xs:element 

The element element can be used either
at the top level to define an element-type binding globally,
or within a content model to either reference a globally-defined
element or type or declare an element-type binding locally.
The ref form is not allowed at the top level.

Complex Type Information

Model

xs:annotation{0,1} , (xs:simpleType | xs:complexType) , xs:alternative* , (xs:unique | xs:key | xs:keyref)
Children: xs:alternative, xs:annotation, xs:complexType, xs:key, xs:keyref, xs:simpleType, xs:unique

Attributes

QName Type Fixed Default Use Inheritable Annotation
abstract xs:boolean false optional
block xs:blockSet optional
default xs:string optional
final xs:derivationSet optional
fixed xs:string optional
form xs:formChoice optional
id xs:ID optional
maxOccurs xs:allNNI 1 optional
minOccurs xs:nonNegativeInteger 1 optional
name xs:NCName optional
nillable xs:boolean optional
ref xs:QName optional
substitutionGroup xs:null optional
targetNamespace xs:anyURI optional
type xs:QName optional
Wildcard: ANY attribute from ANY namespace OTHER than 'http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema'

Used By

Complex Types xs:localElement, xs:topLevelElement

Source 

<xs:complexType name="element" abstract="true">
  <xs:annotation>
    <xs:documentation>The element element can be used either at the top level to define an element-type binding globally, or within a content model to either reference a globally-defined element or type or declare an element-type binding locally. The ref form is not allowed at the top level.</xs:documentation>
  </xs:annotation>
  <xs:complexContent>
    <xs:extension base="xs:annotated">
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:choice minOccurs="0">
          <xs:element name="simpleType" type="xs:localSimpleType"/>
          <xs:element name="complexType" type="xs:localComplexType"/>
        </xs:choice>
        <xs:element name="alternative" type="xs:altType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
        <xs:group ref="xs:identityConstraint" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
      </xs:sequence>
      <xs:attributeGroup ref="xs:defRef"/>
      <xs:attribute name="type" type="xs:QName"/>
      <xs:attribute name="substitutionGroup">
        <xs:simpleType>
          <xs:list itemType="xs:QName"/>
        </xs:simpleType>
      </xs:attribute>
      <xs:attributeGroup ref="xs:occurs"/>
      <xs:attribute name="default" type="xs:string"/>
      <xs:attribute name="fixed" type="xs:string"/>
      <xs:attribute name="nillable" type="xs:boolean" use="optional"/>
      <xs:attribute name="abstract" type="xs:boolean" default="false" use="optional"/>
      <xs:attribute name="final" type="xs:derivationSet"/>
      <xs:attribute name="block" type="xs:blockSet"/>
      <xs:attribute name="form" type="xs:formChoice"/>
      <xs:attribute name="targetNamespace" type="xs:anyURI"/>
    </xs:extension>
  </xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>