RE: [PHP] XML

U should read the docs on domxml. There is alot of examples in there on how to do that and xslt. Here are tons of tutorials to on phpbuilder.com, phpbeginner.com. -- BigDog On Wed, 2003-07-09 at 06:02, Petre Agenbag wrote: > Hi List > > Firstly, thanks for the replies and mostly for the accommodating > attitude to this, arguable non-PHP subject. > > I don't want this thread to become a flame war on why one should use > XML, or why not. > I do have personal issues wrt XML and the way it works, and although I > cannot *yet* see the need, it doesn't mean that there isn't one. > > My original post should have made this clear, but it seems it didn't. > > I have laid to rest my reservations wrt XML, and am more interested in > understanding the entire process in the hope that 1) I will "see" the > need, and 2) understand how all those XML jargon fits together ( XML, > XSL, XSLT, DTD, DOMXML, phew...) > > That was why I gave a brief summary of where I am atm wrt understanding > what it is. > > What I still don't know much about, and at last, this is where the PHP > comes in, is once I have this XML file, whereto from here using PHP ( > you see, it should be clear that I want to use PHP as my "one and only" > trusty tool. > > As I stated, and correct me, the XML file contains the structured data, > and the XSL file contains the "look and feel" and the XSL file is > written in XSLT language. > > My understanding is further that, again focused only on web applications > here, one would have an XML file in your web folder, along with it's XSL > file. These files would be "linked" by means of calls or references to > each other inside the files. > > Having these two files (oh, and the dtd which can be used to verify the > XML, but doesn't seem necessary from what I can see), as I understand > it, gives the basis from where one would then parse the XML into XHTML > in order to actually "see" anything in a browser via one of two routes: > 1) client side via the browser's built in XML parser -> arguably leaving > the old Netscape/IE gap wrt compatibility, or 2) server side parsing > with the built-in XML parser that comes with the webserver (IIS or > Apache in my case) -> with this approach being in my mind the "best" if > you want to make sure you don't run into browser issues. > > This is where my PHP question really starts: > On apache.org they talk about the XML support of apache etc, and in the > PHP documentation there are lots of XML functions and yet more jargon > like DOMXML etc, which is not clear for me what to do now (should I > elect to parse server side). > > If someone can just give me a quick and easy "tour" on what to do and > what is needed from here to actually parse and display the contents > correctly, I should have enough to keep me busy for a while, and > hopefully help me to increase my knowledge and understanding so I won't > ask stupid questions on this list ;) > > > Thanks again for the input. > > > > > On Wed, 2003-07-09 at 00:36, Ray Hunter wrote: > > I see that not many sites require the use of xml/xsl(t). Many sites can > > just use html and database to accomplish 99.9% of the work. > > > > I always suggest that when you have tons of data that you need to send > > to the user that it is a good idea. Especially now that xslt is growing > > up :) > > > > I like to use xml and xsl for various reasons, mainly i can really > > separate the logic and presentation. All data is keep in the xml file > > and presentation in the xsl file. So when i need to make changes in the > > presentation then i only change the xsl file and never really have to > > touch the logic (php) code. This is really, really great for some sights > > that are extremely complex. > > > > Also in php i can create standards that my xml files will follow (dtds, > > schema) and allowing me to create modules (functionality) very > > efficiently and timely. > > > > Also as mentioned xml provides a format for transfering data. However, i > > would not use it with databases unless it is large amounts of data. > > However, i have used xml for creating sql queries and setting up > > configureation files which are extremely reliabe. > > > > -- > > BigDog > > > > > > > > On Tue, 2003-07-08 at 15:51, Jeff Harris wrote: > > > |-----Original Message----- > > > |From: Petre Agenbag [mailto:internet@vsa.co.za] > > > |Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 6:27 AM > > > |To: php-general@lists.php.net > > > |Subject: [PHP] XML > > > | > > > | > > > |Hi List > > > | > > > |Firstly, this question is arguable more about XML than PHP, but they are > > > |interlinked, so I hope it is "topical" for this list. > > > | > > > |Firstly, Where I come from: > > > | > > > |I am VERY comfortable with PHP/MySQL on Linux and understand all those > > > |concepts. > > > | > > > |Now I'm trying to see the benefits of XML, and quite frankly, I just > > > |cannot see why one would want to use it... > > > | > > > [snip] > > > > > > On Jul 8, 2003, "Joe Harman" claimed that: > > > > > > |Okay Petre... You have asked the question that I always wanted to ask!!! > > > |I can't wait to see peoples answer... I simply can't find a use for it > > > |either.... > > > | > > > |Joe > > > > > > This probably should be on another list, but it might give someone an idea > > > on how to create something in PHP. I've been trying to figure out if some > > > of what I'm doing would be good for XML. The answer for that is "no, use a > > > database." > > > > > > It seems to me, that XML is a way of encoding data for the transmission > > > between two processors. For example, the database uses XML to transfer > > > data to the PHP engine. The weather magnet uses XML to transmit > > > information to your PHP script, which parses it and produces the HTML > > > output. My page asks your script for some information, and it's returned > > > as well-formed XML. > > > > > > As far as using an XML file to act as a database and your parser to create > > > the HTML, it's probably better to use a database. > > > > > > Jeff > > > (my $.015 [after taxes] ) > > > -- > > > Registered Linux user #304026. > > > "lynx -source > > > http://jharris.rallycentral.us/jharris.asc | gpg --import" > > > Key fingerprint = 52FC 20BD 025A 8C13 5FC6 68C6 9CF9 46C2 B089 0FED > > > Responses to this message should conform to RFC 1855. > > > > > > > > >