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Schematron Enhancements and Clarifications Initiative

Schematron is an absolutely awesome technology. The ability to validate XML documents beyond the more "classic" validation languages (like DTDs, XML Schemas and RelaxNG) has proven very valuable. Messages can be tailored to exactly what's needed. Validation outcomes, in SVRL, can be post-processed into any format.

However, when you dive a little deeper, the Schematron standard itself has it flaws. Not everything is explained or defined very clearly. Some things are left to the imagination of the implementers. There are several incompatibilities and bugs.

The Schematron Enhancement Proposals GitHub repository and its accompanying Wiki (which you're reading now) sets out to do something about this. Our goal with this wiki is to create a body of proposals for Schematron standard enhancements and clarifications. Once this is done we will try to have ISO reopen the standardization process. Participation from anyone reading this is encouraged!

Note that there is no obligation to have implemented (either partially or fully) any proposal you make.

UPDATE: In September 2022, ISO established a new working group of experts to revise the standard. A working draft is in progress and the process is expected to finish in 2025.

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Main subjects

• General clarifications and enhancements
• Schematron Validation Reporting Language (SVRL)
• Query Binding
• Additions