RE: [xml-dev] XML websites

["Abrahams, Sven" <sabraham@gsb.uct.ac.za>]

Hallo buddy,

 

I am suffering the same problems especially on the issue of generating xml websites. I have very little literature available here in South Africa , on any of these issues so thank the lord for the use of such an active email list, else I would still be in the stone ages using html only for my web development.

 

Best ,

 

 

Sven Abrahamse

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis D. [mailto:xmo1@attbi.com]
Sent: 03 June 2003 12:53 PM
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: [xml-dev] XML websites

 

Hello:

I have a database application programming background (Oracle SQL+, dbase, MS Access), and have been studying XML for awhile (6 months+). I've seen several case studies (especially at Microsoft) using XML as a legacy database interface, and other applications where XML is being implemented using various application languages.

 

What I haven't seen is a true XML website; a model. If XML technology is set to become the pervasive programming language of webservers everywhere, then where are the websites? I've seen some examples of web 'pages' using XHTML. Microsoft has enabled MSXML in their browsers, yet I don't see it being used in public websites in the programming code. In fact, Microsoft seems to be using JavaScript (which was originally a Netscape product as you know), and using XML as a database application to build their website. IBM is using an HTML document on it's homepage, but at least it declares a DOCTYPE and references a dtd called ibmxhtml1. W3 is using XHTML1 strict.

 

Where is XML in this? Where are the true XML websites, and the browser clients that display them?

 

Why do I ask? I've been building websites for about 7 years (as a hobby). Currently, I have single website of a couple hundred pages, which includes an MS Access database and a message board (written in ASP). I am familiar with CSS, JavaScript, and some other languages which I could combine to construct a website. I want to re-write it using the latest and greatest technology available. I thought that would be XML. Turns out that XHTML is the latest and greatest. It is an interim solution. Worse, it involves a complex conversion process to yield (I suspect) the XHTML pages. Do you know of any true XML websites? I'm sort of at a loss about where I should be going with this. I've taken my site down, studied the content, and I'm left with the builders dilemma; how to redress the architecture (languages, db's, etc.). As a website builder, what model should I be looking toward; Microsoft, IBM, W3C and it's Amaya client?

 

Respectfully,

 

Dennis Dickens,

Lakewood, WA, USA