The XML Schema Test Suite (TS) is a set of tests for processors implementing the W3C XML Schema Recommendation ("the Recommendation").

The TS can be used by developers, content creators, and users alike to increase their level of confidence in product quality. In circumstances where interoperability is necessary, these tests can also be used to determine whether different implementations support the same set of features. The level of quality of the TS is complemented by W3C's and NIST's concern for test reliability and test suite coverage.

The TS has undergone a comprehensive redesign from its original incarnation. The TS Task Force of the W3C XML Schema Working Group has made two releases of the new TS. The most recent TS release includes the same (or equivalent) tests as included in the original version as well as new submissions.

They are conformance tests insofar as each test is designed to assess the behavior of a processor with regard to one or more aspects of the Recommendation.

Each test has associated with it an expected validation outcome - valid or invalid. To say that a processor "passes" a test is a shorthand way of saying that the validation outcome supplied by the processor agrees with the expected validation outcome given for the test.

No. There are several reasons for this.

• The goal of the test suite is to cover as many aspects of the W3C XML Schema Recommendation as possible. The TS cannot provide 100% coverage of the Recommendation - the methodology to do so with a specification as large and complex as W3C XML Schema does not yet exist.
• Given that the TS is comprehensive, not complete, it is not possible to claim conformance with the Recommendation itself, since there is no guarantee that all aspects have been thorougly tested. Conformance can only be claimed with the TS itself.
• The TS can tell you that your implementation does not support W3C XML Schema, by failing to pass a test, but it cannot tell you that it does, even when passing all tests.

However, the XML Schema TS is a powerful resource for developers wishing to verify a processor's support for W3C XML Schema features which are covered by the TS.

General questions can be posted to the public XML Schema TS mailing list: public-xml-schema-testsuite@w3.org. To subscribe, send mail to public-xml-schema-testsuite-request@w3.org with the subject "subscribe".

Please be sure to check the list archive before posting any questions to avoid duplication.

Issues with individual tests are recorded using W3C's public Bugzilla system. The first step is therefore to search for the test(s) in question in Bugzilla: it may be that the error(s) you noticed has been reported previously. The test's current status and history should indicate whether any issue has been previously reported and is currently under review or has previously been resolved.

If Bugzilla shows no sign that the issue has come up before, create a new bug in Bugzilla. Be sure to include the full identification of the test in question in your bug report, in the form

set.group.test (file)

e.g.

MS-Annotations2006-07-15.annotB025.annotB025 (msMeta/Annotations_w3c.xml)

Putting the test or group name in the Bugzilla 'summary' field is also a good idea.

See the TS Process Document for details on the status of tests and the dispute resolution process for the TS.

Read the information on the TS home page, and send email to the TS mailing list. Possibly the greatest influence is to be had through contributing tests!

The XML Schema TS will consist of one or more collections of test documents. Each test collection has a companion XML description file. The description file contains pointers to the individual tests in the appropriate category, as well as ancilliary information on the tests, such as expected validity, status history, date of submission and the originator of the tests. The TS is available for download as a compressed archive from the main XML Schema TS page.

The XML Schema TS Task Force releases new versions of the TS from time to time, however there is no fixed schedule. Rather, the timing of a new release depends on whether significant changes have occurred since the previous release. Such changes include a new contribution of tests, and the completion of the review by the WG of one or more disputed tests. Check the main XML Schema TS page for the latest news.

All releases of the TS are archived and available from the main XML Schema TS page.

Tests should be submitted to the XML Schema TS framework at xml-schema-testsuite-submit@w3.org. An archive is available at http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-schema-testsuite-submit/. Each submission must be fully documented.

The tests and the accompanying documentation must be well-formed XML; the documentation must conform to the TS schema, which outlines such things as the part of Recommendation under test, functionality of test, location of test, and so on.

1. The TS Task Force will acknowledge receipt of the tests.
2. The TS Task Force will conduct a preliminary review of the tests, checking that criteria for test submission have been fulfulled, etc.
3. If the tests are suitable, they will be included in the next release of the TS.

This is the copyright statement you will be asked to accept when contributing tests:

The Contributor hereby makes certain Materials available to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for use in supporting its activities. The Contributor hereby grants to the W3C a perpetual, nonexclusive, royalty-free, world-wide right and license under any owned copyrights in the Materials to copy, publish and distribute the Materials in whole or in part under the W3C DOCUMENT NOTICE AND LICENSE, as well as a right and license of the same scope to any derivative works prepared by the W3C and based on, or incorporating all or part of the Materials.

The Contributor vouches that she/he has all rights necessary to contribute the Materials in a way that does not violate copyright, patent, and trademark rights, contractual obligations, or libel regulations.

The Contributor agrees that any derivative works of the Materials prepared by the W3C shall be solely owned by the W3C. The Contributor agrees that all contributed Materials when published or otherwise distributed by the W3C will be governed by the W3C DOCUMENT NOTICE AND LICENSE.

W3C will retain attribution of authorship to the Contributor. Whenever modifications are made to the Materials, this fact, and the nature of the modifications, will be clearly signalled in the distributed version thereof. The W3C makes no a-priori commitment to support or distribute the Materials.