extensibility

Building Meta-Schemas

Meta-schemas allows users to build additional information about their schemas into the schema document itself.Κ The resulting schema is known as an adorned schema.Κ Creating such a schema is a two-step process. First the meta-schema is created using a template within XML Authority.Κ This step essentially creates a new format of schema.Κ This meta-schema template is then saved in the Extensions directory within the XA11 directory created during the installation of XML Authority.Κ Categories of information created by the user in this template will then appear in the user interface of XML Authority when the user elects to create a new schema in that format.Κ

To start your meta-schema, right click on the Create a New Schema icon from the welcome screen and select MetaSchema. Users can also select MetaSchema from the File>New submenu.

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Users will notice that a predefined set of elements appears- schema, element, and attribute.Κ Elements created in the content model of the element schema will appear as tabs in the File>Info dialog box of schemas created in the new schema format.

 

Elements created in the content model of element will appear as columns in the element list pane of XML Authority when users start a schema in the new schema format.Κ

Likewise, elements created in the content model of the attribute element will appear as corresponding columns in the attribute types pane

Once the user has created the meta-schema document with the chosen parameters, it needs to be saved within the Extensions directory located within the XA11 directory, created during installation of XML Authority.Κ Keep in mind that the file name chosen will become the file extension on all future schemas of that format.

Once the meta-schema document has been created and saved in the Extensions folder, users will notice that the File>New submenu includes the new format of schema.Κ When a schema of this new format is being built, users will have the additional columns and tabs to enter schema level information that is to appear within the adorned schema.

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