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This workshop-style course introduces XML and related technologies focusing on their application in business, government, and technical communications. In addition to an overview of the raw materials needed to create and transform XML (DTDs, schemas, XSL and CSS stylesheets), the course introduces you to industry-standard solutions such as DocBook, DITA and the related tools, both commercial and open source. You learn to create and validate XML documents and to transform them into a variety of output formats (HTML, CHM, PDF, RTF, MIF). You also learn the origins and evolution of SGML and XML and how to evaluate the appropriateness of an XML-based solution for various situations you might encounter as professionals.
See the Course Calendar for a calendar-style view of semester due dates.
See the Course Calendar for a calendar-style view of semester due dates.
This course is for people who have created web pages using HTML, are familiar with the requirements for using XHTML, and know how to use CSS. You don't have to have all HTML, XHTML, and CSS memorized—just be able to look things up quickly. This course moves you into the essentials of XML and related topics and has you do some projects similar to what technical writers get involved in.
Background on XML. Do introductory readings from as many of the sources listed in the project page as you have time for or can get your hands on. In the project for this unit, as succinctly and clearly as possible, you write brief discussions of essential XML concepts.
Introduction to XML markup. Get an introduction to the essentials of XML structure and markup, and create the XML markup for a very simple document and another for a less simple document.
Readings in technical communication. The readings and reading quizzes listed here are for general background and may not directly relate to this week's projects.
Introduction to DTDs. Learn the basic building blocks of DTDs and be able either to describe the rules established by a simple DTD or to create your own simple DTD. And then do one of the following (or both!): describe the requirement in a simple DTD in understandable English; or create your own simple DTD (for example, based on one of the preceding XML documents you created).
XML-CSS project. Create a document that depends on an XML file and an CSS file. In other words, the XML file defines the valid structure of your document, and the CSS file specifies the format and style (the appearance) of your document.
(Optional) XML files as databases. Learn how to "bind" the data contained in an XML file to an HTML that is structured to display that data but contains no data itself. Learn also how that data displayed in the HTML document can be scrolled.
(Optional) Introduction to XSLT and schemas. Get an introduction to two powerful but still emerging tools that you can use to specify presentational characteristics of XML documents as well as to transform them in other useful ways. (The tutorial for this unit includes a guided project that you complete and post to your website.)
Readings in technical communication. The readings and reading quizzes listed here are for general background and may not directly relate to this week's projects.
XML: DocBook and editing tools. Get some experience with one of the most popular DTDs—DocBook. Get some experience with popular applications (some of which are shareware) that facilitate working with XML such as XMetaL, XML Spy, and Epic. (The tutorial for this unit includes a guided project that you complete and post to your website.)
XML formatting/design project. Using an XML-authoring tool, DocBook, and text and graphics provided, create a fully valid XML-based document.
Readings in technical communication. The readings and reading quizzes listed here are for general background and may not directly relate to this week's projects.
Task analysis. Learn or review the basics of identifying user tasks related to a product and then structuring a documentation project accordingly. (If you have already done this unit and taken the quiz earlier this semester or in a previous course, you can skip this unit.)
Page design: review. Review page design for the standard design guidelines for headings, lists, notices, tables, figures, cross-references, and highlighting. (If you have already done this unit and taken the quiz earlier this semester or in a previous course, you can skip this unit.)
Multiple outputs with XML. Use the directions and resources provided in this unit to output XML source to three media (HTML, PDF, and helps). (The tutorial for this unit includes a guided project that you complete and post to your website.)
Optional: XML and interactive forms. Learn how to store data collected from HTML forms into XML files. (The tutorial for this unit includes a guided project that you complete and post to your website.)
Readings in technical communication. The readings and reading quizzes listed here are for general background and may not directly relate to this week's projects.
Final XML project. All on your own now, develop an original documentation project of your own that uses a DTD, a presentation tool (CSS, Schema, XSLT). Set this project up so that you can and do generate three outputs (HTML, PDF, and .chm). This is the one you show off!
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