4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
XML Web Documents from Scratch, June 16, 2000
This review is from: XML Web Documents From Scratch (From Scratch) (Paperback)
Jesse Liberty and Mike Kraley's XML Web Documents from Scratch(QUE Books) is a high-quality XML book for both beginning and advanceddevelopers. By using a practical web application, Liberty and Kraley describe the ins and outs of XML. I have read many other XML guidebooks/manuals, but none of them compare to XML Web Documents from Scratch. The only flaw I found in the book is that the authors refer to a CD that is supposed to be included, but it did not come with the first printing of the book...
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!, September 14, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: XML Web Documents From Scratch (From Scratch) (Paperback)
I give this book an incredible 2 thumbs down. ... I'm a web developer using technologies other than those discussed in the book, but have used ASP, VB, and SQL Server before. I bought this book because I thought it would help me build an XML application. However, what it does it show you how to use the "poorly" written application the author provides.
The book refers to source code on the "CD", but no CD was ever published with the book... you are required to download the source code from his web site and try and use an extremely bad readme to help get the application set up. Within the book, the author deals with subjects is a somewhat disjointed manner and the book is cluttered with so many sidenotes and "excursions" that I wasn't sure what piece of code I was actually referring to.
The author states several times "don't worry if you're not familiar with" a technology (VB, ASP, or SQL)... "I'll explain all the important stuff later"... but never does!!
The application requires the existance of a SQL database from Chapter 2 on, but the setup of that database isn't discussed until Chapter 6??? Once I did get the application and database setup and running, I could not get past the first conversion of html to xhtml, because there were errors reported in the VB classes provided by the author.
I think the concept of the book was great, but I wish the author had taken more time to develop a worthwhile and useful manuscript that actually dealt with the process of putting together the entire application FROM SCRATCH, in an understandable and sequential process.
I'm not sure what the other five star reviewers were reading, but I strongly do not recommend this book -- unless you are specifically looking to use his application to create a web based (XML) application from converted word documents. And even then, good luck on getting it to work!!
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Scratch This One from Your List!, July 2, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: XML Web Documents From Scratch (From Scratch) (Paperback)
I bought the book, and can't escape giving it 2 thumbs down. The reasons: First, it was difficult to follow because Liberty didn't give any overview of why he was doing the material in the book, iu.e., the particular software. He just takes advantage of built-in features of ie5 to convert between xhtml and xml, etc. There is no larger picture, no understanding, conveyed. All we know is that Jesse Libeerty wants to put this book on the web and here is the way to do it. Avoid this one and get XML Bible instead with your hard-earned money.
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