Press Release
January 12, 2004
"RELAX NG": A Simpler Schema Language for XML
Sebastopol, CA--The beauty of XML is that it is extensible, even to the
point that developers can invent new elements and attributes as they write
XML documents. Then, however, they need to define their changes so
applications will be able to make sense of them. This is where XML schema
languages come into play. In his new book, RELAX NG (O'Reilly, US
$29.95), author Eric van der Vlist introduces the Regular Language
Description for XML Core--New Generation, or RELAX NG (pronounced
"relaxing"), an alternative to other schema languages that's quickly
gaining momentum. Designed to solve a variety of common problems raised
in the creation and sharing of XML vocabularies, RELAX NG is less complex
than the W3C's XML Schema Recommendation and much more powerful and
flexible than DTDs.
"XML schema languages are a nice idea as long as they don't become so
complicated that XML vocabularies built using them are difficult to
extend," says van der Vlist. "Unfortunately, that's what was starting to
happen before RELAX NG appeared. W3C XML Schema, the dominant XML schema
language, is so complex and incorporates ideas from so many conflicting
fields that it is difficult to learn, difficult to extend--yet its
expressive power is still too limited to describe all the possibilities
offered by XML!" Although many applications will to use this mammoth
language, van der Vlist adds, many people need the lighter-weight, simpler
alternative found in RELAX NG.
Van der Vlist asserts that RELAX NG is easier, more reliable, and safer to
use than W3C XML Schema for two primary reasons: RELAX NG has a sound
mathematical grounding and focuses on doing a single thing perfectly
well--validating the structure of XML documents.
In "RELAX NG," developers are introduced to this unique language and will
learn a no-nonsense method for creating XML schemas. This book offers a
clear-cut explanation of RELAX NG that enables intermediate and advanced
XML developers to focus on XML document structures and content rather than
battle the intricacies of yet another convoluted standard.
The book explores this new schema vocabulary from its clean foundations
through best practices to integration with other data-description
approaches. "RELAX NG" explains both the XML syntax and the compact syntax
in depth, showing how to use every pattern in both syntaxes with clear,
straightforward examples. The book also explores:
How to create W3C XML Schemas or DTDs using RELAX NG
Using W3C XML Schemas datatypes and their facets with RELAX NG
A variety of schema styles, including their advantages and disadvantages
Rules for mixing patterns and the intricacies of the interleave pattern
Different approaches to creating modular schemas
Generating RELAX NG schemas from other formats
Supporting literate programming approaches with RELAX NG
Working with XML namespaces in RELAX NG
How the W3C uses RELAX NG to address XHTML and SVG modularization
Determinism and ambiguity issues in RELAX NG and the W3C XML Schema
The OASIS and ISO processes for standardizing RELAX NG
RELAX NG offers developers a refreshing approach to describing XML,
whether they're defining XML vocabularies for interchange or supporting
new metadata in a publishing environment. This book provides a complete
guide to this exciting new technology, from how to get started to how best
to apply it to many different kinds of XML problems.
Additional Resources:
RELAX NG
Eric van der Vlist
ISBN 0-596-00421-4, 506 pages, $29.95 US, $43.95 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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