Need a precise, focused training guide for XML & XSL? Get this 130-page Fast Start guide to quickly learn XML & XSL fundamentals. Regardless of whether you are an IT manager, developer, administrator or an advanced user, this Fast Start guide will help you learn the essential concepts needed to successfully work with XML & XSL. Covers all versions of XML & XSL. What is XML? XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, is a metalanguage. That is, it's a language that can be used to describe other languages and a specification for storing information. Although XML and HTML may seem to have a lot in common, in reality the difference between them is like the difference between night and day. HTML is used to format information, but it isn't very useful when it comes to describing information. For example, you can use HTML to format a table, but you can't use HTML to describe the data elements within the table. The reason for this is that you can't really depict something as abstract as a distributor or a customer with HTML, which is where XML comes into the picture. XML can be, and is, used to define the structure of data rather than its format. This Fast Start guide begins by showing you the basics of the XML language and then builds on that knowledge to show you how to create, style and transform documents. 1. XML Basics 72. Using XML 11Extensions to XML 12XLink and XPointer 12XSL 13XML Namespaces 14XML Schema 14XPath 14Creating XML-Based Solutions 15Authoring Tools 15Application Development Environments 15Database and Data Integration Solutions 16XML Document Structure 16XML Naming Rules 173. Working with Root, Parent, and Child Elements 19Understanding Root Elements 19Understanding Parent and Child Elements 20Nesting Parent and Child Elements 20Adding Root Elements to Documents 214. Defining XML Elements and Tags 23Using Elements Tag Pairs 23Using Empty Elements 255. Using XML Attributes 29Defining Attributes 29When To Use Attributes 31Adding Attributes to Elements 326. Additional Structures in Elements 35Using Predefined Entity References 35Using Character Data Sections 37Using Comments 38Using Processing Instructions 407. Specifying XML Declarations 43Using the Version Attribute 43Using the Encoding Attribute 44Using the Standalone Attribute 458. Creating Well-Formed Documents 479. Understanding DTDs 49Using Elements in DTDs 52Using Attributes in DTDs 5310. Introducing XSL 5711. Matching Structures to Template Rules 63Understanding the Element and Root Nodes Template 65Understanding the Modes Template 66Understanding the Text and Attribute Nodes Template 67Understanding Other Built-In Templates 6712. Structuring XSLT Stylesheets 6913. Defining the Output Format 73Setting Attributes for the output Element 73Formatting Output as XML or XML-Based Markup 75Formatting Output as HTML 81Formatting Output as Text or Program Source Code 87Setting the Output Format 8914. Defining Template Rules and Declarations 92Creating the Root Template 92Creating and Applying Template Rules 93Outputting the Contents of Nodes 9715. XPath Operators & Expressions 9916. Understanding XPath Operators and Datatypes 10717. Using Relative XPath Expressions 111Referencing the Current Context Node 111Referencing a Parent Node 112Referencing Siblings Relative to the Current Context 113Referencing Child Nodes 11418. Using Absolute XPath Expressions 11919. Locating Other Nodes 121Working with Attribute Nodes 121Working with Text Nodes 124Working with Comment Nodes 125Working with Processing Instruction Nodes 12620. Using Namespaces with Element and Attribute Nodes 12921. Using Wildcards and Predicates in XPath Expressions 131Selecting Any Node 131Skipping Levels in the Hierarchy 133Filtering To Match Nodes with Specific Values 13522. More Options... 137