Adding redefine elements

You can use the redefine mechanism to redefine simple and complex types, groups, and attribute groups obtained from external schema files. When you redefine a component, you are modifying its contents.

Like the include mechanism, redefine requires the external components to be in the same target namespace as the redefining schema, although external components from schemas that have no namespace can also be redefined.

The following instructions were written for the Resource perspective, but they will also work in many other perspectives.

To add a redefine element, complete the following steps:

  1. Open your XML schema in the XML schema editor. In the Outline view, select your schema. The entire schema and its contents are displayed in the Design view.
  2. In the Design view, right-click in the Directives section and click Add Redefine.
  3. In the Properties view, click the General tab and click the Browse This
graphic is the Browse button button to the right of the Schema location field. The XML schema file you select must have the same namespace as the current schema.
  4. If you want to import an XML schema located in the workbench:
    1. Select Workbench projects and click Next.
    2. Select the schema you want to import and click Finish.
  5. If you want to import an XML schema located on the Web:
    1. Select HTTP and click Next.
    2. Type the URL of the XML schema and click Finish.
      Note: A local copy of the schema will not be stored in the workbench. Every time you validate your schema, the schema's contents will be checked from the URL you specify.
  6. The XML schema editor will retrieve the location of the included XML schema file, and display it in the Schema location field. This field can be edited at any time to reflect the location of the XML schema file.
  7. Click the Documentation tab if you want to provide any information about this redefine element. The Documentation page is used for human readable material, such as a description.
  8. Click the Extensions tab if you want to add application information elements to your annotations of schema components. The Extensions page allows you to specify the schema and add XML content to your annotations.

Once you have added the redefine element to your XML schema, you can redefine any of the simple and complex types, groups, and attribute groups in the XML schema you selected in the redefine element.

Related tasks
Adding import elements
Adding include elements
Related reference
XML namespaces