SGML and XML are metalanguages - languages for describing other languages - which let users design their own customized markup languages for limitless different types of documents.
SGML is very large, powerful, and complex. It has been in heavy industrial and commercial use for over a decade, and there is a significant body of expertise and software to go with it. XML is a lightweight cut-down version of SGML which keeps enough of its functionality to make it useful but removes all the optional features which make SGML too complex to program for in a Web environment.
HTML is just one of the SGML or XML applications, the one most frequently used in the Web.
The Web is becoming much more than a static library. Increasingly, users are accessing the Web for 'Web pages' that aren't actually on the shelves. Instead, the pages are generated dynamically from information available to the Web server. That information can come from data bases on the Web server, from the site owner's enterprise databases, or even from other Web sites.
And that dynamic information needn't be served up raw. It can be analyzed, extracted, sorted, styled, and customized to create a personalized Web experience for the end-user. To coin a phrase, web pages are evolving into web services.
For this kind of power and flexibility, XML is the markup language of choice. You can see why by comparing XML and HTML. Both are based on SGML - but the difference is immediately apparent:
In HTML:
<p>Apple Titanium Notebook
<br>Local Computer Store
<br>$1438
In XML:
<product>
<model>Apple Titanium Notebook</model>
<dealer>Local Computer Store</dealer>
<price>$1438</price>
</product>
Both of these may look the same in your browser, but the XML data is smart data. HTML tells how the data should look, but XML tells you what it means. With XML, your browser knows there is a product, and it knows the model, dealer, and price. From a group of these it can show you the cheapest product or closest dealer without going back to the server.
Unlike HTML, with XML you create your own tags, so they describe exactly what you need to know. Because of that, your client-side applications can access data sources anywhere on the Web, in any format. New "middle-tier" servers sit between the data sources and the client, translating everything into your own task-specific XML.
But XML data isn't just smart data, it's also a smart document. That means when you display the information, the model name can be a different font from the dealer name, and the lowest price can be highlighted in green. Unlike HTML, where text is just text to be rendered in a uniform way, with XML text is smart, so it can control the rendition.
And you don't have to decide whether your information is data or documents; in XML, it is always both at once. You can do data processing or document processing or both at the same time. With that kind of flexibility, it's no wonder that we're starting to see a new Web of smart, structured information. It's a "Semantic Web" in which computers understand the meaning of the data they share.
A DTD is a formal description in XML Declaration Syntax of a particular type of document. It sets out what names are to be used for the different types of element, where they may occur, and how they all fit together.
The XML Specification explicitly says XML uses ISO 10646, the international standard 31-bit character repertoire which covers most human (and some non-human) languages. This is currently congruent with Unicode and is planned to be superset of Unicode.
Way back when, when the internet was just a baby, people really needed to know XML, HTML, CSS, PHP, or any other computer language in order to make a website, or properly use the internet or computer for programs. It is now the 21st century, and even though some may still need to manually use XML or SGML, most programming can be done without knowing much computer language. Don’t get me wrong though, you may still need to know and use XML along with other programming language in order to make a great program or a great website. However, if you just want to create something simple, like a simple website or app, there are many tools available today that you can use to help you.
XML is mostly used for site-mapping. There are programs now which can do that automatically. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to know XML or SGML either way, but for those with no time on their hands, it can be done easily for you. Nowadays, mostly anything on the computer or the internet can be done automatically, thanks to today’s technology and tools. For example, if you wanted to run a flight simulator program, you can simply just download one yourself, instead of creating one from scratch. A real flight simulation can be expensive and are rare, but a flight simulator, like the Pro Flight Simulator can give you a real, life-like flying experience at just a fraction of the cost. Thanks to technology, you no longer need to know confusing HTML to play or run programs like pro flight simulator. All you need to know are just some controls to run the program. You don’t even need to build a flight simulator yourself to experience a real flying simulation.
There are of course real usages of XML around and computer programmers around the world still use them very effectively. Sometimes, XML is known as a smart document and can do wonders for the computer language. There are still a ton of things you can do with XML and other computer languages, which is still around today. If you want to learn more about XML or other computer programming languages, you can learn them either online, or by going to a local college.
These days, computer science is a big topic in colleges and universities. You can learn a great deal of information about computer science right from your computer as well. It does help, however, by getting assistance from a teacher that knows what he or she is doing. So, by going to a school with a great deal of computer knowledge, you may benefit a lot and also learn a lot about computer science as well. There are several universities that are solely dedicated to computer science and programming skills. If you really have a strong desire for programming or computer science, it is highly advisable to start attending these schools. Not only will you learn about XML, but you will learn all sorts of languages and computer science. You can experience the computer and the internet with a great deal of knowledge of programming by learning from great computer science schools.
Posted in Technology
Over the last 10 years we have seen a lot of attempts to use XML based webdesign solutions, where people easily can modify their entire webdesign just by updating a few XML files. The point of these systems was to enable users with no knowledge of coding, HTML or design to easily change the look of their websites within certain limits. Most of these functions have now been moved to various CMS systems instead. However most of these systems turned out to be too complicated for most of the users or the possibilities was to limited to be of much use. Instead most of the webdesign features have now been moved to stylesheets which can easily be updated with little HTML knowledge. According to Michael from Webdesign won’t be seeing any new major XML based webdesign CMS systems in their future. However XML is still widely used in various Flash applications and will most likely still used for this in the next few years. For some reason flash never moved on to use stylesteets as most HTML based webdesigns did but instead kept the XML standard for those wishing to change the webdesign of their flash sites in an easy and simple way. With all the XML libraries for flash and seeing how Flash slowly being outfaced we can expect XML to still be a major factor with Flash for several more years to come.
With the introduction of HTML5 and flash becoming less and less popular we can expect to see fewer XML files in modern webdesign but that doesn’t mean the XML standard is dead, it is still widely used for many other applications such as config files, site maps and other places where structure is an important issue, but for pure webdesign it will be forgotten in the near future.
Posted in Technology
I had some time to kill and a silly problem to solve, which means here’s some more SimpleXML fun for you:
The Problem: It’s not really a “problem,” but FeedBurner’s FeedCountTM image is a rigid 88 pixels wide, and I wanted to include it on my homepage under the “syndicate” heading, an area that I’ve defined in my template as having only 80 pixels in width. The 88 pixels were throwing things off, so I used the width attribute of the HTML img tag to solve the problem. Unfortunately, it just squeezes the image, making the text in it appear fuzzy.
The Solution: FeedBurner conveniently provides what they call their “Awareness API,” which is a RESTful interface to retrieve (as XML data) the same exact information displayed in the FeedCountTM image. Since I wanted to maintain the same kind of image (because it’s a recognized look-and-feel for FeedBurner feeds), I simply fired up an image editing program, shuffled things around a bit until the image was a nice, clean 80 pixels wide, and saved it as the base image (shown to the right) I would use for generating an image similar to the one FeedBurner provides.
Then, I wrote a script to grab the FeedBurner data (using SimpleXML) and used PHP’s image functions to open the base image, write the FeedBurner circulation data to it, and save it to use on my site. I simply have a cron job that runs this script once a day to keep my image updated.
Here’s the code. Enjoy!
[code lang=“php”]
<?php
// Get the XML data from Feedburner
$sxe = new SimpleXMLElement(‘http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=ramsey’, NULL, TRUE);
$readers = (string) $sxe→feed→entry[‘circulation’];
// make sure it’s a number
$readers = is_numeric($readers) ? $readers : ‘0’;
// 39 is the base position; 6 the width of each char
$xpos = 39 – (strlen($readers) * 6);
// Create the image from the base image
$img = imagecreatefromgif(‘feedburner-base.gif’);
$color = imagecolorallocate($img, 0×00, 0×66, 0xCC);
imagestring($img, 2, $xpos, 2, $readers, $color);
// Save the image
imagegif($img, ‘feedburner-readers.gif’);
?>
[/code]
This is more or less same way in which QR Codes are generated.
Note that I determined the numbers used in lining up the text in the image by trial-and-error. I played around with it a bit to get things right. The $xpos variable is my attempt to right-align the text because you can only specify the left edge of the text with the x coordinate.
Posted in Technology
Wineries aren’t usually thought of as being high tech are they?
Heck, grapes and the wine they make is just an agricultural product, right?
So much more goes into it though. Take a winery like Vineyard 29 in California’s historic Napa Valley. They make some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon on the planet, giving you an outstanding wine gift option for even the most discerning wine lover on your next Christmas list.
The real tech comes into play when you tour the winery. You’ll see a state of the art gravity flow operation which allows the grapes to be pressed in the most gentle manner possible. That gentle approach means that you simply receive better wine. Of course it isn’t cheap or easy for the winery to take this step and we can’t help but recommend them because of it.
Posted in Technology
Having a WordPress calculator on a website run by a realtor, mortgage broker or any other professional in the real estate business is of much benefit to the customers who engage their services. These loan calculators may be installed either on a website or a blog with the most common blogs being those hosted by WordPress. The installation of a WordPress loan calculator involves a simple process that can be done within a short time period. There are many websites that offer loan calculators that can be installed on Word press and therefore it is important to select one that will meet the needs of the consumers that visit the site on a regular basis.
Some of the steps involved in the installation of WordPress loan calculators include the searching of an appropriate one that is suitable to the needs of the users of the site. They are usually provided for free and allow the owners of the Word press blog to copy paste the calculator to the clip board and then upload it onto the blog that allows it to be done while using HTML code. The calculator should then be placed on the website at the location that is preferred and easily accessible to the site users as well.
There are a variety of benefits that a WordPress calculator provides the users of the site as it helps them to be able to calculate the costs that they will incur if they want to either buy or sometimes refinance their home. These calculations will help avoid bad credit loans as it acts as a bad credit loan calculator in such instances and indicates monthly payments expected, interest rates among others that may not be available to someone with a poor credit history as they do not have access to regular loans.
Posted in Coding
One of the major breakthroughs in the history of computing came about with the invention of CAD and CADD programs. These programs allied to the metalanguages derived from SGML and XML have allowed for the dreams of science fiction writers to come true, or potentially so.
CAD or computer aided design was developed from the middle of the Twentieth Century. The basis of CAD programs owes a lot to the theoretical work done by Pierre Bézier on polynomial curves. The tool to make curves on Photoshop is named after him.
CADD programs eventually came into their own in the late 1990s with such programs as SolidWorks and AutoDesk Inventor. These programs allow designers to build in 3 dimensions shapes, machines, objects along with computer generated information about processes, materials, tolerances and dimensions. Everything that teams of designers needed weeks to do using calculators, compasses and protractors can now be done more accurately and much quicker on a computer.
3D modeling allows the designer to look at an object from any angle including from the inside out. Whole processes can be simulated using CAD. This has lead to revolutions in the aerospace and automobile industries. CAD and CADD is now ubiquitous in the design of consumer items, buildings and special effects in movies.
This technology can now be married to the internet. Programs such as Second Life are early attempts at bringing CAD to the web. We now have 3D specs to give existential depth to the images on a computer screen.
The implications are that reality can for the first time be accurately turned into a digital model and then shared simultaneously on the net . Science is the process of making better models of the world so that we can understand how it works. We are now at the stage where our models become virtual worlds. These virtual worlds are in danger of becoming just as real to us as the ‘real world’. The potential for mind control, propaganda as well as psychological therapy are immense. The time is soon coming when we will be living 2 lives – one real and one virtual; and the barrier between the two will become blurred.
Posted in Technology
WYSIWYG is garble of letters and a long acronym that stands for ‘what you see is what you get’. It is an interface that has revolutionized the internet. Previously only those who could write code such as HTML, java, XML or those who could make Flash movies were able to put up a website. This naturally inhibited a lot of great material from being posted on the net. The solution was WYSIWYG editors. The most famous of which is Dreamweaver.
Dreamweaver along with many other of the original WYSIWYG editors convert the screen as manipulated using typing, inserting pictures and hyperlinks into HTML language.
I’ve been using Dreamweaver for several years now, and I’ve noticed that it is flawed as a tool for those with absolutely no coding knowledge. It makes lots of errors. For example if you write text and then apply a style to it and then erase the words the style <span> tags or <div> will often remain in place. Thus when the text is replaced the styling remains whether it is wanted or not. This is how I learnt HTML – by correcting the mistakes made by my WYSIWYG editor.
Another headache that I encountered when I made my first website using the WYSIWYG editor Dreamweaver is that the site looked very different across different browsers. It looked as my editor displayed it on Firefox but completely wrong on Internet Explorer and Safari. It took days to get a modicum of standardization across different browsers.
One solution is to use a different type of WYSIWYG. The best known of which is WordPress. This editor lets you see the page or post as it will look or switch to HTML to insert <h1> tags etc. However, the editor uses a php template that interacts with the server to store, arrange and publish the page or post. WordPress is ideal for people who just want to put up a website and have no knowledge of coding. You just click publish and you are away. You can import new themes to the server and all the content is automatically changed. Widgets for calendars, link lists, social media etc. are easy to import and install. And best of all, the website looks virtually identical on all browsers. Internet marketers and small businesses as well as bloggers use WordPress style WYSIWYG a lot. Google’s free blogger system is very similar.
The only problem with this type of WYSIWYG is that all the websites that it produces look the same – despite numerous themes and the chance to change colors and customize headers the basic layout is the same. It has a generic likeness that allows people who deal with WordPress to immediately say ‘Ah that’s a WordPress site’. The makers of such WYSIWYG are trying hard to make their systems more flexible but they seemed confined by the fact that their remit is to provide a service for people who can’t or won’t code.
For most people this is not a problem. For large corporations and for those who want to make stand-out websites it is a problem. With a WordPress WYSIWYG you don’t start with a blank canvas. Rather you choose a theme and half the canvas is already filled out for you.
Finally, WordPress continues to remain vulnerable to hackers. Its php login system allows a weak point for hackers to attack. I have only had one HTML site hacked, whereas I’ve lost count how many times hackers have bought down one of my WordPress sites.
These are all things that need to be weighed up when you consider using a WYSIWYG editor.
Posted in Coding
Website creation for many years was something left only to those who can decipher the consumer languages used to create them, be it HTML, XML, SGML, CCS and many more. People that would build sites in this manner are known as “hard coders” meaning they do not need a web editor tool such as X Site Pro, or WordPress to build their sites; they have the skills and knowledge of the code used to make sites and place them on the internet.
Well thankfully we are at a day and age where you no longer need to know these intricate mathematical languages to build a website; in fact it is so easy kids in middle school should be able to do it. Many programs have WYSIWYG widget that stands for (what you see is what you get) basically if you have common knowledge of Microsoft Word than there stands a good chance that you will be able to master the basics of setting up a website. Just last week I set up my first credit card debt relief site for my boss. It took me a few days, but I got a beautiful site up, and I don’t know a lick of markup language. For me this was amazing, I feared so greatly the task of creating a site since I thought I would need to go and learn HTML or something crazy like that. Now I can say I am a web professional.
Posted in Technology
It isn’t everyday that a programming language takes the name of one of the most famous beverages ever invented. I think we all know a bit about the beverage as well as the ways to buy it, including all those wine of the month club mailers which we all get on a weekly basis.
For us, though…..what is wine when we talk about the programming language? At it’s core, wine allows a Microsoft Windows based computer to run other operating systems.
It seems pretty basic in this day and age given the ways that Apple’s IOS can interact with Windows, but for many years it was a real problem. Wine doesn’t get the attention that it once did, but it is still among the most important programming improvements to happen within our lifetime. Imagine if you couldn’t even send a file from a Mac or an Ipad to a PC?
Personally, that would kill my productivity and I’m glad I don’t even have to consider the thought!
Posted in Technology
Website owners and developers today are given a huge variety of choice when it comes to personalization and themes. With the WordPress platform, advanced knowledge of traditional site building methods such as XML or HTML is no longer necessary for your average blogger. However, if you are really looking to build a brand and your reputation online, you may want to create something original with a unique layout and functionality. For this, cookie cutter WordPress themes may not make the grade. Serious developers have begun to commission unique, customized WordPress templates for their new projects.
The three big players in the field of WordPress themes are Woo Themes, Genesis and Thesis. Woo are known for their affordable, attractive themes best suited to regular bloggers. Google authority Matt Cutts recommends Thesis for it’s clean design and awesome functionality for users with advanced requirements. However, there have been some mixed reports on thesis amongst some users who find that it is not as well coded for working with some WordPress plugins as it really should be. Genesis on the other hand is 40% cheaper at $60USD, and has good plugin compatibility.
Would-be custom webmasters will still need to enlist the help of a professional theme designer, but once you have chosen your starting point from Woo, Thesis or Genesis, the process is very straightforward. Each base theme recommends designers who are well familiar with their system. You simply need to determine your requirements and hire someone who is already familiar with your theme of choice. Personally, my employment information site is the last project I will ever use a cookie cutter template for. From now on, it’s unique functionality all the way!
Posted in Technology
Purely by definition, it is possible using regular protocols to communicate XML web services over a network. Typically a protocol often used is SOAP. Therefore, a client can communicate with a XML Web service using specific SOAP messages, these can encapsulate other parameters such as XML. This is certainly useful, especially because for the XML Clients, there is a proxy class which allows parameters to be mapped directly to XML elements – which are then contained and distributed using the SOAP messages.
The crucial component is the service description. It is essential that this description matches the Web Services Description Language Specifications (WSDL). This service description is essential for communication because it defines how any client must communicate with the XML web service application. It is within this service description that you can define specific clases, for example where there is a strong requirement for perhaps internet anonymity then you could specify a proxy class within the WSDL.
After this has been specified the Web service client can then use the various components of the proxy. The proxy could then commounicate with the XML web service directly including processing all the SOAP messages but at the same time maintaining the anonymity of the client’s IP address. It is important that because this can be used across the internet a trusted destination should be referenced with the proxy class itself. The default setting on Microsoft implementations is to use SOAP over HTTP to communicate. The WSDL though is able to generate specific proxy classes that can communicate using both HTTP transfer requests of GET and POST. This is invoked by simply adding a protocol switch to select either a POST or GET request being issued.
Posted in Technology
Things have gotten much easier for anyone who wants to start a website or blog. In 2012, I’d say that most website owners know little to nothing about XML or even HTML. This is because they don’t need to anymore with all the automation and WordPress themes that are available today.
I first got started with my website (DayJobNuker.com) in 2007 and I was extremely worried that I would have to learn all sorts of computer languages in order to get my website live on the Internet. I didn’t know much about Dreamweaver but I was sure I didn’t want to have to learn something that complicated. It turned out that while I did have to learn some basic HTML and how to go into the back end of my website, it was all a lot easier than I thought it would be.
Now it seems, each year things get easier and easier for blog owners and it has come to the point where absolutely anyone can start a blog. There is hardly any reason or need to learn XML or HTML at all. The great majority of coding issues and behind the scenes work that was once important to start a website is no longer needed and people with very little computer and Internet experience can easily create great looking websites.
There are dozens of free blogging platforms that are now available and nothing more than point and click skills are needed to get started. People can choose from thousands of themes and change their headers and styles within their chosen theme with nothing more than a push of a button. Easy!
So, if you are one of the people who is scared to jump into the world of blogging or having your own website, it is a lot easier technically than you might think. Gone are the days where you had to sit down with a thick computer XML or HTML manual and toil late into the night trying to understand the basics. Now, if you know how to navigate your way around the Internet, chances are good that you also have the skills to put up your own website.
Posted in Technology