Document Structure Description

Document Structure Description, or DSD, is a schema language for XML, that is, a language for describing valid XML documents. It's an alternative to DTD or the W3C XML Schema.

An example of DSD in its simplest form:

<dsdxmlns="http://www.brics.dk/DSD/2.0"
xmlns:my="http://example.com">

<if><elementname="my:foo"/>
<declare>
<attributename="first"/>
<attributename="second"/>
<contents>
<elementname="my:bar"/>
</contents>
</declare>
</if>

<if><elementname="my:bar"/>
<declare>
<contents>
</contents>
</declare>
</if>

</dsd>

This says that element named "foo" in the XML namespace "http://example.com " may have two attributes, named "first" and "second". A "foo" element may not have any character data. It must contain one subelement, named "bar", also in the "http://example.com " namespace. A "bar" element is not allowed any attributes, character data or subelements.

One XML document that would be valid according to the above DSD would be:

<fooxmlns="http://example.com"second="2">
<bar/>
</foo>

• Prototype Java Processor from BRICS

• DSD home page
• Full DSD specification
• Comparison of DTD, W3C XML Schema, and DSD

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• XML-based standards
• XML
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