XML - Processing with XSLT

This lecture briefly covers namespaces and looks in detail at the use of extensible stylesheet language transforms (XSLT) for both client and server side processing of XML.

Lecture Slides

XML - Processing with XSLT PowerPoint 853k

Examples from the lecture

Client side XSLT processing
- goodBooks.dtd - all examples use goodbooks.xml
- example 1 and eg1.xsl simple client side processing
- example 2 and eg2.xsl client side processing
- example 3 and eg3.xsl more interesting client side processing
- example 4 and eg4.xsl fancy client side processing
- example 5 and eg5.xsl showing off with client side processing

Server side XSLT Processing
- example 6 and eg6.xsl simple server side processing - note the character reference glitch and the missing whitespace between firstname and surname.
  - eg6.php code
  - goodBooks.xml
  - eg6encoding.php and eg6whitespace.xsl solution for character encoding and whitespace (view source to see whitespace)
  - eg6encoding.php code
  - eg6htmlEntity.php handling character entities (and whitespace)
  - eg6htmlEntity.php code
- example 7 and eg7.xsl server side processing to get XML data into a MySQL database. A prize for anyone who can explain why the character glitch is magically fixed by MySQL.
  - eg7.php code
  - insert.php code

XML Namspaces
- pi.xml

Remember IE5+ or Netscape 6+ is needed to view examples 1 to 5 correctly
Examples 6 and 7 run at the server so should work in any browser

Tutorial exercises

Remember that these exercises are an important part of the course, are relvant to your coursework and and may be relevant to the exam.

XSLT tutorial
Exercise 1 - eg2a.xsl, eg2b.xsl, eg2c.xsl, eg2d.xsl, eg2e.xsl.
Exercise 3 - tut3.xml
Exercise 4 - octopus.jpg, oyster.jpg, sponge.jpg

Some tutorial answers

before you follow these links it is probably a good idea that you at least make some attempt to solve the tutorial questions yourself

Some XSLT resources

Mozilla's XSLT documentation
W3Schools' XSL tutorial
Ginger Alliance home of Sablotron
Gallery of Stupid XSL and XSLT Tricks
- Universal Turing Machine in XSLT - proof that you really can do anything with XSLT
Trainline whoopsie