XML : Problem - Design - Solution

by Amiano, Mitch; D'Cruz, Conrad; Ethier, Kay; Thomas, Michael D.

• ISBN13: 9780471791195
• ISBN10: 0471791199
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-06-13
• Publisher: Wrox

Summary

Offering a unique approach to learning XML, this book walks readers through the process of building a complete, functional, end-to-end XML solution Featured case study is an online business product catalog that includes reports, data input/output, workflow, stylesheet formatting, RSS feeds, and integration with external services like Google, eBay, and Amazon The format of presenting a problem and working through the design to come up with a solution enables readers to understand how XML markup allows a business to share data across applications internally or with partners or customers even though they might not use the same applications

Author Biography

Mitch Amiano began his career developing process automation applications for small businesses. Quietly using markup languages since 1994, and database management systems since 1989, Mitch has worked in process/quality teams and advanced tool departments at Fortune 500 companies, as well as consulting to small and medium-sized businesses. In 2003, Mitch founded Agile Markup Corporation where he provides XML and open source training and development services. In his spare time, Mitch plays with number theory and edible landscaping. He also serves on his town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, of which he was 2005 Chair.

Conrad D’Cruz, an independent consultant with more than 14 years’ experience, loves to work in the area where business meets technology. He is active in the technology and business users’ groups in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. He was contributing author for Enterprise Integration Patterns: Designing, Building, and Deploying Messaging Solutions and coauthored Cocoon 2 Programming: Web Publishing with XML and Java. When he is not working, he can be found at the controls of a light aircraft exercising the privileges of his private pilot’s certificate or participating in search and rescue exercises with the U.S. Civil Air Patrol.

Kay Ethier is an Adobe Certified Expert in FrameMaker with long experience in structured document publishing with SGML and XML. She is also a certified trainer with WebWorks University. Kay instructs in XML and other training classes, consults, and provides hotline support for clients in a variety of industries. In 2001, Kay coauthored the book XMLWeekend Crash Course. That same year, she was technical editor for GoLive 6 Magic. In 2004, Kay was a contributing author for Advanced FrameMaker, and sole author of XML and FrameMaker. Her most recent collaboration was on a Korean-English book, Learning Korean: Martial Arts Terminology.

Michael D. Thomas is a technical architect with SAS. He has authored two other books, Java Programming for the Internet and Oracle XSQL. He is a frequent conference speaker on XML, Java, and web services topics. Throughout his career, he has designed and implemented enterprise-class web-based systems. While working at IBM, he was one of the youngest people to ever receive an Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, due in part to his work with web services.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	xvii
XML and the Enterprise	1	(18)
Problem	1	(1)
Design	2	(15)
A Brief History of XML	2	(2)
Understanding XML Basics	4	(1)
Exploring the Winery Markup Example	5	(1)
Determining an Information Model for the Winery XML	6	(4)
Problems That XML Addresses	10	(7)
Solution	17	(1)
Summary	17	(2)
Well-Formed XML	19	(6)
Problem	19	(1)
Design	19	(4)
Producing a Well-Formed XML Document	20	(3)
Introducing Valid XML	23	(1)
Developing Your Structure	23	(1)
Solution	23	(1)
Summary	24	(1)
Creating and Distributing a Structure for Shared Information	25	(14)
Problem	25	(1)
Design	26	(9)
Creating a Document Structure (Information Model)	26	(1)
Examining the Structure at the Outset	27	(6)
Revising the Structure	33	(2)
Solution	35	(3)
Summary	38	(1)
Presenting XML Directly	39	(20)
Problem	39	(2)
Promoting Product Online	39	(1)
Pertinent Product Data	40	(1)
Extracting Requirements	41	(1)
Design	41	(6)
Technical Motivation	41	(1)
Structure of the Design	42	(4)
Applicable Technologies	46	(1)
Design Consequences	47	(1)
Solution	47	(11)
Product Line Sketch	48	(1)
Product Data --- Raw XML	48	(3)
Wine List, First Draft	51	(3)
Wine List, Second Draft	54	(2)
Final Cut	56	(2)
Summary	58	(1)
Converting XML Content Online	59	(38)
Problem	59	(6)
Presenting a Comprehensive View	60	(1)
Pertinent Wine Data	61	(3)
Objective	64	(1)
Design	65	(7)
Technical Motivation	65	(1)
Structure of Design	65	(6)
Applicable Technologies	71	(1)
Design Consequences	72	(1)
Solution	72	(22)
Product Data: Raw XML	74	(1)
Online Data Sheet	74	(12)
Online Data Sheet, Second Draft	86	(5)
Final Cut	91	(3)
Summary	94	(3)
Rendering XML to Print	97	(26)
Problem	97	(1)
Presenting a High-Fidelity Image	97	(1)
Objectives	98	(1)
Design	98	(8)
Structure of Design	99	(6)
Applicable Technologies	105	(1)
Design Consequences	106	(1)
Solution	106	(16)
Product Data --- Layout	107	(1)
Wine Brochure Formatting Objects	108	(14)
Summary	122	(1)
Targeting Your Audience	123	(24)
Problem	123	(2)
Design	125	(6)
xml:lang	125	(4)
Entities	129	(1)
XPath Features for xml:lang	130	(1)
Pertinent XML Data	130	(1)
Applicable Technologies	131	(1)
Solution	131	(15)
Parameterizing a Transform	131	(2)
A Stage in the Pipe	133	(3)
Lookup Tables	136	(2)
Filtering	138	(3)
Refinements	141	(3)
Domain-Specific Languages	144	(1)
Resources and Further Reading	145	(1)
Summary	146	(1)
Searching and Merging XML Documents	147	(38)
Problem	147	(1)
Design	148	(33)
How XQuery Works	148	(1)
Some Alternatives	149	(8)
XQuery Concepts	157	(24)
Solution	181	(3)
Summary	184	(1)
Integrating XML with the Rest of Your Data	185	(20)
Problem	185	(1)
Design	186	(13)
Creating XML from Relational Data with SQL/XML	186	(5)
XQuery and Relational Data	191	(5)
Understanding Native XML and XML-Enhanced Relational Databases	196	(1)
SQL with XML Extensions	197	(2)
Solution	199	(5)
Generating XML from Relational Data	199	(2)
Including Relational Data in XQuery Queries	201	(1)
Including XML in SQL Queries	202	(2)
Summary	204	(1)
Transforming Business Documents	205	(26)
Problem	205	(7)
Converting XML Catalogs	206	(2)
Converting Other Business Documents	208	(4)
Design	212	(3)
Custom Software Solutions	213	(1)
Common Languages	213	(1)
Industry Standards	213	(2)
Solution	215	(15)
Custom Applications	215	(1)
Transformation Sheets	216	(7)
XML Pipelines	223	(3)
Pipeline Implementations	226	(4)
Summary	230	(1)
Consuming Data with Web Services and Syndication	231	(22)
Problem	231	(1)
Design	232	(14)
Understanding Web Services	233	(1)
Web Services and the World Wide Web	233	(2)
RSS	235	(1)
REST Web Services	236	(1)
SOAP Web Services Standards	237	(9)
Solution	246	(5)
Integrating an RSS Feed	246	(1)
Consuming the Amazon Web Service from a Web Application	247	(3)
Integrating an eBay Web Service with an Inventory System	250	(1)
Consuming Partner Web Service	251	(1)
Summary	251	(2)
Providing Web Services	253	(12)
Problem	253	(1)
Design	253	(9)
RSS Feeds	254	(2)
Creating REST-Style Services	256	(1)
SOAP/WSDL Web Services	257	(1)
Service-Oriented Architecture	258	(4)
Interoperability	262	(1)
Solution	262	(2)
Summary	264	(1)
Combining Catalogs	265	(16)
Problem	265	(2)
Combining Structured Relational Data	266	(1)
Combining XML Documents	267	(1)
Design	267	(6)
Merging XML Data: Big Bang versus Wave Approach	268	(1)
Guaranteeing the Content from Each Source	269	(2)
Choosing Merge Points	271	(2)
Solution	273	(5)
Database Integration	273	(1)
Application Integration	274	(2)
Service-Oriented Architecture	276	(1)
Content Integration	277	(1)
Summary	278	(3)
Integrating and Automating Business Processes	281	(18)
Problem	282	(5)
The Value Proposition of Partnerships	283	(1)
The Challenges of Integrating Data and Systems	283	(2)
Business Process Integration and Workflow	285	(2)
Business Process Integration	287	(1)
Design	287	(3)
Business Process Reengineering	287	(1)
Patterns for Business Process Integration	288	(1)
Leveraging Technology for Process Integration	289	(1)
Solution	290	(7)
The Winery Operations	291	(1)
The Supply Chain	292	(4)
The Benefits of Integration and Automation	296	(1)
Summary	297	(2)
Appendix A: Tools	299	(8)
XSLT Engines	299	(3)
Saxon	299	(2)
Xalan	301	(1)
XSL-FO Processors	302	(2)
FOP	302	(2)
XED	304	(1)
XSL Formatter	304	(1)
Browsers	304	(1)
Mozilla/Firefox	304	(1)
Internet Explorer 6	304	(1)
Editors and IDEs	304	(2)
oXygen XML	304	(1)
Trang	305	(1)
Turbo XML	305	(1)
XML Spy	305	(1)
Stylus Studio	305	(1)
XMetaL	305	(1)
Graphic Editors	306	(1)
GIMP	306	(1)
Inkscape	306	(1)
Appendix B: Additional Reading	307	(2)
Appendix C: Online Resources	309	(2)
Glossary	311	(4)
Index	315