What is this book about? Beginning XML, 3rd Edition, like the first two editions, begins with a broad overview of the technology and then focuses on specific facets of the various specifications for the reader. This book teaches you all you need to know about XML: what it is, how it works, what technologies surround it, and how it can best be used in a variety of situations, from simple data transfer to using XML in your Web pages. It builds on the strengths of the first and second editions, and provides new material to reflect the changes in the XML landscape - notably RSS and SVG.
Now firmly established as a mature technology with numerous applications, XML has spawned additional functionalities, each with its own specifications. This edition of the highly popular guidebook for beginning XML programmers teaches you not only what XML is and how to use it, but also how it partners with XPath?, XSLT, XQuery, XHTML, and others.
You'll learn XML basics, then explore an XML-based programming language that enables you to transform XML documents into different formats. You'll discover how to query databases for XML information, publish XML documents on the Web, and create interactive forms and graphics with XML. By the end of this book, you will feel confident applying XML in real-world situations.
What you will learn from this book
- Basic concepts of XML and how to define elements, tags, and attributes
- Rules for naming and structuring elements to produce well-formed XML
- How to validate XML using Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
- Guidelines for structuring documents with DTDs, XML schemas, and RELAX NG
- How to use XPath and XSLT to process documents
- Communication techniques using RSS, Web Services, SOAP, and WSDL
- Ways to manipulate documents for display with XHTML, CSS, SVG, and XForms
Who this book is for
This book is for any programmer interested in learning to use XML. Some knowledge of Web programming or data exchange techniques is helpful but not necessary.
Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.
