XML/ XSD Design Patterns

XML Design Patterns suggested by Oracle

Design Pattern	Characteristics	Advantages	Disadvantages
Russian Doll	Contains only one global element. All other elements are local.	Contains only one valid root element. Could reduce the complexity of namespace, depending on theelementFormDefaultattribute of the schema.	Allows reuse for all or no elements. Supports single-file schemas only.
Salami Slice	Contains all global elements, hence many potential root elements.	Contains all reusable elements. Supports reuse of elements from other documents.	Exposes the complexity in namespace. Renders the root difficult to determine.
Venetian Blind	Is an extension of Russian Doll and contains only one global element. All other elements are local.	Contains only one single root element. Allows reuse for all the types and the single global element. Allows multiple files.	Limits encapsulation by exposing types.
Garden of Eden	Is a combination of Venetian Blind and Salami Slice. All elements and types are global, hence many potential root elements.	Allows reuse of both elements and types. Allows multiple files.	Contains many potential root elements. Limits encapsulation by exposing types. Is difficult to read and understand.

For more information refer http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/design-patterns-142138.html