GettingStartedInXML.md

+# Tutorial 2  -- 'Hello world' using an XML stylesheet
+
+## Overview
+
+Make sure you have mapnik (and the python bindings) installed and you've successfully run through [Getting Started Python Tutorial](GettingStartedInPython).
+
+ * This page will guide you through using the Mapnik python bindings along with a separate XML file for your map styles.
+
+ * This tutorial expects that you are running Mapnik 2.x or greater. The command `mapnik-config -v` will show you which version you are running.
+
+This tutorial covers using an XML stylesheet to rendering output that exactly matches the map output from the pure python example in [Getting Started Python Tutorial](GettingStartedInPython).
+
+## Step 1: rendering script
+
+First you will need a python script that sets the basic map parameters and points to the XML stylesheet. Copy the code below and save to a file called `world_map.py`.
+
+```python
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+import mapnik
+stylesheet = 'world_style.xml'
+image = 'world_style.png'
+m = mapnik.Map(600, 300)
+mapnik.load_map(m, stylesheet)
+m.zoom_all() 
+mapnik.render_to_file(m, image)
+print "rendered image to '%s'" % image
+```
+
+## Step 2: data
+
+Now, we need some data to render. Let's use a shapefile of world border polygons from http://naturalearthdata.com. Download the data from this wiki's local cache [here](data/110m-admin-0-countries.zip) or directly from the [Natural Earth Data site](http://www.naturalearthdata.com/http//www.naturalearthdata.com/download/110m/cultural/110m-admin-0-countries.zip). Unzip the archive in the same directory as the `world_map.py`. Once unzipped, you should see four files like:
+
+    ne_110m_admin_0_countries.shp
+    ne_110m_admin_0_countries.shx
+    ne_110m_admin_0_countries.dbf
+    ne_110m_admin_0_countries.prj
+
+To download and unzip on the command line with the do:
+
+    wget https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/wiki/data/110m-admin-0-countries.zip
+    unzip 110m-admin-0-countries.zip # creates ne_110m_admin_0_countries.shp
+
+## Step 3: style
+
+Finally, create the `world_style.xml` file referenced in the `world_map.py` script. Copy this XML and save to a file called `world_style.xml`, also in the same directory as `world_map.py` script.
+
+```xml
+<Map background-color="steelblue" srs="+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs">
+
+  <Style name="My Style">
+    <Rule>
+      <PolygonSymbolizer fill="#f2eff9" />
+      <LineSymbolizer stroke="rgb(50%,50%,50%)" stroke-width="0.1" />
+    </Rule>
+  </Style>
+
+  <Layer name="world" srs="+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs">
+    <StyleName>My Style</StyleName>
+    <Datasource>
+      <Parameter name="type">shape</Parameter>
+      <Parameter name="file">ne_110m_admin_0_countries.shp</Parameter>
+    </Datasource>
+  </Layer>
+
+</Map>
+```
+
+## Step 4: test
+
+Now run the python script:
+
+    python world_map.py
+
+ * It should output a png graphic in the same folder that matches the Getting Started Tutorial.
+
+Hint: if you would like to run the script without first typing `python` you can do:
+
+    chmod +x world_map.py # to make it executable
+    ./world_map.py