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XML Weekend Crash Course by Ethier and Houser

 

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Course Descriptions

FrameMaker

XML and Related Technologies

FrameMaker 7: Basic Authoring (3 days)

Prerequisites

  • Basic computer skills
  • Familiarity with a word processor, such as Microsoft Word

Description

FrameMaker is no longer just for writing technical documents. FrameMaker is an excellent tool for creating and publishing large, complex, maintainable documents. FrameMaker's built-in structured document authoring allows writers to author XML documents using a familiar word-processing interface. Template-based authoring allows writers to generate content without worrying about formatting issues. The multi-channel publishing capabilities of FrameMaker allow you to publish your documents to print, PDF, HTML, or XML.

This course teaches you how to author and format documents using FrameMaker. The course covers FrameMaker's word processing, graphics, table and page layout capabilities, as well as basic numbering, cross-references, and variables. The course covers both unstructured and structured FrameMaker.

Topics Covered

  • FrameMaker Overview
  • Working with Unstructured Documents
  • Working with Structured Documents
  • Editing Text
  • Finding Text, Spell-Checking, and using the Thesaurus
  • Unstructured Templates and Paragraph Styles
  • Character Formatting
  • Paragraph Formatting
  • Tabs, Pagination, and Hyphenation
  • Basic Numbering
  • Using Online Help
  • Editing Structure
  • Attributes
  • Validation
  • Advanced Structure
  • Drawing Graphics and Text Objects
  • Anchored Frames
  • Imported Files
  • Working with Cross References, System Variables, and Footnotes
  • Working with Tables

FrameMaker 7: Advanced Topics (2 days)

Prerequisites

FrameMaker 7: Basic Authoring or previous FrameMaker experience

Description

FrameMaker is no longer just for writing technical documents. If you need to create, manage, and publish large, complex, maintainable documents, FrameMaker is the tool for you. FrameMaker's built-in XML authoring capabilities allow you to author XML documents using a familiar word-processing interface. Template-based authoring allows writers to generate content without worrying about formatting issues. The multi-channel publishing capabilities of FrameMaker allow you to publish your documents to print, PDF, HTML, or XML.

This class builds on the knowledge provided in FrameMaker 7: Basic Authoring , and provides the background necessary for students to create and maintain FrameMaker templates. The course covers both unstructured and structured FrameMaker.

Topics Covered

  • Advanced System and User Variables
  • Text Insets and Advanced Cross-References
  • Advanced Numbering
  • Table Formats
  • Change Bars and Document Revisions
  • Conditional Text
  • Hypertext
  • Master Page Creation and Use
  • Basic Reference Page Usage
  • Color Definitions
  • Unstructured Templates
  • Structured Templates
  • Building Books
  • Generated Files
  • Structured Books
  • Output: Making PDF, HTML, and XML

Introduction to XML (2 days)

Description

This two-day class teaches the basic concepts of XML. This course is appropriate for technical writers, publication department managers, and information technology personnel who are considering migrating to XML-based publishing. Students will learn how XML can improve and transform conventional publishing processes.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with HTML. Some familiarity with programming languages is helpful, but not required.

Topics Covered

  • Designing XML documents
  • Modeling real-world documents to prepare for migration to XML
  • Learning XML terminology and syntax
  • Expressing your document model as an XML document type definition (DTD)
  • Validating XML documents against a DTD
  • Evaluating industry-standard DTDs, such as DocBook
  • Authoring XML documents
  • Authoring XML documents in a text editor
  • Authoring XML documents using authoring tools (Adobe FrameMaker 7)
  • Transforming and customizing XML documents
  • Learning the basics of XSLT (XML Transformation Language) and XPath (XML Path Language)
  • Using XSLT and XPath to create customized documents by selecting appropriate content for publishing
  • Publishing XML documents
  • Transform XML documents to HTML/XHTML for web publishing
  • Transform XML documents to WML (wireless markup language) for publishing to cell phones and personal digital assistants

Practical Transformation with XSLT and XPath (3 days)

Description

This three-day course completely covers the Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) and the XML Path Language (XPath) Recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium. XSLT and XPath are used together for transforming XML documents to other formats or vocabularies (e.g. XML to XML, XML to HTML, XML to WML, XML to text, etc.). Every element, attribute, and function of XSLT and XPath are covered. Students will design and develop XSLT scripts during hands-on exercise sessions.

Prerequisites

  • Introduction to XML , or familiarity with XML syntax and concepts.
  • Ability to use a text editor.
  • Knowledge of HTML is highly desirable.
  • Some programming experience with any language (compiled or interpreted) is highly desirable.

Topics Covered

  • Introduction to XSL Transformations and the XML Path Language
  • Getting Started with XSLT and XPath
  • XPath Data Model
  • XSLT Processing Model
  • The XSLT Transformation Environment
  • XSLT Stylesheet Management
  • XSLT Instructions
  • XPath and XSLT Expressions and Advanced Techniques
  • Sorting and Grouping
  • XML to HTML Transformation Techniques
  • XSL Formatting Semantics Introduction
  • Element, Grammar, Function and Object Quick References
  • Sample Tool Information

Practical Formatting with XSL-FO (2 days)

Description

This two-day course provides an overview of the Extensible Stylesheet Language Formatting Objects (XSL-FO) Recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium, used to specify the format of XML documents on a printed page or other page-oriented display. Students will design and develop XSL-FO scripts using XSLT and XPath during hands-on exercise sessions.

Prerequisites

Introduction to XML and Practical Transformation with XSLT and XPath , or equivalent hands-on experience with XML, XSLT, and XPath.

Topics Covered

  • Basic concepts and context of XSL-FO
  • Area and page basics
  • Body contents
  • Lists, graphics, links, leaders
  • Tables
  • Pagination
  • Headers and footers
  • Floats and footnotes
  • Keeps and breaks
  • Interactive objects
  • Supplemental objects
  • XSL-FO object summary
  • XSL-FO property summary
  • Sample Tool Information

 


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