Style, content, logic-the three main components of a Web presence. Apart, they appear rather simple and straightforward. But when combined into Web pages, they can present a technical and time-consuming challenge to maintain and update.

As the Internet evolved, developers looked for easier ways to manage this important global communications medium. XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is touted as just such a management tool, and CTG's Technical Services Unit has begun to spread the news via a series of XML seminars entitled XML: From Static to Dynamic Web.

"In the first generation of the Internet, HTML (HyperText Markup Language) was the new model to build Web sites, and when site development took off so fast, no one had time to create efficient management solutions to address site maintenance and update issues," explains Derek Werthmuller, CTG Director of Technical Services. "We see XML as the Web done right, not replacing HTML, but serving as an effective management tool."

When using HTML, the three site components-style, content, and logic-are linked together and managed by a single person, usually a webmaster. That individual needs to be extremely versatile, a "jack of all trades," in order to manage all three components effectively.

With XML, however, each component is handled separately, allowing for parallel development as well as division and specialization of labor. "With XML, we can call upon an expert for each component-a designer for style, an author for content, and a developer for logic," Derek notes. "The technology also permits administration tools to be created that can put site management in the hands of less technically sophisticated staff."

CTG has presented its XML seminar to a number of groups including the New York State Webmasters Guild, the University at Albany Digital Library Steering Committee, and at the 32nd Annual Interdepartmental Committee on Electronic Data Processing (ICEDP) Conference. The program has been eagerly received as Web veterans welcome the efficiency and effectiveness of XML and the promise of "found time" to pursue new technological applications.

The XML presentation will also be a part of CTG's Partners in Learning sessions at the GTC East Conference at the Empire State Plaza on September 25. For further information on this program, visit the CTG Web site at www.ctg.albany.edu