Defining recursive algebraic data types in XML XSD
- by Ben Challenor
Imagine I have a recursive algebraic data type like this (Haskell syntax):
data Expr = Zero
| One
| Add Expr Expr
| Mul Expr Expr
I'd like to represent this in XML, and I'd like an XSD schema for it.
I have figured out how to achieve this syntax:
<Expr>
<Add>
<Expr>
<Zero/>
</Expr>
<Expr>
<Mul>
<Expr>
<One/>
</Expr>
<Expr>
<Add>
<Expr>
<One/>
</Expr>
<Expr>
<One/>
</Expr>
</Add>
</Expr>
</Mul>
</Expr>
</Add>
</Expr>
with this schema:
<xs:complexType name="Expr">
<xs:choice minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
<xs:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="Zero" type="Zero" />
<xs:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="One" type="One" />
<xs:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="Add" type="Add" />
<xs:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="Mul" type="Mul" />
</xs:choice>
</xs:complexType>
<xs:complexType name="Zero">
<xs:sequence>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
<xs:complexType name="One">
<xs:sequence>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
<xs:complexType name="Add">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element minOccurs="2" maxOccurs="2" name="Expr" type="Expr" />
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
<xs:complexType name="Mul">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element minOccurs="2" maxOccurs="2" name="Expr" type="Expr" />
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
But what I really want is this syntax:
<Add>
<Zero/>
<Mul>
<One/>
<Add>
<One/>
<One/>
</Add>
</Mul>
</Add>
Is this possible?
Thanks!
