XSD - Element

Simple Element is an XML element which can only have text. It can not contain any attribute.

Syntax

<xs:element name = "element-name" type = "element-type"/>

element-name

Name of the XML Element. For example,

<xs:element name = "firstname" type = "xs:string"/>

defines following element

<firstname></firstname>

element-type

Type of the XML Element. For example,

<xs:element name = "firstname" type = "xs:string"/>

defines type of element as String, firstname should have value of type string.

<firstname>Dinkar</firstname>

Consider the following XML Elements

<name>Dinkar</name>
<marks>90</marks>
<birthdate>1985-05-23</birthdate>

XSD declarations for above XML elements will be as follows −

<xs:element name = "name" type = "xs:string"/>
<xs:element name = "marks" type = "xs:integer"/>
<xs:element name = "birthdate" type = "xs:date"/>

A Simple Element can have a default value assigned. Default values are used in case an element does not have any text.

<xs:element name = "grade" type = "xs:string" default = "NA" />

Simple Element can have fix value assigend. In case, fixed value is assigned element can not have any text.

<xs:element name = "class" type = "xs:string" fixed = "1" />

xsd_simple_types.htm