XML Schema Working Group Charter

Dependencies

W3C Groups

XML has become a strategic technology in W3C and elsewhere. The deliverables of the XML Schema Working Group must satisfy the dependencies from other W3C Working Groups. Some dependencies to and from other W3C Working Groups will require close cooperation during the development process; history has shown that the requirements posed for the Schema work by these Working Groups may change substantially during the development process, which means the interdependency of the Schema work with these Working Groups must be managed actively:

XML Query Working Group

The XML Query Working Group expects to use schema-related information in the processing of queries; we will discuss points of mutual interest in an effort to ensure that XML Schema provides the information Query needs. In particular, the XML Query Working Group has expressed particular interest in the definition of the post-schema-validation infoset (PSVI). The XML Schema Working Group will continue to collaborate with XML Query and XSL in work on operators for XML Schema datatypes and (as appropriate) on the integration of support for the XML Schema type inventory into future versions of XPath. An important goal of XML Schema 1.1 will be to align its type system more fully with the needs of the XML Query language and related specifications. Work on XQuery 1.1, updates, and full-text search may raise schema-related problems, and the Working Groups will cooperate in resolving them.

XSL Working Group

In collaboration with the XML Query Working Group, the XSL Working Group expects to make future versions of XPath and XSLT support schema-related information, specifically type information. The XML Schema Working Group will continue to collaborate with XML Query and XSL in work on operators for XML Schema datatypes and (as appropriate) on the integration of support for the XML Schema type inventory into future versions of XPath. An important goal of XML Schema 1.1 will be to align its type system more fully with the needs of the XSLT and XPath 2.0 languages and related specifications.

Service Modeling Language (SML) Working Group

The XML Schema WG intends to continue to work closely with SML. Several new features of XSD 1.1 accomodate (in part) requirements raised by SML. The XML Schema WG intendes to continue to support the current and future versions of SML.

XHTML Working Group

It is a goal of the XML Schema work to ensure that the structural schema language we define will suffice for the requirements of current versions of the XHTML specification.

XML Core Working Group

The XML Schema work defines methods for specifying constraints on XML documents; those constraints should apply to objects and properties identified as significant by the XML Information Set specification.The XML structural schema specification uses namespaces to combine fragmentary structural specifications; it also defines schema-validation for documents using namespaces. (In short: the XML Schema work is namespace-aware.)

Internationalization Working Group

Since XML Schema is expected to be an important tool for the definition of markup vocabularies, it may have follow-on effects on a larger number of people than create XML Schema documents directly. The XML Schema Working Group and the Internationalization Working Group will work together to clarify and resolve internationalization and localization issues in XML Schema, and will jointly ensure that it satisfies W3C goals for international access to the Web.

Web Services Working Groups

XML Protocol and Web Services Description Language specified in the Web Services Activity use XML Schema extensively. The XML Schema Patterns for Databinding Working Group is working to produce specifications to ease interoperability in Web Services where XML Schema is involved. The XML Schema Working Group will ensure that the schema language is sufficient to meet the requirements of deliverables from these Web Services Working Groups. The XML Schema Working Group will also discuss points of mutual interest and will review deliverables from the Web Services Working Groups and provide them with feedback.

Some other work groups should be mentioned here; there are no requirements for co-development of features with these Working Groups, but there are points of contact between their work and that of this Working Group, and thus logical dependency between their deliverables and those of this Working Group. Requirements from these Working Groups are expected to be well suited for communication via documents.

WAI Protocols & Formats Working Group

Reuse of common constructs greatly facilitates accessibility; the WAI PF Working Group will review work on structural schemas to be sure cost/benefit design decisions are informed of the benefits of accessibility.

OWL Working Group

Though no formal requirement for collaboration has been stated, the requirements posed by the OWL working group with regard to designating semantics, especially in datatypes, will undoubtedly gain focus during ongoing publication of XML Schema 1.1 and subsequent errata consideration.

When approved by the XML Coordination Group, liaison with other W3C Working Groups can be accomplished through joint task forces. It is expected that such task forces may be required for liaison with at least the XML Query, XSL and Internationalization Working Groups.