Customer Reviews

XML (Web Warrior)

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

 

 

I am not a fan of the Course Technology titles. Far too often I have had to buy an poorly written and over-expensive CT title just to fulfill a class textbook requirement, when the commercially available titles both exceeded the equivalent CT title in quality and price.

Even so, this particular book manages to underwhelm my already low expectations.

The book is filled with obtuse definitions, pointless charts and graphics, and confusing and unclear examples. The book goes repeatedly out of it's way to reinforce the idea that XML is horribly arcane, incredibly complicated, and beyond mortal ken. I'll let the authors' own words prove my point.

"However, each unique vocabulary must be built to a consistent set of standards and functions, within an exacting set of content rules and structures. XML allows you to create these rules and structures using a concept called DOCUMENT MODELING. Documents called document type definitions (DTDs) and XML schemas are the vehicles by which that modeling is conducted. Those documents define or DECLARE, all of the components that an XML language or document is allowed to contain, as well as the structural relationships among those components. Thus, each unique XML vocabulary along with its related XML documents is created according to the content and structure rules declared within its respective DTD or schema (each language can only have one of those documents, and that one document must be either a DTD or a schema). Whether the choice is DTD or schema, their functionality is similar: they should contain a complete set of markup properties tailored to the needs of the XML language and documents being used or developed."
pg 106
McKinnon, Al and Mckinnon, Linda. XML. Canada: Course Technology, 2003.

That was part of the introduction to DTDs. XML Schemas, which are so casually referenced above, are not even discussed until the next chapter. That section takes up approximately one third of one page with only 647 and 2/3rds more pages to go. In the same chapter (4) there is the section introducing Notation declarations that I spent an hour reading and rereading and yet still have no idea how to use them.

I've read physics and calculus books less obtuse than this.

Actually, that's not quite accurate. To contrast the dense text, the end of chapter Hands-On projects, ostensibly designed to give you experience with the concepts introduced in that chapter are all of the "led around by the nose ring " variety.
Chapter 5. Project 5.1 -
"1) Use Windows explorer to create a folder named CH05 in the c:\home\<yourname> folder. Then copy the files in the Ch05\project_5-1 folder on your Data Disk to the c:\home\<yourname>\ch05 folder.
2) Click start, point to programs (point to all programs in Windows XP), point to XML Spy Suite, then click XML Spy IDE. The XML Spy windows opens." (page 186, same cite)

etc.

Two other flaws which are critical failures, but still irksome are are an overemphasis on how to use the bundled XML Spy Suite at the expense of focusing on XML itself, and the student data files missing from the bundled CD (they have to be downloaded from the Course Technologies website).

I would have to recommend skipping this book entirely. If you run into a class that requires this book, and you don't happen to need the class for a grade, I would recommend dropping the class and learning XML on your own, with a better book.

If the bookstore doesn't happen to buy this book back and the end of the semester, I'll be tossing my copy of it on the woodpile for use this coming winter, just to keep this doorstop out of the local landfills.

I will just say this:

There are far superior books on XML than this one.

Microsoft and Wrox do a better job.

The book was required as the text for an XML course. The authors thrown in too much additional info that is not pertinent to the subject matter. The source code for the chapter problems is not on the CD and it should be. Also the course code and book examples are wrong. The example code in the book is taken from screen shots and is difficult to read. I highly recommend obtaining an XML book other than this one. I would not even give this one star but I had to input something to rate it.

I really wish my school would stop blindly assigning Course Technology books for their classes. Occasionally they're good, but more often than not (I'm on my 6th - 7th Course book), they're a terrible excuse for a college text - let alone if you're trying to learn a given subject on your own. This book is a perfect example. No need to go into specifics - the other reviewers are dead-on accurate. I just wanted to add my two cents - and my one star.