XML All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies (Paperback)

by Richard Wagner (Author), Richard Mansfield (Author) "Throughout the past decade, a myriad of technologies have been touted as the "next big thing..." (more)
Key Phrases: empty template rules, following declaration syntax, coffee element, Visual Studio, Kenneth Branagh, Internet Explorer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
* The complete solution! This revolution in product design incorporates 6 books in 1 straightforward desk reference. Provides in depth coverage of the many features and specifications of XML, the data interchange standard of choice.
* XML All in One For Dummies is a true desk reference designed to guide readers through the features and specifications of the leading edge XML dialects and help them develop their own custom Web applications all under one cover.
* Covers XML basics, using DTD's with XML, XML namespaces, XML schemas, styling XML documents, XML's linking languages, XML tools, using XML in the real world, and more.
* The first two editions of XML For Dummies have sold more than 85,000 units.
* According to Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer "XML will become the universal medium by which Web sites and users of Web sites communicate."
* Written by NIIT a global training, IT consulting and software development organization. NIIT trains over 150,000 individuals each year in Information Technology areas.
* The For Dummies series a repeat winner, now with more than 100 million books in print.

From the Back Cover
Discover how to speak XML, display XML in a browser, and validate XML

Your one-stop guide to understanding and using all of XML’s features and specifications

In less than five years, XML has become the universal format for exchanging information. Don’t get lost in the translation! With the seven minibooks in this all-in-one guide, you’ll have everything at your fingertips – from creating XML documents and working with schemas to using Xpointer, understanding SOAP, and diving into WSDL.

The Dummies Way

• Coverage of the essentials and beyond
• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Thumbtabs and other navigation aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• A dash of humor and fun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (June 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764516531
• ISBN-13: 978-0764516535
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #114,105 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #13 in

  Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > XML

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sloppy editing, details glossed over, July 6, 2004

By	dex3703 "dex3703" (Renton, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Though the book covers material quickly and lucidly, the editing is very sloppy and key details are omitted. For example, in discussing using the ID datatype for attributes in DTDs, it omits a key detail: a number isn't an XML name, and to get around this, prepend an _. The example given even shows a useage that won't work! The O'Reilly book of a classmate included this. Elsewhere the text discusses examples that aren't in the book and seem left over from a previous edition, and reading the text is distracting for the grammatical errors.

In general it appears that the book was thrown together in a big hurry, which is a shame, as it's a very likeable book and would be great if the information was correct.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn the Full XML Story, January 15, 2004

By	John Paul Mueller (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The author's have done an outstanding job in writing the book. I found that even the mundane details were covered in the right place and with a little humor. The coverage starts out very simple, so many people won't use the beginning chapters extensively. However, as the book progresses, the coverage becomes more technical and I think that most people will find the authors have covered most of the XML details that any developer will need. The authors also discuss some of the details that other books leave out, such as the default namespaces. Little bits of information like this make the difference between a book that merely teaches and one that really helps. This book has something for everyone. Novices will get the most out of the book, but even advanced readers will receive some benefit. The thing I like the best is that the book is arranged as a quick reference--something that makes it especially useful when you're trying to complete a project and need to know some detail you've forgotten.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All-In-One Doesn't Mean All of It, June 26, 2008

By	Douglas R. Gross - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this book to be an excellent introduction to XML and the XTeam, as the book calls it, but in reading it I realized that the book is only just an introduction to a much broader world. I think that it is perfect for beginners, and does a good job of steering you in all the directions you can go with future studies.

Some things to consider...although the author does not assume you have any previous knowledge in Web development, I don't think it would be possible to comfortably pick up on XML without knowing HTML and XHTML and the CSS knowledge that you should have when learning XSLT. As far as covering XSLT, you should definitely buy another book for that because XSLT mastery is beyond the scope of the book.

It is well-written and flows good. The way the book is written is so that you don't have to flip when using it as a reference. So, if you read it cover-to-cover, information repeats itself. If you do have experience with Web languages you might feel like you are getting too much information, but it is worth reading through to find those lesser known bits and pieces of info. The author is thorough with the material he decides to cover, enough so that you can intuitively plan your own code rather than simply emulate examples. Overall, I would say the book has definitely given me a great appreciation for XML, and I want to take it to new levels.