XML Schema all Element

Definition and Usage

The all element specifies that the child elements can appear in any order and that each child element can occur zero or one time.

Element Information

Parent elements: group, complexType, restriction (both simpleContent and complexContent), extension (both simpleContent and complexContent)

Syntax

<all
id=ID
maxOccurs=1
minOccurs=0|1
any attributes
>
 
(annotation?,element*)
 
</all>

(The ? sign declares that the element can occur zero or one time, and the * sign declares that the element can occur zero or more times inside the all element)

Attribute	Description
id	Optional. Specifies a unique ID for the element
maxOccurs	Optional. Specifies the maximum number of times the element can occur. The value must be 1.
minOccurs	Optional. Specifies the minimum number of times the element can occur. The value can be 0 or 1. Default value is 1
any	attributes Optional. Specifies any other attributes with non-schema namespace

Example 1

<xs:element name="person">
  <xs:complexType>
    <xs:all>
      <xs:element name="firstname" type="xs:string"/>
      <xs:element name="lastname" type="xs:string"/>
    </xs:all>
  </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

The example above indicates that the “firstname” and the “lastname” elements can appear in any order but both elements MUST occur once and only once!

Example 2

<xs:element name="person">
  <xs:complexType>
    <xs:all minOccurs="0">
      <xs:element name="firstname" type="xs:string"/>
      <xs:element name="lastname" type="xs:string"/>
    </xs:all>
  </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

The example above indicates that the “firstname” and the “lastname” elements can appear in any order and each element CAN appear zero or one time!