Multiple XSD schema files to C# classes

Question

What is the best way to generate C# classes from multiple XSD schema files?

Some XSD schema files may have dependency to the other, I am trying to avoid duplicated C# classes being generated.

score 65 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 26 '15 at 21:09

65

Use the XSD.EXE program, but pass all of the schemas to the program on the same command line.

For example:

> xsd /c qbxmltypes130.xsd QBUqbxmlops130.xsd QBUqbxmlso130.xsd QBUqbxml130.xsd

Will emit a class named:

qbxmltypes130_QBUqbxmlops130_QBUqbxmlso130_QBUqbxml130.cs

In this case these are Quickbooks Desktop SDK xsd files, and the final file has types it depends on in the first 3 files. It won't emit on its own, but with its dependencies it works as desired.

Note that there is a /parameters:<file> switch that allows you to specify a file of command line parameters. I remember using it in one project for a similar reason.

XSD.EXE doc has the parameter format.

edited Jan 26 '15 at 21:09

Chris Moschini

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answered Jul 16 '09 at 21:48

John Saunders

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Just adding an example "xsd.exe /classes /n:{your_namespace} {file1}.xsd {file2}.xsd {file3}.xsd /out:{your output folder}" – HelpMatters Jul 03 '14 at 15:11
No need to use Altova XML Spy for generating C# classes from XSDs with multiple references from now on. – setzamora Jun 24 '15 at 04:06
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A final addition to the excellent example @vivekp gave: The last file named in the sequence seems to be the one used for generating the class file name. So his example would produce the class file {your output folder}\{file3}.cs – PellucidWombat Dec 20 '15 at 04:30
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Gives an error and doesn't generate classes if you have circular group references. – Huseyin Yagli Dec 12 '17 at 12:52
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Thanks, for the answer. – Nayan Hodar Mar 19 '18 at 05:28

score 35 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 12 '09 at 14:21

35

I for one found the examples in the MSDN doc a bit lacking. Here's an example parameters file for the issue codemeit described:

<xsd xmlns='http://microsoft.com/dotnet/tools/xsd/'>
<generateClasses language='CS' namespace='Namespace.subnamespace'>
    <schema>FirstSchema.xsd</schema>
    <schema>AnotherSchema.xsd</schema>
    <schema>LastSchema.xsd</schema>
</generateClasses>
</xsd>

answered Oct 12 '09 at 14:21

anony mouse

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Thanks, @anony_mouse -- I was looking for a good example of that syntax! – ewall Oct 04 '10 at 18:37
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if you get the error "specified path or file name too long" try placing a ".\" infront of the last file and it resolves the problem, note that the output file will then be named by the last file.. – Peter Nov 19 '13 at 07:21
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Might be worth mentioning this file has to have the .xml extension and not .xsd. Battled for a bit there, and my includes are over 50. But managed to get it working, it only took 2 seconds to generate – Donald N. Mafa Aug 17 '21 at 05:27

Multiple XSD schema files to C# classes

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