Overview
Because XSLT put so much power into the hands of novices as well as experienced programmers, it was possibly the fastest growing programming language ever, becoming a key part of production systems all over the world soon after its introduction in 1999.
This track will give beginners a firm grounding in basic XSLT development and in the related W3C standard XSL-FO, which lets you convert your XML into slickly laid-out pages for publishing in PDF and other presentation-oriented formats. We'll also look at several new developments: the new features and possibilities of XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0; XQuery, which comes from the same W3C Working Group and makes extraction of XML data from large collections of XML and other formats easy; data typing support in both XSLT 2.0 and XQuery, and client-side application development combining XSLT and the exciting possibilities of AJAX development.
Learning Objectives
After taking this course you will understand how to convert one company's XML into another company's XML or into professional-looking PDF and print documents, and how to create queries that extract XML from a growing number of commercial and free large-scale XML repositories. You'll also know about the possibilities offered by the new directions where XSLT-related technology is headed.
Who should Attend
This track is aimed at both beginner and advanced users of XSLT technology who want to see what existing and new features of XSLT, XSL-FO, and XQuery can add to their XML production systems.
Faculty
This course is prepared and delivered by a world-renowned faculty, including:
Module 1
1.1 Introduction to XSLT 1.0 - Part 1
Speaker: Bob DuCharme
After some background on where XSLT came from and why it's so popular, delegates will learn how to create and run stylesheets that convert XML documents into new XML documents and other kinds of text files. In addition, delegates will learn about renaming, reordering, deleting, and adding new elements and attributes as well as XPath, converting between elements and attributes, controlling whitespace, and conditional execution of stylesheet instructions.
1.2 Introduction to XSLT 1.0 - Part 2
Speaker: Bob DuCharme
You can use XSLT as a templating language, but when you treat it as the full-powered programming language that it is; you can build much more powerful applications. In this class, delegates will learn about variables and parameters, using named templates as subroutines, iterating across node sets, using keys for fast lookups, and more advanced XPath usage. Including, looking at strategies for building stylesheets when developing applications.
1.3 Introduction to XSL-FO
Speaker: Priscilla Walmsley
This class provides an overview of XSL-FO: its purpose, how it's being used, and its relationship to XSLT. A small example document will be used to demonstrate conversion from generic XML, to XSL-FO, to PDF. The basic elements of XSL-FO will be introduced, such as page layout, blocks and inline formatting, and flow vs. static content. Real-world applications will be demonstrated, with a description of the role and benefits provided by XSL-FO.
1.4 XSLT in Modern Web Architectures
Speaker: Paul Prescod
XSLT was invented as a web technology and has evolved to be used in many other contexts. Nevertheless, the Web remains its home and native land. Over the last few years, however, the web itself has changed.
This talk will describe the various roles XSLT can play in modern web architectures including:
- Interactive client-centric AJAX applications
- Static multi-page content generation
- Client-side rendering
- Dynamic content rendering
- Offline applications based on technologies like Google Gears, the Mozilla framework and Adobe Air
The Web is changing to be more dynamic, more connected and more disconnected at the same time. As it evolves, XSLT usage patterns evolve with it.
Module 2
2.1 Introduction to XQuery - Part 1
Speaker: Priscilla Walmsley
This class will provide an overview of the capabilities, use cases and syntax of XQuery. After putting XQuery in context, we will take a brief tour of the XQuery/XPath data model and basic expressions. We will then dive right into writing queries using path expressions, FLWOR expressions and XML constructors.
2.2 Introduction to XQuery - Part 2
Speaker: Priscilla Walmsley
In this session, we will build on the XQuery skills learned in the previous session. We will make use of more advanced FLWOR capabilities, such as joining data from multiple sources, sorting and grouping. In addition, we will learn how to create user-defined functions and reusable function libraries.
2.3 XSLT 2.0
Speaker: Jeni Tennison
This session will outline the major changes in XSLT 2.0 and their impact on how you write your stylesheets. We'll cover grouping, defining functions, creating multiple result documents, using temporary trees, manipulating sequences of atomic values, parsing text with regular expressions, and the implications of the new strong typing system in XPath.
2.4 Schema-Aware Queries and Stylesheets
Speaker: Michael Kay
XSLT 2.0 stylesheets and XQuery queries don't have to reference XML schemas that describe the data that they're reading or writing, but doing so can result in more robust, scalable applications. In this session, we'll learn how XSLT and XQuery can use the typing information in schemas to improve the quality of both their output and of the stylesheets and queries themselves.
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