RE: Newbie trying to assess current XML capabilities
by "Keith Purtell" <kpurtell(at)vantagemed.com>
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Tue, 29 May 2001 17:01:17 -0500 |
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<hwg-xml(at)mail.hwg.org> |
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Thanks for responding. If that's the case, then I'm going to have to explain
to upper management some compelling examples of how our corporation will
benefit from implementing XML.
Keith Purtell, Web/Network Administrator
VantageMed Operations (Kansas City)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Juan Lanus [mailto:jlanus(at)interar.com.ar]
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 2:15 PM
To: Keith Purtell
Subject: Re: Newbie trying to assess current XML capabilities
Hi, Keith
First, I'm a newbie too.
Second, I perceive there is much confusion with what XML does.
XML does nothing. It's just a means to define file contents. A very good
one, in fact.
An XML file is just that: a file, contains data. No executable
sentences. At most, some instructions on data format or controls to be
performed (like that it must be a valid date).
So you can, using a program written in a programming language, SELECT
some info from a database with an SQL sentence and get it in XML format.
Once it's in XML you can do things like transmit it to other computers,
or for example show it in a web page by converting it to HTML using XSL.
See for example this article (don't read it, just see the URL):
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/05/28/010528hnmsp.xml?0529tuam
Now it you go to the link, your browser will receive HTML.
If you see the article and click "print this page" you might receive the
same XML contents but formatted by a different XSL without all the
surrounding bells and whistles.
In the INfoWorld site they seem to have a huge article database, maybe
using IBM's DB2, and they deliver it's contents in XML.
By linking to a XSL file the XML is converted to HTML.
By changing the XSLs they redesign the whole site, including old pages.
By having different XSLs they can deliver pages adequate to the browser
diversity.
In short, XML is more a file format than a language.
See you
--
Juan Lanus
TECNOSOL
Keith Purtell wrote:
> Our company has been using HTML, CSS, ColdFusion and ASP to manipulate and
> deliver information to and from databases. I'm exploring XML's possible
> applications in our industry (healthcare information systems). However the
> documentation seems to imply XML can't really do much yet (I have several
> general XML textbooks). On the other hand I'm hearing that some major
> companies are already using XML. What can XML do right now that I should
be
> studying? If I purchase an XML project book, are the examples going to be
> theoretical or practical? What might be a good project book? TIA.
>
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