Chapter 1. The .NET XML Parsing Model

XML is certainly a hot topic in the software community these days. As you read this, probably a thousand or more IT managers are giving presentations that include XML in one way or another. In fact, it’s becoming almost redundant to emphasize the effect that the use of XML can have on applications.

Today, XML is a natural element of all forms of programming life, just as water, sun, and minerals are fundamental resources for every human being. To take full advantage of XML, applications need some infrastructure built into the operating system or into the underlying software platform. Normally, an XML infrastructure takes the form of tools that provide for parsing, document validation, schema design, and transformations.

The Microsoft .NET Framework provides a comprehensive set of classes that let you work with XML documents and related technologies at various levels and in strict accordance with the most recent World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards and recommendations. The XML support available in the .NET Framework covers XML 1.0, XML namespaces, Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 Core, XML Schema Definition (XSD) Language, Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT), and XPath expressions. In addition, XML core classes are tightly integrated with other key portions of the .NET Framework, including data access, serialization, and applications configuration.

In this chapter, we’ll take an overall look at XML as it is used in the .NET Framework. In particular, we’ll focus on the new and innovative parsing model based on the concept of reader components. This first chapter is aimed at providing you with the big picture of the .NET Framework XML API, the key elements of transition from the previous Component Object Model (COM)–based Win32 API, and a bird’s-eye view of the interconnections between XML and various parts of the .NET Framework.