XSD any Element

To extend the XML document with elements not specified by the schema, the <any> element is used.

The <any> Element:

To make EXTENSIBLE documents, i.e., to allow documents to contain additional elements that are not declared in the main XML schema, the <any> and <anyAttribute> elements are used.

Example:

Explanation:

In the above example, we are displaying a fragment from an XML schema called “friend.xsd”, declaring the “student” element. The content of “student” with any element can be extended after <lastname> by using the <any> element.

sibling.xsd:

Explanation:

In the above example, we are extending the “student” element with a “sibling” element, even if the author of the schema above never declared any “sibling” element.

Myfriend.xml:

  Tom
  Jonas
  
    Jack
  



  John
  Davis

Explanation:

In the above example, we are creating the “Myfriend.xml” file to use the components from two different schemas; “friend.xsd” and “sibling.xsd”. Now, since the schema “friend.xsd” allows us to extend the “student” element with an optional element after the “lastname” element, the XML file Myfriend.xml is valid.