Professional XML for .NET Developers

XML is now an established technology for the description and transportation of data, and has made a major impact on almost every aspect of software development. When Microsoft introduced the .NET Framework, they took advantage of XML wherever they could. No other technology is so tightly bound with .NET as XML, both at the developer level and underlying the whole framework.

This book aims to give the reader enough information to be able to use XML from within the .NET Framework in the most efficient manner possible. It will explain in detail the usage of all the XML-related .NET Framework library classes for the manipulation, validation, transformation, and serialization of XML data, using both C# and Visual Basic .NET. It also looks at how the developer can utilize the full power of XML within the .NET Framework, for example, with the new XML capabilities of ADO.NET and ASP.NET. As is demonstrated, the .NET Framework itself uses XML, in configuration files, meta data, and C#'s XML code documentation mechanism, for example.

This book is aimed at intermediate-level programmers who have started on their journey towards .NET development, and who want to see how to use XML within their applications to its best advantage. Basic knowledge of C# or Visual Basic .NET, XML, and XML related technologies (XSLT, XPath, and XML Schemas) is necessary.

This book covers:

Reading and writing XML
DOM navigation and XSL transformations of XML
Validating and serializing XML
MSXML vs System.Xml
ADO.NET and ASP.NET XML support
Web Services and SOAP
Remoting
XML code documentation

Dinar Dalvi works as a Senior Software Engineer in the Bay Area, and is responsible for prototyping and developing scalable Internet/Client Server applications using Microsoft Technologies. About a year and a half ago he was introduced to the .NET Framework, and has been hanging around .NET ever since.

Darshan Singh is a Senior Developer at InstallShield Software Corporation. He has more than five years of experience as a software developer, and during this period, he has worked for Microsoft, Talisma, Persistent Systems Pvt. Ltd. (Pune, India), and Spectrum (India), with major focus on databases and component technologies.

Kevin Williams is a Senior System Architect for Equient, an information management. His career has been focused on Windows development - first client-server, then onto Internet work. He's done everything, but these days he's focusing on XML work. He may be reached for comment at kevin@realworldxml.com.

Andy Olsen is a freelance consultant engaged in training, consultancy, and development work in Microsoft .NET and related technologies. He studied Physics and began his professional life as a C developer. He migrated into C++, Java, and OO Analysis and Design using UML. Andy has been using Microsoft development tools and technologies since 1987.

J. Michael Palermo IV is currently a consultant for Cunningham Consulting - a Microsoft GOLD Certified Partner. His passions for technology are XML, SQL Server, and "everything .NET." He is an MCT, MCSE, MCDBA, and MCSD.

Bipin Joshi is a software developer having skills in Microsoft technologies. Currently he works on .NET technologies with Mastek Ltd. He runs his personal web site at bipinjoshi.com that provides articles, tutorials and source code on variety of .NET topics. He can be reached via his web site - bipinjoshi.com.

John Slater is a project manager at Management Reports International in Cleveland, OH. At MRI he is currently developing applications for the property management industry. He is currently working on several projects using .NET development tools and .NET Enterprise servers. He can be reached at jr_slater@hotmail.com.

Joe Gray is currently a consultant for Cunningham Consulting, specializing in web-based solutions. Current projects include working on web-based applications written in ASP .NET and C#. He is an MCSE, MCDBA, MCSD, and CCA and has also taught SQL Server, Visual Basic, and XML at a local technical training centre.

Fredrik Normén works as a software developer for Density, a Swedish company specializing in Microsoft software solutions. Fredrik is one of a team that developed the architecture for this platform and during this time also held .NET seminars for the rest of the company. He is a Microsoft certified solution developer and currently uses Visual Basic and C#.