Customer Reviews

XML Step by Step (DV-DLT Fundamentals)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own a couple of XML books. This is the one that outshines the rest. Ideas are logically presented and it lives up to its name---it does adopt a step-by-step approach in trying to get the ideas across to the reader. Some people may feel that it is lacking in certain areas (what the editorial review says is accurate) but those areas which it covers, it explains well. It is meant to be an intro to XML and it does a great job in explaining how parts fit together and what supporting docs are required and for what purpose. Well worth the price. After reading, I could understand what XML is and APPRECIATE XML. You cannot appreciate it unless you know it! One the of strengths of this book is the careful reference and explanation of the example codings is enlightening and helpful. Certainly NOT a book written in a hurry to get published.

Some people may be against the biase towards IE 5.x, but it provides excellent support for XML if you know the browser well enough. Using an otherwise poorer XML support browser would, on the other hand, hinder the learning process. IE Explorer has strengths and weaknesses like other browsers, but it is certainly strong in its support for XML.

If you do not know anything about XML, this is the book to start learning with. Excellent XML starters' book. Period.

If you're looking for an introduction to XML, this book is the right place to start. This book is my fourth attempt at learning the XML basics, and it's just right. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

The most striking thing about it is how well-organized it is. Finally, here is a book with virtually no typos, a CD of sample programs where all the programs work(!!!), and a completely clear labeling of which file on the CD is being used for each sample listing in the book. The writing is very clear, and all the examples are explained very well. And the book is only 362 pages, so you never have the feeling that it will take forever to go through it all.

The content is also very well organized, where each chapter builds on the preceding chapters, and the author does not discuss anything if the context has not already been established. The XML basics are all presented, including entities, DTDs, Data Binding, the DOM, and XSL. (And maybe a little more - the example in Chapter 9 of using the DOM to access XML entities in a DTD starts to get more advanced.)

To make full use of this book, you need to know some HTML. Knowing some JavaScript is also helpful, but not absolutely required. On the other hand, by the time you're ready to tackle XML, you should already know the HTML basics.

The book does not go into more advanced topics like SAX or SOAP, but that is OK since this is a beginner's book. Reading this book (and playing with the sample code) should give you the appropriate background for a more advanced book.

A warning: this is a Microsoft Press book, and all the samples are displayed in the Internet Explorer 5.x browser. If you are allergic to IE, then you should find another book, but you would be missing out on a lot.

This is an excellent book to introduce you to XML and how to employ it in the real world. I picked this book up two weekends ago after getting totally frustrated with "XML for Dummies" (avoid that book!). This book set aside my fears of not being able to grasp the complex topic and now I can talk all about XML at cocktail parties!

The book has some basic review on HTML and then takes you quickly into the world of XML. Take a look at the table of contents and you'll see the coverage is very complete. Like other Microsoft Press books this one is well written and edited.

I disagree with Michael (the second reviewer) on the issue of IE. IE 5 is the only browser (as of July 00) that works properly with XML and does so consistently. It's very important for developers to work with the right tools, so the promotion of IE 5 (despite the Microsoft linkage) can be understood and forgiven.

This book is very much a beginner's guide to XML. I went into this book with a very rudimentary understanding of what XML is, and found it to be a good start-off point. The writing style is simple and straightforward. All the samples are included on the CD, but I found that by typing them in by hand instead, I understood the sections better. Plus, I could change some things and gain even more understanding.
The book explains what XML is, some examples of applications that use XML, and how to display XML data via Cascading Stylesheets, databinding, the Document Object Model, and XSL stylesheets.
As a programmer, I would like to have seen the book tell more about the creation of XML documents from sources other than notepad (i.e. : programmatically) for use in places other than IE ,or at the minimum, have it point at some other resources for this information.
Finally, the book doesn't really wind down - it just stops cold.
Overall, a good primer.

Author understands the subject very well and can clearly explain it for you. It is a pleasure to work with books like this, you can see whole picture and you are not getting lost in details. Examples are simple but representative, it is easy to expand them and adjust for real needs. I had 3 other XML books, but this is the first I read from cover to cover. Excellent book, clear and concise.

In the world of web design HTML is and has been the ruling language. The along comes DHTML and your web pages become alive. Very soon after XML emerges as the language of choice and now you have to find a book that will teach you the coding with out costing your company a small fortune.

Well guess what, Microsoft Press has done the hard part in putting together the XML step by step book, all you need to do is open the book and begin. The book, like may other step by step books, is tailored made for those who need more time on certain topics as the book allows you to learn at your own pace.

In the 375 page book, broken down into three parts, you have no time limit, no one standing over your shoulder watching and most importantly you can re-do or review any lesson as you need to. In part 1 you start the learning process by creating your first XML Documents.

Part 2 has you creating XML documents, creating well-formed documents and adding comments. You also learn how to create the Valid Documents and define entities. Part finishes up with displaying the XML documents you have created, using CSS and data bindings as well as DOM, XSL style sheets.

There is a cd-rom included which has files for the hands-on exercises in the book. Overall the money you'll save by not having to attend formalized training classes is well worth the cost of this book.

This is a great introduction book to XML. It covers all the basics of XML with easy to understand examples.

However, I found this book tedious to read at times because this book is aimed at web developers who are not (very) familiar with full blown programming languages.

Overall, it is a great book for those who are just getting started on XML.

This is an introduction to the subject that is definitely first class. The reader is given a clear, concise and logically organized introduction in easily digested chunks. It is never tedious to read, and for each topic there is no irrelevant detail. I would recommend this book to any student of XML and its style and approach to all technical tutors.

Most books aiming to teach programming techniques are awful and hard to understand. This book is an exception. Its strength is that you can learn a lot, and there's nothing left unexplained that can confuse the reader. Overall, its great book to buy

This book is a great start to the language of XML! The author makes a lot of HTML references, but a beginner could probably grasp it. He begins with the basics and history to give the reader an great understanding of what they are about to get in to. In the first few chapters, you have mastered the basics of XML!! I highly reccomend this book! It goes slow enough for those who may get confused, but keep up the pace for those who get it quickly!