Invalid xml. "Invalid Content Was Found Starting With Element"

Question

I have been given this XSD (simplified):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:ns0="https://MDR.Employees.Schemas.MDREmployeePropertySchema" xmlns:b="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003" xmlns="http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1" elementFormDefault="qualified" targetNamespace="http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <xs:annotation>
    <xs:appinfo>
      <b:imports xmlns:b="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003">
        <b:namespace prefix="ns0" uri="https://MDR.Employees.Schemas.MDREmployeePropertySchema" location=".\mdremployeepropertyschema.xsd" />
      </b:imports>
    </xs:appinfo>
  </xs:annotation>
  <xs:element name="Employees">
    <xs:annotation>
      <xs:appinfo>
        <b:properties>
          <b:property name="ns0:HeromaRefId" xpath="/*[local-name()='Employees' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1']/*[local-name()='Employee' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1']/*[local-name()='ID' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1']" />
        </b:properties>
      </xs:appinfo>
    </xs:annotation>
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name="Employee">
        </xs:element>
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

And this XML example (simplified) which is the format that the client will send me:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<ns0:Employees xmlns:ns0="http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <Employee>

    </Employee>
</ns0:Employees>

The xml doesn't validate against the XSD. What can I change in the XSD to have the xml validated?

Answer 1

Use XSD following XSD ..XML will be validated against This XSD

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:ns0="https://MDR.Employees.Schemas.MDREmployeePropertySchema" xmlns:b="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003" xmlns="http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1" elementFormDefault="unqualified" targetNamespace="http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <xs:annotation>
    <xs:appinfo>
      <b:imports xmlns:b="http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003">
        <b:namespace prefix="ns0" uri="https://MDR.Employees.Schemas.MDREmployeePropertySchema" location=".\mdremployeepropertyschema.xsd" />
      </b:imports>
    </xs:appinfo>
  </xs:annotation>
  <xs:element name="Employees">
    <xs:annotation>
      <xs:appinfo>
        <b:properties>
          <b:property name="ns0:HeromaRefId" xpath="/*[local-name()='Employees' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1']/*[local-name()='Employee' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1']/*[local-name()='ID' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.customer.com/MdrEntitymodel/EmployeeExternalV1']" />
        </b:properties>
      </xs:appinfo>
    </xs:annotation>
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name="Employee">
        </xs:element>
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

Just change elementFormDefault="qualified" to elementFormDefault="unqualified". It will work.