Learning:
The Journey of a Lifetime
A Cloud Chamber of the Mind

January 2006 Technology Notebook

Chapter 1 Getting Started with Stylus Studio

A. Starting Stylus Studio

• Double-click on icon.

B. Updating an XML Document - Getting Started

1. Updating the text of a sample document

[See notes on previous session]

This section makes sense to me now. This is only about the standard editing of an XML file. Most operations are similar to those for any file. But Stylus Studio adds a couple of nice features such as auto-completion, insertion of white space and a query function that permits you to find all examples of a particular type of data.

2. Updating the schema of a sample document

This section describes working with an internal DTD (Document Type Definition). It does not cover the use of an external schema, which is generally recommended as the preferred approach to schemas.

2.1 Creating a Sample Schema

• Click on the Schema tab. If there is no schema Stylus Studio will display an almost empty screen with just a DTD icon showing.
  
  
• XML > Create Schema from XML Content (This assumes that the XML file with data already exists.). Stylus Studio generates the complete DTD code. Slick!

2.2 Defining a new Sample Element

• To define a new element in the Schema view, click on the DTD node at the top of the tree. Then click on the "New Element Definition" icon in the left margin. A new element field is created at the bottom of the DTD tree.
  
  
• Type a name for the new element & press Enter.
  
  
• Click on the "New Modifier" icon in the left margin. Select an appropriate option. This requires that one understand the meaning of the options. Most are straight forward but two are not. "Choice" means that you can pick one element from a group of available elements. "Sequence" means the element can contain a sequence of other elements. This is where a book on XML is useful.
  
  
• In the left tool bar, click on the "Add #PCDATA" icon. This means that the element can only contain raw data. The term is short for Parsable Character Data, and means it does not contain any special characters. (Google)

2.3 Adding an Element Reference to a Sample Schema

• Once the element has been created (see previous section), one needs to indicate where it may occur.
  
  
• Click on the element that is to contain the new element. Click on the Sequence modifier. Then click on the "New Modifier" icon in the left margin. Select an option.
  
  
• Click on the "New Reference to Element" icon on the left margin. Type the name of the new element and press Enter.
  
  
• To move the new element up in the list, click on its Optional modifier and then click on the Up and Down arrows to place it where you want.

2.4 Defining an Entity in a Sample Schema

• An entity is simply a unit of data that can be given an identifying label. (Google)

2.5 Exploring Other Features in a Sample Schema

• To validate a document, click on the Validate document icon at the top of the schema window.