XML For Dummies«, 3rd Edition

by Ed Tittel

• ISBN13: 9780764516573
• ISBN10: 0764516574
• Edition: CD
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

XML lets developers capture, manipulate and exchange virtually any kind of document or data, without loss of integrity. Because XML lets you create common formats for sharing information between devices and platforms-such as mobile phones, Web browsers and company data stores-many experts have begun calling it the "lingua franca," or universal language of the Digital Age. Developers, especially developers for the Web and intranets, can't afford to be XML illiterate. But that powerful markup language has a lot of rules and can be a bit tricky to master. And that's where this book comes in. XML For Dummies offers you a fast, fun, and easy way to become XML literate. With a minimum of technobabble and tons of sample applications and case studies, the authors get you on track with XML and all its special features. You'll: Make the most of XML's extensible characteristics Combine XML and XHTML Get the hang of DTDs, XML Schema, XLink, and XPath Design XML applications to support graphics, complex linking, document navigation, multimedia, and more Use XML with style sheets and XSL From the abc's of markup languages to XML Web services, XML For Dummies covers all the bases. Designed to give you the practical experience you need to put XML to work right away, it offer hands-on, step-by-step coverage of: Planning and defining XML documents Creating custom DTDs Using XML schema Using and delivering XML content Linking languages, including the XML linking language, path language, and pointer language Creating documents with authoring tools Using XML parser engines and conversion tools XML Web services As an added bonus, XML For Dummies comes with a CD-ROM containing a goldmine of powerful XML development tools, including: Example markup from the book XML Spy, Epic Editor, and IBM XML Schema Quality Checker AElfred, XML4J, Amaya and other freeware and open source products With XML, the dream of total data connectivity and exchange is at last a reality. Don't get left behind. Get XML For Dummies and join the XML revolution.

Author Biography

Ed Tittel is a full-time writer and trainer who has more than 110 computer books to his credit Natanya Pitts and Frank Boumphrey have both written several books on HTML and XML

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	4	(4)
Why XML Is ``eXtreMely cooL''	4	(1)
XML Basics	5	(1)
Putting XML to Work	5	(1)
Using and Delivering XML Content	6	(1)
XML's Lovely Linking Languages	6	(1)
XML in the Real World	7	(1)
The Part of Tens	7	(1)
Appendix: About the CD	7	(1)
Glossary	8	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	8	(1)
Where to Go from Here	9	(2)
Part I: Why XML Is ``eXtreMely cooL''	11	(42)
Understanding What XML Is - and Why You Should Care	13	(12)
Getting to Know Markup Language Lingo	13	(1)
A Wee Bit of Background: Markup Languages	14	(3)
Introducing SGML: The mother of all metalanguages	15	(1)
Introducing HTML	15	(1)
Introducing XML	16	(1)
Introducing XHTML	16	(1)
Understanding Why XML Suits So Many Dang Applications	17	(1)
Using XML for a Variety of Output Options	18	(4)
Using XML for data and HTML for display	19	(1)
Using XML for enhanced post-processing functions	20	(1)
Using XML for data exchange	21	(1)
Building XML Documents	22	(1)
Breaking Out Your Text Editor	23	(2)
Comparing and Combining HTML and XML	25	(16)
What HTML Does Best and Where Its Limits Lie	25	(2)
Comparing and Contrasting XML and HTML	27	(4)
Using tags, elements, and attributes to describe data	28	(2)
The benefits of using HTML	30	(1)
The benefits of using XML	30	(1)
XHTML 1.0: Best of Both Worlds	31	(1)
Making the Switch: Conversion	32	(9)
Converting HTML to XHTML	32	(2)
All elements have explicit starts and ends	34	(1)
Tags are nested correctly	35	(1)
All attribute values are quoted	35	(1)
Empty elements are formatted correctly	36	(1)
Converting XHTML to XML	37	(4)
Getting XML Basics Down Pat	41	(12)
XML by Excellent Example	41	(2)
Using OFX to describe financial data	42	(1)
Tracking ancestry with GedML	42	(1)
A Truly Simple XML Document	43	(2)
The role of markup	44	(1)
Beyond the markup	44	(1)
Getting Comfy with DTDs and Schemas	45	(3)
Predefined DTDs and schemas	46	(1)
Your own DTD or schema	47	(1)
All about Context	48	(3)
Having that liberating feeling that only context-free data gives you	48	(1)
Creating context with style	49	(2)
XML Doesn't Work Alone	51	(2)
Part II: XML Basics	53	(86)
Planning an XML Document That Does Something Great	55	(16)
Gettin' Down with Some Basic XML Rules	55	(3)
Some Rules Aren't Meant to Be Broken	58	(3)
Seeking Validation with DTD and XML Schema	61	(2)
Content Analysis and You	63	(5)
Getting started by gathering some content	64	(1)
Slicing and dicing recipe content	65	(1)
Jumping right in and making markup	66	(1)
Using trial and error for the best fit	66	(1)
Testing your content analysis	67	(1)
Building a Better (Or Different) Bean Burrito	68	(3)
Defining XML Documents	71	(6)
The Magic of Metadata	71	(1)
Why Describe XML Documents?	72	(2)
Creating XML Document Descriptions	74	(1)
XML Document Descriptions Compared and Contrasted	74	(1)
Choosing between DTD and XML Schema	75	(2)
Understanding and Using DTDs	77	(18)
What's a DTD?	77	(2)
Reading a Simple DTD	79	(5)
Inspecting an XML prolog	79	(1)
Examining an XML declaration	80	(1)
Discovering a DOCTYPE declaration	81	(1)
Understanding comments	82	(1)
Processing instructions	83	(1)
What about that white space?	83	(1)
Using Element Declarations	84	(4)
Using the ANY element type and the EMPTY element type	85	(1)
Adding mixed content to the mix	85	(1)
Using element content to keep children in line	86	(2)
Getting a Handle on Attribute-List Declarations	88	(2)
Discovering Entity Declarations	90	(1)
Understanding Notation Declarations	90	(1)
Deciding Whether to Include a DTD	91	(1)
Ways to Include DTDs or Definitions	92	(3)
The inside view: Internal DTD subsets	92	(1)
Calling for outside support: Referencing external DTDs	92	(1)
Two is sometimes better than one	93	(2)
Creating Custom DTDs	95	(14)
Understanding Your Data	95	(1)
Defining Some Element Types	96	(1)
Understanding Hierarchy and Adding Order to Your Elements	96	(5)
Understanding the family tree	96	(1)
Choosing a root element	97	(1)
Creating a hierarchical map of elements	98	(2)
Using attributes to shed light on relationships	100	(1)
Developing and Defining Your Elements and Their Content	101	(1)
Declaring Attributes	102	(1)
Creating Shortcuts with Entities	103	(2)
Internalizing entities	103	(1)
Externalizing entities	104	(1)
Calling Your DTD	105	(2)
Internal DTDs	105	(1)
External DTDs	106	(1)
Creating a Simple External DTD	107	(2)
Understanding and Using XML Schema	109	(16)
What's an XML Schema?	110	(1)
So Many Datatypes, So Little Time	111	(2)
XML Prolog	113	(1)
Document Structures	113	(4)
Element declarations	114	(2)
Attribute declarations	116	(1)
Attribute groups	117	(1)
What about that white space?	117	(1)
Datatype Declarations	117	(2)
Simple datatypes	118	(1)
Complex datatypes	118	(1)
Defining constraints and value checks	119	(1)
Dealing with Entities, Notations, and More	119	(1)
Annotations	120	(1)
Deciding When to Use a Schema	121	(1)
Referencing XML Schema Documents	122	(2)
The inside view: Referencing a schema in an XML document	122	(1)
Calling for outside support: Referencing external schemas in your schema	122	(2)
Double-checking Your Schemas and Documents	124	(1)
Building Custom XML Schemas	125	(14)
Understanding Your Data	127	(1)
Being the Root of All Structure: Elements	127	(2)
Building Content Models	129	(3)
Using Attributes to Shed Some Light on Data Structure	132	(1)
Using Datatype Declarations to Define What's What	133	(2)
Tricks of the Trade	135	(1)
Creating a Simple Schema	136	(3)
Part III: Putting XML to Work	139	(50)
DTDs at Work	141	(20)
Eliciting Markup from the DTD	142	(4)
Defining the structure of the Recipe element	142	(1)
Understanding the implications: What's valid - and what's not	143	(3)
Trading Flexibility for Structure	146	(1)
A Matter of Selection: The Selection Technique	147	(2)
Using the Selection Technique to Mix Up the Order	149	(2)
Mixing Up Your Content Models	151	(1)
Working with General Entity References in DTDs	152	(2)
Using Parameter Entities in DTDs	154	(2)
Using parameter entities to save time	155	(1)
Creating flexible DTDs with parameter entities	155	(1)
Calling All DTDs!	156	(1)
When DTD Definitions Collide	157	(2)
Turning DTD Content On or Off: IGNORE	159	(2)
XML Schema at Work	161	(18)
Trading Control for Flexibility	161	(1)
Eliciting Markup from an XML Schema	162	(1)
Modifying a Schema	163	(2)
Using Datatypes Effectively	165	(2)
Using datatypes with data-intensive content	166	(1)
Using datatypes with text-intensive content	167	(1)
Making Elements Work Wisely and Well	167	(4)
Creating crafty content models	167	(1)
A matter of selection	168	(2)
Mixing up the order	170	(1)
Using Complex Datatypes	171	(1)
When XML Schemas Collide: Namespaces	172	(1)
Including External Data	173	(1)
Including/Excluding Document Content	174	(1)
Converting DTDs to Schemas	175	(4)
Adding Character to XML	179	(10)
About Character Encodings	180	(1)
Introducing Unicode	181	(1)
Of Character Sets, Fonts, Scripts, and Glyphs	182	(1)
For Each Character, a Code	183	(1)
Key Character Sets	183	(3)
Using Unicode Characters	186	(1)
Finding Character Entity Information	186	(3)
Part IV: Using and Delivering XML Content	189	(56)
Inside an XML Solution	191	(10)
So You Have Some XML Now What?	191	(5)
Data exchange with XML	192	(2)
Displaying your XML content	194	(1)
Programming frameworks	195	(1)
Data storage	196	(1)
XML and Databases	196	(1)
The Role of Style and Transformation	197	(4)
Using XSLT for data transformation	197	(1)
Using style sheets	198	(1)
Transformation for style?	199	(2)
Using XSL with XML	201	(20)
The Two Faces of XSL	201	(1)
How We Got Here...The Long Road to XSL	202	(2)
XSLT	204	(1)
XSL-FO	205	(1)
Why XSL Style Sheets Are XML Documents	206	(1)
A Simple Transformation Using XSLT	207	(5)
The bean burrito recipe	207	(2)
Describing the bean burrito recipe with XHTML	209	(1)
An XSL style sheet for converting XML to XHTML	210	(2)
Creating and Using Templates	212	(3)
Using patterns	213	(1)
Using instructions to get results	213	(1)
Processing element content	214	(1)
Dealing with Repeating Elements	215	(1)
Using a Different Approach: Abbreviated Syntax	216	(1)
Introducing XSL-FO	217	(2)
Getting comfortable with formatting objects	217	(1)
Formatting objects and the bean burrito recipe	218	(1)
Understanding XSL-FO Syntax	219	(2)
Processing XML	221	(12)
Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give a DOM	221	(5)
Keeping in touch with the family	223	(2)
Understanding DOM structure	225	(1)
Introducing XSL-FO and XSLT	226	(2)
What Goes In Must Come Out: Processing XML	228	(5)
So many processors, so little time	229	(1)
Which processor is right for you?	230	(3)
Viewing XML on the Web	233	(12)
Not Letting the Realities of the Web Intrude: CSS	234	(1)
Tasting Cascading Style Sheets Flavors	235	(1)
CSS1: The original master of Web style	235	(1)
CSS2: The current style master	236	(1)
Building a Style Sheet with CSS	236	(1)
The Basics of CSS	237	(5)
A simple CSS style sheet for XML	239	(1)
Dissecting a simple CSS style sheet	239	(3)
Linking CSS to XML	242	(1)
XSL and CSS Pack a 1-2 Punch	243	(2)
Part V: XML's Lovely Linking Languages	245	(46)
The XML Linking Language	247	(18)
Discovering XLink	247	(1)
Using Namespaces	248	(5)
Behind the scenes with namespaces	249	(1)
Building XML documents with namespaces	250	(1)
Seeing a namespace at work	251	(2)
Using Namespaces to Link Elements in XLink	253	(2)
Types of Linking Elements	255	(1)
Simple XLink elements	255	(1)
What can we show you?	256	(1)
Describing local and remote links	256	(1)
Extending Basic Linking Behaviors	256	(2)
Using the extended element	257	(1)
Using the locator element	257	(1)
When Links Get Out of Line	258	(1)
Creating Link Groups	259	(3)
Creating Link Elements	262	(1)
XHTML versus XLink	263	(2)
The XML Path Language	265	(16)
Where Do XPaths Lead?	265	(5)
Why do you need directions?	266	(1)
The paths and way stations of XML	267	(3)
XPath Directions and Destinations	270	(1)
LocationPaths: Describing the Journey	271	(5)
Some simple location paths	272	(1)
Adding expressions	273	(1)
Taking steps	273	(1)
More on adding expressions	273	(1)
Looking at attributes	274	(1)
May we see your ID?	274	(1)
Going backwards	274	(1)
Reversing direction	275	(1)
Null results	275	(1)
Getting to the root of things	276	(1)
The Axes of XPath	276	(1)
The Short Version	277	(2)
Client axis abbreviations	277	(1)
Attribute axis abbreviation	277	(1)
Predicate and expression abbreviations	277	(1)
Some more abbreviations	278	(1)
Using XPath with XPointer and XSL	279	(1)
Where to Now?	279	(2)
The XML Pointer Language	281	(10)
Anchors (And Fragments) Away	281	(3)
Why Do You Need XPointers?	284	(1)
Understanding XPointer Syntax	285	(3)
Show me your ID	285	(1)
Please step me through this!	286	(2)
Show me the path	288	(1)
What If I Don't Have My ID?	288	(1)
How Much Can I Get You?	289	(2)
Part VI: XML in the Real World	291	(36)
Cool XML Tools and Technologies	293	(12)
Creating Documents with Authoring Tools	293	(3)
Epic Editor	294	(1)
Turbo XML v2.2	294	(1)
XMetaL 3	295	(1)
XML Pro v2.0	295	(1)
XML Spy 4.3	295	(1)
Checking Documents with Parser Tools	296	(2)
Ælfred	297	(1)
expat v1.2	297	(1)
Lark	297	(1)
SP v1.3	298	(1)
XML4J Parser 3.2.1	298	(1)
Viewing with XML Browsers	298	(2)
Amaya	299	(1)
Internet Explorer 6	299	(1)
Mozilla	299	(1)
Opera	300	(1)
Using XML Parsers and Engines	300	(2)
XML C Library for Gnome	301	(1)
Java XML Pack	301	(1)
Xerces	301	(1)
Employing Conversion Tools	302	(1)
HTML Tidy	302	(1)
XMLPDF library	302	(1)
Xml2lit library	303	(1)
Extensible Programming Script (XPS)	303	(1)
The Ultimate XML Grab Bag and Goodie Box	303	(2)
Microsoft does XML, too!	303	(1)
webMethods automates XML excellence	304	(1)
XML and Web Services	305	(12)
What's Up with Web Services?	306	(3)
A Web Services Architecture	309	(6)
Transport: Moving XML messages	310	(1)
Packaging/Extensions: Managing information exchange	311	(1)
Description: Specifying services and related components	312	(2)
Discovery: Finding what's available	314	(1)
Where Will Web Services Lead?	315	(2)
XML on the Spot!	317	(10)
When XML Data Meets the Web	317	(2)
XML to the Rescue!	319	(1)
Putting XML to Work: Case Studies	320	(4)
Novell, Inc.	320	(2)
IBM Corporation	322	(1)
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.	323	(1)
A Super Sampler of XML Applications	324	(3)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	327	(18)
Ten Top XML Applications	329	(8)
XHTML = XML + HTML	330	(1)
XML Style Is a Matter of Application	330	(1)
Wireless Markup Language (WML)	330	(1)
DocBook, Anyone?	331	(1)
Mathematical Markup Language (MathML)	331	(1)
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)	332	(1)
Resource Description Framework (RDF)	332	(1)
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL)	333	(1)
Servin' Up Web Services	333	(1)
XML-Data	334	(1)
Create XML Applications with Zope	335	(2)
Ten Ultimate XML Resources	337	(8)
XML's Many and Marvelous Specs	337	(1)
An XML Nonpareil	338	(1)
Top XML Tutorial Sites	338	(1)
XML in the Mail	338	(1)
Excellent XML Examples	339	(1)
XML News and Information	339	(1)
XML Training Offerings	340	(1)
Building a Bodacious XML Bookshelf	341	(1)
Studying XML for Certification	342	(1)
Serious Searches Lead to Success	343	(2)
Appendix A: About the CA	345	(8)
System Requirements	345	(1)
Using the CD with Microsoft Windows	346	(1)
Using the CD with the Mac OS	347	(1)
Using the CD with Linux	348	(1)
What You Find	349	(2)
Book-related CD Content	350	(1)
If You Have Problems of the CD Kind	351	(2)
Appendix B: Glossary	353	(14)
Index	367	(20)
Hungry Minds End-user License Agreement	387