James Clark has announced the release of an experimental non-XML syntax for RELAX
NG and a Java translator implementation that converts
instances of the syntax into RELAX NG's XML syntax.
He takes special care in the announcement to mention that the
release "is NOT an official part of RELAX NG and is NOT a product
of the OASIS RELAX NG TC."
A document describing the syntax includes a BNF grammar for
it and tables that show how the non-XML syntax maps to RELAX NG's
XML syntax. The document also mentions that the syntax was
designed with the following features in mind:
Maximize readability
Support all features of RELAX NG
Support separate translation. A RELAX NG schema may be
spread amongst multiple files. It must be possible to
represent each of the files separately in the non-XML syntax.
The representation of each file must not depend on the other
files.
The document also mentions that the syntax "is similar to the type
syntax in the
XQuery 1.0 Formal Semantics W3C Working Draft".
Other documents at the site include an example showing the schema for RELAX NG's XML syntax
written in the non-XML syntax, and explanation of how to use the Java translator for the syntax.
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