XML - Online Course

This series provides an introduction to the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its general format. It introduces the fundamentals of XML, including how to read a basic XML document, the XML document structure, and viewing XML source documents. It shows how to build an XML data document, including creating elements and element modes, naming XML objects, and creating declarations and well-formed documents. Building DTDs is explained in detail, along with creating and managing internal, external, and parameter entities. Additional topics covered in this series include a detailed discussion of the Document Object Model, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and XSL Style Language.

This series is for Web designers who would like to build and manage XML documents and sites. This online course contains 6 lessons and should take approximately 15 hours to complete.

Lesson 1: Viewing and Understanding XML (2.0) hours

Viewing and Understanding XML teaches you how to distinguish among XML, HTML, and SGML, read a basic XML document, identify XML document structure, and view XML source documents in Internet Explorer 5. This course provides an introduction to the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its general format. Topics include Introducing Extensible Markup Language, Examining a Sample XML Document, XML Document Structure, and Viewing XML Data in Internet Explorer 5.

Lesson 2: Creating a Basic Document (2.0) hours

Creating a Basic Document teaches you how to create elements, build element models, name XML objects, create declarations, and create well-formed documents. This course shows Web developers how to build an XML data document. Topics include Creating Elements and Attributes, Naming Rules and Displaying Characters, Making Sure Documents Are Well-Formed, and Using DTDs.

Lesson 3: Building DTDs and Checking Documents (3.0) hours

Building DTDs and Checking Documents teaches you how to create and use internal DTDs, create and use external DTDs, develop external DTDs, use parameter entities and modular DTDs, and check documents for validity and well-formedness. This course explains how to build Document Type Definitions and how to check documents for validity and well-formedness. Topics include Creating Element Declarations, Creating Attribute Declarations, Developing an Element Model, Refining the DTD, Parameter Entities and Modular DTDs, and Checking for Validity and Well-Formedness.

Lesson 4: Entities (3.0) hours

Entities teaches you how to identify entities and use them within an XML document, create and manage internal entities, create and manage external entities, create and manage parameter entities, explain how multiple entities are resolved within a document, and manage character sets and entity encoding. This course provides an overview of the internal, external, and parameter entities in XML documents. Topics include Introduction to Entities, Internal Entities, External Entities, Entity Resolution and Placement, and Character Encoding and Entities.

Lesson 5: The Document Object Model (2.0) hours

The Document Object Model teaches you how to identify XML data by its object hierarchy, explain the structure of the Document Object Model, and explain and use the most important objects. This course explains how XML data can be accessed and manipulated with the DOM. Topics include Processing XML Data, The XML Document Object Model, Structure of the DOM, The Node, Element, and Attribute Objects, and Other Important Objects.

Lesson 6: CSS and XSL Style Sheets (3.0) hours

CSS and XSL Style Sheets teaches you how to use Cascading Style Sheets to format XML data, use eXtensible Style Language to format XML Data, and build and use XSL templates. This course explains how to use Cascading Style Sheets and eXtensible Style Language to style XML data for display in a Web browser. Topics include Attaching Style Sheets to XML, XSL and XSLT, Building XSL Style Sheets and Templates, and Processing XSL.