Learning Objectives

• Learning to think about Styles as a whole (not just individual style languages)
• Develop an understanding of how XSLT works - particularly the template system
• Develop an understanding of how CSS works - particularly the cascade

Step by step

1. Start your report by including the XML schema(s) from your WorkingWithXML report. If you want to make any changes to the schema(s) right now before you go any further, or if you want to use entirely new schema(s), you can. However, explain any changes you want to make and why you decided to make them.
   • I say schema(s) because I know some folks had more than one schema in WorkingWithXML. You should only have one - the job of the schema is to unify the model for your pages. I've attached the DTDs, XSLT and CSS for the main interface and the admin interface for the ACUT tutorial to show when you would want multiple schemas/DTDs. You only want multiple schemas when the set of pages is really totally separate.
2. Check that your schema really is InteractionCentric, not DataCentric, in other words, that your schema is focused on the actions involved in sharing our work via the wiki, rather than on the materials themselves. If it isn't, adjust your schema as necessary. You'll see why as we go.
3. Now, write some instances of your schema - some XML documents - to work with. Since your schema changed from WorkingWithXML, these will be different, too. Take a moment to write about how these differ.
4. Write some examples of XPath for your schema. How does navigation work in your schema? Draw us a diagram (or use a tool to generate it...)
5. Write some XSLT for your schema.
   • Use XHTML as the language XSLT is generating.
   • Use CSS as well.
     • Make sure that you use at least one pseudo-element and at least one pseudo-class
   • The attached examples date from 2005. They aren't bad, and they do show a complete example from solid working code for a live system (although not this very moment), but I would update them to use more interaction oriented names and reset styles sheets. You can see that in process at AhatTWiki? .AhatCSS (look at AhatStyle.css, at the styles that start with 'ahat' and contrast with those that start with 'nat').
6. Your XSLT depends on your XML, which depends on your schema. Look at the XSLT and ask yourself if there are changes you could make to the XML (or to the schema) that would make the XSLT more efficient? more expressive? Go ahead and make those changes and flow those changes on through the XML, XSLT, etc., to see how the changes play out. Did you get the results you expected? Why or why not?
7. Go back to your abstract object and update it to reflect what you've done in this lab. Discuss how your abstract object compares to the one from WebsiteUnderlyingAbstractions.

Vocab

• Appreciative Inquiry
• Style

Reflective Questions

• This time we embedded them in the lab (mostly), but I have one left over which is more of a short essay - go visit the Style activity on w3.org and look around a bit. What do you find most interesting in their work? Why? Is there something you would like to explore further? Mostly, I'd like you to dig around and write me a short piece about something about this activity. See if you can't find something that honestly interests you and 'spin' a project you could do related to it.

StylesLab Due Dates

• Final report due midnight Sunday November 30th

Lab Reports

• See StylesLabReports

Notes

-- HilaryHolz - 06 Nov 2008