DTD Attributes

DTD – Attributes

Declaring Attributes

In the DTD, XML element attributes are declared with an ATTLIST declaration. An attribute declaration has the following syntax:

<!ATTLIST element-name attribute-name attribute-type default-value>

As you can see from the syntax above, the ATTLIST declaration defines the element which can have the attribute, the name of the attribute, the type of the attribute, and the default attribute value.

The attribute-type can have the following values:

Value	Explanation
CDATA	The value is character data
(eval\|eval\|..)	The value must be an enumerated value
ID	The value is an unique id
IDREF	The value is the id of another element
IDREFS	The value is a list of other ids
NMTOKEN	The value is a valid XML name
NMTOKENS	The value is a list of valid XML names
ENTITY	The value is an entity
ENTITIES	The value is a list of entities
NOTATION	The value is a name of a notation
xml:	The value is predefined

The attribute-default-value can have the following values:

Value	Explanation
#DEFAULT value	The attribute has a default value
#REQUIRED	The attribute value must be included in the element
#IMPLIED	The attribute does not have to be included
#FIXED value	The attribute value is fixed

Attribute declaration example

DTD example:
<!ELEMENT square EMPTY>
  <!ATTLIST square width CDATA "0">

XML example:
<square width="100"></square>

In the above example the element square is defined to be an empty element with the attributes width of type CDATA. The width attribute has a default value of 0.

Default attribute value

Syntax:
<!ATTLIST element-name attribute-name CDATA "default-value">

DTD example:
<!ATTLIST payment type CDATA "check">

XML example:
<payment type="check">

Specifying a default value for an attribute, assures that the attribute will get a value even if the author of the XML document didn’t include it.

Implied attribute

Syntax:
<!ATTLIST element-name attribute-name attribute-type #IMPLIED>

DTD example:
<!ATTLIST contact fax CDATA #IMPLIED>

XML example:
<contact fax="555-667788">

Use an implied attribute if you don’t want to force the author to include an attribute and you don’t have an option for a default value either.

Required attribute

Syntax:
<!ATTLIST element-name attribute_name attribute-type #REQUIRED>

DTD example:
<!ATTLIST person number CDATA #REQUIRED>

XML example:
<person number="5677">

Use a required attribute if you don’t have an option for a default value, but still want to force the attribute to be present.

Fixed attribute value

Syntax:
<!ATTLIST element-name attribute-name attribute-type #FIXED "value">

DTD example:
<!ATTLIST sender company CDATA #FIXED "Microsoft">


XML example:
<sender company="Microsoft">

Use a fixed attribute value when you want an attribute to have a fixed value without allowing the author to change it. If an author includes another value, the XML parser will return an error.

Enumerated attribute values

Syntax:
<!ATTLIST element-name attribute-name (eval|eval|..) default-value>

DTD example:
<!ATTLIST payment type (check|cash) "cash">

XML example:
<payment type="check">
or
<payment type="cash">

Use enumerated attribute values when you want the attribute values to be one of a fixed set of legal values.