Introduction to HTML
Scripting & Programming
Languages and Environments
XML / XSL
Copyright © 2000 - 2002 Randy D. Ralph.  All rights reserved.
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In place June 3, 2000.

Overview:

XML is an acronym for eXtensible Markup Language.  It is an extended metacommand language like HTML also derived from SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language).  XML was developed by the W3C XML Working Group in 1998 and now exists as an international standard.  It is similar to HTML but is designed to provide more intelligence to the Internet, particularly WWW search engines and browser finding aids, through the use of customized markup commands which provide additional information on page content and content classes.  This is done through the Resource Description Format (RDF) which organizes metadata (data about data, data indexes). 

XML includes support for styles through its eXtensible Style Sheets (XSL) components.  Support for database management, data collection and processing, security and other high-level web functions is also included.  Microsoft has developed Channel Description Format (CDF) which uses XML to display the Windows desktop in a web browser format.

Because the Internet is firmly rooted in HTML, and the expense of conversion to XML would be great, to say nothing of the time required, acceptance and use of XML by the broader Internet Community has been somewhat less enthusiastic than was expected.  Many experts on the Internet, however, predict that XML will replace HTML and even DHTML as the primary language for delivery of web content within a few years.

Selected Print Resources:

Aviram, Mariva H.  1998.  XML for dummies quick reference.
    Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide.
    QA76.76.H94 A98 1998

Bradley, Neil.  1998.  The XML companion.  Reading, MA: 
    Addison-Wesley.
    QA76.76.H94 B77 1998

Desmarais, Norman.  2000.  The ABCs of XML: the librarian's guide 
    to the extensible markup language.  Houston, TX: New 
    Technology Press.
    QA76.76.H94 D48 2000

Eddy, Sandra E.  1998.  XML in plain English.  Foster 
    City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide.
    QA76.76.H94 E35 1998

Eddy, Sandra E. and John E. Schnyder.  1999.  Teach 
    yourself XML.  Indianapolis: IDG Books.
    QA76.76.H94 E34 1999

Floyd, Michael.  1999.  Building Web sites with XML.  Upper 
    Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
    QA76.76.H94 F58 1999

Goldfarb, Charles F. and Paul Prescod.  1998.  The XML handbook.
    Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
    QA76.76.H94 G65 1998

Harold, Elliotte Rusty.  1999.  XML bible.  Foster City, CA: 
    IDG Books Worldwide. 
    QA76.76.H94 H34 1999

Harold, Elliotte Rusty.  1999.  XML: extensible markup 
    language.  Foster City, CA: IDG Books.
    QA76.76.H94 H35 1998

Holzner, Steven.  1998.  XML complete.  New York: McGraw Hill.
    QA76.76.H94 H652 1998

Jelliffe, Rick.  1998.  The XML & SGML cookbook:  recipes for 
    structured information. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice 
    Hall PTR.
    QA76.73.X56 J45 1998

McGrath, Sean.  1998.  XML by example: building E-commerce 
    applications.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice 
    Hall PTR.
    QA76.76.H94 M3883 1998

North, Simon and Paul Hermans.  1999.  SAMS teach yourself XML 
    in 21 days.  Indianopolis: SAMS.
    QA76.76.H94 N67 1999

Pfaffenberger, Bryan.  1998.  Web publishing with XML in six 
    easy steps.  Boston: AP Professional.
    QA76.76.H94 P52 1998

Simpson, John E.  1999.  Just XML.  Upper Saddle River, 
    NJ: Prentice Hall PTR.
    QA76.76.H94 S57 1999

St. Laurent, Simon.  1999.  XML: a primer, 2nd ed.  Foster 
    City, CA: M&T Books.
    QA76.76.H94 S72 1999

Tittel, Ed, Norbert Mikula, and Ramesh Chandak.  1998.  XML for 
    dummies.  Foster City, CA: IDG Books.
    QA76.76.H94 T595 1998

Young, Michael J.  2000. XML step by step.  Redmond, WA: Microsoft 
    Press.
    QA76.76.H94 Y68 2000

Selected Web Resources:

XML -

XSL -

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