A Brief Introduction To E4X
Keywords: E4X
I find myself longing for the old days, when I could design a web site in 5 minutes on a Sunday and then go play golf for the rest of the afternoon, and still collect a full week of salary for services rendered. That was back in 1996, when the internet was still new. Websites were created exclusively with HTML. The client would email me the content for their website, which I would upload to FrontPage, then insert some tags and a template for formatting and layout, add some graphics, and that was it.
Nowadays, I find myself working up to 10 hours per day designing web sites. I have to use so many different programming languages and specifications when creating a site that it makes me dizzy. I can barely type this article because my brain literally hurts from all the different programming languages I have swirling around in my head.
You might be wondering why my job has become so complicated in recent years. Well, it started with the wireless revolution, which made a mess out of cyberspace. Now, every wireless gadget is equipped with access to the internet and email. Cell phones, palm tops, laptops, even computer screens in automobiles have web browsers. These gadgets have platforms and web browsers that are very different from what is installed on an ordinary desktop PC. These new web browsers are not compatible with many elements of the HTML programming language. As a result, websites created purely with HTML are often invisible or inaccessible to the wireless internet user.
New languages and specifications such as XHTML, XSL, and XML were created to conform to these new web browsers. XML was probably the most important innovation of them all. XML enabled web designers to define data without telling the browser how to display the data, unlike HTML, which both defines the data and tells the browser how to display it. XML data can be viewed on any platform or browser because it is a simple text file with no predefined tags, allowing the programmer to define data any number of ways. XHTML and XSL were created to convert XML files into actual web pages that had style and structure and could be viewed across all platforms and browsers.
Now that you understand how and why programming has changed, you are ready for a brief introduction to the main topic of this article, E4X. E4X adds direct support for XML to JavaScript. An XML object declared with E4X is written like this:
var x = new XML()
Using this method, it is much easier to parse an XML document than it would be using JavaScript. Without it, you would have to use different XML components and libraries for each browser, because each browser is compatible with different versions of the language. Also, E4X is advantageous to use because it does not require very much code.
However, none of the mainstream browsers currently support E4X. A beta-version of Mozilla is compatible with it, but not the actual version. Firefox 1.1 works with E4X, but Internet Explorer, the most popular and widely used browser, does not work with it. Instead, Internet Explorer utilizes various programming components of a programming specification called AJAX, which uses a variety of languages, including JavaScript, XML, CSS, and several others.
If you create web sites for a living, you should probably take some time to familiarize yourself with E4X. Even though it is not actively used right now, it likely will be in the near future. For now, learning AJAX is probably more important because of the dominance of Internet Explorer as the web browser of choice, but that could change. If you have never studied E4X but are already familiar with XML, you can probably learn it through simple online tutorials because the syntax is not too complicated. If you have never studied XML, XHTML, XSL, or AJAX, then you need to enroll in some courses at a local computer programming institute immediately. Not knowing how to use these new languages could mean that your web sites will be invisible to wireless internet users.
Jim Pretin is the owner of www.forms4free.com, a service that helps programmers make email forms.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
What Is DTD? (1)
PCDATA is used to mark data that is to be parsed or separated into more easily processed components and to cause tags within that data to be interpreted as markup instead of as ordinary data.
What Is RSS? (2)
Keywords: RSS If you have your own web site, or if you are a web designer, this article will be of interest to you. Web sites that are updated on a regular basis, such as news sites or content-driven web sites, can pose a problem for the user.
How To Hire The Right Web Designer (3)
In the end, the freelancer probably will not give you the design you really want, and will refuse to refund your money. A web designer who is part of a larger company that employs one hundred or more designers is just as bad as a freelancer.
What Is AJAX Programming? (4)
Some of the code runs on the front end, some runs on the back end, and some runs somewhere in between. We have the wireless revolution to thank for making web programming so arduous.
What Is XML Schema? (5)
XML Schema was initially introduced by Microsoft, and was later endorsed and adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3). XML Schemas ensure that data can be communicated in a format that is universal.
Introduction To HTML DOM (6)
Also, it is compatible with all programming languages, including Javascript and VBScript. The document object is the parent object of all other objects within the document. The document object gives birth, if you will, to the body object and all of the attributes and elements of the document.
An Introduction To VBScript (7)
One such language that has become extremely important and widely used is VBScript. VBScript is a scripting language. Scripting languages are used to connect diverse pre-existing parts to accomplish a new related task without compiling.
Introduction To SQL (8)
There would likely be a column for height, weight, age, marital status, and other personal information. When someone using that dating website searches for a profile that matches certain criteria that they are looking for in a potential mate, their query is converted into an SQL statement.
What Is XML DOM? (9)
XML data can be viewed on any platform or browser because it is a simple text file with no predefined tags, allowing the programmer to define data any number of ways.
What Is WSDL? (10)
Keywords: WSDL, web services Remember the good old days, when the internet consisted of nothing more than a few simple web sites formatted in basic HTML? Web design was so easy.
What Are XForms? (11)
All new versions of browsers being introduced are going to support XForms. How are XForms different from regular HTML forms? Well, XForms use XML for data definition, and use HTML or XHTML for data display.
What Is XSL? (12)
What is XSL, you ask? Well, to totally understand what XSL is and why it is so important, you must first understand XML. XML is a markup language just like HTML.
What Is SOAP? (13)
The use of SOAP and XML in general is becoming more widespread because there are now so many electronic gadgets that come equipped with access to the internet and email.
Is Pay-Per-Click Worth It? (14)
PPC can be very expensive depending upon what keyword you want to receive clicks for, but there are ways to budget your money wisely so you can maximize the effectiveness of your PPC marketing campaign without having a ton of money to spend.
What Is XML? (15)
Each of these devices display text and graphics differently, and utilize different platforms and a variety of web browsers. As a result, someone using a cell phone to access a certain web site may not be able to view the data on that website properly because the browser running on that cell phone might not be able to properly display the HTML.
Broadband High Speed Internet: Choosing The Right Service (16)
The cost for dial-up is $10-$25 per month. Reading further, one finds that with broadband high speed Internet, there is no comparison to dial-up Internet. Satellite broadband has a 400 Kbps speed downstream and upstream speed.
Search Engine Optimization Tips For New Websites (17)
However, you don't need a million websites linking to you to get listed on the first page of the search engine. For certain keywords, such as "email forms," or "frogs" (I have frogs on my mind today), it may only take 1,500 inbound links to get on the first page.
Promoting Your MLM With Free Reports And Articles (18)
Requesting an email address from the users is a small price to pay for an informational-rich report or newsletter that gives them a lot of content about the very thing they are interested in building.
Do You Really Have To Pay For Internet Marketing Knowledge? (19)
If you demonstrate a willingness to learn and work on your own, apply patience and persistence to your efforts, you may attract the attention of the right person to help you at no cost to you.
World Methanol Market Acquires New Characteristics (20)
The worldwide market for replacement cartridges used to replenish fuel in fuel cells is likely to grow to $1b a year by 2010, according to Avicenne Developement. However, the potential use of micro fuel cells to power mobile devices will be limited for several years because of regulatory restrictions on transporting them on aircraft, according to Takeishi Ruta Takeishi, a manager in Toshiba's European electronics division.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
What Is DHTML? (1)
Though there are certain drawbacks associated with using it because it is interpreted differently by each browser, you should still become familiar with DHTML and know how to use its different versions so that you can create dynamic web pages.
Choosing A Web Designer (2)
Always work with a professional if your project requires a certain level of expertise and skill, and make sure they show you some samples of work they have produced in the past.
Issues With Formmail (3)
Some versions of Formmail automatically include this code, some do not. If it does not include this code, you will need to hire a programmer to create it, or visit some free programming message boards and ask someone to help you with it.
The Importance Of Link Popularity (4)
If you try to acquire inbound links to your website by submitting your site to link farms or FFA pages, not only will it hurt your search engine ranking, but you might get banned from the search listings altogether.
Can Anyone Really Make Money Online? (5)
Well, to put it simply, you will receive a commission on every sale made by each person in your downline; the closer to you in the downline, the larger share of the commission you will receive.
A Guide To Internet Marketing (6)
Simply sign up for a monthly submission plan with a credible search engine submission service. There are literally hundreds of these submission services on the internet; you can find them by performing a search on Google.
Internet Marketing Made Simple (7)
You can submit your site to free directories, or join a link exchange and trade links with other sites, or, you can author articles and press releases and submit them to article directories.
Website Marketing Made Simple (8)
Simply put, the link popularity for a given website is defined as the number of websites that currently link to that site. Some websites have thousands or even millions of sites linking to them, while others might have only 100 or less.
An Introduction To Internet Marketing (9)
There are millions or even billions of websites in cyberspace, all vying for attention. There are many different ways to effectively market your website. For the purposes of our discussion here, we will outline the most practical ways for your launch your internet company without losing your shirt.
Introduction To Pay Per Click Marketing (10)
If the keyword you want to advertise for is not too popular, the click costs will be much less. It is possible to spend thousands dollars on pay per click and make zero sales of the product or service you are selling.
Do You Need An HTML Form? (11)
As a result, those who have been spammed complain to their internet service provider, who then directs the complaint to the hosting company that handles your website. This can be a huge problem.
Improve Your Search Engine Ranking (12)
So, instead, they will pick a variation of that phrase, such as AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES FAST, for which there is no competition, and you will quickly rise to the top.
My Internet Marketing Secrets Revealed (13)
We will review each of the marketing options available to you, even the ones you can not afford, so you can devise an intelligent plan to get visitors to your website.
Getting Ranked Higher On Search Engines (14)
You can write articles and submit them to article submission directories. At the bottom of each article you write, you are allowed to include a link to your website.
Creating Your First HTML Form (15)
Keywords: html form If you have a website, adding a simple HTML form to your site, such as a feedback form, contact form, or other web form, can be a tough task.
HTML Might Become Obsolete (16)
The Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) is a family of current and future document types and modules that reproduce, subset, and extend HTML, reformulated in XML. XHTML family document types are all XML-based, and ultimately are designed to work in conjunction with XML-based user agents.
Finding A Good Web Designer (17)
Should you look someone up in the yellow pages? Should you hire someone who works for a company that employs many different web designers, or should you hire a sole proprietor?
Your First Online Form (18)
There are many different versions of Formmail floating around the internet, and some have built-in spam protection while others do not. Many times, inexperienced programmers will put a form on their website that does not include code to at least try to prevent spammers from utilizing the form to send spam to hundreds or even thousands of people.
Learn How To Use Formmail (19)
Call your hosting company and ask them if they currently have your site hosted on a server that can process forms. If they do not allow their customers to process forms or have certain rules that restrict your flexibility, you should switch to a better hosting provider that will allow you to use Formmail.
How To Make Your Traffic Explode (20)
Now that we have covered submission, we need to talk about search engine optimization (SEO), which is even more important. To optimize a site, you need to maximize keyword density and optimize the positioning for the words or phrases that best characterize the subject matter of your site, and you need to use proper Meta tags so that the search engines can interpret your web pages.