Python attracts a wide variety of developers, many of whom use it to connect critical programming tasks. Python can serve as the glue between operations, as well as a powerful and complete cross-platform application development language. Python is also abject-oriented and has powerful text manipulation capabilities, which make it particularly attractive to XML developers. It is ideally suited as a language for the manipulation of XML. Python and XML provides a solid foundation for developers using XML with Python. Loaded with practical examples, this book highlights common application tasks so that you can learn by doing. It starts with a basic introduction to XML, and quickly progresses to more advanced topics, such as transforming XML with XSLT, querying XML with XPath, and working with XML-based languages and validation. It also explores such subjects as Python and SOAP, Python and distributed web services, and using Python and XML to integrate distributed systems. While covering the many tools involved in XML processing with Python, the book discusses effective practical applications and often highlights cross-platform issues, along with tasks relevant to enterprise computing. There is ample coverage of XML flow analysis and details on ways to successfully transport XML through a network. If you are using Python as an application language or as an administrative or middleware scripting language, you are sure to benefit from this book. And if you are a Python programmer and want to incorporate XML into your skill set, this is the book for you. It covers cutting edge topics such as XSLT, XPath, DOM/SAX, and validation.