XML Schema Editor

Visual Schema Editor

The schema diagram simplifies the development and understanding of the schema files. <oXygen/> offers a side by side presentation of the schema source and diagram. The diagram is synchronized in real time with the source editor: selecting an element in the diagram highlights the corresponding element in the source editor, while moving the caret in the source editor changes the selection in the diagram view.

The schema diagram renders all the XML Schema and Relax NG components and allows you to quickly navigate to the referred definitions of elements, attributes, types, groups, patterns, etc.

All the elements from the XML Schema specification have a graphical representation. The diagram is synchronized in real time with the changes in the document and allows a quick navigation through the schema structure.

The Logical Model View presents the schema components as they are processed by the XML validator. It offers a more compact and easy to understand perspective of the edited document.

Two types of visual diagram are available for a schema: the Full Model View and the Logical Model View.

• Full Model View

  The Full Model View provides a one-to-one correspondence between the schema components and the graphical nodes. References to different components can be expanded in place in the diagram (for instance element or attribute references, base types, or in case of Relax NG schemas, the pattern references).

• Logical Model View

  The Logical Model View displays a more compact diagram obtained by resolving the references, type extensions and type restrictions, redefinitions etc. for XML Schema and by applying the simplification rules for Relax NG.

A list with the defined schema components (elements, attributes, patterns, etc.) presented in the Components View along with the Outline View simplify the navigation through large schemas.

No matter the schema language, the smooth editing and the clear and suggestive rendering make schema editing more fun and easier than ever.

The Visual Schema Editor is integrated in the <oXygen/> standalone distribution and the Eclipse IDE plugin. It is activated when opening an XSD (XML Schema) or a RNG (Relax NG XML Syntax) file.

All the elements from the Relax NG Schema specification have a graphical representation. The diagram is synchronized in real time with the changes in the document and allows a quick navigation through the schema structure.

Editing actions are available on the full model view allowing the addition of new child or sibling elements on the fly so that the schema remains valid.

Zoom Support for Diagrams

The diagrams can be made smaller or larger depending on the zoom settings. These settings are taken into account when the diagram is printed.

XML Schema support

W3C XML Schema documents can be edited and validated with <oXygen/>. You are helped by the context sensitive assistant driven by the schema for schemas. The validation is not performed against schema for schemas but according with the W3C specification, <oXygen/> using the latest version of Xerces-J at the time of release.

Content Completion Shows the Schema Documentation

The XML Schema documentation is presented by the new content completion support. The content completion offers now additional information for the element and attribute proposals. It will look up the schema annotation and will make the documentation available to the author in a simple and elegant manner.

Custom schema for XML Schema annotations

XML Schemas contain annotations for providing additional information like documentation or application specific information. For instance a schema can contain documentation for its components in XHTML or can contain Schematron embedded rules. Now it is possible to specify a schema for these annotations and <oXygen/> will use that for providing content completion proposals, thus providing a better editing support.

Schema Model View

The Model View provides schema related information for the document elements and attributes. The content model, the element type, the attributes, the attribute type and constraints are presented in a compact manner giving you the insight of the document schema while editing or browsing the document.

Enhanced XML Schema documentation

It is possible to generate HTML documentation pages from XML Schema files. The documentation includes images representing the models for the elements, attributes, types, a.s.o. The documentation is obtained with just a couple of clicks even for schemas that include or import other schemas. For large schemas a generate chunks option is available that will output each global schema component description (element, attribute, type, etc.) on a separate page.

Click here to see a sample of the documentation generated from a simple XML Schema.

 Link to specification for XML Schema error

<oXygen/> is the first XML editor that links the error directly to the specification paragraph that is not respected. The error messages contain an information field that will open the browser on the "XML Schema Part 1:Structures" specification at exactly the point where the error is described. This way you can understand easily the error message.

XML Instance Generator

<oXygen/> XML instance generator can quickly generate a large set of XML document samples based on a given XML Schema.

Configuration management to allow reuse of your settings

All the settings that you configured can be saved on disk in a configuration file and loaded later. You can reuse the options you defined at a later time, share them with other users or use them as input for the command line instance generator tool.

You can specify the following parameters: namespace prefixes, generation of optional elements and attributes, default or random values for elements, number of repetitions, choice strategy for choice and substitution group definitions. The parameters can be global but also specific to a namespace or specific to an element this allowing fine tunning of the result instances.

User defined value sets

You can have a better control on the values that appear in your generated instances by specifying a set of possible values for attributes or elements. This is very useful also in situations when it is not possible to automatically generate a valid value.

Command line interface for the XML instance generator tool

You can run the XML instance generator tool from the command line. This allows integrating the instance generation in automated processes.

XML Schema Regular Expressions Builder

The regular expressions builder helps you to construct and test regular expressions allowed in XML Schema restriction patterns.

There are provided a table with regular expression patterns organized in categories and a test area for checking the instances accepted by the expression. Content completion is available in the regular expressions editor.

Rename Component - Schema Refactoring Action

This action allows renaming any schema component (element, type, group, named pattern, etc). The scope can be set to the current file, all the files in project or the set of files determined by include/import instructions staring with a specified file.

The rename refactoring support is available both on the XML Schema editor and on the Relax NG editor.

A preview option allows to review and approve the changes that will be made on multiple schemata. The changes are presented in a side by side synchronized view that compares the initial version with what will result after applying the refactoring action.

Find References and Declarations of XML Schema Components

You can find either declarations or references of XML Schema components. The search scope can be the current file, the current project or a group of files.

Converting Between Grammar Languages

The converter allows one to convert a DTD or Relax NG (full or compact syntax) grammar or a set of XML files to an equivalent XML Schema, DTD or Relax NG (full or compact syntax) grammar. Where perfect equivalence is not possible due to limitations of the target language <oXygen/> will generate an approximation of the source grammar. The conversion functionality is available from Tools -> Trang Converter .

A grammar being edited can be converted with a toolbar button if that grammar can be the subject of a supported conversion. For example if one presses the "Convert to ..." button while editing a DTD document the following dialog will show up:

One can set the target language of the conversion and the target grammar name.

Advanced options allow the user to customize different conversion parameters.

Flatten an XML Schema

Sometimes it is useful to aggregate the set of files that compose an XML Schema into a single file. The Flatten Schema refactoring action allows you to make this change. The action handles also xs:redefine elements by assigning an unique name to each redefined type or group.

DTD support

DTDs can be edited and validated with <oXygen/>. The DTD editor features syntax coloring and validation support.

Relax NG and Namespace Routing Language schema support

Relax NG schemas can be edited with <oXygen/> both in XML syntax and in Compact syntax. The Relax NG schemas in XML syntax editing is helped by content assistant and validation.