Unit 9: XML

Unit 9: XML

Martin Bryan. Introducing the Extensible Markup Language (XML)

http://burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/internet/web/xmlintro.htm

XML is designed to help interchange documents over the internet. Document Type Definition (DTD) allows users to make sure that the components of the document are in the correct order, but XML does not have to have DTD to function correctly.

XML helps users bring files together to form compound files, identify where images or illustrations should be in text files, provide information for document validators and browsers, and add editorial comments to a file. Although, XML is not a predefined set of tags like in HTML and nor is it a standardized template.

XML clearly defines the boundaries of every element of a document in a set way. You can also define your own tag sets in XML.

A very good reference for XML resources.

Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1. January 2004.

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand1.html

I like how this article provides additional information for all the topics it covers. Each section has Recommended Introductions and Tutorials and some of links for References and other Resources. That is a very hand way to set up a document. Additional information is easily discoverable.

-The XML Catalogs provide crucial information into understanding how to format an XML document.

-XML Namespaces is a tool for the universal naming of elements and attributes in XML.

-XML Base: I don't really understand what this is? Anybody?

-Xinclude is a system for merging XML documents and is generally used when documents have been split into manageable chunks.

-XML Infoset defines a way to describe an XML document as a series of objects with specialized properties.

-Canonical XML the standard, physical representation of a XML document, regardless of the variations in the XML syntax. Order of attributes is irrelevant in XML

-XPath a tool for locating or understanding a specific element throughout XML documents

-XPointer defines a language or way to refer to specific parts of a XML document.

-XLink provides a way for expressing links in XML documents

Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Berghol

I understand that XML is supposed to create a more structured, detailed way to present data for the web, specifically text. So why does it seem like so much more work? To fill out all those attributes, seems like way more effort than just writing it out as HTML. Regardless, this article really helped explain the main elements of XML.

XML Schema Tutorial

http://www.w3schools.com/Schema/default.asp

W3Schools makes everything better. This website is super helpful in understanding XML Schema.

An XML Schema: defines elements that can appear in a document defines attributes that can appear in a document defines which elements are child elements defines the order of child elements defines the number of child elements defines whether an element is empty or can include text defines data types for elements and attributes defines default and fixed values for elements and attributes

I like how it explained why one would use an XML Schema:

-easier to describe a documents content, easier to validate the correctness of data, easier to incorporate more data, define data sets and data patterns…. The list goes on and on.