A Web-based XML Schema Visualizer José Paulo Leal & Ricardo Queirós CRACS INESCPORTO LA

Transcription

1 A Web-based XML Schema Visualizer José Paulo Leal & Ricardo Queirós CRACS INESCPORTO LA

2 Agenda Motivation Overview Architecture Deployment Main features o XSD extension o Navigation area o View area o Support for embed Schematron o Visualization of instance examples Current state Future work

3 1 Motivation Collaborative development of XSD files Authored by XSD experts Contributions from domain experts Service Domain experts Admin Physically distant 1. Unfamiliar with XML or XSD interact Unaccustomed to XML IDEs Practical experience drawn from the EduJudge project Solution: creation of a light web tool for graphically browsing XSD files Schema document development process cycle 3. view 2. update XSD expert 3. view Domain experts 1. interact

4 2 Overview Web tool for browsing XSD files Generates documentation on-the-fly from an XSD file Doesn t require the installation of plug-ins at the client side Supports main features of the W3C XML Schema specification

5 3 Architecture a transformation for converting an XSD to a web layout a script for handling user interaction a stylesheet to configure the layout Client Browser XML Schema (XSD) XSLT processor Web Page (HTML) Transformation (XSL) schem@doc Script (JS) Stylesheet (CSS)

6 4 Deployment 1. Download the distribution package 2. Include a PI in your XSD file <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="schemadoc.xsl"?> <xsd:schema > </xsd:schema> 3. Open your XSD file in your favorite web browser

7 5 Main Features XSD extension Navigation area View area Support for embed Schematron Visualization of instance examples

8 5 Main Features: XSD extension New elements and attributes to annotate the XSD file Define and control the automatic generation of documentation Located inside of the W3C XML Schema documentation element New elements/attributes: doc:type doc:href doc:order doc:childdepth/parentdepth Element documentation may use XHTML tags to enrich readability

9 5 Main Features: navigation area Based on different user profiles: novice and expert users Navigation area supports two types: Structural: browse XSD file based on instance s structure Reference: list of complex and simple types

10 5 Main Features: view area Element/attribute name, description and cardinality Summary on child nodes information Technical information on schemata (XSD or embed Schematron) Usage examples

11 5 Main Features: support for embed Schematron Need to validate W3C XML Schema unsupported constraint types: Specify incompatible/complementary attributes Force an element/attribute value to be greater/less than other Make content model depend on the value of an element/attribute Solution: embedding Schematron rules in appinfo element

12 5 Main Features: visualization of instance examples Set of instance documents defined by the XSD author (e.g. Eclipse) Visualization controlled at two levels: Root level: uses doc:href to identify document instance(s) Element level: doc:order decide what instance should be used doc:child/parentdepth control depth level visualization

13 6 Current state New approach to the visualization of schema definitions Tool to present XSD files on the Web Distributed in open source Available for test and download at

14 7 Future work Ensure full support for the W3C XML Schema specification Handle recursive definitions in the navigation view Support print version of XSD files Develop XPath search facility Improve performance