DBDocumentor ™ XSD Schema Details, and Restrictions on Use

Overview

DBDocumentor 4 comes with an intermediate XML output format.  That format follows the SQLDocumentation schema located in the XSD folder off the product installation path, and this schema has been update for version 4 of DBDocumentor.  Within the limitations the restrictions on use detailed below, you are free to develop transformations based on the SQLDocumentation schema.  SQLDocumentation files completely describe the contents of your project, including the settings used to compile it, and the result of those settings. 

Note: SQLDocumentation files will not be generated in shareware mode.  To see an example SQLDocumentation file, please view the sample file, sample.chm.xml.

Schema Overview

The primary reference point for the schema should be the XSD file.  This overview will only present the top level elements of the file.  If you have any questions concerning the XSD, please contact support@pikauba.com detailing your question.

Types

The Types element encapsulates the various data types used in DBDocumentor.  Generally, whenever a type attribute is present on an element, the range and meaning of the type can be traced back to one of the types contained in the Types element.

Settings

All the project settings are encapsulated in the Settings element.  

Index

The Index element provides a listing of all the objects making up the project in an alphabetically sorted list following the conventions of a document index.  

toc

The toc element contains the table of contents, organized by chapter with the content sorted alphabetically.  Only the groups defined in the project XML file for which content is present will be output in the toc.

Objects

The Objects element contains all the SQL objects making up the project, organized by object type.

Restrictions on Schema Use

The SQLDocumentation schema is a copyrighted work and as such there are several restrictions on the use of the SQLDocumentation XML schema.  Please note that the intent of these restrictions is only to protect the copyright of the schema.  If you wish to develop against the schema, please do so, just obtain the proper license.  SQLDocumentation files are not intended to be final output files.

The restrictions are summarized here:

• If you want to build any transformations for internal usage based on the SQLDocumentation schema, you are welcome to do so, provided you have an accompanying license to use DBDocumentor as a registered user.
  
• If you do build any transformations based on the SQLDocumentation schema, and decide to make the transformations public, that is to say "not for internal usage", please contact our sales department at sales@pikauba.com for a schema development license.  Since only registered users are licensed to build any transformations, this is largely a procedural formality to ensure that any future changes made to the schema are done so in a fashion as not to break your transformations.  This also ensures that should an incompatible schema update be required, you can be alerted to it with sufficient time to modify your transformations.
  
• If you are wishing to develop transformations or products which generate documents following the SQLDocumentation schema, please contact our sales department at sales@pikauba.com detailing the nature of your product.  Schema development licenses may be available either on an end user basis (e.g. the end user is a registered user of DBDocumentor), or on a product basis (issued to a product developer and not dependent upon the end user being a registered user of DBDocumentor).
  
• If you are wishing to offer services which will include as deliverables documents following the SQLDocumentation schema (e.g. SQLDocumentation delivered via a web service), whether produced by DBDocumentor or not, you will need a schema development license.  The SQLDocumentation output is not intended to be a final document, where such a document may be used by someone who is not a registered user.  Please contact our sales department at sales@pikauba.com, detailing the type of service being offered, for the schema development license.  As with products generating SQLDocumentation documents, development licenses are available based on if the end user is a registered user of DBDocumentor or not.