Schema Engineering

SMH Systems can develop schemas for your document types, either W3C-compliant (XSD) or XML Data Reduced (XDR).

We can also advise on the meaning of existing schemas that you may have to work with, such as those defined for an industry group.

Please refer to our section on XML Authoring for a discussion of 'Why We All Need Schemas'.

XSD Schema Coding

We can code up schemas for your specific document types. However the starting point has to be an agreed specification for what content the document has to contain, and all relevant business rules. These can include considerations such as:

• number of permitted instances for repeating data
• data typing
• default values
• field lengths

This specification must be definitive and agreed (signed off). If not available, we can perform Data Analysis and Document Design for you.

Deliverables are:

• the schema, itself and XML document
• sample data and test results
• brief documentation of any particular coding methods

Schemas will be observe W3C standards and tested for conformance. As part of the development we will test against the sample documents and also prepare tests for non-compliant situations at the margin. Test data and outcomes will be included in your deliverables.

XDR Schema Coding

If you still require schemas coded to the old XDR method then we can develop these also.

Reverse Engineering

Perhaps you're required to use a schema and not sure what it means? For example if schemas exist for data interchange in your industry, but you're new to the use of XML.

We can decode existing schemas and explain them for you. Deliverables of this process would be same as some of the outcomes of a data analysis and data modelling exercise:

• user-friendly and business-oriented documentation of the document type - needed to accomplish review and signoff
• example data
• a 'reporting stylesheet' to display document content in report form

Please refer to Data Analysis and Data Modelling for more information.

Be warned - if the schema is complex a reverse engineering exercise could be time-consuming and expensive. Before calling us, research the availability of documentation from the schema providers, or from other users of the schema.