Using XML and XSL to leverage Museum Web Content
Jim Angus, National Institutes of Health, USA
Ruth Janette Shapiro, CSC

Workshop: XML and XSL

HTML allows museums to easily create web pages. However, HTML commingles content with the code needed for presentation. This effectively prohibits reusing that content for other purposes. This half-day workshop will introduce the basics of how one can separate content from presentation and deliver that content in multiple formats, to multiple devices or different audiences, all from a single content core using XML and XSL. It will focus on introducing the basic method using readily available tools, programming languages and standards. The pros and cons of commercially available content management systems will be touched upon.

Specifically, it will explore the following examples:

1. Using XML to provide a content core that can be used for both a public website or for another application such as "voice XML", enabling the museum to put its calendar online and available via a touch-tone phone.
2. Using XML to create an accessible version of a website that is optimized for text browsers.
3. Using XML to deliver content to hand held devices.

The content is geared towards attendees who aren't currently using XML or XSL, but are interested although not sure of its practical applications. Attendees are expected to know what XML is, but are not expected to necessarily have gone much further. Those who have will learn some concrete and useful applications.