The Fundamentals of XML

Chapter 2

The Fundamentals of XML

In the previous chapter, you were introduced to the ocean of possibilities that XML pro-vides. Now, it is time to get your feet wet. You have seen how XML has emerged from a rich history of structured data representation formats to meet the current needs of devel-opers and content generators. However, the question remains, “Now what?” How can you make use of XML to meet your specific application and development needs? What are the basics of XML so that you can get started and create XML applications today?

In this chapter, you will learn the basic elements and fundamentals of the structure and meaning of XML. You will learn what tools and technologies are needed to read, write, and process XML documents. In addition, this chapter identifies the various portions of the XML document, how they interrelate, and the specifications in working with those various document components. Finally, you will be introduced to the tools you need to create, read, and process XML documents. These tools allow you to unlock the wealth that XML promises.

We’ll explore the details in a sample XML document, and in the process you’ll learn all about

·        Markup languages

·        The XML document structure

·        Elements

·        Attributes

·        Entities

·        Document types

·        The well-formed and valid XML document

·        Unicode and internationalization

·        Reading and processing XML