Professional development - XML Essential Training

XML Essential Training from Lynda.com (through RRLC)
XML has become a widely used standard for storing and exchanging information on the internet. Knowing how to work with XML has become a core skill that every developer needs to have. In this course, we'll start off by learning about what XML is and does, and some of its advantages and drawbacks.Then we'll see how to create and style XML content using a variety of approaches, such as CSS and using the browser's DOM.
We'll investigate complimentary XML technologies like XPath and XSLT, and see how they can be used to manipulate XML content. Finally, we'll see how to use document type definitions and XML schema to help ensure that your XML data is error free. Whether it's working behind the scenes or publishing blogs, distributing data over the web, or bridging the gaps between separate computer systems,XML is a foundational technology that every developer needs to know. Let's get started with XML Essential Training.

In this training, which offers 3+ hours of video instruction, I have learned to use Apanta Studio (a text editor), and am developing a VERY basic awareness of what XML is and does. My ultimate goal in taking this training is to develop the background needed to delve deeper into this subject, so I can use XML to create documents using data from Digital Commons. In the beginning, I carefully followed along and did the exercises with each video. About half way through, I may switch to watching just the videos to try and absorb more of the language, and look for something a little more rudimentary to give me additional background in CSS before taking this over again, with a better working knowledge of the tools they are using.