File Extension XSD

XSD files are schema definition files that are used for defining the structure and format of a XML file. These are used for defining the exact elements and attributes that may be used within an XML file. It also defines the relationships between various elements and also defines the type of data that each of them can hold. These files are written using the W3C XML Schema language and are themselves structured just like an XML file. Apart from XSD files sometimes DTD or Data Type Definition Files are also used for the same purpose of defining the schema or structure of XML files. XML files are usually validated against these XSD or DTD files to ensure that the files are in the correct format. These files are written in standard ASCII text based format and can be opened or edited using any standard text editors.