XML implementation changed?

[jasonwood]

I'm ready to learn XML for the first time, and I'm wondering if the implementation is different in the new version.

In other words, can I buy Beverly Voth's "FileMaker 6 Developers Guide to XML/XSL" or should I wait for a future update of the book?

Thanks!

Version: v7.x

Platform: Mac OS X Panther

[Mariano Peterson]

I'd go ahead and buy Beverly Voth's book now. Many excellent contributors to this forum highly recommend it. The book is indeed very FileMaker centric, and provides many useful FileMaker examples. Unfortunately, the book is very light on theory and focuses more on basic (but useful) FileMaker specific examples.

I also suggest buying a book on XSL or XSLT in addition to Beverly Voth's book. It is very useful to have a deeper understanding of XSL and how to develop with it than Voth's book has time to cover. Your supplemental book should focus on XSL and probably won't have anything to do with FileMaker.

Sorry, I've only read a very limited few books on XSL and haven't been particularly happy with any of them.

A few very top level concepts to keep in mind as you embark on your journey:

XML is just a text based format for storing data - you can think of it as the next step up from TAB or CSV files, only XML allows you much more power.

XSL is a language used for transforming text based data from an XML document into another text based format -- like a TAB file, or an HTML file, or an HTML/XML based word document, etc.

There are many "sub" languages that have been created to support XSL - perhaps the most common being XPath. XPath is used to locate particular pieces of data in an XML file.

Good luck!

[rivet]

although I am sad that CDML is dead (it was so simple) I will concider XML but could someone give me a basic overview. How does it work? CDML allowed me to create html layouts for the DB, is this the case with XML.

[Mariano Peterson]

No, you don't create HTML layouts with XML. XML is just a format for storing data, kind of like a .TAB or .CSV file.

An XSL page can convert your XML data into HTML. XSL is useful for displaying data stored in XML in different ways. However, XSL is not well suited as a scripting language that handles business logic. Middleware, or web scripting languages, or better suited for this. A few examples include PHP, ASP, Perl, Lasso, ColdFusion, etc.

You'll be able to use XML as the format that carries data from FileMaker to a web scripting engine, like PHP or ASP. Your web scripting language will take the place of CDML. Like CDML, your web scripts will contain HTML, which will determine the look of your page. The web scripts build the HTML on the fly (just like CDML).

More than likely, though, you won't have to worry about learning XML or XSL. There are tools that handle the HTTP and XML between FileMaker and your web scripting language. Some of these tools include:

PHP: Use the FX class written by Chris Hansen:

www.iviking.org

ASP: Use the FMP class:

http://mariano.petersonpages.com/demo/asp/FMPasp_v0-2.zip

Perl: Take a look at this example on how to use Perl with FileMaker:

http://mariano.petersonpages.com/demo/perl/fmp_perl.zip

You don't have to know any XML or XSL to use the first two, just PHP or ASP. Further, by using these tools you help keep your solution more secure by using an intermediate layer and not exposing FileMaker directly to the web.

I think you might find the following thread helpful:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/93508/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/

If you really want to know specifically how XML works, just post back and ask again.