XML Documentation

The Mine Action Extensible Markup Language (maXML) schema was first created 2002 to be an exchange language for the Mine Action Community. Since then maXML has evolved in step with the advances in Information Management in Mine action and with the Information management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). MaXML can be used to exchange data by any system containing Mine Action information, either with IMSMA^NG or other systems. The schema syntax conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendation (October 6, 2000) for XML 1.0.

In order to have a clear understanding of the maXML documentation it is essential for the reader to have a basic understanding of XML and XML schema concepts. There are several good sources of information about XML and XML schemas on the Internet. The following links may provide useful in order to learn about XML and XML schemas:

• XML 1.0. The XML 1.0 specification (a W3C Recommendation) indicates the constraints to which an XML document must adhere in order to be well formed.

The W3C XML 1.0 recommendations can be viewed here.

• XML Schema Part 0 Primer. This document explains the basics of XML and provides a number of examples of schema and valid instance documents conforming to schemas.

The schema primer can be viewed here.

• XML Schema Part 1 Structures. This document defines the component parts of a schema and describes how they can be assembled and nested in order to create an allowable structure.

The document can be viewed here.

• XML Schema Part 2 Datatypes. This document defines the data types that are built into XML, and explains how to create your own types. Data types and user-defined types can be assigned to elements and attributes, and are another option for further constraining content your schema will allow.

The document can be viewed here.

On the MaXML Architecture page the maXML is briefly described and on the page IMSMA and maXML the current variation of maXML that is used with IMSMA^NG 6.0 is briefly described.

The pages that are describing the parts of the maXML schema have two different user groups:

• developers that would like to create maXML files for import into IMSMA^NG
• IMSMA administrators e.g. for troubleshooting a xml import.

The base/focus for the pages that are describing the parts of the maXML schema is IMSMA^NG's current use of maXML. The Data Dictionary is following the structure of the Data Inventory Manager.