Building XML - Based Web Applications 1905

Introduction

This five-day instructor-led course provides students with the skills to build a Web application of moderate complexity. Such an application connects to and retrieves data from a data source, processes Extensible Markup Language (XML) data before sending it to the client, and saves updates from the client back to the database.

 

Module 1: Overview of XML Documents

 

This module explains the general goals and uses for XML and presents the fundamental structure of an XML document.

 

Lessons

 

• Structuring Data

 

• Introduction to XML

 

• Creating XML Documents

 

• Grammars and Namespaces

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• List the uses for XML on a Web site.

 

• List advantages and disadvantages of using XML.

 

• Describe the structure of an XML document.

 

• Create a simple XML document.

 

• List issues associated with designing XML documents.

 

 

 

 

Module 2: Overview of XML Technologies

 

This module explains how to XML and stylesheets are used to organize, transform and display data.

 

Lessons

 

• XML Technologies: The Big Picture

 

• Viewing XML with Style Sheets

 

• Binding HTML to XML

 

• Accessing XML Data Using the DOM

 

• Validating XML

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• List common XML technologies.

 

•Define and apply CSS and Extensible Stylesheet Language for Transformation (XSLT) style sheets.

 

• Define data binding and bind HTML elements to XML data.

 

• Define the Document Object Model (DOM) and use it to access data in XML documents.

 

• Define XML validation.

 

• Create DTDs.

 

 

 

 

Module 3: Generating XML Data from a Database

 

The following topics are covered in this module:

 

Lessons

 

• Introduction to Generating XML Data

 

• Retrieving Data Using ADO

 

• Returning XML to the Client

 

• Retrieving XML from SQL Server 2000

 

 

Lab 3.1: Querying a Database and Returning XML Data

 

• Exercise 1: Creating the Basic Web Site

 

• Exercise 2: Connecting to a Data Source and Executing a Query

 

• Exercise 3: Navigating the ADO Recordset to Return XML to the Browser

 

• Exercise 4: Returning More XML Details for Each Book

 

• Exercise 5: Querying SQL Server to Return All Book Details

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• List the benefits of generating XML data from a Web application.

 

• Define ASP and ADO.

 

• Connect to a data source and execute a query.

 

• Return generated XML to a client from an ASP.

 

• Convert the contents of an ADO Recordset into XML.

 

• Query SQL Server 2000 directly for XML.

 

 

 

 

Module 4: Displaying an XML Document Using XSLT

 

This module describes how to write a style sheet by using XSLT and then apply it to a static XML document.

 

Lessons

 

• Introduction to Transforming XML with XSLT

 

• Creating Output Templates

 

• Filtering and Sorting XML

 

• Programming with XSLT Constructs

 

• Transforming XML Structures

 

 

Lab 4.1: Displaying an XML Document Using XSLT

 

• Exercise 1: Creating and Using a Style Sheet

 

• Exercise 2: Creating an HTML Table in the Style Sheet

 

• Exercise 3: Creating Hyperlinks to a Details Page for Each Book

 

• Exercise 4: Displaying Authors on Separate Lines

 

 

 

 

• After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• Describe how XSLT transforms an XML source tree into a result tree.

 

• Write XSLT style sheet templates.

 

• Apply style sheet templates to other nodes.

 

• Write XPath expressions to select and filter nodes.

 

• Sort XSLT output.

 

• Program with XSLT language constructs.

 

• Generate new nodes in the XML result tree.

 

 

 

 

Module 5: Embedding XML Data in HTML

 

This module explains how to use XML data islands. The module describes the benefits of embedding XML data in an HTML page, and then outlines how the XML data island is exposed as an ADO recordset.

 

Lessons

 

• Accessing Data on the Web

 

• Data Binding

 

• Manipulating the Data Source

 

 

Lab 5.1: Embedding XML Data in HTML

 

• Exercise 1: Building an XML Data Island

 

• Exercise 2: Binding an HTML Table to an XML Data Island

 

• Exercise 3: Binding a Nested HTML Table to Repeating XML Elements

 

• Exercise 4: Displaying Data Using Non-Tabular Data Binding

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• Define XML data islands.

 

• Describe how to use Data Source Objects (DSO) to display XML data islands in an HTML page.

 

• Create an XML data island in an HTML file.

 

• Bind XML data to HTML elements.

 

 

 

 

Module 6: Manipulating XML Data on the Client Using the DOM

 

This module explains how to use the DOM to access, manipulate, modify, extend, and transform an XML document.

 

Lessons

 

• The DOM View of XML Documents

 

• Accessing DOM Trees

 

• Transforming XML with XSL Programmatically

 

 

Lab 6.1: Transforming XML Data on the Client

 

• Exercise 1: Transforming the XML Data

 

 

Lab 6.2: Manipulating XML Data on the Client

 

• Exercise 1: Adding a <quantity> Element to the OrderItem

 

• Exercise 2: Adding the <orderitem> Element to a Shopping Basket Data Island

 

• Exercise 3: Detecting Existing Orders for a Book in the Shopping Basket

 

 

Lab 6.3: Displaying XML Data Using the DOM

 

• Exercise 1: Adding the View Order Page

 

• Exercise 2: Building an HTML String

 

• Exercise 3: Calculating an Order Summary

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• Define the Document Object Model.

 

• Access the DOM tree and list common DOM objects.

 

• Navigate a DOM tree.

 

• Apply an XSLT style sheet programmatically.

 

• Retrieve information from a DOM node.

 

• Add, change, and remove nodes from a DOM tree.

 

 

 

 

Module 7: Posting XML Data from Client to Server

 

This module explains how to submit XML data from browser to Web server.

 

Lessons

 

• Preparing XML Data on the Client

 

• Posting Data to the Server

 

• DOM Manipulation on the Server

 

• Receiving the Response on the Client

 

 

7.1: Sending XML Packets to the Server

 

• Exercise 1: Creating the XML Data Packet

 

• Exercise 2: Adding the Order Details to the XML Data Packet

 

• Exercise 3: Posting the XML Data Packet to the Web Server

 

 

 

 

 

Lab 7.2: Processing XML Packets at the Server

 

• Exercise 1: Receiving the XML Data Packet at the Server

 

• Exercise 2: Processing the XML Data Packet at the Server

 

• Exercise 3: Sending XML Data to the Client

 

• Exercise 4: Updating the Stock Levels

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• List the benefits of using XML in client/server applications.

 

• Use the XMLHTTP object to send data back to the server.

 

• Convert XML into a server-side Document Object Model (DOM) tree.

 

• Issue a response from the server to the client.

 

• Process text and XML responses on the client.

 

 

 

 

Module 8: Validating XML Using Schemas

 

This module explains how to construct XML schemas and how to statically and programmatically associate them with instance documents.

 

Lessons

 

• Introduction to XML Schema Validation

 

• Creating Simple Datatypes

 

• Creating Complex Datatypes

 

• Creating Advanced XML Schemas

 

 

Lab 8.1: Validating XML Using Schemas

 

• Exercise 1: Creating the Validation Environment

 

• Exercise 2: Creating Simple Element and Attribute Declarations

 

• Exercise 3: Creating Complex Types

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• Validate an XML document.

 

• Create simple datatypes.

 

• Create complex datatypes.

 

• Create advanced XML schemas.

 

 

 

 

Module 9: Introduction to SOAP and XML Web Services

 

This module explains how to use XML Web services. It includes an explanation of Microsoft .NET and SOAP, and shows you how to call a Web service and how to use the SOAP Toolkit 2.0.

 

Lessons

 

• Introduction to XML Web Services

 

• Introduction to SOAP

 

• Calling XML Web Services

 

• Using the SOAP Toolkit 2.0

 

 

Lab 9.1.: Calling an XML Web Service

 

• Exercise 1: Invoking the Currency Converter Web Service

 

• Exercise 2: Handling the Web Service Response

 

 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

 

• Define an XML Web service.

 

• Identify scenarios in which XML Web services can be used.

 

• Build a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope.

 

• Invoke an XML Web service.

 

• Build a SOAP application by using the SOAP Toolkit 2.0.