====== XML Schema any Element ======

===== Definition and Usage =====


The any element enables the author to extend the XML document with elements not specified by the schema.

===== Element Information =====

  * **Parent elements:** choice, sequence

===== Syntax =====

<code XML>
<any
id=ID
maxOccurs=nonNegativeInteger|unbounded
minOccurs=nonNegativeInteger
namespace=namespace
processContents=lax|skip|strict
any attributes
>

(annotation?)

</any>
</code>

(The ? sign declares that the element can occur zero or one time inside the any element)

  * **id** - Optional. Specifies a unique ID for the element
  * **maxOccurs** - Optional. Specifies the maximum number of times the any element can occur in the parent element. The value can be any number >= 0, or if you want to set no limit on the maximum number, use the value "unbounded". Default value is 1
  * **minOccurs** - Optional. Specifies the minimum number of times the any element can occur in the parent element. The value can be any number >= 0. Default value is 1
  * **namespace** - Optional. Specifies the namespaces containing the elements that can be used. Can be set to one of the following:
    * ##any - elements from any namespace is allowed (this is default)
    * ##other - elements from any namespace that is not the namespace of the parent element can be present
    * ##local - elements must come from no namespace
    * ##targetNamespace - elements from the namespace of the parent element can be present
    * List of {URI references of namespaces, ##targetNamespace, ##local} - elements from a space-delimited list of the namespaces can be present

  * **processContents** - Optional. Specifies how the XML processor should handle validation against the elements specified by this any element. Can be set to one of the following:
    * strict - the XML processor must obtain the schema for the required namespaces and validate the elements (this is default)
    * lax - same as strict but; if the schema cannot be obtained, no errors will occur
    * skip - The XML processor does not attempt to validate any elements from the specified namespaces
  * **//any attributes//** - Optional. Specifies any other attributes with non-schema namespace


===== Example 1 =====

The following example shows a declaration for an element called "person". By using the <any> element the author can extend (after <lastname>) the content of "person" with any element:
<code XML>
<xs:element name="person">
  <xs:complexType>
    <xs:sequence>
      <xs:element name="firstname" type="xs:string"/>
      <xs:element name="lastname" type="xs:string"/>
      <xs:any minOccurs="0"/>
    </xs:sequence>
  </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</code>