Learning XML
 

I'd like to learn XML. I can tweak, modify, etc. XML a little bit, just as I can with php. But I don't know either language enough to write something from scratch or create something from scratch with a WYSIWYG editor. I have a more-than-basic knowledge of these things, but I want to know more.

That being said, I'd like to learn these things the lazy way; without taking classes in school. I'm in the military and my work hours and free time change so much that going to school is most often unfeasible. So, I'd like to learn via CBTs or e-courses online.

Can anyone recommend some online classes, CBT courses, or even some lengthy/detailed tutorials?

Thanks in advance for any help! :o

Well everything thing that I've learned started with editing things here and there, and asking questions when I had trouble. I myself don't have the best grip on XML, but I keep playing with it. I'm sure someone else can give you a better answer, but that's just my 2cp. :p

Well if you use the uibuilder, I dont think you really need to KNOW any xml or ANYthing lol. Its just moving things around, adding some values and learning how it the other stuff works from example. :) Maybe thats technically learning some xml but whatever lol

I asked the same question a few days ago. taco-man pointed me to a few things, but in the end, just dive into the UIbuilder. If you want to learn the actualy XML, my best advise is to just open up the XML files in notepad or IE, then get one of these guys/gals mods and compare the code of the 2. That is what I am currently doing. This way you can see what code is doing what. As long as you know how to "Code/think logically" you will get it. My schedule is weird also, I am a full-time student, part-time job, married and addicted to games, so I am slowly learning the XML tags and attributes for XML.

If you want to actually look at XML and learn the concept and everything behind it goto http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp
I used this site a year or 2 ago or so to get me set for a job I had coming up that summer. I had to learn like 12 or so different languages/scripts to get prepared for it. It helps a little.

The XML in EQ2 was kinda confusing to me when I jumped into it compared to the code they used in EQ1, the UI builder puts things into perspective for me though. If I wanna just mod a little number or 2, I just open the XML file now.

XML is not really a "language" to learn. It's a paradigm for transferring and displaying data in HTML. The syntax at a base level is HTML with custom tags. It's the implementation that needs learning, and that varies widely with the program implementing it. What you need to learn for custon UI's is the syntax SOE settled on to transfer and display game data to your client. So there isn't a text or tutorial for it - people have just experimented to see what does what. Some of the tags are obvious, and some less so...but I don't believe I've seen a single source that mentions what they all do.

Awesome explanation of XML Daeanor. The best resource for SOE's implementation of XML is EQ2_UI_Customization.doc in the UIBuilder.zip file (found in your main EQ2 folder). It's not perfect though. Beyond that, the forums here at eq2interface are your next stop, particularly threads in the XML Modification Help & Info forum. Many people here at eq2interface have posted their findings for the obscure and undocumented property tags.

Quib

Thanks. I pretty much gathered that by reading various tutorials on the web, including this one that was also linked above. I was/am more interested in the UI application, of course, but since I do a little amateur website stuff, I'd like to learn it's general application towards those web-based languages as well.

Thanks for the help, everyone. :)