XML Schema was approved as a W3C Recommendation in May, 2001 and is now being widely used for structuring XML documents for e-commerce and Web Services applications. This session provides an introduction into the various components of the XML Schema description language. Topics discussed include the origins of XML Schema and XML DTD’s and the benefits of XML Schema vs. XML DTD’s. A discussion of the importance of object-orientation and inheritance in the XML Schema standard is also included. In addition, a graphical model for representing different XML Schema components will be introduced that greatly helps express XML Schemas. We'll investigate existing methods and principles for applied XML Schema design that have their roots in proven object-oriented analysis and design principles. We’ll conclude with an overview of existing tools for XML Schema design and a live demonstration of various methods for creating XML Schemas including: from scratch, DTD to XML Schema transformations, and Schema to Schema transformations.