xmlhack: Experimental non-XML syntax for RELAX NG

James Clark has announced the release of an experimental non-XML syntax for RELAX NG and a Java translator implementation that converts instances of the syntax into RELAX NG's XML syntax.

He takes special care in the announcement to mention that the release "is NOT an official part of RELAX NG and is NOT a product of the OASIS RELAX NG TC."

A document describing the syntax includes a BNF grammar for it and tables that show how the non-XML syntax maps to RELAX NG's XML syntax. The document also mentions that the syntax was designed with the following features in mind:

Maximize readability
Support all features of RELAX NG
Support separate translation. A RELAX NG schema may be spread amongst multiple files. It must be possible to represent each of the files separately in the non-XML syntax. The representation of each file must not depend on the other files.

The document also mentions that the syntax "is similar to the type syntax in the XQuery 1.0 Formal Semantics W3C Working Draft".

Other documents at the site include an example showing the schema for RELAX NG's XML syntax written in the non-XML syntax, and explanation of how to use the Java translator for the syntax.