XML Introduction

XML has become the de-facto standard way to integrate data between applications and with external trading partners. This course provides a fast-paced tour of the various XML technologies that have emerged over the last decade.

The course begins by describing the structure of XML documents, and then explains how to validate XML documents, locate content in an XML document, and transform content to a different format or grammar. The course also summarizes various additional techniques, to help you understand what's possible with XML.

Duration

1 day

 

Prerequisites

  • Familiarity with HTML and CSS would be an advantage

What you'll learn

  • Understanding XML document structure
  • Validating XML using DTD and XSD
  • Locating content using XPath
  • Transforming content using XSLT
  • Additional techniques

Course details

XML Syntax and Semantics

  • The role of XML
  • XML vs. HTML
  • XML Document structure, elements, and attributes
  • Namespaces
  • Comments, processing instructions, and CDATA sections
  • Document design guidelines

Document Type Definitions (DTDs)

  • Overview of DTDs
  • Defining elements and attributes
  • Defining entities
  • DTDs and namespaces

XML Schemas (XSD)

  • Overview of XSD
  • XSD vs. DTD
  • Defining elements and attributes
  • Defining simple types and complex types

XPath

  • Overview of XPath
  • Using XPath to locate content
  • XPath functions and operators

XSLT

  • Overview of XSLT
  • XSLT vs. CSS
  • Defining template rules
  • Generating XML, HTML, and plain text results

Additional Techniques and Standards

  • DOM manipulation
  • XLink and XPointer
  • XQuery
  • XSL-FO