XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) allows to define transformations of XML documents to HTML format and to other formats. Participants of the training learn XSL transformation mechanisms and create their own transformations and stylesheets of XML documents.

The training is for:

• designers and programmers of IT systems,
• designers and programmers of web pages and web-based applications, 
• specialists involved in information processing, exchange and publishing.

Prerequisites:

• general knowledge of XML, related standards and business applications of XML,
• general knowledge of XML standards (HTML, CSS, HTTP), 
• prior participation in the trainings "Introduction to XML" and "Designing schemas in XML Schema" is recommended.

By the end of the training participants will have learned:

• purpose of XSL and its possible applications,
• how to create simple stylesheets that transform XML documents into HTML format, as well as simple transformations of XML documents,
• how to use basic XSLT syntax constructs,
• purpose of XSL:FO language and its possible applications,
• available tools that support XSL.

Training duration: 2 days.

Methodology: lectures and exercises. Most of the time is spent on doing exercises and their discussion. Trainees actively participate in the training.

Training outline:

Day 1. 

1. Building blocks of XSL and their purpose. 
2. XSL datamodel.
3. Basic XSLT constructs.
4. XPath.

Day 2.

1. Advanced XSLT constructs: flow control, loops, sorting, modes, etc.
2. XSL 2.0 - overview.
3. XSL:FO - a formatting language.
4. Tools that support XSL.

 During the training we use Altova XMLSpy software.