XML Processing with Perl, Python, and PHP

XML is an elegant solution to the problem of data portability. Like all breakthroughs, however, it gives rise to new challenges. With XML, you can store and structure data for seamless, cross-platform exchange—which is especially crucial in today's e-commerce environments. But XML does no processing itself. To leverage XML data, you need to use a programming language.

XML Processing with Perl, Python, and PHP teaches you to reap the special advantages of processing your XML with these and four other scripting languages, which—as you'll see—trump C, C++, and Java in a variety of ways. Along this path lie shorter development times and lower costs. At its end lie performance benefits such as superior text processing, memory management, and data modeling capabilities, as well as strategic benefits such as greater longevity and broader compatibility.

Choose the language that makes the most sense for you and move ahead. With this book's help, you'll master the execution of remote procedures, the internal modeling of XML data, the exporting of internal data into XML, and the conversion of XML to formats as varied as SQL, HTML, and proprietary configuration schemes. Application-specific examples keep you focused on the real world; at the same time, the scripting techniques you'll learn all rise above specific applications. Like XML data, they're flexible, and they'll serve you well in whatever context you're working.

Contents

Introduction

Part I Applying XML
Chapter 1: Introduction to XML
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of XML
Chapter 3 Data Type Definitions (DTDs)
Chapter 4 Applying XML with Scripting Languages
Chapter 5 Data Exchange and XML

Part II XML and Perl
Chapter 6 XML Solutions in Perl
Chapter 7 Perl and Unicode
Chapter 8 Generating and Parsing XML Documents with Perl
Chapter 9 Converting XML Documents Using Perl
Chapter 10 Applying SOAP/XML-RPC in Perl

Part III XML and Python
Chapter 11 XML Solutions in Python
Chapter 12 Python and Unicode
Chapter 13 Generating and Parsing XML Documents with Python
Chapter 14 Converting XML Documents Using Python
Chapter 15 Applying SOAP/XML-RPC in Python
Chapter 16 Zope and XML Documents
Chapter 17 XML and PHP
Chapter 18 Developing XML Applications with PHP
Chapter 19 PHP and XML-RPC
Chapter 20 XML and REBOL
Chapter 21 XML and Ruby
Chapter 22 XML and Tcl
Chapter 23 AppleScript and XML

Appendices
Appendix A Unicode Quick Reference
Appendix B Resource Guide
Index