XML & XSL Fast Start 2nd Edition

Need a precise, focused training guide for XML & XSL? Get this 130-page Fast Start guide to quickly learn XML & XSL fundamentals. Regardless of whether you are an IT manager, developer, administrator or an advanced user, this Fast Start guide will help you learn the essential concepts needed to successfully work with XML & XSL.

Covers all versions of XML & XSL.

What is XML? XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, is a metalanguage. That is, it’s a language that can be used to describe other languages and a specification for storing information. Although XML and HTML may seem to have a lot in common, in reality the difference between them is like the difference between night and day.

HTML is used to format information, but it isn’t very useful when it comes to describing information. For example, you can use HTML to format a table, but you can’t use HTML to describe the data elements within the table. The reason for this is that you can’t really depict something as abstract as a distributor or a customer with HTML, which is where XML comes into the picture. XML can be, and is, used to define the structure of data rather than its format.

This Fast Start guide begins by showing you the basics of the XML language and then builds on that knowledge to show you how to create, style and transform documents.

1. XML Basics 7
2. Using XML 11
Extensions to XML 12
XLink and XPointer 12
XSL 13
XML Namespaces 14
XML Schema 14
XPath 14
Creating XML-Based Solutions 15
Authoring Tools 15
Application Development Environments 15
Database and Data Integration Solutions 16
XML Document Structure 16
XML Naming Rules 17
3. Working with Root, Parent, and Child Elements 19
Understanding Root Elements 19
Understanding Parent and Child Elements 20
Nesting Parent and Child Elements 20
Adding Root Elements to Documents 21
4. Defining XML Elements and Tags 23
Using Elements Tag Pairs 23
Using Empty Elements 25
5. Using XML Attributes 29
Defining Attributes 29
When To Use Attributes 31
Adding Attributes to Elements 32
6. Additional Structures in Elements 35
Using Predefined Entity References 35
Using Character Data Sections 37
Using Comments 38
Using Processing Instructions 40
7. Specifying XML Declarations 43
Using the Version Attribute 43
Using the Encoding Attribute 44
Using the Standalone Attribute 45
8. Creating Well-Formed Documents 47
9. Understanding DTDs 49
Using Elements in DTDs 52
Using Attributes in DTDs 53
10. Introducing XSL 57
11. Matching Structures to Template Rules 63
Understanding the Element and Root Nodes Template 65
Understanding the Modes Template 66
Understanding the Text and Attribute Nodes Template 67
Understanding Other Built-In Templates 67
12. Structuring XSLT Stylesheets 69
13. Defining the Output Format 73
Setting Attributes for the output Element 73
Formatting Output as XML or XML-Based Markup 75
Formatting Output as HTML 81
Formatting Output as Text or Program Source Code 87
Setting the Output Format 89
14. Defining Template Rules and Declarations 92
Creating the Root Template 92
Creating and Applying Template Rules 93
Outputting the Contents of Nodes 97
15. XPath Operators & Expressions 99
16. Understanding XPath Operators and Datatypes 107
17. Using Relative XPath Expressions 111
Referencing the Current Context Node 111
Referencing a Parent Node 112
Referencing Siblings Relative to the Current Context 113
Referencing Child Nodes 114
18. Using Absolute XPath Expressions 119
19. Locating Other Nodes 121
Working with Attribute Nodes 121
Working with Text Nodes 124
Working with Comment Nodes 125
Working with Processing Instruction Nodes 126
20. Using Namespaces with Element and Attribute Nodes 129
21. Using Wildcards and Predicates in XPath Expressions 131
Selecting Any Node 131
Skipping Levels in the Hierarchy 133
Filtering To Match Nodes with Specific Values 135
22. More Options… 137