XmlSchemaInference Class (System.Xml.Schema)

Switch on low bandwidth view

Collapse All

Language Filter

This page is specific to

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

Other versions are also available for the following:

.NET Framework Class Library

XmlSchemaInference Class

Infers an XML Schema Definition Language (XSD) schema from an XML document. The XmlSchemaInference class cannot be inherited.

Namespace: System.Xml.Schema
Assembly: System.Xml (in System.Xml.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

Public NotInheritable Class XmlSchemaInference

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As XmlSchemaInference

public sealed class XmlSchemaInference

Visual C++

public ref class XmlSchemaInference sealed

JScript

public final class XmlSchemaInference

Remarks

The XmlSchemaInference class in the System.Xml.Schema namespace allows you to infer an XML Schema Definition Language (XSD) schema from the structure of an XML document. The XmlSchemaInference class outputs an XML schema that can validate the XML document.

The XmlSchemaInference class supports the W3C XML and XML Schemas standards. It can be used to infer a new schema or to refine an existing schema.

Examples

This example takes an XML file as input, and generates a schema that can validate the example XML.

Visual Basic

Dim reader As XmlReader = XmlReader.Create("contosoBooks.xml")
Dim schemaSet As XmlSchemaSet = New XmlSchemaSet()
Dim schema As XmlSchemaInference = New XmlSchemaInference()

schemaSet = schema.InferSchema(reader)

For Each s As XmlSchema In schemaSet.Schemas()
    s.Write(Console.Out)
Next

XmlReader reader = XmlReader.Create("contosoBooks.xml");
XmlSchemaSet schemaSet = new XmlSchemaSet();
XmlSchemaInference schema = new XmlSchemaInference();

schemaSet = schema.InferSchema(reader);

foreach (XmlSchema s in schemaSet.Schemas())
{
    s.Write(Console.Out);
}

Visual C++

        XmlReader^ reader = XmlReader::Create("contosoBooks.xml");
        XmlSchemaSet^ schemaSet = gcnew XmlSchemaSet();
        XmlSchemaInference^ schema = gcnew XmlSchemaInference();

        schemaSet = schema->InferSchema(reader);

        for each (XmlSchema^ s in schemaSet->Schemas())
        {
            s->Write(Console::Out);
        }

The following is the input XML file.

<bookstore xmlns="http://www.contoso.com/books">
  <book genre="autobiography" publicationdate="1981-03-22" ISBN="1-861003-11-0">
    <title>The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin</title>
    <author>
      <first-name>Benjamin</first-name>
      <last-name>Franklin</last-name>
    </author>
    <price>8.99</price>
  </book>
  <book genre="novel" publicationdate="1967-11-17" ISBN="0-201-63361-2">
    <title>The Confidence Man</title>
    <author>
      <first-name>Herman</first-name>
      <last-name>Melville</last-name>
    </author>
    <price>11.99</price>
  </book>
  <book genre="philosophy" publicationdate="1991-02-15" ISBN="1-861001-57-6">
    <title>The Gorgias</title>
    <author>
      <name>Plato</name>
    </author>
    <price>9.99</price>
  </book>
</bookstore>

The following is the schema inferred from the XML document.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xs:schema attributeFormDefault="unqualified" elementFormDefault="qualified" targetNamespace="http://www.contoso.com/books" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
    <xs:element name="bookstore">
        <xs:complexType>
            <xs:sequence>
                <xs:element maxOccurs="unbounded" name="book">
                    <xs:complexType>
                        <xs:sequence>
                            <xs:element name="title" type="xs:string" />
                            <xs:element name="author">
                                <xs:complexType>
                                    <xs:sequence>
                                        <xs:element minOccurs="0" name="name" type="xs:string" />
                                        <xs:element minOccurs="0" name="first-name" type="xs:string" />
                                        <xs:element minOccurs="0" name="last-name" type="xs:string" />
                                    </xs:sequence>
                                </xs:complexType>
                            </xs:element>
                            <xs:element name="price" type="xs:decimal" />
                        </xs:sequence>
                        <xs:attribute name="genre" type="xs:string" use="required" />
                        <xs:attribute name="publicationdate" type="xs:date" use="required" />
                        <xs:attribute name="ISBN" type="xs:string" use="required" />
                    </xs:complexType>
                </xs:element>
            </xs:sequence>
        </xs:complexType>
    </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

Inheritance Hierarchy

System..::.Object
System.Xml.Schema..::.XmlSchemaInference

Thread Safety

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0

Reference

XmlSchemaInference Members

System.Xml.Schema Namespace