XML, XSL and Beyond...

Ian Forrester and Sheila Thompson

cubicgarden.com

bluegumtree

XML Technologies and Methodology

• Xinclude
• Xpointer
• XML Frameworks
• XML Pipelines
• XProc: XML Pipeline Language
• XSL2, Xpath2 and XML Schema
• XSL-FO and XSL-FO2
• XML Encryption
• SMIL, SVG, X3D and ODF

Xinclude

• Xinclude has been a W3C Recommendation since 2004
• Xinclude is solution to facilitate modularity in XML, aka its a XML syntax for including XML or Text inside of another XML tree.
• You can also include portions of XML using Xpointer
• You can specify multiple fallbacks for unreliable calls
• LibXML, Xincluder, XOM, Marktop, MSXML4 (via a plugin)

Simple xinclude example

• <?xml version='1.0'?>
  <document xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
    <p>120 Mz is adequate for an average home user.</p>
    <xi:include href="disclaimer.xml"/>
  </document>

  disclaimer.xml contains:

  <?xml version='1.0'?>
  <disclaimer>
    <p>The opinions represented herein represent those of the individual
    and should not be interpreted as official policy endorsed by this
    organization.</p>
  </disclaimer>

  Resulting document:

  <?xml version='1.0'?>
  <document xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
    <p>120 Mz is adequate for an average home user.</p>
    <disclaimer xml:base="http://www.example.org/disclaimer.xml">
    <p>The opinions represented herein represent those of the individual
    and should not be interpreted as official policy endorsed by this
    organization.</p>
  </disclaimer>
  </document>

Simple text xinclude example

• <?xml version='1.0'?>
  <document xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
    <p>This document has been accessed
    <xi:include href="http://www.something.com/count.txt" parse="text"/> times.</p>
  </document>

  count.txt contains:

  324387

  Resulting document:

  <?xml version='1.0'?>
  
  <document xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
    <p>This document has been accessed
    324387 times.</p>
  </document>

XML Encryption

• XML Encryption is a XML syntax to represent encrypted content and the information to enable the specified recipient to decrypt it or portions of it.

SMIL, SVG, X3D and ODF

• SMIL - Synchronized Multimedia Integration Lanugage
• SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics
• X3D - Extensible 3D Markup Language
• ODF - Open Document Format

In Summary

• I have only scratched the surface with the amount of XML Technologies which are available.

Operatic Origins

• Opera 4 introduced Opera Show, a projection-mode style sheet technology (link demonstrates external link styling and window spawning)
• Allows a single XHTML document to be turned into a PowerPoint-like slide show
• Adding screen and print style sheets allows for multi-medium views of a single document
• Highly efficient, but highly browser centric...

Incremental Display

• Keep hitting/clicking "next" as long as it isn't the control link (»)
• Bullet points are revealed one by one
  • All based on class name of inc
  • Lists can be classed to make items appear individually
  • Individual items can be classed as well to create "animations"; see Derek Featherstone's example
• Let's try it again, but without the first bullet point being pre-highlighted...

Incremental Display II

• Keep hitting/clicking "next" as long as it isn't the control link (»)
• Bullet points are revealed one by one
  • All based on class name of incremental
  • Lists can be classed to make items appear individually
  • Individual items can be classed as well to create "animations"; see Derek Featherstone's example
• Notice how the sub-list was part of the parent bullet point; that was done on purpose
• Now to move on to other test slides!

PNG Alpha Tests

DIV with PNG background followed by foreground PNG

DIV with PNG background followed by foreground PNG

S5 Default File Structure

S5 Themes

(one way of presenting multiple graphics)

Incremental S5 Themes

(one by one!)

Incremental Animation

• A demonstration of just one of the many ways to accomplish simple animation-like effects (using a diagram from "XFN and...")