Structuring XML Documents [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Not recommended for newcomers to XML, Structuring XML Documents immediately launches into document type definitions (DTDs), the book's main topic. Megginson's goal is to delve into the heart of XML through the use of DTDs. "Though the book necessarily deals with some of the idiosyncrasies of XML and SGML DTDs and uses XML syntax in its examples," he explains, "it deals with issues--such as learning, usability and ease of processing--that all document designers and analysts must understand, whether or not they use XML or SGML and whether they use DTD syntax or other notations to define their structures." Anyone unfamiliar with the basic concepts of XML would do well to steer to another title; anyone ready to use XML and plan the necessary architecture for its implementation will appreciate Megginson's authority.

From Library Journal

Megginso offers an extensive discussion of document type definition (DTD): syntax, the DTD model, DTD analysis, processing, compatibility, customization, and architectural design. For advanced users.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 419 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (January 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0136422993
• ISBN-13: 978-0136422990
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #732,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adds Theory to Practice in XML Information Design, October 8, 1999

By	Kathleen Bennett (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is not meant to be a tutorial or a programming guide. All of the programming books in the world could not save you if your DTDs are not well designed. A DTD needs to be both constrained enough to be learnable and usable, and flexible enough to accommodate different and unexpected information structures. This book does a great job of expressing the underlying conceptual issues such as logical units, hierarchical information relationships, and modularity and reusability. Information architects and designers, technical writers and editors, people in the information science field who are studying XML, and anyone who's already learned their way around XML and want to go to a deeper level will find this book valuable. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because I would have liked to see more about how to analyze the inherent data structures in your documents in order to build the best DTDs - but it still gives you enough to chew on in that area.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A definite must for dtd authors, January 12, 2000

By A Customer

This book delivers exactly what it says it will: the _whole_ gist on the technical aspects of drafting a Document Type Definition and on the theoretical aspects of defining an optimal way of structuring information. The author dominates his subject and his discussion on the fine points of information structuring is clever and challenging.

The only thing that is keeping me from giving it an otherwise well-deserved five-star is the utterly meagre index, a surprising fact in such a book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, focussed, convincing, July 26, 1998

By A Customer

It is said (with some validity) that XML will save the web. In particular, it will make it possible to present data in useful forms, along with tools to manipulate it. This book is specifically about using XML with *documents*, however. SGML is rooted in document production, and XML shows those roots clearly. However, there are many non-document oriented applications of XML, which are outside the scope of this book.

Instead, if you are using XML for document production, or are developing a new document handling system and are considering XML, this book contains many valuable lessons. It presents a number of design principles, in the context of five widely used DTDs: Docbook, CALS, TEI, EPSIG, and HTML.

It is *particularly* enlightening to see the comparisons with HTML. point by point, the author shows convincing DTD design creteria, demonstrates how they affect ease of use and ease of maintenance... and then casually shows just how poor HTML is as an example of! these principals. The other DTDs are not, of course, perfect, but they *do* show design skill and suitability for document use; HTML completely fails to. After reading this analysis, you will be left wondering why you ever thought HTML was "structured" in any way.

The author covers his ground with extreme thoroughness. He makes it very clear where he is going at all times, what he expects you to learn, and what pitfalls arise directly from poor design. The book is well structured, and gives evidence of a single very organized mind, in its construction, even down to the introduction to the last chapter where the author warns that you might want to "stop now and try applying" the techniques covered, before exploring certain more advanced and subtle areas. The consistent quality of delivery (including excellent use of a graphical notation to express measurable complexity of a DTD structure) makes this book a pleasure to read and study, especially when ! contrasted with other titles in the series (Designing XML I! nternet Applications, reviewed elsewhere, uses the same typographic style but manages a poor presentation due to other inconsistencies.)

All in all, if you are actually constructing DTDs for XML documents, this could be the most important book you might ever read on the subject. The author shares his experience very effectively, and makes subtle and advanced concepts seem intuitive.