Simple data types

Page Summary

• Simple data types in the XML spec have general requirements for content and formatting.

• For xs:string, trim whitespace and convert to Title Case for readability.

• xs:date, xs:dateTime, and PartialDate should be in ISO-8601 format, with PartialDate allowing different levels of specificity.

• xs:boolean values should be either true or false (case-sensitive).

• xs:language should be a two-character, lower-case ISO 639 value.

The following are general requirements for the content and formatting of simple data types in the XML spec.

Note: Omit all optional data that doesn't have a value from your XML feeds.

xs:string

Keep the following best practices in mind when you use the xs:string data type:

• Always trim the string to remove leading and trailing white space.
• If the string is presented to end users, such as with party names, office titles, or proper names, convert the data to Title Case when possible to aid readability.

Dates and times

Note: ISO-8601 requires dates to use the Gregorian calendar. Dates in feeds should be converted to the Gregorian calendar if they originate from sources using other calendars.

Note: Make sure to provide the exact date when it's available.

xs:date

When you use the xs:date data type, enter it in ISO-8601 format.

xs:dateTime

When you use the xs:dateTime data type, enter it in ISO-8601 format.

PartialDate

PartialDate is a union that lets you set dates in ISO-8601 format at different levels of specificity:

• Specific date as YYYY-MM-DD
• Period of one month as YYYY-MM
• Period of one year as YYYY

xs:boolean

When you use the xs:boolean data type, enter it with a value of either true or false (case-sensitive).

xs:language

When you use the xs:language data type, enter it as a two-character, lower-case value that corresponds to the ISO 639 standard.