What does cvc mean in XML Schema (Validation) context?

Question

This huge document about XML Schema does not explain what cvc means:

http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-xmlschema11-1-20070830/#validation_failures

It is obvious that is something like a error code. But would it be acronym for something that is not there (code value constraint???).

Answer 1

Eh, CVC stands for "Validation Rule"!

Okay, that doesn't make a lot of sense, and I imagine it started out as something more reasonable like "Content Validation Constraint" back in the days before the first working draft.

The main thing is that:

1. By starting all validation rules with cvc-, uniqueness is aided by avoiding a clash between the name and one for another rule.
2. It acts as a handy clue to the type of rule, as all validation rules start with cvc- and only validation rules start with cvc-. Similarly, all schema representation constraints start with src- except schema-reference.