Where should xsd:attribute go?

Question

I am asked to build a business database and this is my first fictional "company." I have gotten the schema to validate with the XML, but was asked to put in an ORDER/RANKING for at least one company in the XML file. However I try to do this, I can't manage to make it validate (even when provided with the correct line).

This is my XML file (you can see I put ranking="3" and that is the line I can't write into my schema).

   <?xml version="1.0"?>
   <CompanyList> 
  <Company ranking="3">
    <CompanyName>CasesWorldwide</CompanyName>
    <CompanyID>00001</CompanyID>
    <City>Edmonton</City>
    <Province>Alberta</Province>
<ContactName>
    <LastName>Soliman</LastName>
    <FirstName>Ahmed</FirstName>
    <PhoneNumber>646959891</PhoneNumber>
    <ContactCompanyID>00001</ContactCompanyID>
</ContactName>
    <NumberOfEmployees>4000</NumberOfEmployees>
 </Company>
</CompanyList> 

Here is the schema (my attempted line is beside "Company"):

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <!-- XSD schema for CS Assignment #3.xml -->
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

<xsd:element name="CompanyList">
<xsd:complexType>
<xsd:sequence>

<xsd:element name="Company"> <xsd:attribute name="ranking” type=“xsd:string” use=“optional”/>  
<xsd:complexType> 
<xsd:sequence>    

    <xsd:element name="CompanyName"> 
        <xsd:simpleType>
            <xsd:restriction base="xsd:string">
            <xsd:minLength value="1"/>
            <xsd:pattern value=".*[^\s].*" />
        </xsd:restriction>
    </xsd:simpleType>
    </xsd:element>

    <xsd:element name="CompanyID" type="xsd:integer"/>

    <xsd:element name="City" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

    <xsd:element name="Province" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

    <xsd:element name="ContactName" minOccurs = "1" maxOccurs="5"> 
    <xsd:complexType>
    <xsd:sequence>             

            <xsd:element name="LastName" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="1"/>

            <xsd:element name="FirstName" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="1"/>

            <xsd:element name="PhoneNumber" type="xsd:integer" minOccurs="1"/> 

            <xsd:element name="ContactCompanyID" type="xsd:integer" minOccurs="1"/>

     </xsd:sequence>
    </xsd:complexType>
    </xsd:element>    

    <xsd:element name="NumberOfEmployees" type="xsd:integer" minOccurs="0"/>    


  </xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>

    </xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>
</xsd:element>

</xsd:schema>

Answer 1

In general, xsd:attribute can appear:

• At the top level of an XSD (within xsd:schema).
• Within xsd:complexType (completely or by reference).
• Within an xs:attributeGroup (completely or by reference).

You are very close; you just need two corrections:

1. Place your xsd:attribute after xsd:sequence within xsd:complexType.
2. Change the smart quotes in xsd:attribute to regular quotes.

Altogether:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- XSD schema for CS Assignment #3.xml -->
<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <xsd:element name="CompanyList">
    <xsd:complexType>
      <xsd:sequence>
        <xsd:element name="Company">
          <xsd:complexType> 
            <xsd:sequence>    
              <xsd:element name="CompanyName"> 
                <xsd:simpleType>
                  <xsd:restriction base="xsd:string">
                    <xsd:minLength value="1"/>
                    <xsd:pattern value=".*[^\s].*" />
                  </xsd:restriction>
                </xsd:simpleType>
              </xsd:element>
              <xsd:element name="CompanyID" type="xsd:integer"/>
              <xsd:element name="City" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
              <xsd:element name="Province" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
              <xsd:element name="ContactName" minOccurs = "1" maxOccurs="5"> 
                <xsd:complexType>
                  <xsd:sequence>             
                    <xsd:element name="LastName" type="xsd:string" 
                                 minOccurs="1"/>
                    <xsd:element name="FirstName" type="xsd:string"
                                 minOccurs="1"/>
                    <xsd:element name="PhoneNumber" type="xsd:integer" 
                                 minOccurs="1"/> 
                    <xsd:element name="ContactCompanyID" type="xsd:integer" 
                                 minOccurs="1"/>
                  </xsd:sequence>
                </xsd:complexType>
              </xsd:element>    
              <xsd:element name="NumberOfEmployees" type="xsd:integer" 
                           minOccurs="0"/>    
            </xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:attribute name="ranking" type="xsd:string" use="optional"/>  
          </xsd:complexType>
        </xsd:element>
      </xsd:sequence>
    </xsd:complexType>
  </xsd:element>
</xsd:schema>

This XSD will successfully validate your XML.