xs:complexType

Purpose	This element enables you to define a content model for a complex data type. You can use three compositors for different ways of combining data: `xs:choice`, `xs:sequence` `xs:all` Furthermore, it offers the possibility to define simple content models (`xs:simpleContent`), attributes (`xs:attribute`) and wildcards for attributes (`xs:anyAttribute`).
Parent element	`xs:element` or `xs:schema`
Child elements	`xs:all`, `xs:anyAttribute`, `xs:attribute`, `xs:attributeGroup`, `xs:choice`, `xs:complexContent`, `xs:group`, `xs:sequence`, `xs:simpleContent`
Attributes	`abstract`, `block`, `final`, `mixed`, `name`

Attributes

Name	Type	Description
`abstract`	`xs:boolean`	If "true", the complex type definition must not be used for validation, i.e. an instance must reference, for example, a derived type via xsi:type. Default: "false".
`block`		This attribute, in conjunction with the xs:schema element's `blockDefault` attribute (if the `block` attribute is not specified, the `blockDefault` attribute value takes effect), is used at validation time. It specifies the types that may be used in an xsi:type attribute of an element that is validated against an element declaration that references this complex type definition. The value is a whitespace-separated list of: extension The type referenced by xsi:type must not be derived from the current type by `extension`. restriction The type referenced by xsi:type must not be derived from the current type by `restriction`. Alternatively, the special value "#all" indicates that no xsi:type may be used.
`final`		This attribute, in conjunction with the xs:schema element's `finalDefault` attribute (if the `final` attribute is not specified, the `finalDefault` attribute value takes effect), is used when performing schema checks. It specifies the methods that may be used to derive new types from the current complex type. The value is a whitespace-separated list of: extension No type may be derived from this complex type by `extension`. restriction No type may be derived from this complex type by `restriction`. Alternatively, the special value "#all" prevents both methods of deriving a new type from the current complex type definition.
`mixed`	`xs:boolean`	Specifies whether the complex type being defined with the `xs:complexType` element allows mixed content (i.e. a combination of text and child elements). The default value for the `mixed` attribute is `false`, indicating that `mixed` content is not allowed.
`name`	`xs:NCName`	For purposes of reuse, it is possible to specify a name attribute for a complex type definition if `xs:complexType` is used in the context of `xs:schema`, and to reference it later by this name. This is done with the `name` attribute of the `xs:complexType` element. This attribute is mandatory for the definition of named complex types. For anonymous complex types it must be omitted. Note: Versions of Tamino up to Tamino 3.1 only supported anonymous complex type definitions.

Examples

This example of a complex type definition is taken from the "Jazz" schema example as introduced in the Advanced Concepts documentation. It uses xs:all to define a structure containing the two elements location and time:

<xs:complexType>
  <xs:all>
    <xs:element name = "location"
                type = "xs:normalizedString"/>
    <xs:element name = "time" type = "xs:dateTime"/>
  </xs:all>
</xs:complexType>

The next example is based on the previous one and adds a sequence to it:

<xs:complexType>
  <xs:choice>
    <xs:sequence>
      <xs:element name = "from" type = "xs:date"/>
      <xs:element name = "to" type = "xs:date"/>
    </xs:sequence>
    <xs:all>
      <xs:element name = "location"
                  type = "xs:normalizedString"/>
      <xs:element name = "time" type = "xs:dateTime"/>
    </xs:all>
  </xs:choice>
</xs:complexType>

The next example shows the definition of an element named collaborationContext using a choice that includes xs:sequence and xs:all.

<xs:element name = "collaborationContext">
  <xs:complexType>
    <xs:choice>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name = "from" type = "xs:date"/>
        <xs:element name = "to" type = "xs:date"/>
      </xs:sequence>
      <xs:all>
        <xs:element name = "location"
                    type = "xs:normalizedString"/>
        <xs:element name = "time" type = "xs:dateTime"/>
      </xs:all>
    </xs:choice>
  </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>