Unit 4: XML Basics and DTD – web programming

1. XML Basics

a) Introduction to XML

 Definition:
o XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language designed for storing
and transporting data in a format that is both human-readable and machine-
readable. It uses a set of rules to encode documents in a format that is
understandable by both humans and computers.
 Purpose:
o To facilitate data sharing across diverse systems and applications.
o To create a structured format for data that can be easily transformed and queried.

b) Need for XML

 Data Interchange:
o XML provides a standardized way to represent data that can be shared between
different systems regardless of their underlying technology or platform. For
example, XML is used in web services (SOAP) for exchanging data between
servers and clients.
 Hierarchical Data Representation:
o XML represents data in a tree-like structure that mirrors real-world relationships.
For instance, an XML document can represent organizational hierarchies or
product categories.
 Self-Describing:
o XML documents contain metadata within the tags, making it easy to understand
the context and structure of the data without needing additional documentation.

c) Advantages of XML

 Platform Independence:
o XML can be used on any platform, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, and
in various programming languages such as Python, Java, and C#.
 Self-Descriptive:
o XML tags describe the data they contain, improving clarity. For example, <price>
clearly indicates that the data represents a price.
 Extensibility:
o Users can define their own tags, allowing XML to adapt to various data needs.
For example, a business might create a custom tag like <customerID> to track
customers.
 Standards-Based:
 o XML follows W3C standards, ensuring interoperability with various tools and
technologies. This standardization helps in maintaining consistency and
compatibility across different systems.

2. Working with an XML Document

a) Structure of an XML Document

 XML Declaration:
o The declaration defines the XML version and character encoding used in the
document.

Xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

o Example:

Xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

 Root Element:
o The root element encloses all other elements in the XML document. It is the top-
most element and serves as the parent for all other elements.

Xml:
<library>
<!-- Child elements here -->
</library>

o Example:

Xml:
<menu>
<item name="Pizza" price="12.99"/>
<item name="Pasta" price="9.99"/>
</menu>

 Child Elements:
o Elements nested within the root element represent data. They can contain text,
attributes, or other nested elements.

Xml:
<book>
<title>XML Basics</title>
 <author>John Doe</author>
<year>2022</year>
</book>

o Example:

Xml:
<employee>
<name>Jane Smith</name>
<position>Developer</position>
<salary>70000</salary>
</employee>

 Attributes:
o Attributes provide additional information about elements. They are specified
within the opening tag and have a name-value pair format.

Xml:
<book genre="fiction">
<title>XML Basics</title>
</book>

o Example:

Xml:
<product id="12345" category="electronics">
<name>Smartphone</name>
<price>299.99</price>
</product>

 Text Content:
o The actual data contained within elements is known as text content. This is the
value or information provided by the element.

Xml:
<title>XML Basics</title>

o Example:

xml
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<description>This book covers the fundamentals of XML.</description>

b) Example of an XML Document

xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<library>
<book id="1">
<title>Introduction to XML</title>
<author>Jane Smith</author>
<year>2022</year>
<price currency="USD">29.95</price>
</book>
<book id="2">
<title>Advanced XML Techniques</title>
<author>John Doe</author>
<year>2023</year>
<price currency="USD">39.95</price>
</book>
</library>

 Explanation:
o <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>: Declares the XML version and
character encoding.
o <library>: Root element that contains multiple <book> elements.
o <book id="1">: Represents a book with an id attribute and nested elements for
title, author, year, and price.

3. Document Type Definition (DTD)

a) Introduction to DTD

 Definition:
o DTD (Document Type Definition) specifies the legal structure and content of an
XML document. It defines the elements, attributes, and their relationships.
 Purpose:
o To enforce a structure for XML documents, ensuring consistency and validity of
the data.

b) Types of DTD

 Internal DTD:
o Defined within the XML document itself. It provides validation rules specific to
that document.

Xml:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE library [
<!ELEMENT library (book+)>
 <!ELEMENT book (title, author, year, price)>
<!ATTLIST book id ID #REQUIRED>
<!ELEMENT title (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT author (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT year (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT price (#PCDATA)>
]>
<library>
<!-- Book elements here -->
</library>

 External DTD:
o Defined in a separate file and referenced in the XML document. This allows for
reusability and separation of the document content from its schema.

Xml:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE library SYSTEM "library.dtd">
<library>
<!-- Book elements here -->
</library>

External DTD File (library.dtd):

Xml:
<!ELEMENT library (book+)>
<!ELEMENT book (title, author, year, price)>
<!ATTLIST book id ID #REQUIRED>
<!ELEMENT title (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT author (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT year (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT price (#PCDATA)>

c) DTD Syntax

 Element Declaration:
o Defines the structure and hierarchy of elements.

Xml:
<!ELEMENT elementName (childElements)>

o Example:

Xml:
<!ELEMENT book (title, author, year, price)>
  Attribute Declaration:
o Defines attributes for elements and their default values or constraints.

Xml:
<!ATTLIST elementName attributeName attributeType defaultValue>

o Example:

Xml:
<!ATTLIST book id ID #REQUIRED>

 Entity Declaration:
o Defines reusable pieces of text that can be included in the XML document.

Xml:
<!ENTITY entityName "entityValue">

o Example:

xml
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<!ENTITY company "Example Inc.">

4. XML Schema

a) Introduction to XML Schema

 Definition:
o XML Schema (XSD - XML Schema Definition) is a comprehensive schema
language used to define the structure, data types, and constraints of XML
documents.
 Purpose:
o To provide a more robust validation mechanism compared to DTD, allowing for
detailed specification of data types and complex relationships.

b) Advantages of XML Schema over DTD

 Data Types:
o XML Schema supports a wide range of data types such as xs:string, xs:integer,
xs:decimal, and xs:date, allowing for precise data validation.
 Namespace Support:
o XML Schema can use XML namespaces to avoid naming conflicts and support
multiple vocabularies within the same document.
 Complex Structures:
 o XML Schema can define complex structures with nested elements, choice and
sequence constraints, and identity constraints, providing greater control over
document validation.

c) Example of an XML Schema

xmL:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<xs:element name="library">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="book" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="title" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="author" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="year" type="xs:integer"/>
<xs:element name="price" type="xs:decimal"/>
</xs:sequence>
<xs:attribute name="id" type="xs:ID" use="required"/>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:schema>

 Explanation:
o <xs:schema>: Root element of the XML Schema document, defining the
namespace for XML Schema elements.
o <xs:element name="library">: Declares the library element with a sequence of
book elements.
o <xs:complexType>: Defines a complex type with nested elements and attributes.
o <xs:attribute name="id" type="xs:ID" use="required"/>: Declares an id
attribute for the book element, specifying it as a required ID.

d) Using XML Schema for Validation

 Validation Process:
o XML documents are validated against the XML Schema using XML parsers or
validation tools. These tools check the document structure, data types, and
constraints as defined in the schema.
 Tools:
o XML editors like Oxygen XML Editor, Altova XMLSpy, and online validation
tools can be used to validate XML documents against XML Schema.