XML Schema complexType Element

The complexType element defines a complex type. A complex type element is an XML element that contains other elements and/or attributes.

• Parent elements: element, redefine, schema

<complexType
id=ID 
name=NCName 
abstract=true|false 
mixed=true|false
block=(#all|list of (extension|restriction))
final=(#all|list of (extension|restriction))
any attributes
>
 
(annotation?,(simpleContent|complexContent|((group|all| 
choice|sequence)?,((attribute|attributeGroup)*,anyAttribute?))))
 
</complexType>

(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 complexType element)

• id - Optional. Specifies a unique ID for the element
• name - Optional. Specifies a name for the element
• abstract - Optional. Specifies whether the complex type can be used in an instance document. True indicates that an element cannot use this complex type directly but must use a complex type derived from this complex type. Default is false
• mixed - Optional. Specifies whether character data is allowed to appear between the child elements of this complexType element. Default is false. If a simpleContent element is a child element, the mixed attribute is not allowed!
• block - Optional. Prevents a complex type that has a specified type of derivation from being used in place of this complex type. This value can contain #all or a list that is a subset of extension or restriction:
  • extension - prevents complex types derived by extension
  • restriction - prevents complex types derived by restriction
  • #all - prevents all derived complex types
• final - Optional. Prevents a specified type of derivation of this complex type element. Can contain #all or a list that is a subset of extension or restriction.
  • extension - prevents derivation by extension
  • restriction - prevents derivation by restriction
  • #all - prevents all derivation
• any attributes - Optional. Specifies any other attributes with non-schema namespace

The following example has an element named “note” that is of a complex type:

<xs:element name="note">
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
	<xs:element name="to" type="xs:string"/>
	<xs:element name="from" type="xs:string"/>
	<xs:element name="heading" type="xs:string"/>
	<xs:element name="body" type="xs:string"/>
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

The following example has a complex type, “fullpersoninfo”, that derives from another complex type, “personinfo”, by extending the inherited type with three additional elements (address, city and country):

<xs:element name="employee" type="fullpersoninfo"/>
 
<xs:complexType name="personinfo">
  <xs:sequence>
    <xs:element name="firstname" type="xs:string"/>
    <xs:element name="lastname" type="xs:string"/>
  </xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
 
<xs:complexType name="fullpersoninfo">
  <xs:complexContent>
    <xs:extension base="personinfo">
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name="address" type="xs:string"/>
        <xs:element name="city" type="xs:string"/>
        <xs:element name="country" type="xs:string"/>
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:extension>
  </xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>

In the example above the “employee” element must contain, in sequence, the following elements: “firstname”, “lastname”, “address”, “city”, and “country”.