XSD Full Form

XSD stands for XML Schema Definition and it is a way to describe the structure of a XML document. It defines the rules for all the attributes and elements in an XML document.

XSDs can also be used to generate the XML documents. It also checks the vocabulary of the document. It doesn’t require processing by a parser. XSD checks for the correctness of the structure of the XML file. XSD was first published in 2001 and after that, it was published in 2004. XSDs are written in XML and hence unlike earlier schemas like DTD, SOX, etc. it doesn’t require a parser in between for middle processing.

Characteristics

• XSD supports namespaces.
• Different data types are supported by XSD.
• It is extensible for additional features.
• It is supported by W3C organization.
• It describes the structure of a XML document.

Features of XSD

• XSDs are more powerful than DTDs.
• XSDs can be widely extended for additions in future.
• XSDs make it easier to define various data patterns.
• Data Communication becomes secure because of XML schemas

Advantages

• It can be used to provide restrictions on data.
• It can be used to specify default values.
• XSD is extensible.
• It doesn’t require intermediate processing by a parser

Disadvantages

• It is complex in nature.
• It has limited support for unordered content.
• It doesn’t have a formal mathematical description
• The documentation support is limited.