1. Abstract

"Introduction to XML Information Modeling" overviews, compares and contrasts at a high level a number of modeling facilities for use with the Extensible Markup Language (XML) http://www.w3.org/tr/xml. The objectives of the course are to understand the function and benefit of modeling XML documents, to distinguish different ways XML documents can be modeled, to be introduced to the role and utility of each of Document Type Definitions (DTD), ISO/IEC 19757-2 RELAX NG http://www.relax-ng.org, XML Schema http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema, ISO/IEC 19757-3 Schematron http://www.schematron.com, and the ISO/IEC 19757-4 Namespace-based Validation Dispatching Language (NVDL) http://www.nvdl.org, and to efficiently navigate the available documentation and resources.

2. Length

This presentation runs in either 90 minutes, a half-day or a full-day format in a lecture style. See the detailed syllabi below.

3. Expected Audience

This course is aimed at people needing to understand both conceptual aspects of modeling structured information using XML, and their applicability.

4. Prerequisites

Attendees must have knowledge of markup languages in general, hopefully with some exposure to at least well-formed XML specifically. Good familiarity with HTML at the markup level is an acceptable substitute, though some assumptions may be made by the instructor that are beyond HTML.

5. Synopsis

For many people, the plethora of approaches to modeling structured information in XML is a confusing tangle of concepts and practices, needing instruction in the basics upon which a number of XML modeling standards are built and exercise of their theories.

"An Introduction to XML Information Modeling" successfully equips the attendee with an understanding of the major components of Document Type Definitions (DTD), RELAX NG (Regular Language descriptions for XML - Next Generation), XML Schema, Schematron, and NVDL, and how they compare and contrast in the general process of modeling XML information.

It is not an objective of this overview to teach all of the facilities of each of the different modeling technologies, only understand how they compare, how each of them work, and major facilities of each.

6. 90-minute Delivery Syllabus

 00:00   Course Introduction
         Module 1: XML modeling
         Module 2: Modeling Technologies
 01:30   End

7. Half-day Delivery Syllabus

 00:00   Course Introduction
         Instructor/Student Expectations
         Module 1: XML modeling
         Module 2: Modeling Technologies
 01:30   Break
 00:00   Module 3: XML information set
         Module 4: XML Document Type Definitions (DTD)
         Module 5: Schematron
         Module 6: Data types
         Module 7: RELAX-NG
         Module 8: W3C XML Schema
         Module 9: NVDL
 01:30   End

8. Full-day Delivery Syllabus

 00:00   Course Introduction
         Instructor/Student Expectations
         Module 1: XML modeling
         Module 2: Modeling Technologies
 01:30   Break
 00:00   Module 3: XML information set
         Module 4: XML Document Type Definitions (DTD)
         Module 5: Schematron
 01:30   Lunch
 00:00   Module 6: Data types
         Module 7: RELAX-NG
 01:30   Break
 00:00   Module 8: W3C XML Schema
         Module 9: NVDL
         Question and Answer
 01:30   End of Day