Understanding XML — A 1-day course

 Open Public Course Closed In-House Course

Synopsis

XML has rapidly become the common language for information exchange in web-based systems. XML can also be used in general application integration, as has become evident in recent months with the emergence of many XML-based orchestration tools and servers.

This course provides a technical introduction to XML. Delegates will learn how to create XML documents and gain an appreciation of the various technologies that exist for manipulating these documents. The course introduces the structure and syntax of XML documents, as well as the origins of XML documents. Several typical usage scenarios are covered. The concept of XML grammars and how these may be expressed as Document Type Definitions or Schemas is discussed, including the related issue of XML document validation.

Delegates are shown how to use XML in practical situations, for example, the use of XML in web-based systems. Numerous examples are included to show how XML can be created dynamically at a Web server, processed at the web browser, and returned to the Web server when required.

The course also looks at how to use XML for general application integration. Examples show how to exchange XML data using a variety of protocols, including CORBA, SOAP and message-based systems such as MQ Series and MSMQ. Commercial products are also discussed as well as in-built XML support from relational databases.

The course comprises lectures, demonstrations, and mini hands-on exercises. The demonstrations and exercises illustrate the capabilities and scope of XML, rather than drilling down into the technical details. All code samples are available for delegates to take away and study after the course.

Course Ojbectives

After completing this course, delegates will be able to:

• Describe the syntax and structure of XML documents
• Start making decisions about how XML data can be used in their systems
• Appreciate the role of XML in web-based systems
• Understand how XML can be used to integrate systems

Suitable For

• Developers, designers, and system architects that need to understand XML terminology, applicability and capabilities.

Prerequisites

• Delegates must have some experience in application development or design. Familiarity with HTML is beneficial but not essential. An appreciation of Web-based or multi-tier systems would be advantageous.

Publicly scheduled dates, locations, and prices

Contents

Introduction to XML

• What is XML? Example of an XML document
• XML ancestry - SGML and HTML
• Elements, attributes, and namespaces
• Creating XML documents from databases and programs
• XML vs. relational data
• Using XML in Web systems, messaging systems and other scenarios
• Using XML for decoupling, flexibility, portability and simplicity

Designing Effective XML Documents

• XML grammars
• Who defines grammars? Sample grammars from the World Wide Web Consortium and OASIS
• Defining a new grammar
• Describing a grammar using a Document Type Definition
• Describing a grammar using a Schema
• Performing validation using a DTD or schema
• Why perform validation?
• When is validation required?

Using XML in Web-Based Systems

• Traditional use of HTML/form data in Web systems
• Creating XML dynamically at the Web server
• Using XSLT style sheets to transform XML to HTML at the Web server
• Sending XML data islands to the browser
• Client-side XML processing using DOM
• Sending XML back to the Web server
• Receiving and validating XML data at the Web server
• Server-side XML processing using DOM and SAX
• Overview of SOAP and Web Services

Using XML for Information Interchange

• The needs for information exchange and why XML can help
• Examples such as purchase orders and invoices
• Publishing a schema
• Synchronous and asynchronous communications
• Mapping XML grammars using XSLT style sheets
• Overview of commerecial products to assist in application integration with XML