Microformats Made Simple (Paperback)

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

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #556,382 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

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 Fantastic explanation and breakdown of Microformats and their usefulness, December 23, 2009

By	Trevor Gryffyn (Annapolis, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Microformats have been around for ages (apparently) but even as a web developer, I was almost completely unaware of their existence. As our company has gotten more into SEO and bringing our website into the 21st centry, in general, we've been looking at all kinds of new things that can help make it better.

This book helped illustrate not only how easy microformats are to implement, but how much benefit they can be to your company (and personal!) website in general. The information is solid and easy to absorb and the author's wit as well as her professionalism shine through in every chapter.

I highly recommend this book for a great crash course in microformats and what they can do for you and your site. Who knew such a little thing (very low cost and effort of implementation) could be so beneficial.

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

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.