CSU - DCE 0706 - Introduction to XML XML Overview - Fort Collins, CO Copyright © XTR Systems, LLC Overview of eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Instructor:

CSU - DCE 0706 - Introduction to XMLXML Overview - Fort Collins, CO

Copyright © XTR Systems, LLC

Overview ofeXtensible Markup

Language (XML)

Instructor: Joseph DiVerdi, Ph.D., M.B.A.



HTML Explained

• Document Structuring Language• Hyperlink Specification Language• Not a Document-Layout Language• Defines Syntax & Placement of Markup Tags

– Special, Embedded Directions– That are not displayed by a Browser– Tell Browser how to display document contents

• Including Text, Images, & other Media

– Tells how to make Interactive Documents• Through special Hypertext Links

– Which connect many documents



Hypertext Explained

• A Method of Presenting Information• Selected Word or Words in The Text

– Can Be Expanded at Any Time• To provide additional information about the words

– These words are links to other documents• May contain text, images, & other media

• Hypertext Arose Simultaneously with Mouse– We often think hypertext & point-and-click are

synonymous• But they are not

• There are other means of selection – They just aren't well developed



Markup Explained

• Information Added to a Document– Intended to Enhance its Meaning– Identified Parts & How They Relate to Each Other– Usually Encoded as Symbols

• Markup Language– Set of Symbols Placed in a Document

• To Demarcate & Label Parts of the Document



TEXTWITHOUTMARKUP

GOODSENSEISOFALLTHINGSINTHEWORLDTHEMOSTEQUALLYDISTRIBUTEDFOREVERYONETHINKSHIMSELFSOABUNDANTLYPROVIDEDWITHITTHATEVENTHOSEMOSTDIFFICULTTOPLEASEINALLOTHERMATTERSDONOTCOMMONLYDESIREMOREOFITTHANTHEYALREADYPOSSESSRENÉDESCARTES15961650FRENCHPHILOSOPHER



TEXT WITH SPACES

GOOD SENSE IS OF ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD THE MOST EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED FOR EVERYONE THINKS HIMSELF SO ABUNDANTLY PROVIDED WITH IT THAT EVEN THOSE MOST DIFFICULT TO PLEASE IN ALL OTHER MATTERS DO NOT COMMONLY DESIRE MORE OF IT THAN THEY ALREADY POSSESS

RENÉ DESCARTES 1596 1650 FRENCH PHILOSOPHER



TEXT WITH PUNCTUATION

GOOD SENSE IS OF ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD THE MOST EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED, FOR EVERYONE THINKS HIMSELF SO ABUNDANTLY PROVIDED WITH IT, THAT EVEN THOSE MOST DIFFICULT TO PLEASE IN ALL OTHER MATTERS DO NOT COMMONLY DESIRE MORE OF IT THAN THEY ALREADY POSSESS.

RENÉ DESCARTES (1596-1650) FRENCH PHILOSOPHER



Text With Case

Good sense is of all things in the world the most equally distributed, for everyone thinks himself so abundantly provided with it, that even those most difficult to please in all other matters do not commonly desire more of it than they already possess.

René Descartes (1596–1650)

French Philosopher



TEXTWITHOUTMARKUP

GOODSENSEISOFALLTHINGSINTHEWORLDTHEMOSTEQUALLYDISTRIBUTEDFOREVERYONETHINKSHIMSELFSOABUNDANTLYPROVIDEDWITHITTHATEVENTHOSEMOSTDIFFICULTTOPLEASEINALLOTHERMATTERSDONOTCOMMONLYDESIREMOREOFITTHANTHEYALREADYPOSSESSRENÉDESCARTES15961650FRENCHPHILOSOPHER



Unmarked Italian

BENVENUTITUTTIALLAMIANUOVAPAGINAWEBLHOMIGLIORATAEDAGGIORNATASPEROCHEANCHEAVOIPIACCIACOMESEMPRESEAVETEQUALSIASICONSIGLIODOMANDAOSUGGERIMENTOSCRIVETEMIPERPIACEREMIPIACEREBBEASCOLTARLITUTTIMILLEGRAZIE



Marked Italian

Benvenuti tutti alla mia nuova pagina web! L'ho migliorata ed aggiornata. Spero che anche a voi piaccia. Come sempre, se avete qualsiasi consiglio, domanda o suggerimento, scrivetemi per piacere: mi piacerebbe ascoltarli tutti. Mille grazie!



Marked English

Welcome everyone to my updated web site! I hope you appreciate the changes and, as always, please send me any suggestions or comments you have on my site as I would love to hear them. Thanks!



Markup Needed

• Important in Electronic Documents– Processed by Computer Programs– Human are Relatively Smart

• When Compared to Computers

• Robotics example– Computer Hand & Arm Given a Simple Task

• Pick up three wooden cubes– One red, one green, & one blue

• Create a stack with the red cube on top, blue on bottom• What would you do?

• Document Processing is Much More Difficult



HTML Explained Again

• HTML is for Marking Up a Document– For Transmission over the Internet– For Rendering or Viewing with a Browser– Sequence of Words

• Partitioned into Paragraphs, Sections, & Chapters• Comprising a Human-Readable Record• Book, Article, or Essay• With Included Images and/or Other Media

• HTML has Proven Enormously Successful– For Certain Type of Documents– There are Many Other Document Types



Document Type Examples

• Structured Story or Article• Business Financial Data Database Structure• Abstract Molecular Structure• Supermarket Inventory Stock Item• Genealogical Relationship Tree Structure • Structured Human Resources Data• Musical Score• Abstract Structure of an Equation



Document Structures

• The Term Document– Goes Far Beyond a Sequence of Words

• Sharing Text Documents – Using HTML & the Internet

• Has Been Sooooo Successful

– Let's Share Other Kinds of Documents

• Other Document Structures – Fit into HTML Structure Rules

• With Varying Degrees of Success• Some Fit Better than Others• Many are a Poor Fit



Document Structure

• Human Data Users– Are an annoying lot

• As soon as we see some interesting data– We want to manipulate it in some natural way



Molecular Structure

"Can I rotate this molecule to see it from other views?"



Musical Structure

"How would that score sound if it would be transposed into G#?"



Financial Data

"How would the forecast change if we doubled the Marketing Budget?"



Interoperability

• Today, Those Questions are Answerable– On a Local Computer

• Purchase an Application• Install it on Your Desktop Computer• Have Fun

• Applications are in Infancy With Regard to Answering These Questions on The Web



Interoperability

• One of the Critical Issues to Success– Development of Data Package Formats

• Suitable for Internet Transmission• Suitable for Storage• Able to Store & Organize Any Form of Information• Based on Open Standard

– Not Tied to the Fortunes of Any Single Company

– Not Married to Any Particular Software

• Easily Combined with Stylesheets– To Create Formatted Documents



XML Explained

• A Protocol to Define Markup Languages– Use XML to create a Markup Language

• You & your friends can create a Markup Language– For your particular kind of shared data

– DickML & JaneML

– Create Documents Using the Markup Language– Create Applications to Process Marked Up Docs– Create Applications to Display Document Content– Create Applications to Display Content as HTML

• Because there are so many Web Browsers in use



XML Goals

• Application Specific Markup Languages– Different Kinds of Documents May Require

Different Kinds of Markup

• Unambiguous Document Structure– No Two Ways to Interpret

• Names, Order & Hierarchy of Document Elements

• Presentation Stored Separately– Markup Names Precisely Reflect Items' Purpose– Presentation Stored as Stylesheet

• Repurpose Document Using Different Stylesheets• Document Content isn't Cluttered with Style Vocabulary



XML Goals

• Keep It Simple– Authoring a Document Shouldn't be Hard– Process Programs are also Made Easy

• Maximal Error Checking– Adherence to Syntax Standards is Required

• Well-Formed is the Minimum Standard– Element Names Spelled Correctly

– Element Boundaries Closed Correctly

• Durability & Utility of Document is Assured



Creating XML Documents

• As with HTML, Available Tools Range from– Plain Text Editor

• U-Type-It

– Smart Text Editor• Permits Tag Customizing

– XML Editor• Performs Structure Checking

– High End XML Editor• Spiffy Graphical Interface



Viewing XML

• Specialized Rendering Programs– Chemical Markup Language - Jumbo

• Using HTML Browser– Explorer, Opera, or Mozilla

• See "A Tale of Two Browsers" for Interesting Details

http://www.xml.com/pub/a/98/12/2Browsers.html

• Using HTML Browser with Stylesheet– Cascading Style Sheet or– Extensible Stylesheet Language

• CSS on Steroids



XML Validation

• Several Levels of Validation– Well-Formedness Through Full Validation

– "My uncle is pregnant." is Well-Formed

• Broken Markup• Adherence to Stated Document Type Definition• Adherence to State Document Model• Contextual Mistakes

– Mostly Available as Downloadable Applications– On-Line Validators Exist Now



XML Transformation

• Convert One XML Application to Another– XML to XHTML for Browser Viewing

• Perform Content Filtering– Retain Select Items– Generate Document Summary– Total Checkbook Expenditures

• Requires XSLT– Extensible Style Language for Transformations

• Create Transformation Instructions with XSLT• Use Transformation Engine to Process