XML in easy steps

"XML in easy steps" instructs the reader how to create valid, well-formed, XML documents to describe a variety of data. It contains separate chapters on all major features of the eXtensible Markup Language (XML), together with the associated technologies of Document Type Definition (DTD), XMLSchema, eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL), XPath, XLink, and XPointer. There are code examples and browser screenshots that illustrate how that example might appear when viewed in a web browser.

"XML in easy steps" begins by examining the evolution of XML then explains the basic structure of an XML document. The book describes how to define rules for each XML element - first using the traditional DTD method, then using the newer XMLSchema language. Examples show how each element node of an XML document can be addressed individually using the XPath language. There are demonstrations of how to format the appearance of XML documents in a web browser - with both eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) rules and with Cascading Stylesheet (CSS) rules. The final chapter creates a complete working XML application to illustrate the XML Document Object Model (DOM). The reader need have no previous knowledge of any markup language so it's ideal for the newcomer to XML. Each chapter builds the reader's knowledge of XML. By the end of this book the reader will have gained a sound understanding of XML and be able to create their own schemas and XML data documents.

"XML in easy steps" has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to anyone who wants to begin using XML. It will appeal to programmers who want to quickly add XML to their skills set, and to the student who is studying website design at school or college, and to those seeking a career in web development who need an understanding of XML.

Mike McGrath now lives in South-east Europe, on the sun-kissed shores of the Aegean Sea. Mike gained his extensive knowledge of computer languages while working as a developer contracting to companies around the world. His interests include coins of ancient Greece, dining-out with friends, and the ongoing evolution of the world wide web.

1. Introducing XML
   • About this book
   • Web Language Evolution
   • What's Wrong With HTML?
   • The XML Solution
   • Hello World
   • Displaying XML
   • XML Editors
   • XML Spy Views
   • XML Spy Browser View
   • XML Spy Validation
   • XML Notepad
2. XML Basics
   • What is XML?
   • Tag Format
   • The XML Declaration
   • Elements
   • Element Attributes
   • Empty Elements
   • Comments
   • Character Entities
   • CDATA Blocks
   • XML Car Document
   • Car Document Output
3. Document Type Definition
   • Schemas Introduced
   • DTD Declaration & Naming
   • Defining Elements
   • Text-Only Elements
   • Single Child Elements
   • Sequential Child Elements
   • Alternative Child Elements
   • Child Quantifiers
   • Define Element Attributes
   • Fix Attribute Values
   • Unique Attribute Values
   • Referencing Unique Attributes
   • String Entities
   • Including Other DTDs
   • Unparsed Entities
   • Using Unparsed Entity
4. XMLSchema
   • XMLSchema versus DTD
   • XMLSchema Declaration
   • Annotation Comments
   • Indicating Schema Location
   • Data Typing Elements
   • Number Types
   • Date & Time Types
   • Custom Data Typing
   • Range Restriction
   • Restrict String Length
   • Restrict Digits
   • Pattern Restrictions
   • Accepatble Alternatives
   • List Types
   • Predefining Values
5. XMLSchema Complex Types
   • Defining Element-Only Elements
   • Setting Element Sequence
   • Allowing Element Choices
   • Permitting Unorderd Elements
   • Naming Element Groups
   • Referencing Named Groups
   • Referencing Elements
   • Limiting Occurrences
   • Defining Text-Only Elements
   • Defining Empty Elements
   • Defining Mixed-Content Elements
   • Extending Other Complex Types
   • Declaring Complex Type Elements
   • Anonymous Complex Types
   • Declaring Attributes
   • Requiring Attributes
   • Predefining Attribute Content
   • Defining Attribute Groups
   • Referencing Attribute Groups
6. XML Namespaces
   • Conflicting Elements Problem
   • The Namespace Solution
   • Namespace Prefixes
   • Namespace Scope
   • Choosing a Namespace
   • Registering a Domain Name
   • Schema Namespaces
   • XML Style Sheet Namespaces
   • Importance of Namespaces
7. XSL Transformation
   • Template Rules
   • The Node Tree
   • Basic Stylesheet
   • Applying Templates
   • Transforming To HTML
   • Transforming To Text
   • Displaying Selected Nodes
   • Creating Tables
   • Conditional Output
   • Sorting Nodes
   • Adding Attributes
8. XPath
   • What is XPath?
   • The Current Node
   • Child Nodes
   • Parent & Sibling Nodes
   • All Descendants
   • Select From Root
   • Selecting Attributes
   • Selecting Subsets
   • Node Position
   • Sum Values
   • Total Nodes
   • Formatting Numbers
   • Arithmetical Functions
   • Rounding Numbers
   • Substrings
   • Translating Text
9. Cascading Stylesheets
   • CSS Basics
   • Comments & Selectors
   • Selector Priority
   • Properties & Inheritance
   • Property Values
   • Flow Objects
   • Boxes
   • Box Properties
   • Box Properties Shorthand
   • Font Properties
   • Font Style
   • Font Shorthand
   • Text Properties
   • Colour Properties
   • Background Properties
   • Calling Stylesheets From XML
   • Calling Stylesheets From HTML
   • Using Internal Stylesheets
   • Applying Styles Locally
10. XLink & XPointer
    • Creating A Link
    • Creating A Linkset
    • Defining Reference Points
    • Defining Connections
    • Using A Linkset
    • Linking To Part Of A File
    • A Simple XPOinter
    • Walking XPOinters
    • XPointer Range
11. XML DOM
    • What Is The DOM?
    • DOM Nodes
    • Document Object
    • Walking The Element Tree
    • Element Object
    • Text Object
    • Maintaining State
    • Attributes
    • DOM Application
    • Common Errors
    • Error Solving
    • XML Resources

• Self extracting binary file of the code examples [Windows Users] (300 KB)
• Mac-friendly source archive (254 KB)
• Compressed tarball of the code examples [Linux/Unix Users] (229 KB)