i need to learn XML; recommendations?

[spanky]

i need to learn xml, and was wondering if you kind folks could point me to a good website to get started. a book recommendation is also welcome. i would like something that assumes i am a total beginner (which i am).

thank you

 

[Drakkon]

do you know html? great you know xml what are you looking to have XML do for you? whether you want to use it in xsl sheets or use it in a php or flash application are two totally different things...if you have a more defined perspective of where you want to go with it be easier to direct you

 

[MrChad]

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

do you know html? great you know xml

Err, not exactly. XHTML is just a limited subset of XML and its capabilities.

 

[mundane]

XML by itself is just data. To learn what you can accomplish with it, you might want to take your favorite programming langauge (Java, Python, etc) and play around a bit with DOM or SAX parsers, XML-RPC, etc. Also investigate XSLT and DTD/Schema.

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
do you know html? great you know xml what are you looking to have XML do for you? whether you want to use it in xsl sheets or use it in a php or flash application are two totally different things...if you have a more defined perspective of where you want to go with it be easier to direct you

i don't really know. when i spoke with my future boss, he asked if i have done any programming before, and i told him not too much (actually, excluding html, none at all). he mentioned to me that knowing XML would be very helpful. if it helps at all, i will be working in a voip company, in the IT/support dept. my apologies for the lack of details about my intended application of XML. would it be easier to start with xml for one area, then transition over to the other?

i ordered a "crash course" book from amazon, but while i wait for it to be delivered, i figured i could try to get a head start with any available online resources.

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: MrChad
http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

do you know html? great you know xml

Err, not exactly. XHTML is just a limited subset of XML and its capabilities.

thanx for the link MrChad

 

[Chosonman]

What diegoalcatraz says is right. XML by itself is nothing great. Just tags.. but it's the implemenation of that schema that make XML powerfull. The most important thing you'll ever learn about XML is it's portable and used in the right context you it fits right in with the Services oriented architecture (SOA) of todays web based apps.

If you want to learn XML spend 2 minutes to review what you know about HTML and compare that to the XML language, then spend the rest of your time looking up SOAP, WSDL, Schema, DTD, SOA and if you know JAVA you should learn SAX and DOM parsing and XSLT XML style sheets etc...

 

[notfred]

BTW, XML is not a programming language, so even if you figure it out, you still haven't done any programming (HTML isn't a programming language, either).

Now, XSLT is a programming language, with the most horrible syntax in the world.

 

[mundane]

Originally posted by: notfred
BTW, XML is not a programming language, so even if you figure it out, you still haven't done any programming (HTML isn't a programming language, either).

Now, XSLT is a programming language, with the most horrible syntax in the world.

Amen!

 

[Chosonman]

Originally posted by: notfred
BTW, XML is not a programming language, so even if you figure it out, you still haven't done any programming (HTML isn't a programming language, either).

Now, XSLT is a programming language, with the most horrible syntax in the world.

Actually XSLT is a scripting language with bad syntax, C, C+, and Java are programming languages.

 

[boran]

anyways I disagree a bit with the people here saying that learning XML is not usefull. I think you should always start with the basics. Get a good XML editor (I reccommend Altova XMLSpy home edition (i'ts free))

I suggest you start by learning the basic concepts. then learn DTD's then schema's and then XSLT should be feasable in about 2 days if you have the time for it.

THEN you can go and see some usefull applications.