Customer Reviews

Building XML Applications (Webdev)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In my opinion, the most important tools for building XML applications are DOM and XSLT. This book covers neither of them. It only covers SAX and CSS which are poor substitutes. While SAX has some advantages over DOM, it does not help with outputting new XML which is a common need.

I recommend this book. It probably shouldn't be your first, or only book on XML though. For example, it doesn't go into much detail about designing/creating DTD's, or at least wasn't very clear in that aspect. However, for me, it served it's purpose well, to show me how to use XML, doing so using some small but practical problems.

I'm very satisfied.

I was looking for a book that gave me a brief overview of the XML specs and then some examples of how to use it. This book delivers with the appropriate focus on Java. The authors do a good job of covering several different parsers and parsing methods and provide solid information on SAX. As a beginning Java programmer, I found this book to be very helpful.

I found the in depth review of the parsing tools available to the Java community extremely useful. With no previous knowledge of XML, I was able to incorporate XML parsing into my apps in under a week.

However, the book is weak on presenting styling information, particuarly in the area of XSL. I realize that this was and is a rapidly changing standard, but a basic background with examples would have been nice.

I bought "Building XML Applications" expecting a ractical hands-on approach, a demonstration of XML capabilities by way of actual examples. And while I found the book to be, in general, technically useful, the book is weighed down by a writting style that is, at best, verbose and redundant. There is so much of this stylistic padding that it becomes rather tedious to get past the crud. I understand writers sometimes get paid by volume, but if you have nothing to say, say it! Overall, a good source book (as long as you don't try to actually read it).

The book explains, as other XML books do, the basics of XML. Discussion in this book is mainly focused on how to use SAX parser to read XML data and there is no discussion on DOM. The contents, specifically the examples in the book are not really helpful to "build" applications but understand how one might use a SAX parser to parse an XML document.

A good "101" book for someone trying to understand how to use Java and XML.

I just got the book and am pleasantly surprised to find it interesting, helpful, and understandable. I bought XML and Java: Developing Web Applications at the same time and was very disappointed in it. I'm pleased to report on a great book.

This book roughly covers 3 topics: XML Syntax, how to build XML application, and some examples of the application.

As for my background, I have a developed a HTML webpage for a business and have a CS degree.

To my disappointment, this book make it almost impossible to learn XML. First, the authors introduce the terms that they are not going to explain for several chapters, which make it difficult to follow. Second, the authors' explinations are so fragmented that I don't know how to create a XML page even after I read AND understand the XML syntax section.

I have learned many lanuges, including HTML, LaTex, and UNIX man page format. I only had this much trouble picking up a language when the book is poorly written.

If you have an extensive background on XML and are desparate for some examples of building XML application, this book *perhaps* can help you. If you are not an expert on XML, save your money for better books. And for those who will decide to buy this book anyway, just remeber my words "I told you so" when you are in line trying to return this book.