HTML Compare Configuration File Schema Guide

This section documents every element in the XML schema for the HTML Compare REST configuration file. Use it alongside the Configuration Files topic.

Occurrence indicators: [*] = zero or more, [?] = zero or once, [+] = one or more.

Element: `configuration` (root)

The root element. Contains parameters.

Element: `parameters`

Contains all comparison parameter groups. Child elements:

Element	Description
`comparisonType`	Controls how text is compared.
`formattingConfiguration`	Controls inline structural change handling.
`htmlConfiguration`	HTML-specific output configuration.
`mathmlConfiguration`	MathML comparison settings.
`svgConfiguration`	SVG comparison and display settings.
`tableConfiguration`	HTML table comparison behaviour.

Element: `comparisonType`

Parent: parameters. Contains characterByCharacter.

Element: `characterByCharacter`

Parent: comparisonType. Type: xs:boolean.

When true, comparison operates at character level rather than word level.

Element: `formattingConfiguration`

Parent: parameters. Controls which HTML elements are marked as inline structural changes. Contains:

Element	Description
`formattingElements`	Comma/space-separated list of inline and block-level formatting elements.
`ignoreFormattingElements`	When `true`, formatting elements show no change (addition/deletion/modification).
`retainComments`	Whether changes in comments are processed.

Element: `formattingElements`

Type: xs:string. Default includes: b, i, u, em, strong, emphasis, dfn, code, sup, small, s, span, basefont, font, bdo, bdi, br, mark, ins, del, ruby, rt, rp, div.

Element: `ignoreFormattingElements`

Type: xs:boolean. When true, any element in formattingElements will not show additions,
deletions, or modifications.

Element: `retainComments`

Type: xs:boolean. Controls whether HTML comment changes are processed and shown in output.

Element: `htmlConfiguration`

Parent: parameters. Controls output styling. Contains:

Element	Description
`inputAHighlightColour`	Highlight colour for deleted (A) content.
`inputAStyling`	Styling for deleted (A) content.
`inputBHighlightColour`	Highlight colour for added (B) content.
`inputBStyling`	Styling for added (B) content.

All elements are xs:string. Default: A = red, B = green.

Element: `mathmlConfiguration`

Parent: parameters. Contains mathmlGranularity.

Element: `mathmlGranularity`

Attribute mode [enum]:

Value	Description
`adjacent`	Repeats A and B MathML inputs side by side.
`detailed-adjacent`	Repeats inputs side by side with individual changes highlighted.
`inline`	Reports differences within MathML without duplicating inputs.

Element: `svgConfiguration`

Parent: parameters. Contains:

Element	Type	Description
`svgEnabled`	`xs:boolean`	Enable SVG comparison.
`svgGranularity`	enum	How to display SVG changes (`adjacent`, `detailed-adjacent`).
`svgZIndexEnabled`	`xs:boolean`	Enable Z-index change representation.
`zIndexMarkupStyle`	`xs:string`	Markup colour for Z-index changes (default: `purple`).
`svgFallbackEnabled`	`xs:boolean`	Fall back to ADJACENT if alignment is below threshold.
`svgFallbackChangedPercentage`	`xs:double`	Fallback threshold percentage.
`svgNumericToleranceEnabled`	`xs:boolean`	Ignore changes smaller than tolerance value.
`svgNumericToleranceValue`	`xs:string`	Tolerance value (default `1%`; also accepts pixel values).

Element: `tableConfiguration`

Parent: parameters. Contains:

Element	Type	Description
`columnKeyingMode`	enum	Column matching mode: `auto` or `position`.
`ignoreColumnOrder`	`xs:boolean`	Whether to ignore HTML table column order.
`invalidTableBehaviour`	enum	Processing for invalid tables: `fail`, `propagateUp`, `compareAsXml`.
`normalizeTableColumns`	`xs:boolean`	Whether to normalise HTML table column specification.
`validationLevel`	enum	Table validation strictness: `relaxed` or `strict`.
`warningReportMode`	enum	Warning reporting: `pis`, `message`, `comments`.

`columnKeyingMode` modes

Value	Description
`auto`	DocumentComparator manages keying automatically (also allows user-defined column keys).
`position`	Columns matched by position index (1-based, max defined by `col` attribute).

`invalidTableBehaviour` modes

Value	Description
`fail`	Throw an exception.
`propagateUp`	Propagate changes to the table level.
`compareAsXml`	Compare table content as well-formed XML.

`validationLevel` modes

Value	Description
`relaxed`	Known harmless invalidities do not bypass processing.
`strict`	All invalidities bypass the appropriate subsequent processing.

`warningReportMode` modes

Value	Description
`pis`	Report warnings using processing instructions (`dxml_warn`).
`message`	Report warnings using `xsl:message` (typically to stdout).
`comments`	Report warnings using XML comments.