Sams Teach Yourself XML in 24 Hours

Learn what can be done with XML today and where the technology is headed.

Includes strong coverage of the document delivery aspects of XML technology.

Written by an experienced XML instructor--the text and all the exercises are classroom-tested.

Table of Contents

Introduction

PART I - The Basics

• HOUR 1 - Getting Started in XML
  • A History of Markup Languages
    • The Relationship Between HTML and XML
  • Well-Formed Documents in XML
  • XML as a Metalanguage
  • Your First XML Program
  • The Self-Documenting Aspects of XML
  • The Impact of XML
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 2 - Using HTML Files to Display the Data of XML Files
  • Dynamically Updating the Contents of HTML Tags
  • Using an HTML File to Display the Data in an XML File
    • Introduction to ActiveX Controls
    • A Programming Example that Displays XML Data
    • Adding Components to an XML File
  • Importing the Data from Multiple XML Files
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 3 - Objects and XML
  • The Relationship Between Objects and XML
  • Creating Hierarchical Trees for HTML Files
  • The Node and Nodelist Objects
  • Creating a Generic Data Extractor for XML Files
  • Error Handling
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 4 - XML Data Islands
  • The Basics of XML Data Islands
    • Using Inline Code in an XML Data Island
    • Importing a File into an XML Data Island
    • Importing Multiple Files into XML Data Islands
  • Using XML Data Islands to Update the Contents of a Node
  • Using XML Data Islands to Read Files of Stored Messages
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 5 - Document Type Definitions
  • Predefined Entities
    • Unicode
  • Parsed and Unparsed Entities
  • The Document Type Definition
    • Placing Parsed Entities in the DTD
    • Placing Unparsed Entities in the DTD
    • Validating the DTD
    • Qualifying the Data Components in the DTD
  • Separating the DTD into an External File
    • Overriding an External Entity Definition
  • DTD-Related Properties of the xmldom Object
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises

PART II - Beyond the Basics

• HOUR 6 - Attribute Lists and Writing Correct DTDs
  • The Attribute List
    • Assigning Attributes to the Data Nodes in the DTD
  • External Entities
  • Processing Instructions
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 7 - Data Typing in XML
  • An Introduction to Data Types in XML
    • Examining the Data Type of a Node
  • Modifying the Data Type of a Node
  • Error Handling
  • Recovering from Errors
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 8 - Traversing the Node Tree and Adding and Replacing Nodes
  • Traversing a Node Tree
  • Adding Nodes to a Tree
  • Replacing Nodes in a Tree
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 9 - Databases and XML
  • The Definition of Your Basic Data Records
  • Reading the <Book> Nodes of the Catalog Database
  • Using Button Clicks to Move Through the <Catalog> Database
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 10 - Using the XML Data Source Object
  • The Data Source Object
  • Reading Data That Has Multiple Layers of Nodes
  • Summary
  • Workshop
    • Q&A
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises

PART III - Extensible Stylesheet Language: The Way to Create Stylesheets and Access Databases

• HOUR 11 - Introduction to Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL)
  • Cascading Style Sheets
  • XML Namespaces
  • The XSL Namespace
  • The Role of XSL Templates and Patterns in Web Development
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 12 - Using an XSL Template to Read Data from an XML File
  • Separating the XSL Template from the HTML File
  • A Programming Example
    • The XML File
    • The XSL Template
    • The HTML File
  • Changing the Order in Which the Data Is Read
  • Adding Templates to Read the Data That Isn't in the <Author> or <Publisher> Nodes
  • The Advantages of Using Separate Files
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 13 - Using Multiple XSL Templates to Read Data from Multiple XML Files
  • Working with Two Databases
  • Working with the Nodes Created by the XSL Template
  • Cross-Referencing the Two Databases
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 14 - Using XSL Templates to Perform Basic Database Queries
  • Using Options in the XSL Templates to Create Selective Data Extractions
  • Sorting the Data
  • Filtering the Data
    • Filtering by Using Comparison Operators
    • Filtering Based on XML Attributes
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 15 - Using Conditional XSL Statements and Embedding Scripting Code to Perform Database Queries
  • The XSL Elements
  • The xsl:if Element
    • An xsl:if Example That Will Read the Catalog Database and Extract the Book Records with a BestSeller Attribute
    • An xsl:if Example That Selects Only the Records Where the BestSeller Attribute Has a Specific Value
    • Using Multiple xsl:if elements in an XSL File
  • The xsl:choose, xsl:when, and xsl:otherwise Elements
    • An xsl:choose and xsl:when Example
    • An xsl:otherwise Example
  • The xsl:eval Element
    • An xsl:eval Example
    • An xsl:eval Example That Uses a JavaScript Function
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 16 - Using XSL Selection and Boolean Operators to Perform Database Queries
  • The xsl:comment Element
  • The XSL Selection Operators
    • The Double-Slash Selection Operator
  • The ALL Operator
  • The XSL Boolean Operators
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 17 - Using XSL Comparison and Collection Operators and XSL Methods to Perform Database Queries
  • The Equality Operators
  • The Comparison Operators
  • The all and any Operators
  • Accessing the Contents of a Node Using the value() Method
  • The selectSingleNode() Method
  • The end() Method
  • The index() Method
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises

PART IV - XML in e-Commerce and Other Advanced Topics

• HOUR 18 - The Document Object Model
  • The Data Extraction and Node Collection Methods
  • The Document Object Model
  • Document Object Methods
  • The Properties and Methods of the Node Object
  • Properties and Methods of the nodeList Object
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 19 - The XML Schema Language
  • The Basics of Schemas
  • The ElementType Declaration
  • Assigning Values to minOccurs and maxOccurs
  • Attribute Type Declarations
  • Attribute Types Supported in IE
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 20 - Creating an Online Bookstore
  • The Structure of the <Catalog> Database
  • The Database of Additional Information
  • The Data Form of a Purchased Item
  • The Bookstore's Opening Page
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 21 - Accessing the Databases for an Online Bookstore
  • Constructing the Page Used to Search the Database
  • Searching the Online Book Database
  • Displaying the List of Purchased Books
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 22 - Processing and Displaying Purchases in an Online Bookstore
  • The Client-Server Model of the World Wide Web
  • The Querystring Environment Variable
    • Using the Querystring Environment Variable on the Server
  • Microsoft Personal Web Server (PWS)
  • Creating Text Files on the Server
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 23 - Links in XML: XLink and XPointer
  • Links in HTML
    • Attribute Options in the <A> Tag
  • XLink Construction
  • XLink Global Attributes
    • type
    • actuate
    • show
    • href
    • role
    • title
    • from and to
    • Examples of XLink Global Attributes
  • Writing DTDs for XLink Objects
  • XPointer
    • XPointer Absolute and Relative Location Terms
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises
• HOUR 24 - Additional Markup Languages
  • Vector Markup Language
    • Bitmap Images Versus Vector Graphics
    • A VML Example
  • Mathematical Markup Language
    • A MathML Example
  • Virtual Reality Modeling Language
  • Real Estate Listing Markup Language
  • Human Resources Management Markup Language
  • VoxML
  • Summary
  • Q&A
  • Workshop
    • Quiz
    • Answers
    • Exercises

Index