CODEWITHSUNDEEP
xmldtd
74H1R
74H1R

Reputation: 3514

How to write DTD with avoiding order of elements?

I want to validate following XML. Where a branch can have no or multiple managers and/or accountants. Their order is random. What I have tried is as follows:

 <!ELEMENT branch (office, manager*, accountant*)>

But I am getting error, and I know above statement is making order strict. How can I avoid the order of manager and accountant.

The XML:

<branch name = "south">
<office>
    <addr>St. 32, Downtown</addr>
</office>
<manager>
    <username>
        knitemorgan
    </username>
</manager>
<accountant>
    <username>
        johnsmith
    </username>
</accountant>
<manager>
    <username>
        jenifer
    </username>
</manager>
<accountant>
    <username>
        fclark
    </username>
</accountant>
   <branch>
  <branch name = "north">
<office>
    <addr>St. 328, Downtown</addr>
</office>
<accountant>
    <username>
        rogerbentley
    </username>
</accountant>
<manager>
    <username>
        wendymaria
    </username>
</manager>
    <branch>

Upvotes: 1

Views: 583

Answers (2)

arayq2
arayq2

Reputation: 2554

You may not be aware that content models can have models nested within them. So something like this should work

<!ELEMENT branch (office, (manager | accountant )*) >

However, as a rule, it's poor design not to group repeating elements into a distinct container element: you will find the processing easier to manage if you do so.

<!ELEMENT branch (office, staff) >
<!ELEMENT staff (manager|accountant)*>

Upvotes: 0

Daniel Haley
Daniel Haley

Reputation: 52888

Try something like this:

<!ELEMENT branch (office,(manager|accountant)*)>

This means exactly one office followed by zero or more manager or accountant.

Order doesn't matter with the manager or accountant because of the |.

Upvotes: 1

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