Beginning XML (Programmer to Programmer) [Paperback]

David Hunter (Author), Andrew Watt (Author), Jeff Rafter (Author), Jon Duckett (Author), Danny Ayers (Author), Nicholas Chase (Author), Joe Fawcett (Author), Tom Gaven (Author), Bill Patterson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764570773 | ISBN-13: 978-0764570773 | Publication Date: September 24, 2004 | Edition: 3

What is this book about?

Beginning XML, 3rd Edition, like the first two editions, begins with a broad overview of the technology and then focuses on specific facets of the various specifications for the reader. This book teaches you all you need to know about XML: what it is, how it works, what technologies surround it, and how it can best be used in a variety of situations, from simple data transfer to using XML in your Web pages. It builds on the strengths of the first and second editions, and provides new material to reflect the changes in the XML landscape — notably RSS and SVG.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"…a comprehensive text for anyone who is serious about learning XML…" (International Developer, June 2005)

From the Back Cover

Now firmly established as a mature technology with numerous applications, XML has spawned additional functionalities, each with its own specifications. This edition of the highly popular guidebook for beginning XML programmers teaches you not only what XML is and how to use it, but also how it partners with XPath™, XSLT, XQuery, XHTML, and others.

You’ll learn XML basics, then explore an XML-based programming language that enables you to transform XML documents into different formats. You’ll discover how to query databases for XML information, publish XML documents on the Web, and create interactive forms and graphics with XML. By the end of this book, you will feel confident applying XML in real-world situations.

What you will learn from this book

• Basic concepts of XML and how to define elements, tags, and attributes
• Rules for naming and structuring elements to produce well-formed XML
• How to validate XML using Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
• Guidelines for structuring documents with DTDs, XML schemas, and RELAX NG
• How to use XPath and XSLT to process documents
• Communication techniques using RSS, Web Services, SOAP, and WSDL
• Ways to manipulate documents for display with XHTML, CSS, SVG, and XForms

Who this book is for

This book is for any programmer interested in learning to use XML. Some knowledge of Web programming or data exchange techniques is helpful but not necessary.

Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1032 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 3 edition (September 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764570773
• ISBN-13: 978-0764570773
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm originally from the UK but now live in rural Italy, with two dogs and two cats.

I generally do independent Web research and development, in particular things related to Linked Data and the Semantic Web.

Outside of tech stuff I like woodcarving - bit of a medieval throwback really...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4th edition is vastly updated - May 2007, September 20, 2004

By 

J. Minatel "jimmin" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beginning XML (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

Any review prior to May 2007 has to refer to one of the 3 older editions. The 4th edition adds a new chapter on Ajax, simplifies some of the examples to focus the learning more on the concept and less on the example data itself, and is rearranged for some better flow. There were also fewer working authors on this edition for better cohesion from chapter to chapter.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Choppy and poorly written, January 8, 2007

By 

R. M. Barge (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beginning XML (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

(I don't have time for a full review right now,so I will write a few comments and try to add to them.)

I knew very little about XML, so this sounded promising. As of Chapter 8, my general comments are:

1. The teaching structure is often murky. At many spots, the authors don't seem to grasp what a beginner needs to know first in order to go to the next step. This makes the material unnecessarily difficult and confusing.

2. Instead of one example page, for some reason the authors will sometimes create one XML page to illustrate a point, then create another completely different page to illustrate the next point, then go back to the first one for the next point, etc. It's inexplicable. The book would be much easier to follow, and probably easier to write, if they built one XML page from scratch and used/modified it throughout the book.

3. There are too many editorial screw-ups, such as "Figures" that are labeled incorrectly or don't exist -- that is, the text will say "see Figure 7 for the output" and Figure 7 will be the wrong one. I really have no patience with expensive books that don't bother to pay for one thorough copy-editing.

I am currently on Chapter 8 (XSLT), one of the worst-written ones. After a completely unnecessary discussion about "procedural" versus "declarative" programming (I imagine every reader is at least basically familiar with css, and if not, it is hardly difficult to understand "declarative" programming), the book just starts throwing XLST terms at you, with no foundation as to what they are doing or why. I finally gave up and pulled up the online W3C tutorial. This tutorial is free, covers most of the material, and is well-organized and easy to understand. Teaching in logical order isn't that hard.

There is a ton of good information in "Beginning XML", and the information on how to find, install, and use software such as Saxon and Schematron is invaluable. It is a shame that the authors didn't take the time to actually give the book to a few XML novices and then rewrite it as the introductory text it is supposed to be. The poorly organized writing at least doubles, and often triples, the time, energy, and painful confusion needed to learn the material.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fairly good, but not practical for non-Microsoft users, February 16, 2006

By 

M. Edrich (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beginning XML (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

I am taking an XML class at the University using this book as the required course text. The authors do a good job at highlighting the key technologies, and the examples and tutorials significantly enhance the material. I enjoy the straight-forward manner with which Hunter and his friends explains what the example code in the book does. My only disappointment is that the book does not explain in enough detail how to use XML technologies on non-Microsoft systems. I believe a greater emphasis on Java and non-VB/ASP/.NET can extend the benefits this book otherwise offers.