Week 9 Notes

1) Martin Bryan. Introducing the Extensible Markup Language (XML) http://burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/internet/web/xmlintro.htm

This reading describes XML, extensible markup language, which is a subset of the standard markup language. It is designed for easy use to help distinguish between elements. I think the text does a good job of outlining what XML is good for, and what it is not created to help. The text also describes how and why XML is used, and the components that make up XML. Although the text was written for someone with an understanding of the material, the examples were really useful in helping me make sense of all of the information. The text also explains how you use XML for different types of elements, including tables, illustrations, etc. I think that this is a really useful resource for someone who wants to use XML and needs help getting started. There is a lot of information in this article, and took me a lot time to process, and I am still not sure I came out with a clear understanding of everything.

2) Uche Ogbuji. A survey of XML standards: Part 1. January 2004. http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand1.html

In the introduction of this reading the large expanse of XML is described and how a lot of it can be confusing for beginners. This was defiantly good to hear, as I think a lot of the information is beyond my realm of expertise. I enjoyed this article much better than the first because the author recognizes the confusion that XML can create for new users. Although I find it very hopeful that the author believes that once you catch on to XML, that it is really easy to use. This article discusses the core technologies of XML, and the general standards in practice. The author reviews different standards and includes outside links for each subject. If I were looking more in depth on any off these subjects I would follow the author’s recommendations for resources, which is a really helpful tool.


3) Extending you Markup: a XML tutorial by Andre Bergholz http://www.computer.org/internet/xml/xml.tutorial.pdf

I was unable to locate this site; it said the information was unavailable at this time. Did anyone else have this problem?


4) XML Schema Tutorial http://www.w3schools.com/Schema/default.asp

This article reviews how to create an XML schema, and includes an example of a schema. I really liked how the article used bullets, because I think it was helpful to not be overwhelmed by language. The subject material is complicated enough, and I liked that it was simple. The text describes an XML schema as defining the legal building blocks of the XML document.