Internet Training and XML
Base10 had the opportunity to take a training class on Thursday. He rarely gets to take outside training, so this was a treat. The class was in XML, the alleged heir apparent for internet communications. I found it interesting, but XML is weird.

Base10 is not a programmer, but he is a techie and knows his way around a computer network. Now a caveat here, he was a last minute fill in for someone that couldn't go to the class. It was the second class in the series, but talking to the other students, he didn't miss much. Base10 won't mention the firm that does the training, but they had a nice facility. Unfortunately the course material--not necessarily the fault of the instructor or the company--was somewhat wanting.

XML stands for "eXtensible Markup Language" and judging by what Base10's been reading, XML is the next big thing in distributed computing. In my view, XML allows you to create a website and relate this site back and forth to a database with the greatest of ease.

The class dealt with issues like validating your XML and creating DTD's (document type definitions) and at the end schemas. The creation of schemas was very complicated, but ultimately based upon the DTD's.

For the uninitiated, a DTD is a specification. It's sort of the recipe for a markup language. If you've ever done any HTML coding, you know about tags and attributes. HTML is only one DTD that is derived from the parent language SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). XML is pretty much SGML for the masses. I create a document specification (a DTD or a schema, the key difference is the ability to recognize data types) with all the tags that I'll be using in my markup. The syntax becomes very complicated, very quickly.

Now the natural question you come to in this is, "Why am I doing this?" Here the training--and the language itself--seems to fall apart. Don't get me wrong, like I said before, XML is the "next big thing" on the web. It's just that like say, Bluetooth, it is a technology that is waiting for a killer app. The training did not provide a bridge from syntax to actual applications. But don't blame the course. I went to Borders during lunch and validated (ha ha) the XML books. Most covered the subject much like the material that I had learned. Not only was there no particular emphasis on applications, there was not an application to be seen (except for one book which I may buy after a longer perusal--review to follow).

Why is this such a hot topic? Well, XML is the next logical step in the life of HTML, which everyone agrees has outlived much of its usefulness. HTML was, after all, not designed in any way shape or form for the uses to which it is being put today. Maybe the computer pundits are wrong, but I think XML is the future. (As a matter of fact, I can think of a few applications already for the office).

But caution! The instructor noted that some of the XML standards have not yet been set. In addition, she pointed out that Microsoft Office 2003 (I guess it's numbered by year now) is practically based on XML. This in itself is the cautionary tale. If Microsoft has wholeheartedly adopted this technology, it is doomed. But there is hope, from what Base10 understands there is plenty of XML development going on in the Linux world.

All in all, I can't say that I've come to a well defined conclusion about XML. I haven't learned enough about it. Now this says something after eight hours of training. I don't expect to be an expert, but I at least expect to form an opinion. Base10 promises to further document his experiences in this field.
- posted by Base10 @ 6:55 PM