Is there a way to export an XSD schema from a DataContract

Question

I'm using DataContractSerializer to serialize/deserialize my classes to/from XML. Everything works fine, but at some point I'd like to establish a standard schema for the format of these XML files independent of the actual code. That way if something breaks in the serialization process I can always go back and check what the standard schema should be. Or if I do need to modify the schema the modification is an explicit decision rather then just a later affect of modifying my code.

In addition, other people may be writing other software that may not be .NET based that would need to read from these XML files. I'd like to be able to provide them with some kind of documentation of the schema.

Is there some relationship between a DataContract and an XSD schema. Is there a way to export the DataContract attributes in classes as an XSD schema?

Answer 1

Svcutil.exe can "export metadata for compiled data contracts".
There is relationship between DataContract and XSD:

The DataContractSerializer maps CLR types to XSD when metadata is exported from a Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) service using a metadata endpoint or the ServiceModel Metadata Utility Tool (Svcutil.exe). For more information, see Data Contract Serializer.

The DataContractSerializer also maps XSD to CLR types when Svcutil.exe is used to access Web Services Description Language (WSDL) or XSD documents and generate data contracts for services or clients.

You can get the XSD(s) at run-time as well, even in your browser, by setting up a MEX endpoint.
The WSDL by default will contain references to XSD(s) that can be accessed through the endpoint as well.

Answer 2

You might be able to generate schema files from DataContracts using the svcutil.exe tool that comes with Visual Studio.

svcutil myAssembly.dll
   - Generate metadata documents for Service Contracts and associated types in an assembly

svcutil myServiceHost.exe /serviceName:myServiceName
   - Generate metadata documents for a service, and all associated Service Contracts and data types in an assembly

svcutil myServiceHost.exe /dconly
   - Generate metadata documents for data types in an assembly

I believe I messed with this at one point in the past, and may or may not have gotten it to work. Another easy way to generate schemas is to stand up a WCF service that uses your data contracts, and access the WSDL. The WSDL will import all the xsds for the DataContracts.