Using XLM to populate on-line and off-line documents

[CharlieChalk]

Hello

I have a load of content (text mainly, some images) on a brochure style web site, and the same text and most of the images in a printed brochure.

I was wondering if I could store all the text (and images?) in an XML file to somehow be placed into a HTML page to populate a website, and also have Adobe InDesign import the text into the brochure. Thus saving me time by only amending one file for text changes.

The InDesign bit I have pretty much sorted, but taking XML and placing it on a web page is foxing me.

Is it possible without using server/database back end commands, is it going to restrict my web site audiance to IE6> type browsers, and how the heck do I do it!

Any help appreciated..... I'm not realy a programmer - but there wasn't a "stumbling around blindly and getting nowhere" catagory, please be kind

 

[palbano]

>> Is it possible without using server/database back end
>> commands, is it going to restrict my web site audiance
>> to IE6> type browsers, and how the heck do I do it!

First u use a XSLT transformation to produce HTML from ur XML. Basic XML 101 stuff there.

If u want to do it without any server side processing then u limit ur browser compatibility since all that is left is to do it client side. Obviously the converse is if u do it server side then u gain browser compatibility

Does that help?
-There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't-

-pete

 

[CharlieChalk]

So, will XSLT work within an existing HTML page design? Any suggested books/sites I should try to get a handle on it?

If I was to go down the server side route, what would I need installed on the server? (my current host, Webfusion, provide MySQL as a database with Chillisoft ASP and PHP4)

Thanks for your help.... I'm not realy a programmer - but there wasn't a "stumbling around blindly and getting nowhere" catagory, please be kind

 

[palbano]

>> Chillisoft ASP and PHP4)

u need a XML parser for that environment. is there a PHP forum at Tek-tips? if not try the CGI forum there is occasional mention of PHP in there... um i think.

Also have u checked sun.com for Chillisoft documentation?

>> So, will XSLT work within an existing HTML page design?

don't get that one.

online places:

http://www.xml-mag.com

msdn.microsoft.com/xml
-There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't-

-pete

 

[rkaramch]

If you don't mind a day's lag in updating the html on-site - you could create the HTML thru XML/XSLT on your workstation, and then upload the now-static HTML pages to your host ISP...