XML Training Overview
This comprehensive course provides a full tour of the most prevalent XML standards, and introductory-to-intermediate training in each: XML itself, XML Schema, XSLT, and XSLFO. This is a great fit for students who are planning to work extensively with XML in the near future, as it gives a good grounding in how to manage XML information, define XML models (using XML Schema), transform XML information to text, HTML, or other XML formats (using XSLT), or to print-ready PDFs (using XSLFO).
XML Training Learning Objectives
- Understand the broad influence of XML on emerging software architectures.
- Understand the roles of XML Schema, XPath, XSLT, XSLFO, parsing APIs, and Web services in the broader scope of XML technology in software applications.
- Write well-formed XML documents to express simple or complex document content.
- Write DTDs to set rules for XML document validation.
- Read and write XML using namespaces to import type information and to partition the XML namespace.
- Use XML Schema to validate XML documents.
- Define simple types, and use value restrictions and enumerations to constrain values.
- Create complex types, including simple types and other complex types, and empty- and mixed-content types.
- Write simple and complex queries into XML document content using XPath.
- Transform XML data into plain text, HTML, or XML formats.
- Describe the relationship between XSLT and XSLFO, and their roles in the typical XML-to-print production process.
- Transform XML data into FO documents, and format those into PDFs.
XML Training Prerequisites
None.
XML Training Course duration
5 days
XML Training Course outline
Module 1. Introduction to XML
Chapter 1. A Brief History of XML
- Birth of XML
- Content vs. Presentation
- Self-Describing Data
- A Standard Document Format
- Uses for XML
Chapter 2. XML Grammar
- Structure of an XML Document
- Handling Whitespace
- Character and Entity References
- Well-Formed XML
- Elements
- Attributes
- Processing Instructions
- Comments
- CDATA Sections
Chapter 3. Valid XML
- Document Types
- DTD Structure
- Defining Elements
- Cardinality
- Attributes
- Required, Implied, Default, and Fixed Attributes
- Enumerations
- XML Namespaces
- Limitations of DTDs
- XML Schema
- Advantages of XML Schema
- Data Types
Chapter 4. Using XML in Applications
- SAX and DOM Parsing
- XSLT
- XPath
- XSL-FO
- Web Services
- SOAP
Module 2. XML Schema
Chapter 1. Getting Started with XML Schema
- What is an XML schema?
- Schemas vs. DTDs
- Structure of a Schema
- Associating Schema with Documents
- Types of Types
- Defining Elements
- Defining Complex Types
- Validation
Chapter 2. Simple Types
- Simple and Atomic Types
- Built-In Types
- Primitives
- Numeric Derived Types
- String Derived Types
- Simple Type Restriction
- Facets
- Enumerations
- Patterns
- Lists
- Unions
- Nillable Values
Chapter 3. Complex Types
- Model Groups
- Sequences, Conjunctions, and Disjunctions
- Particles
- Occurrence Constraints
- Global and Local Definitions
- Defining Attributes
- Empty, Any, and Mixed Content
- Model Group Definitions
- Attribute Group Definitions
- Annotations
Module 3. XSLT
Chapter 1. Getting Started with XSLT
- XSL and XSLT
- Rule-Based Transformations
- Templates
- Producing Text, HTML, and XML
Chapter 2. XPath
- Addressing XML Content
- XPath in XSLT
- Tree Structure
- XPath Expressions
- Type Model
- Context
- Axis, Node Test, and Predicate
- Abbreviations
- Proximity Position
- XPath Functions
- Comparisons Between Various Types
Chapter 3. Templates and Production
- Template Matching
- Built-In Template Rules
- Recursion Through Templates
- Template Context
- Output Methods
- Controlling Whitespace
- Literal Replacement Elements
- Formalizing Text, Elements and Attributes
- Defining Target Vocabulary
- Generating Processing Instructions
Chapter 4. Dynamic Content and Flow Control
- Deriving Source Content
- Getting Source Values
- Attribute Value Templates
- Copying Source Elements and Trees
- Looping
- Conditionals
Chapter 5. Variables and Template Management
- Variables
- Using Variables to Capture Context Information
- Result Tree Fragments
- Parameters
- Calling Templates Explicitly
- Global Variables and Stylesheet Parameters
- Template Modes
Module 4. XSLFO
Chapter 1. Getting Started
- Formatting XML
- XSLT and XSLFO
- Flow of Information
- Formatting Objects
- Properties
Chapter 2. Page Masters
- Pages and Areas
- The Page-Master Model
- Regions
- Writing Mode and Orientation
- The Page-Sequence Model
- Flows
- Page-Sequence Masters
- Properties and the Inheritance Model
Chapter 3. Formatting
- Flows
- Blocks and Layout Options
- Inlines and Layout Options
- Lists
- Tables
- Controlling Pagination
Chapter 4. Formatting
- Page Numbering
- Identifying Content
- Page-Number Citations
- Links
- Tables of Contents
Appendix A. Learning Resources
Appendix B. Quick Reference: W3C Namespaces
Hardware/Software Requirements
Hardware – minimal
500 MHz, 128 meg RAM, 50 meg disk space.
Hardware – recommended
1.0 GHz, 256 meg RAM, 50 meg disk space
Operating system
Tested on Windows 2000 Professional. Course software should be viable on all systems which support W3C-compliant XML tools.
Software
All free downloadable tools.
