Customer Reviews

XML: A Manager's Guide (Addison-Wesley Information Technology Series)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We've been evaluating XML for over a year now and have done some pilot XML projects in our publishing environment. During that time, I've been looking for a book to clearly explain basic XML principles, how all the elements of XML fit together, and what managers need to know in anticipating a move to XML. This book does that and does it well. I would recommend it to all the non-techie types out there that need a good foundation to launch XML solutions.

While there are so many people talking about XML, there are not so many good books about it in the market. Most of them are simply obscure. It makes hard for decision makers to see all the potential behind this technology. This book takes a light but conceptually deeper approach. It goes into sufficient detail to make most other books looking too thick. This clear, focused and intelligent little book will open new doors to you. Some managers may even end up knowing a lot more than their own experts and consultants.

This is the most comprehensive and concise book of XML I've ever read. It doesn't not remain just a simple reference of the XML grammar or specification, but provides a good overview of XML from the high-level, Manager's, viewpoint. Especially, Chapter5, Processes and People, Chapter6, Five XML Applications for Enterprise, and Chapter7, Five XML Applications for Vendors are the hearts of this book. The author gives us clear and extensive prospects of what XML is good for and how your applications would be powered with XML.

For the manager or executive looking for the concepts, this is a good book. For those looking for more detail, it provides that too. If you are looking to code, then you may be wanting more. It is concise and easy to read.

If you are looking for an introduction to what XML is, but not looking to develop XML, this is the place to go.

The book covers several different areas including standards under development to leave you with a good overview of what XML is and how all of the different components fit together.

After reading this book, you should be able to see where XML would tie in to your organization and be useful in your business processes.

Even at 150 pages, this book could have been shorter. Its covers XML just enough to let you have a good idea of how each of the technologies that go into XML work with each other and just enough to be able to create XML documents yourself.

However, a soft point of the book is that goes into a little fluff at times, presumably because it is "A manager's guide", talking a lot about nothing consequential. There were several paragraphs that could have easily been summed up in a single sentance, (fortunately, at times they were summarized in the sidebar).

Nevertheless, it does give you a solid understanding of most of the concepts of XML and a good starting place for those wanting to work with the technology, whether manager or not.

Excellent rendition of the XML landscape, painted mostly in broad brushstrokes, but detailed in places with enough code samples and product names to show what it's like on the ground with this technology.

Describes the problems that XML attacks. Moves on to expose some details of XML and DTD. All of the related acronyms and buzzwords are then catalogued in the next two chapters on associated standards and web services. Surveys the array of infrastructure software for supporting XML-based applications. Proposes processes and skills for building applications with XML. Finishes with an examination of ten typical applications for XML.

Positions these technologies within conceptual frameworks. Takes pains, for example, to distinguish clearly between remote interface and business document messaging architectures before launching into the details of XML messaging and web services. The classification schemes for XML infrastructure software and XML applications are also most helpful.

If you've read and appreciated David Taylor's popular books on object technology, then you'll like Mr. Dick's presentation, which follows the same pattern. The prose is clear. Major divisions are clearly marked. Every paragraph is summarized with a brief sentence beside it in the margin. I find these summaries particularly helpful in locating a specific paragraph that I want to re-read.

Mr. Taylor, who in addition to establishing the pattern also wrote the foreword, is probably correct: for those of us who will read only one book on XML, "this is the book."

First, the length of this book is just right for a manager.
Second, the content of this book is just what a manager should know about, especially on the impact of application development process, resource and skill.
Third, the edit style is friendly for the manager, too.
So managers, don't hestitate to take and read this tiny book!

This little book is an excellent resource for managers, consultants, project managers or anyone else who has a need to understand the issues involved with XML without needing to create it. The chapters cover areas such as XML Basics, Processes and People, and Five XML Applications for Enterprise.

_XML: A Manager's Guide_ is made additionally useful through the use of the sidebar explanations which further distill the information in the major paragraphs down to a summary of their contents.

XML (eXtensible Markup Lanaguage) is an evolving and increasingly important language used to efficiently and effectively communicate data in context...put another way, to communicate information.

"XML: A Manager's Guide" offers a clearly-written and well-illustrated guide for executives who want to learn about XML. I recommend this book for anyone interested in gaining some insight into the nature and benefits of this language.

This is an introductory book, but it provides a good foundation upon which one may build a deeper understand of, and appreciation for, XML.