XML Training: Working with Files

Introduction to XML Tagging

(2-day course, with hands-on computer exercises)

Through lecture and hands-on experience in reading and tagging, participants learn practical skills with the types of XML files they may encounter in the course of daily work. This course is intended for people whose experience so far has been with word-processing or HTML applications, and who now need to create and modify content in an XML environment – who may need to write an XML document or correct XML-tagged documents, DTDs, or schemas.

Participants learn to read and interpret the XML syntax they are most likely to see, understand the role of DTDs and schemas in editorial and production, recognize the cost of tag abuse and the times when it is appropriate, and identify and ask for DTD and processing enhancements that reduce manual labor. Hands-on exercises give special attention to cleaning dirty data, and to transformations that can save time and effort.

This hands-on class can be taught on PC or Macintosh.

Optional addition: Open tagging workshop. Bring your own DTD/schema and documents: we’ll help you tag. This course extension demonstrates ways to identify, analyze, and resolve problems in an XML production environment.

Prerequisites: Participants need to know how to create and manipulate files, the basics of text editing, and how to create documents for some presentation application (e.g., QuarkXPress, Ventura Publisher, PageMaker, FrameMaker, or an HTML browser).