The Concise SGML Companion [Paperback]

Neil Bradley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 1996

Clarity, comprehensive coverage and precision are just a few of the reasons why anyone who needs to get up to speed with SGML will appreciate The Concise SGML Companion. This book is destined to become the essential desktop/briefcase reference for busy SGML practitioners. Neil Bradley's philosophy, 'to get to the point quickly and stick with it until it's been fully explained', has been eagerly received by his reviewers: Features include: *a detailed study of the most important and most widely-used SGML features *an exposition of several popular SGML applications, including CALS tables and HTML 3.2, the latest version of the World Wide Web publishing language *a series of inter-linked 'Road Map' charts that reveal the structure of the SGML standard. This section alone will guarantee the book remains open at your elbow at all times *an extensive glossary of SGML and related terminology There is also an accompanying World Wide Web site which can be found at http://www.bradley.co.uk

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

SGML practitioners will want this small, well-written book by their side at all times. It offers a hands-on approach with an excellent glossary and lots of "road-maps," great visuals that illustrate SGML structure. For academic and large public collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"I haven't seen anything this useful on the market yet. Its contents span the range of questions from learning about SGML to using it in anger." Charlie Stross fma Ltd "It will be one of the best SGML books on the market. " -Professor David Barron University of Southampton

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1st edition (November 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201419998
• ISBN-13: 978-0201419993
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,882,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference for DTD syntax, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Concise SGML Companion (Paperback)

I had to learn SGML "the hard way" and this book became a bible to me - it is now my most treasured SGML book - all battered and highlighted to death.

It offers a concise guide to the syntax of SGML DTDs. It isn't meant for folks looking for an all over how-to book for SGML. Its a serious reference book that is concise and to the point.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So concise that it is incomplete and almost unusable, January 18, 2000

By 

Jacob Marner - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Concise SGML Companion (Paperback)

As stated in the title of the book, The Concise SGML Companion is really consice. The book is very seriously presented and the there is absolutely no hand waving involved. Every page is filled with useful information.

The problem with this book is that is to concise! First of all SGML is not explained in full. There is several (not commenly used) parts of SGML that is simply not discussed. If the book is supposed to be used as a reference book (as seems to be the point) the it becomes useless. Not even the road map (a strangely formatted list of production rules) in the end of the book is complete. This book is not to be used alone. If only one book is to be bought then The SGML Handbook is a better alternative.

Second, all the examples is very short (mostly 3 lines or less) and can it hard to grasp the context in which each construction is used. The book should have had at least a few larger examples and at least one full SGML document showing most the features.

Third, there is chapters that introduce HTML and CALS tables, which in my opinion is not very relevant for the book. If any other languages are to be described it is XML. XML was not developed at the time of writing, but then a newer edition could have done that.