XML Schema - to arms, to arms
Rising Rebellion Against W3C XML Schema. While I've criticized (some would say whined about) the quality of the W3C XML Schema specifications for a long while, it seems like a lot more dissent is rising to the surface lately, especially this week. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]
I was planning to write something about this too so I guess Simon provides a good starting point. Last night, I'm ashamed to admit, was the first time I've ever really looked at Relax NG in any detail. Wow, what a difference. It is so much simpler and is actually a spec that you can understand with only a few hours or so of study. W3C XML Schema, on the other hand, is an absolute beast. Even people who've studied it for months can't claim to understand all aspects of it. Once upon a time with the early working drafts I used to claim that I understood it. Now I will never be so foolish as to say such a thing.
In fact what I do understand about XML Schema, is that it is very dangerous to the future of XML. It attempts to change the core concept of what XML is. XML used to be a text file format, now it is an in memory data structure called the PSVI. While this isn't bad on its own, XML Schema is considered a core specification and this fundamental change of concept is infecting all the other XML specs. The biggest offender is XQuery and unfortunately the XQuery working group is also screwing up XPath 2.0 and XSL-T 2.0 by incorporating all this junk from XML Schema. This stuff is just too complex and difficult to work with.
XML was supposed to be simple and lightweight, now it is rapidly becoming one of the most complex messes I've ever seen. There is no advancement here, we took one step forward but now we're taking five steps back. I know there is real value in what is being done with XML Schema, however this value should manifest it self as an application built on top of XML. It should not in any circumstances alter the fundamental fabric of what XML is. In strict terms you can say that XML Schema is just that, but in practical terms, the way it is presented in books and tutorials is different. It is presented as a fundamental aspect of XML and now with the pollution of XPath and XSL-T there really isn't any way around it. XML Schema is a cancer and is infecting even the most useful XML specifications.
I see a lot of people who don't know anything about XML saying that it is complex. I used to disagree with this and always found it strange that they would say that. Now I agree completely, because of XML Schema, XML is now too complex for its own good. Most troubling is that it has now moved out of the domain of a technology that could be grasped in a couple days at most, to something that requires weeks or even months of study to understand.
There really is a very simple core to XML. That core can provide real value in many circumstances. Sadly that core is now buried under all the other garbage that the W3C has layered on top. Hopefully the rebellion will be strong and real world developers will just say no to XML Schema without throwing out XML itself.
3:41:38 PM 
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Xindice (Formally dbXML)