:for-each select="country">
<xsl:value-of select="countryName"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="capital"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="nationalLanguage"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="population"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="currency"/><br/>
<xsl:for-each select="nationalIdentities">
<xsl:value-of select="nationalAnthem"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="nationalDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="nationalColour"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="nationalGemstone"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="nationalFlower"/><br/>
</xsl:for-each>
<xsl:for-each select="publicHolidays">
<xsl:value-of select="newYearDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="australiaDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="anzacDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="christmasDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="boxingDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="laborDay"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="easter"/><br/>
<xsl:value-of select="queenBirthDay"/><br/>
</xsl:for-each>
<xsl:for-each select="states/stateName">
<xsl:value-of select="Name"/><br/>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:for-each>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
Result:
Australia
Canberra
English
21000000
Australian Dollar
Advance Australia Fair
Australia Day (26 January)
Green and Gold
Opal
Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)
1 January
26 January
25 April
25 December
26 December
Variable Date
Variable Date
21 April (Variable Date)
NSW - New South Wales
VIC - Victoria
QLD - Queensland
SA - South Australia
WA - Western Australia
TAS - Tasmania
