Beginning XML - Part 1 (An Introduction)

Written by Amrit Hallan


Coming straight torepparttar point, XML stands for EXtensible Markup Language. Asrepparttar 118050 name suggests, it is a language that can be molded according torepparttar 118051 need ofrepparttar 118052 hour. Personally, I don't think calling it a language is justified, but I fanatically followrepparttar 118053 ordinance ofrepparttar 118054 techie Gurus, and if they say it is a language, then it is a language.

As isrepparttar 118055 case withrepparttar 118056 famous HTML, XML too is a markup language, but its main power, unlike HTML, lies inrepparttar 118057 ability to describe data without harassingrepparttar 118058 over-worked server. Since most ofrepparttar 118059 work is done onrepparttar 118060 client's machine (the person who is runningrepparttar 118061 browser), there is less strain onrepparttar 118062 server.

It uses DTDs (Document Type Definitions) to properly define and organize data. Butrepparttar 118063 presence of DTDs is not mandatory, and their absence does not hinderrepparttar 118064 performance ofrepparttar 118065 web page.

The most interesting thing I have found in XML is,repparttar 118066 tags are not pre-defined - you can create your own tags and use them as and when required. XML specifies neither semantics nor a tag set. In fact XML is really a meta-language for describing markup languages. In other words, XML provides a facility to define tags andrepparttar 118067 structural relationships between them. Since there's no predefined tag set, there can't be any preconceived semantics. All ofrepparttar 118068 semantics of an XML document will either be defined byrepparttar 118069 applications that process them or by style-sheets.

XML allows users to:

· bring multiple files together to form compound documents · identify where illustrations are to be incorporated into text files, andrepparttar 118070 format used to encode each illustration · provide processing control information to supporting programs, such as document validators and browsers · add editorial comments to a file.

It is important to note, however, that XML is not:

· a predefined set of tags, ofrepparttar 118071 type defined for HTML, that can be used to markup documents · a standardized template for producing particular types of documents.

YOUR FIRST HTML PAGE - I

Written by Amrit Hallan


I often hear and read about various web authoring tools available that can help you createrepparttar coolest web pages in a jiffy, for example, FrontPage2000, Dreanweaver, CoffeeCup etc. But let me tell you one thing, there is nothing like using a simple text editor for creating web pages, and believe me, you can come up with better pages through hand-coding.

Most of GUI-based web page authoring tools have their own fancy ways of generatingrepparttar 118049 HTML code, and byrepparttar 118050 time they are through, you have a page three timesrepparttar 118051 size of what you would have had, had you simply writtenrepparttar 118052 HTML commands. Mathematically, if you generate a page through FrontPage2000, for instance, and it's size is 30 units [bytes, kilobytes], you can haverepparttar 118053 SAME look by hand-coding, andrepparttar 118054 size will be 9-10 units. Yes, this isrepparttar 118055 amount of junk code generated.

Onrepparttar 118056 Net, size does matter.

When forrepparttar 118057 first time I sawrepparttar 118058 source-code of an HTML page, I got so scared that I quickly closedrepparttar 118059 window. Then gradually, my web developer friends talked me into learningrepparttar 118060 ropes line by line, and within a week, I felt like an HTML dude. I'm not exaggerating. It really is so easy.

So if you are psychologically ready, and would like to give it a try, follow these steps and in about 10 minutes, you'll have your first [if you have never done it before] hand-coded HTML page. Don't get disheartened withrepparttar 118061 look, I understand you could be used torepparttar 118062 fancy-frills of your tool. Just remember one thing, an HTML page is mostly made of tags. There is a beginning tag: , and an ending tag . Noterepparttar 118063 forward slash inrepparttar 118064 ending tag. In this first article, we'll be discussingrepparttar 118065 basic tags. Inrepparttar 118066 proceeding articles, we'll go deeper and deeper.

Another thing before we progress: get hold of HomeSite, if you can. It's a very neat HTML coder - very humble. It let's you run amuck with your hand-coding, but now and then, provides help inrepparttar 118067 form of drop-down menus, so that you do not have to memorize all those spooky options associated with HTML tags. It automatically pops outrepparttar 118068 closing tag so you don't miss it. Check it out at http://www.allaire.com.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
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