XML Fundamentals

Course Description:
In this course you will learn fundamentals necessary to use XML on the Web or in data processing applications. Through lecture and hands-on lab exercises, you will learn the essentials of data interoperability using XML, write well-formed XML documents, enforce document validity, use XSLT and stylesheets to transform XML documents, and get an introduction to XML programming APIs in languages such as Java and Perl.

Audience:
Anyone who needs an introduction to XML, including application developers, Web developers, XML document authors, and webmasters.

Prerequisites:
Familiarity with Web and data processing concepts. HTML and programming experience is helpful.

Course Contents

Getting Started with XML

• Data and Document Structure
• XML
• Well-Formed XML
• Validity vs. Well-Formed XML
• Enforcing Valid Documents: DTDs
• Presentation Style
• XSL and XSLT
• Using XML

XML Syntax

• XML Fundamentals
• Tag Attributes
• Naming Rules
• Empty and Non-Empty Elements
• Nesting and Hierarchy of Tags
• Processing Instructions and the XML
• Declaration
• Other XML Constructs
• Entity and Character References

Writing DTDs

• XML DTDs
• DOCTYPE
• Element Conditions and Quantifiers
• Attributes
• Attribute Default
• Parsed General Entities
• Parsed Parameterized Entities

Namespaces

• Why Namespaces?
• Namespace Prefixes and Declaration
• Multiple Namespace Declarations
• Declaring Namespaces in the Root Element
• Default Namespaces
• DTD's and Namespaces

Basic XML Schemas

• Schema Overview
• A Minimal Schema
• Associating Unqualified XML with a Schema
• Simple and Built-in Types
• Complex Types
• Element Declarations
• Attribute Declarations
• Choices
• Named Types and Anonymous Types

Transforming XML Using XSLT

• Transformations
• Templates
• XPath: Selecting a Node
• XPath: Navigating the Tree
• Extracting Element Values
• Choosing Specific Cases
• Multiple Element Transformation
• Sorting Elements

XML in Applications

• Reasons and Places for Using XML
• DOM Parsers
• SAX Parsers
• Web Services

Appendix A: Nameplaces and XML Schema

• Associating Qualified XML with a schema

Appendix B: Presenting XML for the Web - CSS

• Stylesheet Languages
• Formatting with Rules
• Defining Elements as Blocks
• Colors and Fonts
• Page Layout with CSS
• Lists