Trying to get a handle on XML/XSL

[Leavell Jody L <Jody.Leavell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>From reading the digest for this list I can tell there are some very
technically literate contributors. I truly wish I were, yet I am
struggling to learn XML from a developers point of view. So now for some
questions:

1) Has anyone come up with an XML application demo that runs on Win32
and Linux platforms and does not utilize any Microsoft components?

2) What about utilizing/creating an object repository or widget library
that includes an HTML flow object as a descendant?

3) If question 2 were possible could the nature of the style sheet be
merely instructive on how to set the "style" properties for a particular
flow object?

My thoughts were that someone like Claris FileMakerPro, or JetForms, or
whatever ultra-easy application toolset could be used to drag and drop
objects onto screen forms that display XML content. I know that
FileMaker Pro makes it very easy for users to create interfaces to
databases with some customization of how to interact with the interface.
Wouldn't the combination of XML/XSL allow such users to plug their
components into document/stylesheet sets as the data stream and utilize
the development tools existing "programming" or "scripting" features for
automation?

Right now I can't wait to get my hands on some easier-to-use development
tools that would allow me to experiment with XML. So far there really
isn't a way or a tool to bind content to a real-life demonstration of
XML. I have heard that CSS2 can be used with XML aware browsers to
render HTML flow objects of an XML document but I don't know where to
begin on that even. I have seen links to demo's but they are usually
someone else's idea of an XML application. Too, they are usually
black-boxed to amateurs like myself.

Jody Leavell
jody.leavell@xxxxxxxxxxxx
C.H.I.S. PC Support
Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp.
Nashville, TN
615-344-1889


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