Anyone creating content for the Web and looking for the easiest way to learn Extended Markup Language (XML) won't find a better source than this book. Readers get a solid grounding in XML in six easy steps. The first step discusses the shortcomings of HTML and introduces XML, with plenty of real-world example. In step two, Web authors learn how to determine which tags they need to add in order to capture the data they are representing. Step three covers how to add tag definitions without writing a Document Type Definition (DTD) and how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to format new tags. The fourth step introduces the concept of XML DTDs by showing readers how to take advantage of existing DTDs, including Microsoft's Channel Definition Format (CDF). Fifth is how to write a custom DTD; and finally, the sixth step teaches readers how to implement Java-based querying of data structures using LiveAgent Pro, a Java application that incorporates sophisticated XML querying capabilities without requiring users to learn any programming whatsoever.
* Discusses the shortcoming of HTML and introduces XML
* Explains how to add tag definitions without writing a Document Type Definition (DTD) and how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to format new tags
* Introduces the concept of XML's DTD by showing readers how to take advantage of existing DTDs, including Microsoft's Channel Definition Format (CDF)
* Shows readers how to interpret Java-based querying of their data structures using LiveAgent Pro
From the Back Cover
You've learned some HTML, and maybe you've created your own Web page -- and before you've time to celebrate your accomplishments, you hear about XML, short for eXtensible Markup Language. And you've got questions. What's XML all about? Do Web authors really need to learn XML? Is XML difficult? What the heck is XML for, anyway?
You've got questions -- and this book has the answers. Here's the short version: XML enables Web authors to create their own, novel tags, which can be used to capture the nuances of information in Web pages. And what's more, XML-capable browsers can detect the underlying logic of these tags, and display the tagged information beautifully using style sheet languages such as CSS or XSL. In short, XML explodes all the restrictions HTML imposes, and gives you, the Web author, almost unlimited freedom to express your data. That's why Internet experts agree that XML will play an increasingly important role in Web publishing -- and may soon displace HTML as the best possible medium for authoring Web pages.
You need to learn what XML is all about, and how you can use it. That's precisely why this book was written. This is the first XML book to introduce XML from a Web author's perspective. In six easy steps, you'll learn how to incorporate XML into your Web pages. And as you'll discover, XML is easy to understand, easy to use, and easy to apply -- especially with this friendly, readable book as your guide. Whether you've just learned a bit of XML or are an accomplished Webmaster, this is the book that shows you how to incorporate XML into a winning Web publishing strategy.
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