Structure (input)

What We Will Cover

We put together elements, possibly with attributes, and create tree-structured data when we create XML. Below you will find a brief overview/review (from last week's materials), followed by two sections: one about XML Syntax and one about the Semantic Web. The XML Syntax section includes two (2) related in-class exercises, while the Semantic Web section includes overview materials from RIT and from Stanford.

This week we begin building example instance documents and arguing over stucture issues. Next week we also start building constraints into our XML parsing process.

Understanding & Making Design Choices

As we go through this week's materials, keep in mind that there are many situations where there is no one right answer to the questions we encounter. In addition, keep in mind that the answers chosen should reflect the circumstances... the context within which XML will be used. There is often as much art as science in the choices we make about structure.

Outline

1. XML Syntax: Elements
2. XML Syntax: Attributes
3. Syntax Exercise: library book catalog
4. Syntax Exercise: generalizing to a library holdings catalog
5. Semantic Web: Background materials from Henderson at RIT
6. Semantic Web: Lecture materials from McGuinness at Stanford
7. An Aside: Adding style to XML for a browser context

Readings

• XML Overview / Review, from Tona Henderson
• The XML Elements of Style, by Steve Muench
• XML Attributes and Entities in DTDs, by Jay Greenspan
• Use XML data binding to do your laundry, by Sam Brodkin