getting started in XML & XSLT

[Jack Fox]

I've never had the need to work with XML, but I believe I now have an
appropriate application. I have time-series data in objects organized as a
tree that I want an ASP.NET program to write out to web pages formatted as a
matrix. It is not a simple matrix, since the number of row heading cells can
vary, but the data cells must be aligned by date (so the heading cells will
not be uniformly sized).

example of typical rows:
3 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
2 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
etc.

I think what I should do is convert the tree structure to XML and use XSLT
(and/or XSL) to convert to HTML. I am assuming that I can handle the heading
cell problem with XSLT (is this true).

My request is for pointers to a sample ASP.NET program (preferably in C#)
that does something like this, and tips on what XSLT documentation will
bring me up to speed the quickest. I know nothing about XSLT, except that it
transforms XML into other "vocabularies". I've never worked with CSS, so
that is not a good reference point for me. I need to learn XSLT from
scratch. Does XPath fit into this mix?

I haven't looked at the .NET XML class(es) yet, so any time-saving tips in
that regard would also be appreciated.

[SQL Server Development Team [MSFT]]

I think getting one/few books on XSLT (and/or XML) will provide the best
benefit. Lots of people liked Michael Kay book (XSLT: programmer's
reference) for the XSLT language (which does not covers .Net
implementation), although you may want also want to get a book that
describes on .Net implementation of XSLT.

As for sample programs, I would search the web. There isn't a lot of
difference between using XSLT in Asp.Net and using XSLT in a stand-alone
program, so most samples can be used as a starting point. www.asp.net site
has a big sample (IBuySpy) that showcase quite a bit of features of Asp.Net,
including a "XSLT module". As a side note, you can also download a free
Asp.Net web development tool (including samples) from this website.

Daniel D.C.

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm.
"Jack Fox" <ja*****@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:bh**********@slb3.atl.mindspring.net...

I've never had the need to work with XML, but I believe I now have an
appropriate application. I have time-series data in objects organized as a
tree that I want an ASP.NET program to write out to web pages formatted as a matrix. It is not a simple matrix, since the number of row heading cells can vary, but the data cells must be aligned by date (so the heading cells will not be uniformly sized).

example of typical rows:
3 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
2 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
etc.

I think what I should do is convert the tree structure to XML and use XSLT
(and/or XSL) to convert to HTML. I am assuming that I can handle the heading cell problem with XSLT (is this true).

My request is for pointers to a sample ASP.NET program (preferably in C#)
that does something like this, and tips on what XSLT documentation will
bring me up to speed the quickest. I know nothing about XSLT, except that it transforms XML into other "vocabularies". I've never worked with CSS, so
that is not a good reference point for me. I need to learn XSLT from
scratch. Does XPath fit into this mix?

I haven't looked at the .NET XML class(es) yet, so any time-saving tips in
that regard would also be appreciated.

[Dino Chiesa [MSFT]]

I recommend topxml
www.topxml.com

"SQL Server Development Team [MSFT]" <sq****@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ez*************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

I think getting one/few books on XSLT (and/or XML) will provide the best
benefit. Lots of people liked Michael Kay book (XSLT: programmer's
reference) for the XSLT language (which does not covers .Net
implementation), although you may want also want to get a book that
describes on .Net implementation of XSLT.

As for sample programs, I would search the web. There isn't a lot of
difference between using XSLT in Asp.Net and using XSLT in a stand-alone
program, so most samples can be used as a starting point. www.asp.net site
has a big sample (IBuySpy) that showcase quite a bit of features of Asp.Net, including a "XSLT module". As a side note, you can also download a free
Asp.Net web development tool (including samples) from this website.

Daniel D.C.

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm.
"Jack Fox" <ja*****@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:bh**********@slb3.atl.mindspring.net...

I've never had the need to work with XML, but I believe I now have an
appropriate application. I have time-series data in objects organized as a tree that I want an ASP.NET program to write out to web pages formatted as

a

matrix. It is not a simple matrix, since the number of row heading cells can

vary, but the data cells must be aligned by date (so the heading cells

will

not be uniformly sized).

example of typical rows:
3 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
2 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
etc.

I think what I should do is convert the tree structure to XML and use

XSLT (and/or XSL) to convert to HTML. I am assuming that I can handle the

heading

cell problem with XSLT (is this true).

My request is for pointers to a sample ASP.NET program (preferably in C#) that does something like this, and tips on what XSLT documentation will
bring me up to speed the quickest. I know nothing about XSLT, except that it

transforms XML into other "vocabularies". I've never worked with CSS, so
that is not a good reference point for me. I need to learn XSLT from
scratch. Does XPath fit into this mix?

I haven't looked at the .NET XML class(es) yet, so any time-saving tips

in that regard would also be appreciated.

[Jack Fox]

Excellent recommendation for a newbie!

"Dino Chiesa [MSFT]" <di****@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:uh**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

I recommend topxml
www.topxml.com

"SQL Server Development Team [MSFT]" <sq****@microsoft.com> wrote in message news:ez*************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

I think getting one/few books on XSLT (and/or XML) will provide the best
benefit. Lots of people liked Michael Kay book (XSLT: programmer's
reference) for the XSLT language (which does not covers .Net
implementation), although you may want also want to get a book that
describes on .Net implementation of XSLT.

As for sample programs, I would search the web. There isn't a lot of
difference between using XSLT in Asp.Net and using XSLT in a stand-alone
program, so most samples can be used as a starting point. www.asp.net site

has a big sample (IBuySpy) that showcase quite a bit of features of Asp.Net,

including a "XSLT module". As a side note, you can also download a free
Asp.Net web development tool (including samples) from this website.

Daniel D.C.

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no

rights.

Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm.
"Jack Fox" <ja*****@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:bh**********@slb3.atl.mindspring.net...

I've never had the need to work with XML, but I believe I now have an
appropriate application. I have time-series data in objects organized as a tree that I want an ASP.NET program to write out to web pages

formatted

as

a

matrix. It is not a simple matrix, since the number of row heading

cells can

vary, but the data cells must be aligned by date (so the heading cells will

not be uniformly sized).

example of typical rows:
3 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
2 heading cells, 4 data cells (by year)
etc.

I think what I should do is convert the tree structure to XML and use

XSLT (and/or XSL) to convert to HTML. I am assuming that I can handle the

heading

cell problem with XSLT (is this true).

My request is for pointers to a sample ASP.NET program (preferably in C#) that does something like this, and tips on what XSLT documentation

will bring me up to speed the quickest. I know nothing about XSLT, except

that

it

transforms XML into other "vocabularies". I've never worked with CSS, so that is not a good reference point for me. I need to learn XSLT from
scratch. Does XPath fit into this mix?

I haven't looked at the .NET XML class(es) yet, so any time-saving

tips in that regard would also be appreciated.