In many organizations, relational databases are the backbone for data storage and retrieval. Over the last couple of years, XML has become the de facto standard to exchange information between organizations, as well as between departments or applications within the same organization. Since data tends to live in databases, it needs to be converted from a relational format into an XML format when involved in those data exchanges, as well as converted (back) from XML into a relational format for storage, or for handling by other applications. How can we achieve this? This IBM Redbooks publication describes how to design the mapping between XML and relational data, and vice versa, to enable a flexible exchange of information. IBM provides a number of products to help you bridge the gap between XML and its relational database, DB2. The DB2 engine itself provides support to generate XML fragments from relational data through the use of SQL/XML built-in functions. DB2 also provides the DB2 XML Extender. It allows you to perform XML composition, like SQL/XML, but also provides functionality to decompose XML documents and store XML documents intact inside the database. XML Extender also provides a set of transformation and validation functions. Another option to work with XML is to use the XML wrapper, a part of the set of non-relational wrappers of DB2 Information Integrator. This book also looks at the IBM tools available to assist you when dealing with XML, specifically WebSphere Application Developer and DB2 Control Center. Please note that the additional material referenced in the text is not available from IBM.

XML in Data Management is for IT managers and technical staff involved in the creation, administration, or maintenance of a data management infrastructure that includes XML. For most IT staff, XML is either just a buzzword that is ignored or a silver bullet to be used in every nook and cranny of their organization. The truth is in between the two. This book provides the guidance necessary for data managers to make measured decisions about XML within their organizations. Readers will understand the uses of XML, its component architecture, its strategic implications, and how these apply to data management. Takes a data-centric view of XML Explains how, when, and why to apply XML to data management systems Covers XML component architecture, data engineering, frameworks, metadata, legacy systems, and more Discusses the various strengths and weaknesses of XML technologies in the context of organizational data management and integration

The vast majority of Oracle SQL books discuss some syntax, provide the barest rudiments of using Oracle SQL, and perhaps include a few simple examples. It might be enough to pass a survey course, or give you some buzz words to drop in conversation with real Oracle DBAs. But if you use Oracle SQL on a regular basis, you want much more. You want to access the full power of SQL to write queries in an Oracle environment. You want a solid understanding of what's possible with Oracle SQL, creative techniques for writing effective and accurate queries, and the practical, hands-on information that leads to true mastery of the language. Simply put, you want useful, expert best practices that can be put to work immediately, not just non-vendor specific overview or theory.Updated to cover the latest version of Oracle, Oracle 10g, this edition of the highly regarded Mastering Oracle SQL has a stronger focus on technique and on Oracle's implementation of SQL than any other book on the market. It covers Oracle s vast library of built-in functions, the full range of Oracle SQL query-writing features, regular expression support, new aggregate and analytic functions, subqueries in the SELECT and WITH clauses, multiset union operators, enhanced support for hierarchical queries: leaf and loop detection, and the CONNECT_BY_ROOT operator, new partitioning methods (some introduced in Oracle9i Release 2), and the native XML datatype, XMLType. Mastering Oracle SQL, 2nd Edition fills the gap between the sometimes spotty vendor documentation, and other books on SQL that just don't explore the full depth of what is possible with Oracle-specific SQL. For those who want to harness the untapped (and often overlooked) power of Oracle SQL, this essential guide for putting Oracle SQL to work will prove invaluable.

Written by Sun Microsystems' Java™ BluePrints team, is the authoritative guide to the best practices for designing and integrating enterprise-level Web services using the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) 1.4. This book provides the guidelines, patterns, and real-world examples architects and developers need in order to shorten the learning curve and start building robust, scalable, and portable solutions. Designing Web Services with the J2EE™ 1.4 Platform The authors use the Java Adventure Builder application to bring the design process to life and help illustrate the use of Java APIs for XML Processing (JAXP), Java APIs for XML-Based RPC (JAX-RPC), and other Web service and Java-XML technologies. Key topic coverage includes: Web service requirements and design issues Support for Web services provided by the J2EE 1.4 platform Designing and implementing Web service end points Writing efficient Web service client applications Designing and developing XML-based applications Integrating applications and data using Web services The J2EE platform security model as it applies to Web services A coherent programming model for designing and developing Web service endpoints and clients provides the insight, advice, and detail that make it easier to create effective Web service applications using the J2EE 1.4 platform. Designing Web Services with the J2EE™ 1.4 Platform

Web developers rely on XML to separate data from presentation and create a consistent templating system for a web site. Although limited XML-to-HTML conversion is possible within some browsers, web developers creating dynamic or complex sites will find server-side XML transformation a necessity. Unfortunately, until recently, there have been few XML tools available for server-side XML transformation or authoring. AxKit, a mod_perl and Apache-based XML content delivery solution, was designed to meet that need with a cost-effective and efficient plugin architecture. AxKit allows the developer to quickly design modules to create faster web sites, and deliver them in a wide variety of media formats. AxKit also takes care of caching so the developer doesn't have to worry about it. AxKit meets the demands of the web developer nicely, but, as with any new toolkit, there is a learning curve. For developers who want to flatten that learning curve and get right to work with AxKit, XML Publishing with AxKit provides detailed information on how to install, configure, and deploy AxKit effectively. The first book solely devoted to AxKit, XML Publishing with AxKit also offers a concise and focused look at how to create XSLT and XPathScript-based pipelines for XML data transfer. This solidly useful new book presents web programmers with the hands-on knowledge they need to get really creative with AxKit. It features a thorough introduction to XSP (extensible Server Pages), which applies the concepts of Server Pages technologies (embedded code, tag libraries, etc) to the XML world, and covers integrating AxKit with other tools such as Template Toolkit, Apache:: Mason, Apache::ASP, and plain CGI. The book also includes invaluable reference sections on configuration directives, XPathScript, and XSP. With XML Publishing with AxKit, web developers will have all the tools they need to deliver complex XML-based systems quickly, the power to develop their own systems for style sheet negotiation, and the flexibility to design completely new style sheet languages. XML Publishing with AxKit gives those new to XML all the background and the courage they need to jump right in and deploy AxKit. And it gives XML-savvy professionals everything they need to hit the ground running.

In Microsoft's Office 2003, users experience the merger of the power of the classic Office suite of applications with the fluidity of data exchange inherent in XML. With XML at its heart, the new version of Microsoft's desktop suite liberates the information stored in millions of documents created with Office software over the past fifteen years, making it available to a wide variety of programs. Office 2003 XML offers an in-depth exploration of the relationship between XML and Office 2003, examining how the various products in the Office suite both produce and consume XML. Developers will learn how they can connect Microsoft Office to others systems, while power users will learn to create and analyze XML documents using familiar Office tools. The book begins with an overview of the XML features included in the various Office 2003 components, and explores in detail how Word, Excel, and Access interact with XML. This book covers both the user interface side, creating interfaces so that users can comfortably (and even unknowingly) work with XML, and the back end, exposing Office information to other processes. It also looks at Microsoft's new InfoPath application and how it fits with the rest of Office. Finally, the book's appendices introduce various XML technologies that may be useful in working with Office, including XSLT, W3C XML Schema, RELAX NG, and SOAP. Office 2003 XML provides quick and clear guidance to a anyone who needs to import or export information from Office documents into other systems. Both XML programmers and Office power will learn how to get the most from this powerful new intersection between Office 2003 and XML.

Covers all features of VBA programming for Access database applications Begins with an overview of VBA and highlights what's new in Microsoft Access 2003, the most popular database system in the world Real-world code examples demonstrate each programming topic, including using the Access Object Model, VBA execution and error handling, creating database objects with VBA, writing secure VBA code, and much more Shows how Access 2003 provides enhanced XML support, making it easier for programmers to publish data to the Web and exchange it with other organizations

Not a reference book, and not a tutorial either, the new second edition of the highly regarded Access Cookbook is an uncommonly useful collection of solutions to problems that Access users and developers are likely to face as they attempt to build increasingly complex applications.Although using any single "recipe" in the book will more than pay back the cost of the book in terms of both hours saved and frustration thwarted, Access Cookbook, Second Edition is much more than a handy assortment of cut-and-paste code.Each of the "recipes" examine a particular problem--problems that commonly occur when you push the upper limits of Access, or ones that are likely to trip up a developer attempting to design a more elegant Access application--even some things you never knew Access could do. The authors then, in a clear, accessible, step-by-step style, present the problems' solution. Following each "recipe" are insights on how Access works, potential pitfalls, interesting programming techniques that are used in the solution, and how and why the solution works, so you can adapt the problem-solving techniques to other similar situations.Fully updated for Access 2003, Access Cookbook, Second Edition is also one of the first books to thoroughly explore new support for .NET managed code and XML. All of the practical, real-world examples have been tested for compatibility with Access 2003, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. This updated new edition also covers Access and SharePoint, Access and SmartTags, Access and .NET; and Access and XML.Access power users and programmers at all levels, from the relatively inexperienced to the most sophisticated, will rely on the Access Cookbook for quick solutions to gnarly problems. With a dog-eared copy of Access Cookbook at your side, you can spend your time and energy where it matters most: working on the interesting facets of your Access application, not just the time-consuming ones.

Microsoft InfoPath 2003 Kick Start builds upon the reader's knowledge of the Microsoft Office system to enable them to get right to work making productive use of InfoPath. It is targeted specifically at the early adopters - developers who will use their knowledge of XML and Web development to build sophisticated applications with InfoPath front ends. However it is also, carefully structured to enable "front line" InfoPath users to quickly glean the information they need to be productive when developing their own InfoPath forms - and when working with developers to create more involved InfoPath applications.

“An excellent, early look at the emerging XML Query standard. The chapters on surprises and gotchas alone are worth the price of admission!” — Ashok Malhotra, Architect, Microsoft “XQuery is the most important XML standard to emerge in recent years, and is a language with which anyone using XML on a regular basis should become acquainted. Michael Brundage's accessible introduction to XQuery provides enough information on all aspects of the standard, including its dark corners, to allow any XML developer to jump right in and start coding.” — Damien Fisher, Kernel Team Member, Soda Technologies Pty Ltd “This book does an excellent job of distilling the essentials of XQuery in an understandable, straightforward and easily digestable manner. This book has already become an indispensible part of my library and is a welcome addition to my XML repertoire.” — Dare Obasanjo, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation “Simply put, the emerging XQuery standard adds enormous value to XML data and this book is your key to unlocking that value. Here in one stop you will find an accessible introduction to XQuery and a complete reference. Practitioners will particularly value the sections on XQuery idioms and surprises where Michael shares his tricks of the trade.” — Dave Van Buren, Project Manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory “It’s both a stupendous reference on XQuery and a good read. Michael writes with verve, authority, and an eminently readable style. What a rare delight to discover all this, and in a technical book too! When the sequel comes along, sign me up.” — Howard Katz, Owner, Fatdog Software Inc., Editor, XQuery from the Experts (Addison-Wesley, 2003) From corporate IT departments to academic institutions, XML has become the language of choice for storing and transmitting data across diverse application domains. XQuery, an XML Query Language invented by the World Wide Web Consortium, offers a powerful, standardized way to query all of that XML-encapsulated information. With its ability to integrate XML and non-XML data, XQuery seems poised to do for XML what SQL has done for relational data. Written by the Technical Lead for XML query processing at Microsoft, is an invaluable resource for XQuery novices and experts alike. For those new to XQuery, this example-rich text serves as a tutorial that brings readers quickly up to speed on XQuery's data model, type system, and core language features. More experienced XML and database developers will find an excellent reference on the nuances of various expressions, as well as a guide to using XQuery to accomplish specific tasks. XQuery: The XML Query Language Drawing on his experiences using XQuery, Michael Brundage offers an objective, inside look at this emerging technology. His unique perspective translates into an accessible and authoritative guide for readers using XML for documents, Web services, or databases. Key coverage includes: Data model and type system Path navigation Iteration, construction, arithmetic, text processing, type operators and user-defined functions Information beyond the standard—such as a look at update languages, performance benchmarks, query optimization, XQuery style, and much, much more Hundreds of examples The future of XQuery The appendixes provide in-depth information on XQuery's type system, core expressions, built-in functions, regular expressions, and grammar. Meanwhile, the companion Web site offers downloadable source code for all of the examples in the book, the latest on the XQuery standard, answers to readers' questions, XQuery tips and strategies, and more. will show developers, programmers, and database administrators how a single line of this deep and powerful new language can accomplish the equivalent of hundreds of lines written in C, C#, Java, and other general-purpose programming languages. XQuery

Co-authors are the world-renowned inventor of markup languages and a developer of the W3C XML Schema specification Detailed coverage of Office 2003 Professional XML features, plus all the XML knowledge you need to use them Learn to edit your XML document with Word, analyze its data with Excel, store it with Access, and publish it to the Web with FrontPage® Build dynamic custom XML forms with the remarkable new InfoPath™ 2003—structured data collection with word processing flexibility From the Foreword by Jean Paoli, Microsoft XML Architect and co-editor of the W3C XML specification: “XML enabled the transfer of information from server to server and server to client, even in cross-platform environments. But the desktop, where documents are created and analyzed by millions of information workers, could not easily participate. Business-critical information was locked inside data storage systems or individual documents, forcing companies to adopt inefficient and duplicative business processes. “This is a book on re-inventing the way millions of people write and interact with documents. It succeeds in communicating the novel underlying vision of Office 2003 XML while focusing on task-oriented, hands-on skills for using the product.” Desktop XML affects every Office 2003 Professional Edition user! It transforms millions of desktop computers from mere word processors into rich clients for Web services, editing front-ends for XML content management systems, and portals for XML-based application integration. And this book shows you how to benefit from it. You’ll learn exactly what XML can do for you, and you’ll master its key concepts, all in the context of the Office products you already know and use. With 200 tested and working code and markup examples and over 150 screenshots and illustrations from the actual shipped product (not betas), you’ll see step by step how: Office users can share documents more easily, without error-prone rework, re-keying, or cut-and-paste. Office data from your documents can be captured for enterprise databases. Office documents can be kept up-to-date with live data from Web Services and enterprise data stores. Office solutions can overcome traditional limitations by using XML and Smart Documents. BONUS XML SKILLS SECTION! All the XML expertise you’ll need, adapted for Office 2003 users from the best-selling Charles F. Goldfarb’s XML Handbook, Fifth Edition: the XML language, XML Schema, XPath, XSLT, Web services … and more! CD-ROM INCLUDED: Provides a fully functional 60-day trial version of Microsoft InfoPath 2003.

XPath is to XML as SQL is to databases: XML applications need XPath to locate specific data within an XML document for further processing with other XML applications such as XSLT, XQuery, XPointer, XLink and DOM level 3. With XPath, these applications offer developers a full toolkit for transforming, linking, and searching XML data. Developers need to understand XPath to fully exploit XML in their applications, and they have few resources beyond the W3C specification. XPath Kick Start will examine every aspect of XPath in detail, including its influence on and use with these other XML standards. With each technique illustrated with real-world examples, the book starts with coverage of the essentials of XPath, including nodes, expressions, functions and operators. The second half of the book details XPath in practice - from manipulating XML data to transforming, linking and querying XML documents.

As developers know, the beauty of XML is that it is extensible, even to the point that you can invent new elements and attributes as you write XML documents. Then, however, you need to define your changes so that applications will be able to make sense of them and this is where XML schema languages come into play. RELAX NG (pronounced relaxing), the Regular Language Description for XML Core--New Generation is quickly gaining momentum as an alternative to other schema languages. Designed to solve a variety of common problems raised in the creation and sharing of XML vocabularies, RELAX NG is less complex than The W3C's XML Schema Recommendation and much more powerful and flexible than DTDs.RELAX NG is a grammar-based schema language that's both easy to learn for schema creators and easy to implement for software developers In RELAX NG, developers are introduced to this unique language and will learn a no-nonsense method for creating XML schemas. This book offers a clear-cut explanation of RELAX NG that enables intermediate and advanced XML developers to focus on XML document structures and content rather than battle the intricacies of yet another convoluted standard. RELAX NG covers the following topics in depth: and much more.If you're looking for a schema language that's easy to use and won't leave you in a labyrinth of obscure limitations, RELAX NG is the language you should be using. And only O'Reilly's Introduction to RELAX NG Building RELAX NG schemas using XML syntax Building RELAX NG schemas using compact syntax, an alternative non-XML syntax Flattening schemas to limit depth and provide reusability Using external datatype libraries with RELAX NG W3C XML Schema regular expressions Writing extensible schemas Annotating schemas Generating schemas form different sources Determinism and datatype assignment RELAX NG gives you the straightforward information and everything else you'll need to take advantage of this powerful and intelligible language.

If you're seeking ways to build network-based applications or XML-based web services, Microsoft provides most of the tools you'll need. XML is integrated into the .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET, but if you want to get a grasp on how .NET and XML actually work together, that's a different story. With .NET & XML, you can get under the hood to see how the .NET Framework implements XML, giving you the skills to write understandable XML-based code that interoperates with code written with other tools, and even other languages. .NET & XML starts by introducing XML and the .NET Framework, and then teaches you how to read and write XML before moving on to complex methods for manipulating, navigating, transforming, and constraining it. To demonstrate the power of XML in .NET, author Niel Bornstein builds a simple hardware store inventory system throughout the book. As you move from chapter to chapter, you'll absorb increasingly complex information until you have enough knowledge to successfully program your own XML-based applications. This tutorial also contains a quick reference to the API, plus appendices present additional .NET assemblies that you can use to work with XML, and how to work with the .NET XML configuration file format.One study puts the potential market for new software based on XML at or near $100 billion over the next five years. The .NET Framework gives you a way to become a part of it. But to use XML and .NET effectively, you need to understand how these two technologies work together. This book gives you the insight to take full advantage of the power the two provide.

XSLT is a powerful language for transforming XML documents into something else. That something else can be an HTML document, another XML document, a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file, a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) file, Java code, or a number of other things. You write an XSLT stylesheet to define the rules for transforming an XML document, and the XSLT processor does the work.As useful as XSLT is, its peculiar characteristics make it a difficult language in which to get started. In fact, newcomers are often a little dazed on first contact. Learning XSLT offers a hands-on introduction to help them get up to speed with XSLT quickly. The book will help web developers and designers understand this powerful but often mystifying template-driven and functional-styled language, getting them over the many differences between XSLT and the more conventional programming languages. Learning XSLT moves smoothly from the simple to complex, illustrating all aspects of XSLT 1.0 through step-by-step examples that you'll practice as you work through the book. Thorough in its coverage of the language, the book makes few assumptions about what you may already know. You'll learn about XSLT's template-based syntax, how XSLT templates work with each other, and gain an understanding of XSLT variables. Learning XSLT also explains how the XML Path Language (XPath) is used by XSLT and provides a glimpse of what the future holds for XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0.The ability to transform one XML vocabulary to another is fundamental to exploiting the power of XML. Learning XSLT is a carefully paced, example-rich introduction to XSLT that will have you understanding and using XSLT on your own in no time.

Sams Teach Yourself XML in 21 Days, written by expert author Steve Holzner, offers hundreds of real-world examples demonstrating the uses of XML and the newest tools developers need to make the most of it. In Week One, he starts from basic syntax, and discusses XML document structure, document types, and the benefits of XML Schema. Week Two covers formatting using either CSS or the Extensible Sytlesheet Language, and working with XHTML and other tools for presenting XML data on the Web, or in multimedia applications. The final chapter of week two discusses XForms, the newest way to process forms in XML applications. Week Three applies XML to programming with Java, .NET or JavaScript, and building XML into database or Web Service applications with SOAP. Along the way, Steve shows readers the results of every lesson and provides both the "how" and "why" of the inner working of XML technologies.

“An excellent summary of the state of supply chain management going into the twenty-first century. Explains the essential concepts clearly and offers practical, down-to-earth advice for making supply chains more efficient and adaptive. Truly a survival guide for executives as they struggle to cope with the increasing competition between supply chains.” — Christian Knoll, Vice President of Global Supply Chain Management, SAP AG “Through real-world case studies and graphic illustrations, David Taylor clearly demonstrates the bottom-line benefits of managing the supply chain effectively. Although the book is written for managers, I recommend it for everyone from the executive suite to the shipping floor because they all have to work together to master the supply chain. But beware—you can expect many passionate employees demanding improvements in your company’s supply chain after reading this book!” — David Myers, President, WinfoSoft Inc., Former Board Member of Supply Chain Council “A comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and well-designed book that gives managers the information they need in a highly readable form. I am already starting to use the techniques in this book to improve our international distribution system.” — Jim Muller, Vice President of Produce Sales, SoFresh Produce “Supply chain management is a deceptively deep subject. Simple business practices combine to form complex systems that seem to defy rational analysis: Companies that form trading partnerships continue to compete despite their best efforts to cooperate; small variations in consumer buying create devastating swings in upstream demand, and so on. In his trademark fashion, Taylor clearly reveals the hidden logic at work in your supply chain and gives you the practical tools you need to make better management decisions. A must-read for every manager who affects a supply chain, and in today's marketplace there are few managers who are exempt from this requirement.” — Adrian J. Bowles, Ph.D., President, CoSource.net “David Taylor has done it again. With his new book, David makes supply chain management easy to grasp for the working manager, just as he did with his earlier guides to business technology. If you work for a company that is part of a supply chain, you need this book.” — Dirk Riehle, Ph.D. “David Taylor has done a masterful job of defining the core issues in supply chain management without getting trapped in the quicksand of jargon. This concise book is well written, highly informative, and easy to read.” — Marcia Robinson, President, E-Business Strategies, author of Services Blueprint: Roadmap “Taylor has done a tremendous job of giving readers an intuitive grasp of a complicated subject. If you’re new to supply chains, this book will give you an invaluable map of the territory. If you're already among the initiated, it will crystallize your insights and help you make better decisions. In either case, you can only come out ahead by reading this book.” — Kevin Dick, Founder of Kevin Dick Associates, author of XML: A Manager’s Guide “My motto for compressing data is ‘squeeze it til it gags.’ In the current business climate, that’s what you have to do to costs, and Taylor shows you many ways to squeeze costs out of your supply chain. He also writes with the same economy: This book contains exactly what you need to manage your supply chain effectively. Nothing is missing, and nothing is extra.” — Charles Ashbacher, President, Charles Ashbacher Technologies Today's fiercest business battles are taking place between competitors' supply chains, with victory dependent on finding a way to deliver products to customers more quickly and efficiently than the competition. For proof, just look to Dell and Amazon.com, both of which revolutionized their industries by changing how companies produce, distribute, and sell physical goods. But they're hardly alone. By revamping their supply chains, Siemens CT improved lead time from six months to two weeks, Gillette slashed $400 million of inventory, and Chrysler saved $1.7 billion a year. It's a high-stakes game, and you don't have a lot of choice about playing: If your company touches a physical product, it's part of a supply chain--and your success ultimately hangs on the weakest link in that chain. In , best-selling author David Taylor explains how to assemble a killer supply chain using the knowledge, technology, and tools employed in supply-chain success stories. Using his signature fast-track summaries and informative graphics, Taylor offers a clear roadmap to understanding and solving the complex problems of supply-chain management. Supply Chains: A Manager's Guide Modern manufacturing has driven down the time and cost of the production process, leaving supply chains as the final frontier for cost reduction and competitive advantage. will quickly give managers the foundation they need to contribute effectively to their company's supply-chain success. Supply Chains: A Manager's Guide

Praise for XForms: XML Powered Web Forms “XForms is an exciting new technology for designing Web forms in an elegant and accessible way. Raman’s book provides strong motivations for flexibility in the design of human-machine interactions, and explains how to use XForms to this end in crystal-clear prose.” — Eve Maler XML Standards Architect, Sun Microsystems “Interactive forms technology is the logical evolution of Web user interface design. XForms represents a significant leap forward in that evolution.” — Sean McGrath CTO, Propylon “The greatest strength of this book is the skill with which T. V. Raman links the XForms technology with the larger context of the Web. The limitations of HTML forms, the ways in which XForms provides a better foundation for Web and Web service user interfaces, and the opportunities for an XForms-powered Web that is accessible to all users and devices are outlined and brought together in a compelling way.” — Michael Champion Advisory Research and Development Specialist, Software AG “Raman’s book gives the reader an excellent explanation of the emerging W3C XForms recommendation. It’s a well-organized and well-written book that begins with a gentle introduction to the concepts that motivated the development of XForms and then provides a reasonable overview of the relevant XML technology related to XForms. Most of the book covers XForms components: user interface controls, model properties, functions, actions, and events. It concludes with XForms as a Web service, offering multi-modal access and accessibility. In light of the October 2003 deadline for U.S. federal agencies to comply with the mandate of the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) to give citizens the opportunity to provide information online, this important technical work comes none too soon. As T. V. masterfully elucidates, XForms provides the ‘last mile’ in ‘connecting users to their data.’ Insightfully, he also observes ‘the document is the human interface’ to data—an understanding without which the challenge to make eGov services ‘citizen-centered’ simply cannot and will not be met.” — Owen Ambur Cofounder and Cochair, XML Working Group, U.S. CIO Council “I found the author’s straightforward style quite comfortable and informative. I heartily recommend this book, especially for government XML developers interested in the broader area of E-Forms. Understanding XForms is key to developing robust and flexible E-Forms solutions that separate content, logic, validation, and presentation. You’ll never look at (X)HTML forms the same way after reading Raman’s book.” — Kenneth Sall GSA eGov Technical Architect/XML Specialist, SiloSmashers “Reusable components such as E-Forms are at the heart of the U.S. Federal Enterprise Architecture and E-Government, and XML standards-based solutions are starting to appear for use across the government. T. V. Raman’s book meticulously explains how XForms leverage the power of using XML for E-Forms and have been designed to abstract much of XML’s functionality into a set of components referred to as MVC (Model, View, Controller), which separates the model from its final presentation. This XForms component architecture serves as an excellent roadmap for the reader. T. V. eloquently shows how XForms make the original promise of ‘the document is the interface’ a reality so the collected data can be directly submitted to a Web service—thus putting a human face on Web services!” —Brand Niemann, Ph.D., Chair, XML Web Services Working Group, U.S. CIO Council XForms—XML-powered Web forms—are set to replace HTML forms as the backbone of electronic commerce. XForms enable the creation and editing of structured XML content within a familiar Web browser environment, which is likely to play a key role in enabling simple browser-based access to Web services. XForms leverage the power of XML in modeling, collecting, and serializing user input. In this book, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) XForms specification editor T. V. Raman explains how programmers can create durable and dependable feature-rich forms accessible from multiple platforms and devices and available in multiple languages and modes. XForms play a key role in connecting humans to information technologies, deployed as Web services. This book begins by providing an overview of the XForms technology and the set of XML standards on which it is built, including XML Path Language (XPath), Dom2 events, XML events, XML namespaces, and XML Schema. Part II profiles the XForms architecture and its components. An introduction to the available user interface controls leads into a guide to creating complex user interfaces. The following chapters describe XForms model properties, functions, actions, and events. Each chapter’s increasingly complex examples illustrate the concepts discussed. The final part of the book details how XForms will be used to create a new generation of human-centric, multimodal, accessible Web transactions. Readers will learn: Why XForms can deliver better user interaction at less cost How the XForms technology works What comprises the XForms architecture How to use XForms to connect users to Web services How XForms can accommodate spoken and visual interaction How to ensure universal accessibility to Web content with XForms XForms will transform the way companies and consumers handle Web transactions. provides Web developers, IT professionals, and Web server administrators with a firm grasp of this standard, how it will shape emerging solutions, and how it will change the nature of their day-to-day work. XForms: XML Powered Web Forms

XQuery Kick Start delivers a concise introduction to the XQuery standard, and useful implementation advice for developers needing to put it into practice. The book starts by explaining the role of XQuery in the XML family of specifications, and its relationship with XPath. The authors then explain the specification in detail, describing the semantics and data model, before moving to examples using XQuery to manipulate XML databases and document storage systems. Later chapters discuss Java implementations of XQuery and development tools that facilitate the development of Web sites with XQuery. This book is up to date with the latest XQuery specifications, and includes coverage of new features for extending the XQuery language.

Praise for Effective XML “This is an excellent collection of XML best practices: essential reading for any developer using XML. This book will help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure your XML applications remain practical and interoperable for as long as possible.” — Edd Dumbill, Managing Editor, XML.com and Program Chair, XML Europe “A collection of useful advice about XML and related technologies. Well worth reading both before, during, and after XML application development.” — Sean McGrath, CTO, Propylon “A book on many best practices for XML that we have been eagerly waiting for.” — Akmal B. Chaudhri, Editor, IBM developerWorks “The fifty easy-to-read items cover many aspects of XML, ranging from how to use markup effectively to what schema language is best for what task. Sometimes controversial, but always relevant, Elliotte Rusty Harold’s book provides best practices for working with XML that every user and implementer of XML should be aware of.” — Michael Rys, Ph.D., Program Manager, SQL Server XML Technologies, Microsoft Corporation “ Effective XML is an excellent book with perfect timing. Finally, an XML book everyone needs to read! Effective XML is a fount of XML best practices and solid advice. Whether you read Effective XML cover to cover or randomly one section at a time, its clear writing and insightful recommendations enlighten, entertain, educate, and ultimately improve the effectiveness of even the most expert XML developer. I’ll tell you what I tell all my coworkers and customers: You need this book.” — Michael Brundage, Technical Lead, XML Query Processing, Microsoft WebData XML Team “This book provides great insight for all developers who write XML software, regardless of whether the software is a trivial application-specific XML processor or a fullblown W3C XML Schema Language validator. Mr. Harold covers everything from a very important high-level terminology discussion to details about parsed XML nodes. The well-researched comparisons of currently available XML-related software products, as well as the key criteria for selecting between XML technologies, exemplify the thoroughness of this book.” — Cliff Binstock, Author, The XML Schema Complete Reference If you want to become a more effective XML developer, you need this book. You will learn which tools to use when in order to write legible, extensible, maintainable and robust XML code. Page 36: How do you write DTDs that are independent of namespace prefixes? Page 82: What do parsers reliably report and what don't they? Page 130: Which schema language is the right one for your job? Page 178: Which API should you choose for maximum speed and minimum size? Page 257: What can you do to ensure fast, reliable access to DTDs and schemas without making your document less portable? Page 283: Is XML too verbose for your application? Elliotte Rusty Harold provides you with 50 practical rules of thumb based on real-world examples and best practices. His engaging writing style is easy to understand and illustrates how you can save development time while improving your XML code. Learn to write XML that is easy to edit, simple to process, and is fully interoperable with other applications and code. Understand how to design and document XML vocabularies so they are both descriptive and extensible. After reading this book, you'll be ready to choose the best tools and APIs for both large-scale and small-scale processing jobs. Elliotte provides you with essential information on building services such as verification, compression, authentication, caching, and content management. If you want to design, deploy, or build better systems that utilize XML—then buy this book and get going!