RELAX NG is a schema language for XML, written in XML syntax. It is a validation language, like DTDs/XML Schema. It is not necessarily cooler than XML Schema, but rests on a firmer foundation, I believe, wrt computer science theory. RELAX NG is an OASIS spec but is also a draft ISO standard. -Mike
> -----Original Message----- > From: Randy Wilson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, June 14, 2002 9:28 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [gdmxml] XML Schema > > > I had not heard of RELAX NG until this exchange, so I cannot comment on > the relative merits of XML vs. RELAX NG, but I would caution against > using a less familiar language just because it is cooler. There is a > huge benefit to using a language that people are familiar with. Because > the LDS church and others are moving towards XML for genealogical data, > there will be a lot of lot of people in the field of genealogy that > learn XML, but very few who are familiar with RELAX NG, at least for the > next few years. I would strongly recommend you stick with what appears > to be becoming the 'standard' so that your work is comprehensible and > usable by others. > > --Randy Wilson > > >>> "Michael Fitzgerald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 06/14/02 10:04AM >>> > Hans, > > I can't think of a reason to do your schema in XML Schema other than, > because it is a product of the W3C, it is currently more widely known > and > accepted than RELAX NG, even though, in my opinion, RELAX NG is more > elegant > and builds more solidly on good theory, such as regular tree languages, > for > example. [1] John Cowan's recent review of RELAX NG and XML Schema on > xml-dev is quite conclusive. [2] Two deficits for RELAX NG: it does not > have > mature identity constraints (in short, keys) other than ID/IDREF, and > it > doesn't have straightforward type assignment, though both these > features > will no doubt be added in version 2.0, probably as independent, > modular > specs. Also, I have only heard a handful of complaints about RELAX NG > which > have been superficial at best (chief of which, it has not been > marketed > effectively). I think RELAX NG is well-designed and based on solid > computer > science. [3] > > Mike > > [1] http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/murata00taxonomy.html > [2] http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/200205/msg01290.html > [3] http://www.thaiopensource.com/relaxng/design.html > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Hans Fugal [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Hans > > Fugal > > Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 1:55 PM > > To: Michael Fitzgerald > > Subject: Re: [gdmxml] XML Schema > > > > > > Mike, > > > > Thanks for the information. I have taken a quick look at RELAX NG > (or > > relaxng as I will lazily call it) and it looks very promising. I am > not > > tied to XML Schema by any requirement, and as I have barely begun > the > > schema itself it would be no extra effort to use relaxng if I switch > > now. > > > > According to what I've read[1] relaxng is more than up to the task. > I > > am very impressed with JARV and the overall presentation of the > > specification and web site. I am seriously considering using > relaxng > > instead of xml schema. Can any of you think of a reason why I should > > not? Of course there is nothing stopping us from doing it in both > schema > > languages, but that's out of the current scope of my project; I only > > want to do one for now. > > > > Hans :) > > > > 1. http://www.imc.org/ietf-xml-use/mail-archive/msg00217.html > > > > * Michael Fitzgerald ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) [Wed, 12 Jun 2002 at 17:11 > -0700] > > <quote> > > > Hans et al., > > > > > > I know you are probably constrained to define you GDM > > schema/schemata in XML > > > Schema. Are you using a tool to do this or are you doing it by > hand? > > > > > > Are you familiar with RELAX NG? [1] It is an alternative schema > > language for > > > XML produced under the auspices of OASIS [2] which is highly > addictive. > > > James Clark, technical lead of the working group at the W3C > > that produced > > > XML 1.0, is chair of the RELAX NG technical committee. > > > > > > I have produced a number of schemata in both XML Schema and > > RELAX NG which > > > validate against the same instance. It is an interesting exercise. > In my > > > opinion, RELAX NG wins the contest hands down. > > > > > > There is a tool, DTDinst [3], that can generate a RELAX NG schema > from a > > > DTD. Jing is a readily available validator written in Java. [4] > > > > > > I am not advocating that you drop XML Schema in favor of RELAX > > NG. However, > > > it would be nice to offer alternative schemata -- all in good time, > of > > > course. > > > > > > Mike > > > > > > P.S. I am on the RELAX NG technical committee, yes, but I > > promote it only on > > > the basis of its virtues. > > > > > > [1] http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/relax-ng/ > > > [2] http://www.oasis-open.org/ > > > [3] http://www.thaiopensource.com/dtdinst/ > > > [4] http://www.thaiopensource.com/relaxng/jing.html > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > gdmxml mailing list > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > http://fugal.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gdmxml > > </quote> > > > > -- > > "Everybody is talking about the weather but nobody does anything > > about it." > > -- Mark Twain > > > > > _______________________________________________ > gdmxml mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://fugal.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gdmxml > _______________________________________________ gdmxml mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://fugal.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gdmxml
