Introduction to XML


Prerequisite:  Working knowledge of HTML


This class is a hands-on introduction to the EXtensible Markup Language for those familiar with HTML. XML is a meta-language that allows creation of customized tags, allowing more customized markup for information types that exceed the limited scope of HTML. XML is less free-form than HTML, has more powerful linking capabilities, and allows structured data handling. Learn how to move from HTML to XML, create correctly-structured XML documents, create Document Type Definitions (DTD), define elements and attributes, use XML namespaces, style XML with cascading style sheets.


Topics

Lesson 1 — Getting Started with XML
Agenda
Objectives
What is XML?
What does XML offer?
What about HTML?
From HTML to XML
XML Terminology
Convert HTML to XML
Create Well-Formed XML.
Well-Formed XML
Create Valid XML
Music Catalog - Sample DTD
Data Structure Tree
Music Catalog - Sample XML
Conclusions

Lesson 2 — Creating Well-Formed XML
Overview
Creating a basic XML file
Using Internet Explorer to debug your code
Structuring the data tree
Completing the data design
Linking to style information

Lesson 3 — Creating Valid XML Documents
Overview
Creating a basic Document Type Definition (DTD)
Enforcing parent-child relationships in the DTD
Adding additional elements
Using element structure symbols
Creating an external DTD
Linking to an external DTD

Lesson 4 — Defining Element Attributes and Entities
Overview — XML attributes
Declaring attributes in the DTD
Specifying enumerated attribute values
Specifying required attribute values
Specifying fixed attribute values
Completing the attribute specifications
Overview — XML entities
Defining an internal entity reference
Defining an external entity reference

Lesson 5 — Using HTML with XML
Overview — Using the HTML namespace
Declaring the HTML namespace
Adding an image to the file
Adding a hypertext link to the file

Lesson 6 — Challenge Exercise