libxml-compile-perl 1.58-2 / usr / share / perl5 / XML / Compile / FAQ.pod

=encoding utf8

=head1 NAME

XML::Compile::FAQ - frequently asked questions

=head1 DESCRIPTION

On this page, a wild collection of questions are answered.  If you have
contributions either in question or as answer, then please contribute
via the mailinglist.

See also L<XML::Compile::SOAP::FAQ|XML::Compile::SOAP::FAQ>.

=head2 The data structure

=head3 what do the cho_, seq_ and all_ start of labels mean?

X::C tries to give you a simple data-structure in Perl, however XML
does not always map directly only that.  One such situation is where
you have blocks within a list of elements.  In such case, the block gets
a name which is composed by the type of block and the first element in
the block.  You will encounter these names in some error messages and
when these block have a maxOccurs larger than 1.

Example. The name C<cho_tic> is used to represent the following nameless
choice block:

  <choice>
    <element name="tic" />
    <element name="tac" />
    <element name="toe" />
  </choice>

=head3 localName collission

In the default behavior, only the "local" names of the XML elements are
used in the Perl structure.  However, it is very well possible that the
same name appears in more than on XML name-space, used within the same
data structure.  So see this often with substitutionGroups.

When collissions happen, you have to switch to use
C<< key_rewrite => 'PREFIXED' >> in the compile rules.  All keys will
now get rewritten: the name-space prefix will be prepended.  The prefixes
are defined by the mapping table provided with the C<< prefixes >> option
or by default from the XML schemas.

See L<XML::Compile::Schema/"Key rewrite"> for the full list of options.

=head2 Schemas

Be aware that the "2001" schema specification is continuously under
development.  So, the namespace has not been changed over time, but
the content has.

=head3 qualified elements

One of the more noticeable problems with schemas is the specification of
the namespaces to be used for the schema.  In older schema's, like many
important protocols, there was no way to specify whether elements should
be used qualified or not.  Some schema's lack the target namespace
declaration.  Those fields did not exist in earlier versions of the
"2001" spec; it was defined in the documentation.

So, what you may encounter is something like:

  <schema xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

where (in the current syntax) it should have been

  <schema xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
    targetNamespace="http://my-namespace"
    elementFormDefault="qualified"
    attributeFormDefault="unqualified">

The default for C<targetNamespace> is "namespace-less".  The C<*FormDefault>
defaults are C<unqualified>, which is a pity: most schemas will use
qualified elements.

Of course, you can add these fields to the schema file, but that violates
the intergrity of that external resource.  Therefore, use options:

  my $schema = XML::Compile::Schema->new;
  $schema->importDefinitions("schema.xsd"
     , target_namespace     => 'http://my-namespace'
     , element_form_default => 'qualified'
     );

You may also provide all these options with C<new()> directly.

  my $schema = XML::Compile::Schema->new("schema.xsd"
     , target_namespace     => 'http://my-namespace'
     , element_form_default => 'qualified'
     );

If you use the L<XML::Compile::Cache> object, which extends ::Schema, then
you have a nice C<printIndex> method which shows you what has been read.

=head3 schema location

The official idea about the use of schema's, is that you get the latest
version of them on the moment you start the application.  There are two
major problems with that:

=over 4

=item . you may not have (a working) internet connection on that moment

=item . remote changes in the spec may break your application unexpectedly

=back

In general, IMO as author of the XML::Compile suite, you should B<never>
want this dynamic, unpredictable behavior!

Besides, the content of the C<schemaLocation> attribute to C<import>,
C<include> and C<schema> elements are usually broken, missing and/or
flawed.  You can better do it by hand.

Collect the schema's you need in a directory.  The name of the schema
file does not need to means anything useful.  Then, add the location
where the schema's are found:

   my $schema = XML::Compile::Cache->new;
   $schema->addSchemaDirs($my_schema_dir);

Add the mapping from namespaces to filenames (you may provide an ARRAY of
names or use the same namespace multiple times).  It is useful to have
a constant defined for your namespace.

   use constant MY_NS => 'http://very-long';
   $schema->knownNamespace(&MY_NS => 'schemafile.xsd');
   $schema->importDefinitions(MY_NS, @options);

There is also a less clean solution:

   my $schema = XML::Compile::Cache->new('schemafile.xsd', @options);

When you have many xsd's to include, you may do this:

   my @xsds = glob "$my_schema_dir/*.xsd";
   my $schema = XML::Compile::Cache->new;
   $schema->knownNamespace(&MY_NS => \@xsds);
   $schema->importDefinitions(MY_NS, @options);

or

   my $schema = XML::Compile::Cache->new(\@xsds, @options);

=head3 fixing schemas

Many schema's are broken.  L<XML::Compile> is not a good tool to figure-out
what is wrong with the schema.  Have you tried C<xmllint>?  Sometimes, you
get sufficient help adding to the top of your script:

   use Log::Report mode => 'DEBUG';

When you know what is wrong, you can overrule parts of the schema by
redefining elements; simply: the last definition for an element wins.
For instance:

   $schema->importDefinition(<<'_PATCH');
   <schema ....>
     <element name="has_bug">
        ...
     </element>
   _PATCH

Of course, you can also use an external file for this.

=head3 Example

This is a piece of code actually used.  It shows various complications
when an external schema is "loaded" "dynamically" into another schema.

  # In the top of your script
  my $schema_dir = '/usr/share/schemas';
  my $xyz_ns     = 'http://www.xyzeorder.com/workflow';
  my $xyz_xsd    = 'xyzSchema.xsd';

  # In the main part of your script
  my $schema     = XML::Compile::Cache->new(....);
  $schema->addSchemaDirs($schema_dir);
  $schema->importDefinitions($xyz_xsd, target_namespace => $xyz_ns);
  $schema->addPrefixes(xyz => $xyz_ns);
  $schema->addKeyRewrite('PREFIXED(xyz)');

The schema "forgets" to mention its C<targetNamespace>, so it is
overruled.  The ::Cache extension handles prefixes much nicer than
the ::Schema base object.  So, with reading/writing the hash keys
which relate to the elements in this schema will have C<xyz_> as
prefix for clarity.

=head2 Processing

=head3 my data is not recognized

You do specify the data in your structure, but it seems not to
be recognized.  See L</"wrong error message">

=head3 wrong error message

You may get an error message about a "missing data item" on a higher
structural level than where the problem actually is.  This especially
happens with unions and substitutionGroups.  The problem
is cause by the fact that on a certain structural level, multiple
alternatives may appear which only differ many levels deep in structure.
X::C needs to scan all the alternatives, and when all fail it does not
know which of the alternatives was "the best" alternative.

Try turning on debugging with:

  use Log::Report  mode => "DEBUG";

=head1 SEE ALSO

This module is part of XML-Compile distribution version 1.58,
built on June 27, 2017. Website: F<http://perl.overmeer.net/xml-compile/>

Please post questions or ideas to the mailinglist at
F<http://lists.scsys.co.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/xml-compile> .
For live contact with other developers, visit the C<#xml-compile> channel
on C<irc.perl.org>.

=head1 LICENSE

Copyrights 2006-2017 by [Mark Overmeer]. For other contributors see ChangeLog.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the Artistic license.
See F<http://dev.perl.org/licenses/artistic.html>