Introduction to XML

The course is designed for everyone who wants to become familiar with basic concepts of XML and its related technologies.

• Create well formed XML document.
• XML validation using XSD or DTD.
• The ability to read DTD and XSD declaration.

• The ability to edit markup text.
• Previous experience with HTML is a great advantage.

Professional explanation with practical samples and examples.

Powerpoint handouts and module printouts

Getting started

• XML application areas.
• History of XML and HTML, SGML markup languages.
• The structure of an XML application.
• Overview of XML editors.
• Overview of XML parsers, DOM, SAX libraries.

The structured of XML

• Basic terminology: opening, closing tag, attributes.
• XML entity.
• Model of XML document, parent, child, sibling relationships.
• XML node types: element, attribute, text, comments, processing instructions.
• XML and character sets, Windows 1250, ISO 8859-2, UTF-8, UTF-16
• Well formed document

Design of XML document

• Creating data dictionary.
• Valid characters in XML names, naming convention.
• Best practices.

Document Type Definition

• Internal and external DTD.
• Instructions ELEMENT, ATTLIST.
• The sequence of child elements, alternative content.
• Multiple child element occurrence.
• Mixed content.
• A default attribute value, enumeration.

XML Namespace

• Function of XML namespace and unique identifiers.
• Mixing XML languages.
• Web languages XHTML, SVG, MathML, CML.

XML Schema

• Simple vs. complex data types.
• Restrictions and extensions.
• Ways of organizing child elements.
• Global vs. local declaration.
• Methods of designing XML schemas.

Presenting XML content

• XML and CSS styles.
• XSL transformations, and XPath.

Next courses

XML/XSD – diagrams and their use [XMLXSD]