Learning XML and using ldsXML
New to XML?
There are several resources available that provide excellent instruction in general XML concepts. To name just a couple:
- W3Schools.com provides free tutorials in XML and related technologies.
- lynda.com features excellent video tutorials on XML and using XML in InDesign.
Using ldsXML
Some things to bear in mind while using ldsXML:
- In ldsXML, whitespace matters. ldsXML was created to produce narrative, or document-oriented, XML, as opposed to data-oriented XML. While developers of data-oriented XML may never need to worry about whitespace protection, it is a critical consideration in working with narrative XML. Several elements in ldsXML have “whitespace-protected” status, meaning that they are governed by whitespace-protection measures afforded by the XML 1.0 Specification. Only XML editing and parsing applications that allow for whitespace protection should be used. The Tag Library will indicate whitespace-protection status for each ldsXML element.
- The Publishing Services Department uses Adobe InDesign to publish ldsXML content in print. Standards for whitespace handling in InDesign have been established by the department.
- ldsXML schemas are governed and maintained by the Publishing Services Department with support from the Information and Communications Services Department. Feedback and suggestions for improvement are welcomed.
Validating ldsXML documents in Oxygen XML Editor
In editorial workflows, processing instructions are used to link the Oxygen XML Editor to ldsXML schemas. These instructions are placed at the top of the document, immediately after the XML document type declaration and before the opening tag of the document element.
| To validate: | Use processing instruction: |
| Books and book chapters (not scripture) | <?oxygen RNGSchema="http://lds.org/schema/ldsxml/v4/book/ldsBook.rng" type="xml"?> |
| Scripture volumes, testaments, books, and chapters | <?oxygen RNGSchema="http://lds.org/schema/ldsxml/v4/scripture/scrScripture.rng" type="xml"?> |
| Magazines and magazine articles | <?oxygen RNGSchema="http://lds.org/schema/ldsxml/v4/magazine/ldsMagazine.rng" type="xml"?> |
| Letters and notices | <?oxygen RNGSchema="http://lds.org/schema/ldsxml/v4/letter/ldsLetter.rng" type="xml"?> |
Once the appropriate processing instruction is in place, click on the “Validate Document”
button 
to validate your document. Validation errors, if any, are listed at the bottom of
the Oxygen window.