Document Type Definition

DTD
Document Type Definition

DTD
• The DTD defines the constraints on the structure of
an XML document.
• It declares all of the document's element types ,
children element types, and the order and number of
each element type. It also declares any attributes,
entities, notations, processing instructions,
comments, in the document.
• Types:
– Internal DTD
– External DTD
Internal DTD
• Syntax:
<!DOCTYPE root_element [
Document Type Definition (DTD):
elements/attributes/entities/notations/proce
ssing instructions/comments
]>
Example Internal DTD
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes" ?>

<!DOCTYPE person [


<!ELEMENT person (id,name)>
<!ELEMENT id (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT name (#PCDATA)>

]>
<person>
<id>p101</id>
<name>peter</name>
</person>
Rules for Internal DTD
• The document type declaration must be placed between

the XML declaration and the first element (root
element) in the document .
• The keyword DOCTYPE must be followed by the name of

the root element in the XML document .
• The keyword DOCTYPE must be in upper case

The External DTD
• External DTDs are useful for creating a common
DTD that can be shared between multiple
documents.
• Any changes that are made to the external DTD
automatically updates all the documents that
reference it.
• There are two types of external DTDs:
– Private
– Public.
Rules for External DTD
• If any elements, attributes, or entities are used in
the XML document that are referenced or defined
in an external DTD,
standalone="no"
must be included in the XML declaration
<?xml version=“1.0” standalone=“no” ?>

Private External DTD
• identified by the keyword SYSTEM,
• There are intended for use by a single author or
group of authors.
• Syntax:
<!DOCTYPE root_element SYSTEM "DTD_location">
where:
DTD_location: relative or absolute URL
Example for Private external DTD

<!DOCTYPE Employee SYSTEM “employee.dtd">
<Employee>
<eid>101</eid>
<name>kumar</name>
</Employee>
Example contd…
The external DTD (“employee.dtd") referenced in the example
contains information about the XML document's structure:
<!ELEMENT Employee(eid,name) >

<!ELEMENT eid (#PCDATA) >
<!ELEMENT name (#PCDATA) >
Public External DTD
• identified by the keyword PUBLIC
• Syntax:
<!DOCTYPE root_element PUBLIC "DTD_name”

"DTD_location">
• These are intended for broad use. The "DTD_location" is used to find
the public DTD if it cannot be located by the "DTD_name".
where:
DTD_location: relative or absolute URL
DTD_name: follows the syntax
"prefix//owner_of_the_DTD//description_of_the_DTD//ISO
639_language_identifier“
Example for Public External DTD
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="no" ?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
<HTML>
<HEAD> <TITLE>A typical HTML file</TITLE> </HEAD>
<BODY> This is the typical structure of an HTML file.
It follows the notation of the HTML 4.0 specification, including tags
that have been deprecated (hence the "transitional" label).
</BODY>
</HTML>
prefixes
• The following prefixes are allowed in the DTD name:
Prefix Definition
ISO The DTD is an ISO standard. All ISO standards are
approved.
+ The DTD is an approved non-ISO standard.
- The DTD is an unapproved non-ISO standard.
Element Type Declaration
• set the rules for the type and number of elements
that may appear in an XML document
• what elements may appear inside each other, and
• what order they must appear in
syntax:
<!ELEMENT name allowable_contents>
example : <!ELEMENT employee (#PCDATA)>

Rules for Element Type
• All element types used in an XML document must be
declared in the Document Type Definition (DTD) using an
Element Type Declaration .
• An element type cannot be declared more than once .
• The name in the element type's end tag must match the
name in the element type's start tag . Element names
are case sensitive.
• The keyword ELEMENT must be in upper case

Declaring multiple children (sequence)
• Multiple children are declared using commas (,).
• Commas fix the sequence in which the children are allowed to

appear in the XML document.
<!ELEMENT parent_name child1_name,child2_name,child3_name)>

<!ELEMENT child1_name allowable_contents>
Rules:
All of the children elements must be declared in a separate
element type declaration
<!ELEMENT name allowable_contents>
Allowable
contents Definition
Refers to tags that are empty. <!ELEMENT IMG EMPTY>

<IMG SRC=“logo.gif"/>, or
EMPTY
<IMG SRC=“logo.gif"></IMG>
Refers to anything at all, as long as XML rules are followed

ANY
You can place any number of element types within another

Children element type
elements <!ELEMENT parent_name
(child1_name,child2_name,child3_name)>
Refers to a combination of (#PCDATA) and children
Mixed contents elements. (parsed character data -> PCDATA)
<!ELEMENT parent_name (#PCDATA|child1_name)*>
Example
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE student [

<!ELEMENT student (id,surname,firstname)>

<!ELEMENT student (id,dob?)>
<!ELEMENT dob (#PCDATA)>
]>
<student>
<id>ECE06117</id>
</student>
Declaring zero or more children
Zero or more children are declared using the (*) operator.
syntax: <!ELEMENT parent_name (child_name*)>

<!ELEMENT child_name allowable_contents>
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (subject*)>
<!ELEMENT subject (#PCDATA)> ]>
<student>
<subject>Mathematics</subject>
<subject>Physics</subject>
<subject>Chemistry</subject>
</student>
Declaring One or More children
One or more children are declared using the (+) operator.
syntax: <!ELEMENT parent_name (child_name+)>

<!ELEMENT child_name allowable_contents>
example:
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (subject+)>
<!ELEMENT subject (#PCDATA)>
]>
<student>
<subject>Mathematics</subject>
</student>
Combinations of Children
A choice between children element types is declared using
the (|) operator.
syntax:
<!ELEMENT parent_name (child1_name|child2_name)>
• Example:
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (id|surname)>
]>
<student>
<id>9216735</id>
</student>
Nested Elements
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (surname,firstname*,dob?,(origin|sex)?)>
<!ELEMENT firstname (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT sex (#PCDATA)> ]>
<student>
<surname>Smith</surname>
<firstname>Jo</firstname>
<firstname>jerald</firstname>
<sex>female</sex>
</student>
Example
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (surname,firstname)>
<!ELEMENT firstname (fullname,nickname)>
<!ELEMENT fullname (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT nickname (#PCDATA)>
]>
<student>
<firstname>
<fullname>Josephine</fullname>
<nickname>Jo</nickname>
</firstname>
</student>
Mixed Content
Mixed content is used to declare elements that contain a

mixture of children elements and text (PCDATA).
syntax:
<!ELEMENT parent_name (#PCDATA|child1_name)*>
Rules:
•(#PCDATA) must come first in the mixed content declaration .
•The operator (*) must follow the mixed content declaration if
children elements are included
Example 1
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (#PCDATA|id)*>
]>
<student>
Here's a bit of text mixed up with the child
element. <id>9216735</id>
You can put text anywhere, before or
after the child element. You don't even have to include the 'id'
element.
</student>
Example 2
<!DOCTYPE student [
<!ELEMENT student (#PCDATA|id|surname|dob)*>
<!ELEMENT dob (#PCDATA)> ]>
<student>
You can put text anywhere. You can also put the elements
in any order in the document.
And, you don't have to include all the elements listed in
the element declaration.
<id>9216735</id>
</student>
Attribute List Declarations
• Attributes are additional information associated with an
element type.
•The ATTLIST declaration identifies
• type of attribute
• default value
• element types
syntax:
<!ATTLIST element_name attribute_name
attribute_type default_value> . . .
<element attribute_name="attribute_value">
Rules:
•Attributes may only appear in start or empty tags .
•The keyword ATTLIST must be in upper case
Example
<!DOCTYPE image
[ <!ELEMENT image
EMPTY>
<!ATTLIST image height CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST image width CDATA #REQUIRED>
]>
<image height="32"
width="32"/>
Attribute types
Three main Attribute types:

• string type
• CDATA – character Data
• tokenized types
• ID, IDREF, IDREFS,
ENTITY,ENTITIES,NMTOKEN,NMTOKENS
• enumerated types
• NOTATION, ENUMERATED
ID
• ID is a unique identifier of the attribute.

• IDs of a particular value should not appear
more than once in an XML document .
• An element type may only have one ID
attribute .
• An ID attribute can only have an #IMPLIED or
#REQUIRED default value .
• The first character of an ID value must be a
letter, '_', or ':'
CDATA
Character data
<!DOCTYPE image [
<!ELEMENT image EMPTY>
<!ATTLIST image height CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST image width CDATA #REQUIRED> ]>
<image height="32" width="32"/>
Example
<!DOCTYPE student_name
[ <!ELEMENT student_name
(#PCDATA)> <!ATTLIST student_name
student_no ID #REQUIRED> ]>
<student_name student_no="a9216735">Jo
Smith</student_name>
IDREF
•IDREF value of the attribute must refer to an

ID value declared elsewhere in the document .
• The first character of an ID value must be a
letter, '_', or ':‘
IDREF Example
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
<!DOCTYPE lab_group [
<!ELEMENT lab_group (student_name)*>
<!ELEMENT student_name (#PCDATA)>
<!ATTLIST student_name student_no ID #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST student_name tutor_1 IDREF #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST student_name tutor_2 IDREF #IMPLIED> ]>
<lab_group>
<student_name student_no="a8904885">Alex
Foo</student_name>
<student_name student_no="a9011133">Sarah
Bar</student_name>
<student_name student_no="a9216735" tutor_1="a9011133"
tutor_2="a8904885">Jo Smith</student_name>
</lab_group>
IDREFS
• Allows multiple ID values separated by

whitespace
ENTITY
• ENTITYs are used to reference data that act as an abbreviation
or can be found at an external location.
• The first character of an ENTITY value must be a letter, '_', or ':‘
EXAMPLE:
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE experiment_a [
<!ELEMENT experiment_a (results)>
<!ELEMENT results (#PCDATA)>
<!ENTITY name "http://www.university.com/results/experimenta/a.gif">
]>
<experiment_a>
<results>&name;</results>
</experiment_a>
NMTOKEN
The first character of an NMTOKEN value must be a letter,
digit, '.', '-', '_', or ':‘
Example:
<!DOCTYPE student_name
[ <!ELEMENT student_name
(#PCDATA)> <!ATTLIST student_name
student_no NMTOKEN #REQUIRED> ]>
<student_name
student_no="9216735">Jo Smith</student_name>
NMTOKENS
Allows multiple NMTOKEN names separated by

whitespace
NOTATION
•Useful when text needs to be interpreted in a particular
way.
• The first character of a NOTATION name must be a
letter, '_', or ':‘
Example:
<!DOCTYPE code [
<!ELEMENT code (#PCDATA)>
<!NOTATION vrml PUBLIC "VRML 1.0">
<!ATTLIST code lang NOTATION (vrml) #REQUIRED>
]>
<code lang="vrml">Some VRML instructions</code>
enumerated
• make a choice between different attribute values.
• first character of an Enumerated value must be a letter,
digit, '.', '-', '_', or ':'
Example 1:
<!DOCTYPE ToDoList [
<!ELEMENT ToDoList (task)*>
<!ELEMENT task (#PCDATA)>
<!ATTLIST task status (important|normal) #REQUIRED>
]>
<ToDoList>
<task status="important">This is an important task that
must be completed</task>
<task status="normal">This task can wait</task>
</ToDoList>
Default value
<!ATTLIST task status (important|normal) "normal">
]>
<ToDoList>
<task status="important">This is an important
task.</task>
<task>This is by default a task that has a normal
status.</task>
</ToDoList>
Default value contd…
<!ATTLIST task status NMTOKEN #FIXED "monthly">
]>
<ToDoList>
<task>go to the bank</task>
<task>pay the phone bill</task>
</ToDoList>
CDATA Section
• CDATA sections are used to display markup without the XML
processor trying to interpret that markup.
• They are particularly useful when you want to display sections
of XML code.
syntax: <![CDATA[
any characters (including markup)
]]>
CDATA Section
<!DOCTYPE body [
<!ELEMENT body (#PCDATA)>
]>
<body>
<![CDATA[
Here is an example of an internal DTD:
<!DOCTYPE lab_group [
<!ELEMENT lab_group (student_name)*>
<!ELEMENT student_name (#PCDATA)>
<!ATTLIST student_name student_no ID #REQUIRED>
]>
]]>
</body>
Predefined General Entity
Predefined
How to Declare these entities
General Entities
< <!ENTITY lt "<">
> <!ENTITY gt ">">
& <!ENTITY amp "&">
" <!ENTITY quot """>
' <!ENTITY apos "'">
<name>"kumar"</name>
INTERNAL (PARSED) GENERAL ENTITY
• Internal parsed entities generally reference text.

Syntax:
<!ENTITY name "entity_value">
where:
entity value: any character that is not an '&', '%' or ' " ',
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes" ?>

<!DOCTYPE author [
<!ELEMENT author (#PCDATA)>
<!ENTITY js "Jo Smith"> ]>
<author>&js;</author>

Document Type Definition

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Document Type Definition

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DTD

Document Type Definition

• The document type declaration must be placed between

• The keyword DOCTYPE must be followed by the name of

• The keyword DOCTYPE must be in upper case

<?xml version=“1.0” standalone=“no” ?>

<!--inform the XML processor that an external DTD is referenced--

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="no" ?>

<!--define the location of the external DTD using a relative URL

<!ELEMENT Employee(eid,name) >

<!DOCTYPE root_element PUBLIC "DTD_name”

• what elements may appear inside each other, and

• what order they must appear in

example : <!ELEMENT employee (#PCDATA)>

• An element type cannot be declared more than once .

• The keyword ELEMENT must be in upper case

• Commas fix the sequence in which the children are allowed to

<!ELEMENT parent_name child1_name,child2_name,child3_name)>

Refers to tags that are empty. <!ELEMENT IMG EMPTY>

Refers to anything at all, as long as XML rules are followed

You can place any number of element types within another

• Optional children are declared using the (?)

Zero or more children are declared using the (*) operator.

syntax: <!ELEMENT parent_name (child_name*)>

syntax: <!ELEMENT parent_name (child_name+)>

Mixed content is used to declare elements that contain a

Three main Attribute types:

• ID is a unique identifier of the attribute.

•IDREF value of the attribute must refer to an

• Allows multiple ID values separated by

Allows multiple NMTOKEN names separated by

&gt; <!ENTITY gt "&#62;">

&amp; <!ENTITY amp "&#38;#38;">

&quot; <!ENTITY quot "&#34;">

&apos; <!ENTITY apos "&#39;">

• Internal parsed entities generally reference text.

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes" ?>

You might also like

> <!ENTITY gt ">">

& <!ENTITY amp "&">

" <!ENTITY quot """>

' <!ENTITY apos "'">