TT4300 - Introduction to XML Essentials

Introduction to XML / XML Essentials is a three-day comprehensive course that provides you with the skills you need to use XML in today's systems and architectures. Working in a hands-on lab environment, you’ll explore key XML topics, from tags to architectures, working through the fundamentals of XML and then covering XML Schema in detail. You’ll also explore XPath and XSLT standards, as well as XML processing and XML security issues. You’ll leave this course with the modern skills you need to transform XML documents into other useful documents, such as HTML documents or other XML documents.

This course provides a deep dive into the practical use of W3C standards (including XSL and XML Schema), and how to implementing these tools and technologies. This course is programming language independent, making it useful for Java, .NET, C++, and any other programming orientation. After this course you’ll be able to quickly apply XML to projects at both an architectural as well as a line-by-line coding level. In addition to valuable knowledge and working examples, you’ll also receive a copy of the "Xtensil" product. This unique software was developed to assist in implementing, testing, and fielding XML applications. Xtensil is used as both a teaching aid and a straightforward, basic, fully functional XML toolkit that you’ll be able to use on both Windows and Linux platforms.

Throughout this course you’ll learn to:

Write well-formed XML documents
Model business requirements using XML
Handle XML reserved characters
Validate an XML document with a Schema
Centralize data and markup definition with entities
Create Schemas using XML tools
Generate XML documents from databases
Write XSL templates to transform XML documents into HTML
Integrate XML, XSL and the DOM to implement a complete solution
Understand the security concerns related to XML processing

Student Testimonials

Instructor did a great job, from experience this subject can be a bit dry to teach but he was able to keep it very engaging and made it much easier to focus. Student
Excellent presentation skills, subject matter knowledge, and command of the environment. Student
Instructor was outstanding. Knowledgeable, presented well, and class timing was perfect. Student

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Prerequisites


This is an introductory-level XML training course, designed for those needing an introduction to concepts and technologies associated with XML and its related recommendations. Previous experience or knowledge of HTML is helpful but not essential.
Please see the Related Courses tab for specific Pre-Requisite courses, Related Courses or Follow On training options. Our team will be happy to help you with recommendations for next steps in your Learning Journey.

Detailed Class Syllabus


Session: XML Content


Lesson: Introduction to XML
XML Separates Structure, Content and Format
Content: XML Document Syntax Rules
Structure: DTD or XML Schema
Formatting: XSLT Transformation to HTML
Lesson: XML Mechanics
XML Document Structure
Rules for Well-Formed XML
Content as MarkUp
Namespaces Associate Alias with a URI
Exercise: Well-Formed XML Documents

Session: XML Structure


Lesson: Namespaces
XML Namespaces
Name Collisions
Namespace Scope
Namespaces Best Practices
Exercise: Working with Namespaces
Lesson: Structure Using Schemas
Document Type Definition (DTD)…
W3C XML Schemas
Elements, Attributes, and Types
Restricting Simple Types: Facets
Complex Types
Attribute Definitions
Derivation by Extension
Using XML Schema with Namespaces
Exercise: Create a Simple Schema
Exercise: Schema Development and Use
Exercise: Extending the Schema
Exercise: Using Namespaces and Schemas
Exercise: Managing Large Schema (Optional)

Session: XML Formatting


Lesson: CSS and Rendering XML
Cascading Style Sheets and XML
XML/CSS Processing Flow
Exercise: CSS and Rendering XML
Lesson: XSL Transformations
XPath Describes Locations Within XML
XSLT is Rule-Based Transformation Language
XSL is Oriented Towards Formatting
Exercise: XSLT and Transforming XML
Lesson: XSLT and XPath
XPath Data Model
Location Paths
Additional Filtering
XPath Operators and Functions
XSLT Stylesheet Structure
Templates Are The Rules
Conflict Resolution for Templates
Calling Templates
Looping, Sorting and Conditional Processing Constructs
Exercise: Working with XPath
Exercise: XSLT Development and Use
Lesson: Overview of XPath/XSLT 2.0/3.0 (Optional)
XPath 2.0 Improvements
XPath 2.0 and XQuery 1.0
XSLT 2.0 Improvements
XPath 3.0/3.1 Features
XSLT 3.0 Features
Exercise: Transforming XML – XSLT 2.0 (Optional)
Lesson: XSL FO (Formatting Objects)
XSL Family Working Together
Apache’s FOP: Rendering XML
Page Types Can Be Conditional
Content Flows Into Page Regions
Exercise: Working with XSL-FO

Session: Applying XML


Lesson: XML Interoperability
XML From a Data Perspective
XML/Database Interfacing
Challenges to Mapping XML
Lesson: XML Performance Improvements
Best Practices
Organization of Best Practices
Exercise: Best Practices Review
Lesson: XML Processing Security
XML Parser Coercion
XML Attacks: Structure
XML Attacks: Injection
Safe XML Processing
Exercise: Safe XML Processing
Exercise: Dynamic Loading Using XSLT
Lesson: XML Applications
W3C Activities
Benefits of XML
Drawbacks of XML
Crossing Boundaries
Challenges to Integration