XHTML for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

by Ed Tittel (Author), Chelsea Valentine (Author), Natanya Pitts (Author) "As its name suggests, XHTML is a re-engineered version of the original Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML..." (more)
Key Phrases: document structure elements, xhtml namespace, list item element, Internet Explorer, King Kong, Char Character Numeric Description (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Combining the strength of HTML with the flexibility of XML, Extensible Markup Language sets you free to create the kinds of Web pages you’ve always imagined. And the best thing is, it’s really easy to get the hang of XHTML. If you can give directions to the post office, you can design and build a Web page with XHTML. But here’s the catch: While XHTML isn’t hard to learn, it does pack a welter of details that you have to wrestle into submission while you build your Web pages. Mastering that will take some practice and a little coaching from a knowledgeable friend–which is what you get with XHTML For Dummies.

XHTML For Dummies is a friendly, approachable guide to tackling the terminology and mastering the tools of XHTML. Written for absolutely anyone interested in creating readable and attractive Web pages–regardless of degree of computer savvy or markup language experience–it quickly gets you on track with the kn owledge and skills needed to:

• Make Web pages that look exactly how you imagine them
• Manage XHTML style and layout
• Create cool XHTML page layouts
• Create content readable on all Internet-ready devices
• Quickly and easily convert HTML documents into XHTML
• Create sheets and DTDs
• Use tools to determine browser capability
• Rev up e-commerce applications

From the basics of tags and elements to advanced topics, such as creating dynamic Web pages with DOM, XHTML For Dummies covers all the bases for novices and experienced Web developers alike, including:

• Styling XHTML with CSS
• Presentation and text controls
• Using XHTML tables effectively
• Java, multimedia, and scripting
• Modularizing XHTML and creating dynamic Web pages with DOM

As an added bonus, you get a CD-ROM featuring:

• Freeware versions of Amaya XML-aware Web browser
• Microsoft KML Notepad v1.5
• An evaluation version of Adept Editor LE
• Plus HTML Tidy, expat, XT, and more

Packed with working examples, clear step-by-step explanations and hot tips on how to get the most out of XHTML this is everyone’s total guide to mastering the latest Web design language.

From the Back Cover
CD-ROM includes all the XHTML code in the book!

Hot tips on the latest Web design language

Find out how this powerful new language can rev up your e-commerce applications These pages are packed with shortcuts and easy-to-follow examples to help you leverage the power of XHTML — the language that combines the strength of HTML with the flexibility of XML. Whether you want to create new Web pages with XHTML or need to convert existing HTML documents, this guide's got you covered. all this on the bonus CD-ROM Freeware versions of Amaya XML-aware Web browser Microsoft KML Notepad v1.5 Evaluation version of Adept Editor LE Plus HTML Tidy, expat, XT, and more Pentium PC running Windows 95 or later or Windows NT 4.0 or later; Linux X Windows; or Mac OS 7.5.5 or later. See the About the CD-ROM Appendix for further details and requirements.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 422 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764507516
• ISBN-13: 978-0764507519
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #803,935 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for Your Average Dummy, May 19, 2002

By A Customer

While this book is written in plain English and follows the usual Dummies model it is not a start-from-scratch tutorial. The author does not state this explicitly but in order to use this book effectively (because of the way it is written) you really need to have HTML under your belt before you take on XHTML.

This book is written from that perspective and is really more of a reference book for looking up various XHTML elements or rules. It is not very useful as a beginning tool for learning how to code in XHTML unless you are already familiar with the rules and ways of HTML.

Other important aspects like Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are given such cursory treatment that it really makes you feel like more of a dummy after reading it. Other aspects such as the relationship between HTML, XHTML and XML are explained in a ways that just didn't make sense to me but then maybe I'm just a bigger dummy than the author anticipated.

If you have a working knowledge of HTML then this book will probably suffice but if you are just getting started then perhaps it would be better to look elsewhere for an XHTML how-to.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very good book, February 18, 2001

By	reader - See all my reviews

This would have gotten 5 stars, except the author does not do an adequate job of fully explaining the difference/relationship of XML and XHTML, and tends to use the terms interchangably. (I still don't fully understand it, and will be looking elsewhere for a fuller explanation.)

Also: the author mentions HTML-Tidy in an historic sense, but doesn't mention that there is a windows version of HTML-Tidy incorporated in the HTML-Kit program available free from the www.chami.com website, which automatically converts HTML to XHTML (among a ton of other great things). (Maybe this wasn't available from Chami at publication.)

However, the rest of the book is clear, comprehensive and extremely well done and easy to understand, unlike most tech books on programming. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to learn the subject, but who is proficient in HTML. Anyone who has never hand-coded HTML would want to get Laura Lemay's Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML first, build a couple web pages from scratch learning HTML, then get this book and polish it off.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Xcellent, August 27, 2000

By	George Lameyer (Racine, WI USA) - See all my reviews

I was excited to get this book on Friday. I'm halfway through on Sunday afternoon. The text clearly explains the What Why and How of XHTML. I have recently started teaching Web classes including HTML, but knew very little about XML or XHTML other than the fact that I needed to learn more. This book has exceeded my high expectations. Clear language, good examples, and a little humor make it a joy to read. The CD that is included is packed with enough software to keep me busy learning for weeks. Way to go you big Dummies!