2500: Introduction to XML and the Microsoft .NET Platform (2 Days)
About this Course
This two-day instructor-led course provides a technological overview of the structure and programming techniques of XML. This course discusses the role of XML in the Microsoft .NET vision and the larger world of distributed standards-based computing.
Audience Profile
The audience for this course includes:
- Microsoft Visual Basic developers with little Web development training or job experience.
- Web developers with experience writing client scripts by using CGI, Visual Basic Scripting Edition, PERL, Java Script, or some other scripting language.
- Web developers with moderate experience developing Web sites by using Microsoft FrontPage or some other Web page development tool and basic HTML knowledge.
- Microsoft Office developers.
- Microsoft SQL Server 2000 administrators and developers.
At Course Completion
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe how XML and related technologies fit into the .NET Platform.
- Create a well-formed XML document.
- Use XML schemas to validate an instance document.
- Describe how XML Document Object Model (DOM), XML Path Language (XPath), XSL Transformations (XSLT), and XQuery are used to create real-world solutions.
- Describe how Office XP can be used to handle XML.
- Describe how SQL Server 2000 uses XML.
- Describe how XML standards and the .NET Platform are used to address a range of solution requirements.
- Identify the next logical .NET training experience and readily justify the decision to enroll in further .NET training.
Course Outline
Module 1: The Microsoft .NET Platform and XML
Lessons
- XML in the .NET Platform
- XML as a W3C Standard
After completing this module, you will be able to identify where and how XML is used within the .NET distributed computing and Web-based world.
Module 2: Basic XML
Lessons
- The Form of XML
- Designing an XML Vocabulary
- Namespaces
After completing this module, you will be able to, given a set of data requirements based on a real-world application, design an XML document that conforms to the formal rules of XML and satisfies requirements.
Module 3: Validating XML
Lessons
- Introducing Validation
- Using XSD Schemas
After completing this module, you will be able to, given an instance document of moderate complexity, for example one that represents a purchase order, develop an XML schema to validate it.
Module 4: Technologies for Handling XML Data
Lessons
- Metadata and XML Processing
- XML Processing Technologies
After completing this module, you will be able to identify situations where you need to use DOM, XPath, XSLT, and XQuery.
Module 5: Creating and Manipulating Trees Using DOM
Lessons
- How Does DOM Work? Using the DOM
- Using DOM and the .NET Framework XML Classes
After completing this module, you will be able to use DOM and DOM trees and identify the ways that you can and cannot use DOM to manipulate XML documents.
Module 6: Using XPath to Navigate a Tree of Nodes
Lessons
- What is XPath?
- Using XPath
- XPath and Other Technologies
After completing this module, you will be able to use XPath to navigate XML documents and select content in XML documents and identify how it can be used by other XML technologies.
Module 7: Formatting and Transforming: XSL and XSLT
Lessons
- Defining XSL
- Transforming XML Using XSLT
- XSLT in the Microsoft .NET Framework
After completing this module, you will be able to use XSLT technologies to control XML presentation and to perform XML transformations.
Module 8: Using XQuery to Link and Query XML Documents
Lessons
- What is XQuery?
- Using XQuery
After completing this module, you will be able to design basic XQuery expressions and apply them to XML sources.
Module 9: SQL XML
Lessons
- XML Support in SQL Server 2000
- Using HTTP to Access and Input XML Data
After completing this module, you will be able to describe how SQL Server 2000 implements XML support through Interface Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) and how to use this capability to manipulate SQL Server 2000 data by using XML.
Module 10: The Challenge of Designing XML Solutions
Lessons
- Solutions that Use XML
- XML Web Services
- What Is Next?
After completing this module, you will be able to review a proposed solution and choose an appropriate mix of XML and related technologies to address design requirements.
This course requires that students meet the following prerequisites:
- Working knowledge of a scripting or programming language
- Working knowledge of HTML
- Working knowledge of how databases are used in distributed computing environments