XML and Web Services Unleashed (Paperback)

~ (Author), Travis Vandersypen (Author), (Author), Madhu Siddalingaiah (Author), Sam Hunting (Author), Michael Qualls (Author), Chad Darby (Author), David Houlding (Author), Diane Kennedy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Extensible Markup Language is changing the way that information is being stored and exchanged. It is also changing the very way that we think about data. XML Unleashed allows you to unlock this new power and get you well on your way towards developing XML applications and systems that enable your most important business processes, or your simplest visions for data representation and exchange. Written for those already familiar with many of the concepts of XML, but still not sure how to make best use of the technologies, this book helps you become a more advanced user of XML. This book covers all the necessary topics from the basics of Document Type Definitions (DTDs) to the more advanced topics in XML database integration and the semantic web. This book is designed to be the only XML book that the reader will ever need on their shelf. XML is a standard and has become the common thread facilitating very different computer applications communicate by categorizing and tagging the data, reading, interpreting, sorting and linking the results. Within this book you will find coverage of important existing and emerging XML Standards as well as many varied and popular implementations of XML in this 21st century.We include WSDL, UDDI, SVG, ebXML Microsoft's .NET, which is the world's largest XML implementation to date and the Semantic Web which is just now being articulated.

From the Back Cover

The Extensible Markup Language is changing the way that information is being stored and exchanged. It is also changing the very way that we think about data. XML Unleashed allows you to unlock this new power and get you well on your way towards developing XML applications and systems that enable your most important business processes, or your simplest visions for data representation and exchange. Written for those already familiar with many of the concepts of XML, but still not sure how to make best use of the technologies, this book helps you become a more advanced user of XML. This book covers all the necessary topics from the basics of Document Type Definitions (DTDs) to the more advanced topics in XML database integration and the semantic web. This book is designed to be the only XML book that the reader will ever need on their shelf. XML is a standard and has become the common thread facilitating very different computer applications communicate by categorizing and tagging the data, reading, interpreting, sorting and linking the results. Within this book you will find coverage of important existing and emerging XML Standards as well as many varied and popular implementations of XML in this 21st century.We include WSDL, UDDI, SVG, ebXML Microsoft's .NET, which is the world's largest XML implementation to date and the Semantic Web which is just now being articulated.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1200 pages
• Publisher: Sams; 1 edition (March 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672323419
• ISBN-13: 978-0672323416
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #464,672 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The Unleashed Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid reference book but misleading title, February 11, 2003

By	Daniel Maharry "tech writer" (Birmingham, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In the world of computer publishing, two brands stand out when you're talking compendiums. Wrox's big red Professional series and SAMS Unleashed in their now familiar orange. Usually hit and miss affairs, 90% of the people who buy this type of book need to dip in and out of it for bits of information. However it's often the case that the quality of the text across its entire length varies quite a bit. Happily, XML and Web Services Unleashed doesn't suffer from this, with its nine author crew well edited to form a unison chorus rather than a disjointed set of voices as can sometimes be the case.

Its four sections cover most of the current undertakings in XML as well as laying a solid reference for newcomers and those who need a quick refresher. Part 1 sets the scene, covering XML and its immediate counterparts, DTDs and Schemas. We also find its search and link associates XPath, XLink and XPointer covered precisely and well in the following chapter. The approach is pretty standard but written well and information is easy to locate.

The main part of the book is devoted to building XML-based Applications in Java should the need for non-XML code arise. Logically, this section starts by dealing with XML documents on their own and then how to marry XML into your own applications. The SAX and DOM APIs are covered, but for .NET users, the XML Streaming API is missing. XSL coverage is good but short, covering both XSLT and XSL-FO in 60 pages. Examples of their use continue to appear for several more chapters, but would it have been too much to turn this one chapter into two? Arguably the most important chapter in the section - Integrating XML with Databases - takes a very practical view but again is Java only. .NET users need to wait another seven chapters before a section on ADO.NET can be found hidden in the chapter on XML in Visual Studio .NET

Skipping past chapters on SVG, XHTML and Content Management, we come to the highlight of the book - three chapters on web services. However, rather than teach us how to build them, the authors have elected to show us how they work, justifying first the architecture of the web services platform and then how SOAP, WSDL and UDDI tie into that structure. It's a great read and brimming with useful information, but best of all is that it gets you, as a programmer, thinking outside of the box.

Indeed, Section 3 is all about giving you a better appreciation of how XML works and can be applied in today's industries. It covers some of the standards used in the vertical markets of today and how those standards are submitted and ratified, looking in detail at XML in E-Business. Reading this section sequentially, you really do get an appreciation of the scope and size of the efforts being made by XML developers across the world. Finally, Section 4 looks at the nascent efforts of the semantic web community, the justification for their existence and what they have managed so far.

I said earlier that the editing of this book was good, but if there is a flaw, it's the choice of what to cover in the book. This particular tome tries to cover the past and the future of XML in addition to its present without fully covering any of the three. It also leans towards Java users - .NET and COM heads beware. Beyond the programming chapters though, this is as thorough an expose of XML in its many guises as you're likely to find and it's a good one too. But don't forget to check the table of contents before you buy it.This is XML Unleashed, not XML and Web Services Unleashed. A classic case of marketing misinformation, if ever there was one.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book!, March 5, 2002

By	Rajan Srivana (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

I have a shelf full of books at home on XML, but there is always room for one more ;) This is a new title and I have just received it after being on the wait list for a little while. The reason why I ordered it was because the Web Services specifications were not included in any detail yet by any other books. So, I turned directly to the Web Services chapters, and it did not disappoint! I was able to put the concepts and code in the book (including VB code for .NET) directly to use. The book also included great detail on using Java with the DOM and SAX. In general, this is a focused and well-written book.

Others may be interested in the general XML introduction, XSL detail, and chapters on the various XML standards, but this is meant to be a reference book, and so I was happy with the chapters that I chose to read.

Not a bad buy... Worth the money.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive, up-to-date, and well written!, March 1, 2002

By	Janice LaFord (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews

Well, this book is hot off the presses as of the writing of this review, and it's a good thing, since the content is very well written and is extremely up-to-date!

This book makes a good essential reference for anyone who is interested in developing using XML, Web Services, SAX, the JAX pack, etc. Certainly, it has helped me get off the ground and become a better XML developer!

Topics covered in the book include:
+ Fundamentals of XML
+ DTDs, XML Schema, and alternatives including RELAX NG and SOX
+ XLink, XPath, and XPointer
+ XML Database integration and data modeling
+ Processing XML with SAX and DOM, with both Java and VB examples
+ XSLT and XSLT:FO
+ SVG and XHTML
+ Lots of Web Services Content including detail on SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, and implementation
+ Microsoft .NET code and implementation
+ Voice XML and WAP
+ XML Content Management
+ XML e-Business standards including RosettaNet, ebXML, OBI, and vertical industry standards including HL7, ACORD, XBRL, IFX, etc.
+ RDF and semantic web stuff

So,this is really quite a detailed, comprehensive, and actually enjoyable to read book. I have now 7 XML books on my shelf, but they keep getting better ;)

Worth it for newbies and experienced developers alike.