Microformats Made Simple [Paperback]

Emily P. Lewis (Author), Tantek Celik (Technical Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321660773 | ISBN-13: 978-0321660770 | Publication Date: October 23, 2009 | Edition: 1

Microformats are HTML-based design patterns that help add meaning (semantics) to Web content. They are widely used by some of the most important sites on the Web including Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Twitter. The people behind these sites - content authors, designers and developers - understand the power and flexibility of microformats and are taking advantage of their capabilities. Any site can benefit from more effective content and improved user experience by employing microformats correctly. That's where this book excels.

In Microformats Made Simple, author Emily Lewis demystifies these simple open data formats that are designed for people first, machines second. With practical, easy-to-understand markup examples for a wide range of web content, she teaches readers everything they need to know to start adding semantic richness to their sites, which can improve SEO and standards compliance, and supports extensible data publishing. Emily also discusses historical challenges in working with microformats, including accessibility, and how the new value class pattern addresses these challenges.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (October 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321660773
• ISBN-13: 978-0321660770
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,251,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Lewis has been working as a web professional since 1998, dabbling in project management and programming until she realized her true loves (HTML and CSS) and became a web designer. She is an expert in web standards, semantic markup, microformats and CSS. Emily also specializes in usability and accessibility.

In addition to loving all things web, Emily is passionate about community building and knowledge sharing. She is the co-creator and co-manager of Webuquerque, the New Mexico Adobe User Group for web practitioners. She also speaks about standards, markup, CSS, accessibility and microformats for various groups, including the University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Technology Council and Interlab.

Emily writes about web design (amongst a range of other topics) on A Blog Not Limited.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Microformats made simple, fast, and fun!, November 4, 2009

By 

Virginia DeBolt "Web Teacher" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microformats Made Simple (Paperback)

The book is exactly what its title says, a source of information and code that make using microformats dead simple to use and easy to understand--all wrapped up in the logic of semantic HTML and web standards.

If you care at all about semantic HTML, SEO, accessible data, reusable content, or web design you need to read this book. I suggest you read the book sitting by your computer, because you are going to want to implement microformats as you read through the chapters. It's so easy and the benefits are so clear, you can't read the book and not want to use the information. In many cases you can add microformat data instantly as you see the code examples provided and apply the concepts to your own sites.

If you are teaching HTML or any beginning level web development class, you could add microformats to your course with almost no effort by adding various microformats at appropriate moments as students learn new material. This book would guide you in that effort. If you are a student of HTML who wants to improve your website with microformats, this book will take you there.

This is a terrific book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Micro What? It All Makes Sense Now!, December 23, 2009

By 

Christopher Kenworthy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microformats Made Simple (Paperback)

I had read about Microformats on many SEO blogs and heard about Google using Microformats in their results, but had no idea what they really were. Lewis' book uses practical examples and clear language to describe not only what Microformats are, but how to implement and consume them. After the first couple chapters it finally "clicked" for me and I had that "ah ha" moment that got me writing code and implementing Microformats on my own web site. I put the hCard Microformat and various "rel" attributes on 300,000+ member profiles and within a few days I saw Google and other sites using those attributes in results. Very cool!

Lewis' writing style is informal and easy to read. I would describe it as "blog-like"... not your normal tech manual. You can tell Lewis is truly passionate about the topic and it comes through in her writing. She really wants to make the web a better place.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a web site with any sort of contact information, calendar/event info, reviews, or social networking functionality (friends, contacts, etc.).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent doesn't begin to describe it., November 17, 2009

By 

Chris Harrison (Augusta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Microformats Made Simple (Paperback)

Microformats, on the surface, don't seem all that approachable. "Microformats Made Simple" should be enough to get any designer/developer to incorporate them into their markup. The abundance of real-world examples make this a must-have book for anyone interested in taking their markup to the next level.