XML for M

1
XML for MC / USQ

• ? What ? Why ? How ? When ?

2
What?

• Whats the big deal?
• Nothing much
• Convention to logically mark up data
• In a human-readable text file
• Allows a hierarchical structure
• Normal evolution from SGML and HTML
• Open standard
• The big deal is
• Extensible
• Many tools available
• Data integration / data exchange

3
What?

• Text file consisting of
• (Processing instructions)
• Elements
• Attributes
• Text
• HTML, given some extra rules, is XML
• Well-formed-ness
• Valid-ness
• Schema may or may not be there!

4
What?

• Example

Not necessary, but good practice
lt?xml version1.0 encodingUTF-8?gt lttopgt
ltmcstaff staffid55555gt ltfnamegtDavidlt/fname
gt ltlnamegtLailt/lnamegt lt/mcstaffgt ltmcstaff
staffid66666gt ltfnamegtDavidlt/fnamegt
ltlnamegtMasonlt/lnamegt lt/mcstaffgt ltmccoursegt
ltcodegtCSC3400lt/codegt ltnamegtDatabaseslt/namegt
lt/mccoursegt lt/topgt
Attribute
Root element Necessarily just one!
Element tag (open)
Element tag (close)
5
What?

• What does this text file (document) do?
• NOTHING!
• Use tools to add behaviour
• Tools can be written in any language
• Parsers available
• Object model available
• APIs available
• Transform
• Using a tool OR xslt OR
• To any format (e.g. html, LaTeX, C, VoiceML)

6
What?

• Schema or DTD
• Not mandatory
• If no DTD, document must only be well-formed
• If DTD, document must be valid w.r.t. the DTD
• Kind of a template
• Rules about the structure
• May be tight or loose
• DTD limited expressive power
• XMLSchema supersedes DTD, more powerful
• Offers a contract between parties
• Special editors may take schema into account

7
Why?

• EASY!
• OPEN
• STANDARD
• LOGICAL data representation
• TRANSLATIONS
• TOOLS
• Emphasis on data (semi-structured!)
• Not behaviour (eg rendering, processes, )
• Separation of data and presentation

8
Why?

• Data integration data exchange
• between departments, companies,
• Why at MC
• To make data reuse possible, practical
• To bridge between systems
• In future to push data back to
• To develop course material

9
How?

• Website development
• Use CourseXL system Ron, Stijn
• Study material development
• Use GOOD system Jacek, DeC
• Build MC systems
• MC course database Leigh
• Build your own data-intensive applications
• to-do list, publications website, family
  website Stijn

10
When?

• Now
• CourseXL
• GOOD
• Pull university resources
• Later
• Push university resources

11
XML vs LaTeX

• Largely equivalent for our purposes
• XML advantages
• Buzz words (open, standard, w3c, )
• Tools (LaTeX already had many)
• Easy parsing, many parsers APIs
• Validness w.r.t. DTD / schema
• High level (functional) language for
  transformations
• Explicit support for easy data integration
• How would you render LaTeX for voice?