PR009 - XML Fundamentals

Summary

2 days

XML (Extensible Markup Language) enables applications and organizations to exchange data, with XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) converting data among various XML formats

This hands-on XML programming class presents an introduction to creating, validating, transforming, transporting and formatting XML data. The course covers structuring data with XML; validating that data with document type definitions (DTDs) and schemas; creating and viewing XML documents; transforming XML documents with the XML Stylesheet Language (XSL, XSLT and XPATH); use of XML in the deployment of Web Services; and parsing XML via the Simple API for XML (SAX). The course will also focus on creating, validating and transforming data in a Java development environment. Extensive examples and demos are provided, as well as comprehensive hands on lab exercises that reinforce the concepts being taught and introduce the practical application of XML to business problems.

Prerequisites

Experience with a programming language such us Java is helpful.

Course Content

1. XML

What is XML?
The main difference between XML and HTML
Example
XML in Web Development
Data and Document Structure
Well-Formed XML
Creating the XML File
Writing the Declaration
Adding a Comments
Defining the Root Element
Attributes
Nested Elements
Nested Elements vs. Attributes
XML Validation
XML DTD
External DOCTYPE Declaration
Advantages of XML Schema
XML Namespaces

2. XML Schema

Schema Example
Assigning and Locating Schemas
Reference to an XML Schema
The <schema> Element
Target Namespace
Default Namespace
Simple Element
Attributes
Complex Element
Global Element

3. XSL

Display XML Document
Formatting XML Document
XSL
Overview of XPath
Nodes
Atomic Values and Items
Selecting Nodes
Predicates
Predicates

4. XSLT

Example
Writing an XSL Style Sheet
Create an XSL Style Sheet
Link the XSL Style Sheet to the XML Document
Role of a Style Sheet Document
Fundamental Construct
Style Sheet Declaration
The <xsl:template> Element
Some Template Construct
Simple version of XSL Style Sheet
Description
The <xsl:value-of> Element
The <xsl:for-each> Element
The XSLT <xsl:sort> Element
The XSLT <xsl:if> Element

5. CSS

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
CSS Limitations
The CSS Solution
Sectors
Element Type
Attribute Class
Attribute ID

6. A CSS Style

Style Properties
Layout Properties
Formatting Properties
CSS Positioning (Relative)
CSS Positioning (Absolute)


7. The Java API for XML Processing

Overview of SAX
Overview of DOM
SAX Parser
SAX Parser Example
Handlers
Parser With a Handler
Error Handlers
Exercise
DOM Parser
Error Handling
Example
DOM Nodes
The Document Interface
Creating an XML Document
Exercise
XSTL

8. Simple Object Access Protocol

Architecture
Messages
Example of a SOAP Message
The actor Attribute
The Body
The Fault Element
Pre-Defined Child Elements of Fault
Encoding Style
Attachments

9. Introduction To Web Services

Overview of Web Services
WS-I and BP
Service-Oriented Architecture
J2EE Web Services
Overview of XML
Overview of SOAP
Overview of WSDL
Overview of UDDI
The J2EE Web Service APIs: JAX-RPC
The J2EE Web Service APIs: SAAJ,,JAXR, JAXP
Benefits of Web Services