What is XML and Why Should You Care?

Deborah Aleyne Lapeyre

Administrivia [slide 1]
Where We Are Not Going in This Talk [slide 2]
Where We Are Going Today: XML as Content [slide 3]
What is XML?
What XML Means [slide 4]
XML Works Through Tags [slide 5]
XML Documents [slide 6]
How XML works
An XML Document is a Sequence of Elements [slide 7]
XML Elements [slide 10]
Elements Contain Other Elements [slide 11]
Elements Identify Many Kinds of Content [slide 12]
Attributes Add Further Description [slide 13]
Technical Note: Editing XML Files [slide 14]
What XML Isn’t [slide 15]
XML Is a Data Format
XML Unites/Divides Two Very Different Data Visions [slide 16]
One XML Document Produces Many Results
“Text Book” Example [slide 17]
We Still Print Textbooks [slide 18]
Textbooks May Have Instructor’s Manuals [slide 19]
View This in a Web Browser/eBook [slide 20]
Automatically Generated Section of Same Textbook [slide 21]
Same Source, Different Results [slide 22]
“Employee Record” Example [slide 23]
View This in a Browser [slide 24]
A Familiar Print Application [slide 25]
Same Data, Different Application [slide 26]
Same Source: Load a Database [slide 27]
Why Use XML? [slide 28]
Real World Examples of XML
XML is a “Metalanguage” [slide 29]
New XML Markup Languages [slide 30]
XML Initiatives (Very Partial List) [slide 31]
Parts of an XML Application
Logical Components of an XML Application [slide 32]
Component 1: XML Document [slide 33]
Component 2: The Document Model [slide 34]
DTDs / Schemas Express Rules [slide 35]
Why Use a DTD or Schema? [slide 36]
To Share Information, Share the DTD / Schema [slide 37]
Current XML Modeling/Constraint Languages [slide 38]
Component 3: Formatting (and Behavior) [slide 39]
Remember What XML Looks Like Without Formatting [slide 40]
What We Would Like to See (Print or Screen) [slide 41]
XML Design Feature [slide 42]
Display Specifications Give Instructions [slide 44]
Component 4: XML Transformation
XSLT for XML [slide 47]
Why This Is Exciting [slide 48]
Component 5: XML Repository [slide 49]
Content Management Using an XML Repository [slide 50]
XML in Non-XML Databases [slide 51]
Lots of XML is Managed in File Systems [slide 52]
Conclusion
The Big News: XML DOES NOT DO ANYTHING! [slide 53]
You (and Your Software) Can Do a Lot with XML [slide 54]
The Good News: You Can Do XML and Benefit [slide 55]
Where to Get More Information
The Source for XML and Related Information [slide 56]
General XML Information on the Web [slide 57]
Books on XML Concepts (Not So Technical) [slide 58]
XML Books We Recommend (More Technical) [slide 59]
Other Information Sources [slide 60]
Colophon [slide 61]