Building an XML Workbench
By Michael Floyd
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Like the workbench in my garage, my Web development workbench is often covered with partially assembled widgets, various loose nuts and bolts, and lots of toolsat least while I'm in learning mode. But once I've evaluated the project and decided which materials and tools I'll need, I need a clean space to work with. So, with a swipe of an arm, I clear off the workbench and neatly place the bare necessities on the bench top. Then, and only then, am I ready to begin.
This month, I'll show you how to set up a workbench of tools to process XML on your Web server. It's a low-end solution. That is, I'm not assuming you have high-speed network access, or that you have administrative privileges on your server. All you need is a 56-kbps modem and support for Java servlets on your server. The tools I describe are portable, meaning you can set up a similar workbench under Mac, UNIX, or Windows. When you're finished installing the tools I describe in this column, you'll have everything you need to take advantage of XML on your Web site. And best of all, most of these tools are free.
Server-Side XML
After many months of examining XML tools, I've come to two conclusions. First, client-side processing of XML will always be doomed to inconsistent support. Let's face it, Web developers still jump through hoops to get many of HTML 4's features to behave consistently in the major browsers. In fact, we can use XML and XSL on the server to solve that very problem.
