Book Description
If you're a developer working with XML, you know there's a lot to know about XML, and the XML space is evolving almost moment by moment. But you don't need to commit every XML syntax, API, or XSLT transformation to memory; you only need to know where to find it. And if it's a detail that has to do with XML or its companion standards, you'll find it--clear, concise, useful, and well-organized--in the updated third edition of XML in a Nutshell. With XML in a Nutshell beside your keyboard, you'll be able to:
- Quick-reference syntax rules and usage examples for the core XML technologies, including XML, DTDs, Xpath, XSLT, SAX, and DOM
- Develop an understanding of well-formed XML, DTDs, namespaces, Unicode, and W3C XML Schema
- Gain a working knowledge of key technologies used for narrative XML documents such as web pages, books, and articles technologies like XSLT, Xpath, Xlink, Xpointer, CSS, and XSL-FO
- Build data-intensive XML applications
- Understand the tools and APIs necessary to build data-intensive XML applications and process XML documents, including the event-based Simple API for XML (SAX2) and the tree-oriented Document Object Model (DOM)
This powerful new edition is the comprehensive XML reference. Serious users of XML will find coverage on just about everything they need, from fundamental syntax rules, to details of DTD and XML Schema creation, to XSLT transformations, to APIs used for processing XML documents. XML in a Nutshell also covers XML 1.1, as well as updates to SAX2 and DOM Level 3 coverage. If you need explanation of how a technology works, or just need to quickly find the precise syntax for a particular piece, XML in a Nutshell puts the information at your fingertips. Simply put, XML in a Nutshell is the critical, must-have reference for any XML developer.
Customer Reviews:
Best XML reference I ever saw.......2007-03-04
This book claims to be your only needed guide in XML and related topics. It covers almost all you can imagine. I liked it very much and glad, that I have a book, that I can use like XML reference.
I have just nothing to say about this book except it contains ALL information one can need on XML.
A reference useful for a limited audience among those who already know XML basics.......2006-07-31
O'Reilly's XML IN A NUTSHELL is, like all entries in the Nutshell series, a desktop quick reference. It provides concise information about nearly all matters of XML, and is split into roughly four parts. The first introduces XML, the concept of tags, well-formedness, Unicode, DTD's and schemas, namespaces, and so forth. The second provides an overview for the many formats that are built upon XML, such as XHTML, XSL:FO, Docbook, etc., and technologies that plug-in into XML, namely XSLT, XPath, XLinks, XPointers, XInclude, and CSS. The fourth covers DOM and SAX, the APIs for dealing with XML. Finally, the book ends with a "Reference section" for various technologies covered earlier in the book, structured much like O'Reilly's pocket guides. I found the Reference section somewhat inconvenient, it causes flipping back and forth when each section could have been simply integrated with the previous discussion of the relevant technology earlier in the book. Furthermore, the book ends with a long series of Unicode character tables, which are of limited utility, as they cover only a portion of Unicode, which has already expanded in the time since, and these tables simply bloat the book a little.
This third edition is especially admirable for its advocation of schemas, whereas many other XHTML publications would mention only DTDs.
XML IN A NUTSHELL is emphatically not a tutorial for XML, in spite of the friendly introduction to the markup language that opens the book. For each of the technologies mentioned herein, you'll want a separate book. For XPath especially, O'Reilly's XPATH AND XPOINTER is worth getting. XML IN A NUTSHELL instead provides only a quick reference for matters the reader is already acquainted with. Now, much of this quick reference information can be freely had on the Web. I'd recommend the book only to those who are fortunate enough to have someone else cover their book expenses, or can get it from their library, or those who simply adore print documentation.
Strictly a Reference book only..........2006-03-11
I took this book as it was a recommended book for one my courses.. i thought it would be same as other text books, where you actually LEARN THRU THE BOOK..
But this book is STRICTLY for a reference purpose.. I had to take another book to learn the basics of XML.. also, the net tutorials helped a lot..
Though, as a reference book, I'll give full points to it.. once you have the basic knowledge about XML, you can really use this book to its optimum level, and it really helps you to refer ALL the types in XML..
So if you are starting to learn XML, I would advise to take a simpler book, like "XML Applications" and go through the net too.. but once you are done with the basics, buy this book the very next day, and check out what all wonders you can do through XML!!!...
Not an introductory tutorial.......2006-02-01
I chose this book after reading the glowing reviews here at Amazon, hoping to use it as an introductory tutorial to XML. I was disappointed!
The writing style chosen by the author is terse, as if writing space is at a premium - and this for a book which is 600+ pages long. The examples are badly chosen in my opinion, and the explanation of basic concepts is presented in the style of a reference manual. Take for example the explanation of the NOTATION element attribute: "A notation type attribute contains the name of a notation declared in the document's DTD... In theory, it could be used to associate types with particular elements, as well as limiting the types associated with the elements".
At this stage, I gave up on this book and went instead to Hunter's "Beginning XML". Still, all wasn't lost: I read a colleague's copy, so at least I wasn't out of pocket.
XML in a Nutshell.......2005-05-01
The organization of the book is great. Very useful and well written. It provides quick-reference syntax rules and usage examples for the core XML technologies, including XML, DTDs, Xpath, XSLT, SAX, and DOM. Develop an understanding of well-formed XML, DTDs, namespaces, Unicode, and W3C XML Schema.
This new edition is the comprehensive XML reference. Serious users of XML will find coverage on just about everything they need, from fundamental syntax rules, to details of DTD and XML Schema creation, to XSLT transformations, to APIs used for processing XML documents.
The initial chapter on SAX along with the reference chapter would give me a solid foundational base from which to work. If you need explanation of how a technology works, or just need to quickly find the precise syntax for a particular piece, XML in a Nutshell puts the information at your fingertips. I would recommend this book to someone interested in its topic. This book has earned a valued place on my reference shelf.
Customer Reviews:
Clear and useful.......2007-03-24
XML Schema can be really confusing but this book has made it much more clear to me. In particular, I muddled through my project never really understanding things like namespaces and elementFormDefault and weirdnesses like why complex types can have simple content, until I decided to sit down and read this book. Now I feel like I've got a handle on how these things work, plus it made me realize that XML Schema has a lot more features I didn't even know about. The chapter on extensibility was a bonus because it compared and contrasted some of these advanced features and gave me a better idea when to use them. The index is good, too - which makes it easy to use as a reference.
Great Reference Book.......2007-03-22
This book was very helpful in getting me up to speed with XML Schema. It was written well and I have provided the added detail I needed to go above and beyond up at work. Priscilla's Walmsley's extensive experience is conveyed well in the book and has proven to be a great resource.
A Useful companion to the official standard.......2007-01-26
Imagine yourself sitting in front of the formal w3c standard(s) and trying to read it cover to cover...
I tried that and it is very hard, boring, and very unproductive.
Now, try to read it with this book as a companion -- you will find yourself understanding everything on the spot.
There are a lot of useful examples and explanations which are (in my opinion) missing from the standard's text. This is what makes this book so useful.
Also, the organization of the book makes it very easy to locate information you need and to use it as a reference book.
Trying to understand the fine details of the XML Schema standard and the capabilities of XML Schema? Trying to implement an XML parser or an XML validator? If so -- you will probably appreciate this book and will probably use it a lot!
Even now, several years later, I sill find it useful and revealing.
My Schema Reference Book.......2006-06-09
Walmsley's book is the one I go to as the reference for W3C Schema. It is clear and very accurate and reliable. I find the examples relevant and helpful.
I had to chuckle at a previous review that couldn't understand why something was found in multiple places. Well perhaps it is used in several places. I would be happy that the index was thorough. Schema is a somewhat complicated language but Walmsley provides transparency and order.
I recommend this book to my clients and in classes I teach on XML and Schema regulalrly.
Awful as reference.......2006-06-08
Since all other reviews are very positive, I'm here to offer a different opinion.
I've had this book for over a year now, and I barely use it. Each time I attempt to find something useful in it, the information is scattered over the entire book making it extremely difficult to understand.
For example, right now I'm looking up the "ref" attribute, and according to the index, it appears on 7 different locations throughout the book, each portion shorter than 1 page. Also, I have seen many tables scattered throughout with exact same information, or one or two differing field values, making it very confusing to understand which table is doing what.
And at over 500 pages long, there is a large amount of filler information in this book.
Is this book "definitive"? It looks like it is. Is this book usable? Absolutely not. This is one of the worst investments I've made in computer books.
And there is a place about strings in the book where it differs from the official W3C specs.
Book Description
Web 2.0 architecture opens up an incredible number of options for flexible web design, creative reuse, and easier updates. Along with covering the key languages and techniques of Web 2.0, this unique book introduces you to all of the technologies that make up Web 2.0 at a professional level. Throughout the chapters, you'll find code for several example applications built with popular frameworks that you'll be able to utilize.
You'll first explore the technologies that are used to create Web 2.0 applications. This includes an in-depth look at XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript, and Ajax. Next, you'll gain a better understanding of the protocols and formats that enable the exchange of information between web clients and servers. Ultimately, you'll discover exactly what you need to know about server-side programming in order to implement new ideas and develop your own robust applications.
What you will learn from this book
- How Web 2.0 applications are developed
- New ways to get the major client-side technologies to work together
- The new class of emerging tools
- All about HTTP and URIs, XML, syndication, microformats, and Web Services
- Techniques for implementing and maintaining your URI space
- How to serve XML over HTTP
- Steps for building mashups to aggregate information from multiple sources
- Methods for enhancing security in your applications
Who this book is for
This book is for professional developers who have a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
This book is also available as part of the 4-book JavaScript and Ajax Wrox Box (ISBN: 0470227818). This 4-book set includes:
- Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (ISBN: 0764579088)
- Professional Ajax 2nd edition (ISBN: 0470109491)
- Professional Web 2.0 Programming (ISBN: 0470087889)
- Professional Rich Internet Applications: Ajax and Beyond (ISBN: 0470082801)
Customer Reviews:
Combining Multiple Technologies Under a New Name.......2007-01-15
If you really want to get a good discussion going among web types just ask the question, 'What's Web 2.0.?'
The authors of this book have decided that Web 2.0 is a series of loosely integrated technologies that when used together are able to create a greatly enhanced web experience. These include:
HTML moving to XHTML
Cascading Style Sheets
JavaScript moving to Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)
Syndication and RSS Feeds
Web Services (REST and SOAP)
Uniform Record Identifiers (URI)
Serving Multimedia
and of course Security.
This book identifies, describes, and ties all these technologies together. It presume that the reader is a professional developer who have at least a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML. It is written by professional programmers with an intended audience of professionals. The one complaint that I would mention is that the coverage of Ruby on Rails is so minimal. This seems to be a growing technology, and at least come comments pro or con would have been appreciated.
Average customer rating:
- Good, Informative, current
- VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
- No longer useful
- What Happen? Were are the missing chapters? Were are the missing pages?
- Solid material for the Java developer working with XML...
|
Java and XML
Brett McLaughlin , and
Justin Edelson
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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ASIN: 059610149X |
Amazon.com
Two hot topics come together in this developer's guide from Brett McLaughlin, Java and XML. Both Java and XML are cross-platform technologies; by using Java for code and XML for transporting data, you can build truly portable applications. This title is aimed at intermediate to advanced programmers; while XML topics are explained more or less from scratch, readers will need prior knowledge of Java.
The book begins with an overview of XML and its uses, and goes on to explain how to parse XML by using the Simple API for XML (SAX 2). Next, there is coverage of how XML is validated by using Document Type Definitions (DTDs) and XML Schema, and transformed by using eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL). Brief coverage of Sun's Java API for XML is followed by a detailed look at the Java Document Object Model (JDOM), a new API devised by the author in association with O'Reilly, the publisher.
The last part of the book is more advanced, and covers applications of XML and Java. There are chapters on Web-publishing frameworks, XML Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs), using XML to read and write configuration data, and generating XML with Java. There is also a short business-to-business example. Appendices provide an API reference to the various specifications discussed in the book.
The strengths of Java and XML include the author's deep knowledge of his subject, and a writing style that is both clear and enthusiastic. If you happen to know a lot about Java and not much about XML, this is the ideal title. Readers who already have a good grasp of XML basics might be frustrated by the amount of introductory material. --Tim Anderson
Book Description
Java and XML, 3rd Edition, shows you how to cut through all the hype about XML and put it to work. It teaches you how to use the APIs, tools, and tricks of XML to build real-world applications. The result is a new approach to managing information that touches everything from configuration files to web sites.
After two chapters on XML basics, including XPath, XSL, DTDs, and XML Schema, the rest of the book focuses on using XML from your Java applications. This third edition of Java and XML covers all major Java XML processing libraries, including full coverage of the SAX, DOM, StAX, JDOM, and dom4j APIs as well as the latest version of the Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) and Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB). The chapters on web technology have been entirely rewritten to focus on the today's most relevant topics: syndicating content with RSS and creating Web 2.0 applications. You'll learn how to create, read, and modify RSS feeds for syndicated content and use XML to power the next generation of websites with Ajax and Adobe Flash.
Topics include:
- The basics of XML, including DTDs, namespaces, XML Schema, XPath, and Transformations
- The SAX API, including all handlers, filters, and writers
- The DOM API, including DOM Level 2, Level 3, and the DOM HTML module
- The JDOM API, including the core and a look at XPath support
- The StAX API, including StAX factories, producing documents and XMLPull
- Data Binding with JAXB, using the new JAXB 2.0 annotations
- Web syndication and podcasting with RSS
- XML on the Presentation Layer, paying attention to Ajax and Flash applications
If you are developing with Java and need to use XML, or think that you will be in the future; if you're involved in the new peer-to-peer movement, messaging, or web services; or if you're developing software for electronic commerce, Java and XML will be an indispensable companion.
Customer Reviews:
Good, Informative, current .......2007-08-23
This edition was published in Dec. 2006, so when I bought it Jul. 2007 it was the freshest book on the topic that I found. There are a lot of different Java XML tools with overlapping funtions SAX, DOM, JAXP, JAXB, Castor, JDOM, dom4j . . . This really help sort them out.
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2007-07-11
Are you developing with Java and need to use XML? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Brett McLaughlin and Justin Edelson, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that that cuts through all of the hype about XML and put it to work.
McLaughlin and Justin Edelson, begin with the basics of XML. Then, the authors cover three ways of defining the structure of XML documents. Next, they introduce the Simple API for XML (SAX). They also cover less-used, but still powerful items in the API. The authors continue by covering DOM basics. Then, they discuss the various Level 2 and Level 3 DOM modules like Traversal, Range, Events, Style, HTML, Load and Save, and Validation. Next, the authors examine the Java API for XML Processing. In addition, they also show you how to SAX and how it compares to both SAX and DOM. They continue by examining JDOM, a Java-specific object model API. Then, the authors examine another Java-specific object model API, dom4j. Next, they cover JAXB 1.0 and 2.0, as well as the general basics of data binding. Furthermore, the authors show you how to syndicate content. They continue by looking at a variety of techniques for using XML in the presentation, or visual portion of web applications. Finally, the authors provide some brief overview of technologies not covered in depth in this book.
This most excellent book shows you how to use the APIs, tools, and tricks of XML to build real world applications. Perhaps more importantly, this book offers a new approach to managing information that touches everything from configuration files to web sites.
No longer useful.......2007-07-04
This book was probably useful back in 2000. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then, and some of the information in this book is now flat our wrong.
For example the chapter about DOM objects was not updated to include information about recent api releases. So when the book says there is no simple way to serialize a DOM object, that simply is no longer true. You can now do it with the JAXP api.
The book has other problems as well. For example, the section that describes the difference between XSL and XSLT is extremely misleading and not helpful at all.
This is one of the few books that I intend to return
What Happen? Were are the missing chapters? Were are the missing pages?.......2007-06-16
I had purchased the 2nd edition a few years back and I felt it was a great XML book for the times. This year I'm starting to use SOAP and other XML web services so I purchased the 3th edition hoping for updated chapters on the subject. Boy was I surprised to find out chapters on XML-RPC, SOAP and Web Services were dropped from the book. What were they thinking? The other chapters are too basic for the times and very disappointing.
The 2nd edition has 509 pages and the 3rd edition has 465 pages. I am glad O'Reilly is saving trees but I purchase my books for subject matter and information. I think the next editions should have more pages not less.
A note for Brett & Justin: Please add the missing chapters back and you will have a good book, again. (Brett did Justin ask you to remove the chapters?)
I am returning this edition. (Never returned a book before)
Solid material for the Java developer working with XML..........2007-02-04
[Review of 3rd Edition]
Being able to work effectively with XML is getting to be nearly a requirement for a Java developer. The book Java and XML (3rd Edition) by Brett D. McLaughlin and Justin Edelson focuses specifically on the relationship between those two technologies, as well as what options are available for parsing an XML file.
Contents:
Introduction; Constraints; SAX; Advanced SAX; DOM; DOM Modules; JAXP; Pull Parsing with StAX; JDOM; dom4j; Data Binding with JAXB; Content Syndication with RSS; XML As Presentation; Looking Forward; Appendix - SAX Features and Properties; Index
SAX and DOM parsers have entirely different approaches and uses when it comes to reading an XML file. The book does a good job of explaining those differences, as well as showing coding examples of how those parsing routines would look in Java. The additional coverage of lesser-known parsers like StAX is also appreciated, as you may not always have the choice of which methodology and API you'd like to use. I felt that the combination of code samples and diagrams of hierarchies was done well, and anyone with a good background with Java and XML would have no problem going forward from here. The only part of the book I felt could have been left out, strangely enough, was the introduction and constraints chapter. The book is not a complete introduction to either Java or XML (nor did I expect it to be). If you come in with the prerequisite knowledge I think you'd need, the first two chapters are unnecessary. And if you come in as a complete beginner to both subjects, the chapters don't go into nearly enough detail for you to proceed. While it seems "proper" to have introductory material in a book, in this case I think you could have left those out entirely and just jumped right in to the parser material.
Nitpicking on the first two chapters aside, this is definitely a book that the Java/XML developer will find useful. Most of what you'll need to know can be found here...
Book Description
This book is for anyone working with today's mainstream XML technologies. It was specifically designed to serve as a handy but thorough quick reference that answers the most common XML-related technical questions. It goes beyond the traditional pocket reference design by providing complete coverage of each topic along with plenty of meaningful examples. Each chapter provides a brief introduction, which is followed by the detailed reference information. This approach assumes the reader has a basic understanding of the given topic. The detailed outline (at the beginning), index (in the back), bleeding tabs (along the side), and the page headers/footers were designed to help readers quickly find answers to their questions.
Customer Reviews:
just excellent.......2007-06-23
Not only explains very clearly all the complex stuff of xml schema when u're a beginner, but also well organized so that it's easy to come back to it when u have a precise questionning.
For me it's THE reference book about xsd, like stroustrup for c++ and kerningam for c.
Broad but Shallow.......2007-03-27
This is a reference book. It's not intended to read, but rather provide quick reference to just about any XML related topic. Unfortunately, the examples are very short and don't provide a great deal of insite. My next task is to look for a reference book that does provide useful examples -- I hope one exists.
a great book to have at your side while coding.......2005-01-11
Who can remember all the little details surrounding XML? This book is a great summery of the most important XML technologies. It isn't a tutorial, it isn't for beginners, it's for "What's the name of that XPath function that removes excess spaces?" (normalize-space). Highly recommended for finding answers fast.
easy to use and very useful.......2004-05-05
Keeping in mind that this is a "quick" reference, this book is organised well and very easy to use. When learning XML I had it by my side many times and almost always found what I was looking for. My only comment for improvement would be a more comprehensive index and maybe some a more suitable cover design (I am constantly pointing people to the text on the cover in order to convice them this is a book about XML).
The single most essential xml book I own.......2004-01-01
This isn't a "textbook" of xml -- if you want a guided introductory tutorial, look elsewhere. But if you're anything like me, once you've got past the intro stage, you need a good memory-jogger and "explain-that-to-me-quick-just-one-more-time" resource at your side while you're working on a project. That's what this book provides, and it does it brilliantly, insightfully, and without the endless, distracting and generally useless drivel of many xml books. The explanations unfailingly come right to the point, and it's rich with short, helpful examples. It's obvious the authors have really developed in the real world! There is no book on my xml shelf that gets more use (and collects less dust) than this one. Buy it and you'll be glad you did. (I'm on my second copy!)
Average customer rating:
- Semi-techie's evaluation
- It is not easy to read it but there is not so much of other books
- Tough read
- An Editing Nightmare
- Beginners should definitely look elesewhere
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XML Schema
Eric van der Vlist
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ASIN: 0596002521 |
Book Description
If you need to create or use formal descriptions of XML vocabularies, the W3C's XML Schema offers a powerful set of tools for defining acceptable document structures and content. An alternative to DTDs as the way to describe and validate data in an XML environment, XML Schema enables developers to create precise descriptions with a richer set of datatypes?such as booleans, numbers, currencies, dates and times?that are essential for today?s applications. Schemas are powerful, but that power comes with substantial complexity. This concise book explains the ins and outs of XML Schema, including design choices, best practices, and limitations. Particularly valuable are discussions of how the type structures fit with existing database and object-oriented program contexts. With XML Schema, you can define acceptable content models and annotate those models with additional type information, making them more readily bound to programs and objects. Schemas combine the easy interchange of text-based XML with the more stringent requirements of data exchange, and make it easier to validate documents based on namespaces. You?ll find plenty of examples in this book that demonstrate the details necessary for precise vocabulary definitions. Topics include:
- Foundations of XML Schema syntax
- Flat, "russian-doll", and other schema approaches
- Working with simple and complex types in a variety of contexts
- The built-in datatypes provided by XML Schema
- Using facets to extend datatypes, including regular expression-based patterns
- Using keys and uniqueness rules to limit how and where information may appear
- Creating extensible schemas and managing extensibility
- Documenting schemas and extending XML Schema capabilities through annotations
In addition to the explanatory content, XML Schemaprovides a complete reference to all parts of both the XML Schema Structures and XML Schema Datatypes specifications, as well as a glossary. Appendices explore the relationships between XML Schema and other tools for describing document structures, including DTDs, RELAX NG, and Schematron, as well as work in progress at the W3C to more tightly integrate XML Schema with existing specifications. No matter how you intend to use XML Schema - for data structures or document structures, for standalone documents or part of SOAP transactions, for documentation, validation, or data binding ? all the foundations you need are outlined in XML Schema.
Customer Reviews:
Semi-techie's evaluation.......2006-07-15
This book tells you what you need to know. However, it is a bit of a hard slog because it doesn't tell you why you need to know it. It also throws in obscure acronyms and not only expects you to know what they stand for, but what those protocols/standards/programs imply. Yes, you can learn all you need to know about SQL schema, (and more than you need to know - without telling you why you need to know it, you don't know what to skip), but it is a little more painful than it has to be.
It is not easy to read it but there is not so much of other books.......2005-06-30
XML Schema is used almost everywhere (in connection with XML documents, Web Services, SOAP etc.). So I as other people needed to master XML Schema. There is not a great choice of XML Schema books. Specification is already quite getting old. The book is not easy to read. I read it sequentially chapter after chapter and I mastered a lot of basic rules. The main problem now I see is, XML Schema itself does not give you too much of design freedom. Sometimes you need to define a structure (data type) according value of other elements. So now I know mainly what is not possible to do in XML Schema.
After all I have to recommend the book. You have to read it twice. So I have just bought another XML Schema book from Priscilla and I hope I will get to know XML Schema from other point of view.
Tough read.......2003-12-14
This book is very dry and terse. It has all of the required content but it doesn't provide much perspective of how it should be used. You could use it as a reference, but I recommend the XML Schema Companion before this one.
An Editing Nightmare.......2003-11-11
This book had potential to be a definitive guide to XML schema. This is not the kind of book you can pick up and read cover to cover (unless insomnia is a real condition for you, in which case this book may help). It is, by no means, a tutorial of XML schema - or even a reference. It's more of an exploratory academic walk of the W3C recommendation and all of its foibles and nuances. There is wealth of information in this book, if you can glean it out from inbetween the droning prose and historical diatribe.
O'Reilly should be shamefully embarassed for ever letting this book go to print in the condition it is. It is replete with errata, typos, and slopped together examples. This book is destined to frustrate those new to XML schema. An uncharacteristicly poor level of quality for O'Reilly.
Beginners should definitely look elesewhere.......2003-08-14
Let's face it; the XML Schema recommendations are complex, academic and often arcane. The book attempt to provide a quite in depth coverage within a limited amount of pages, the result is a solid amount of info, but definitely a dry reading, not practical oriented, almost academic. The author assume a good understanding of XML and its related technologies, it's a useful, detailed book, but beginners should definitely look elesewhere
Book Description
The Resource Description Framework (RDF) is a structure for describing and interchanging metadata on the Web--anything from library catalogs and worldwide directories to bioinformatics, Mozilla internal data structures, and knowledge bases for artificial intelligence projects. RDF provides a consistent framework and syntax for describing and querying data, making it possible to share website descriptions more easily. RDF's capabilities, however, have long been shrouded by its reputation for complexity and a difficult family of specifications. Practical RDF breaks through this reputation with immediate and solvable problems to help you understand, master, and implement RDF solutions. Practical RDF explains RDF from the ground up, providing real-world examples and descriptions of how the technology is being used in applications like Mozilla, FOAF, and Chandler, as well as infrastructure you can use to build your own applications. This book cuts to the heart of the W3C's often obscure specifications, giving you tools to apply RDF successfully in your own projects. The first part of the book focuses on the RDF specifications. After an introduction to RDF, the book covers the RDF specification documents themselves, including RDF Semantics and Concepts and Abstract Model specifications, RDF constructs, and the RDF Schema. The second section focuses on programming language support, and the tools and utilities that allow developers to review, edit, parse, store, and manipulate RDF/XML. Subsequent sections focus on RDF's data roots, programming and framework support, and practical implementation and use of RDF and RDF/XML. If you want to know how to apply RDF to information processing, Practical RDF is for you. Whether your interests lie in large-scale information aggregation and analysis or in smaller-scale projects like weblog syndication, this book will provide you with a solid foundation for working with RDF.
Customer Reviews:
Good and somewhat oddly constructed book on RDF.......2006-11-14
If you want to know how to apply RDF to information processing, this book is for you. Whether you are interested in large-scale information aggregation and analysis or in smaller-scale projects like weblog syndication, this book provides a solid foundation for working with RDF. If you are looking for a theoretical explanation of intelligent web bots, tutorials on how to create knowledge systems, or an in-depth look at topic maps and ontologies, you should probably look elsewhere. Also, a basic understanding of XML and web technologies is helpful for reading this book, so you may want to start with those first if you don't have any background in them.
The first section of this book (Chapter 1 through Chapter 6) focuses on the RDF specifications. Chapter 1 focuses on introducing RDF, but more than that, it also looks at some of the historical events leading up to the current RDF effort. In addition, this chapter also looks at issues of when you would, and would not, use RDF/XML as compared to "standard" XML.
Following the introductory chapter, the rest of the first section covers the RDF specification documents themselves. This includes coverage of the RDF Semantics and Concepts and Abstract Model specifications in Chapter 2; the basic XML syntax in Chapter 3; coverage of some of the more unusual RDF constructs--containers, collections, and reification in Chapter 4; and the RDF Schema in Chapter 5. As a way of pulling all of the coverage together, Chapter 6 then uses all you've learned about RDF to that point to create a relatively complex vocabulary, which is then used for demonstration purposes throughout the rest of the book.
The second section of the book focuses on programming language support, as well as the tools and utilities that allow a person to review, edit, parse, and generally work with RDF/XML. Chapter 7 focuses on various RDF editors, including those with graphical support for creating RDF models. In addition, the chapter also covers an RDF/XML browser, as well as a couple of the more popular RDF/XML parsers.
To be useful, any specification related to data requires tools to work with the data, and RDF is no exception. Chapter 8 provides an overview and examples of accessing and generating RDF/XML using Jena, a Java-based RDF API. Chapter 9 covers APIs that are based in PHP, Perl, and Python.
After the programming language grounding, the book refocuses on RDF's data roots with a chapter that examines some of the RDF query languages used to query RDF model data, in a database or as persisted to RDF/XML documents. Chapter 10 also has the code for the RDF Query-O-Matic, a utility that processes RDQL (RDF Query Language) queries. The last chapter in the second section finishes the review of programming and framework support for RDF by looking at some other programming language support, as well as some of the frameworks, such as Redland and Redfoot.
The last section of the book then focuses on the use of RDF and RDF/XML, beginning with an overview of the W3C's ontology language effort, OWL. If RDF is analogous to the relational data model, and RDF/XML is analogous to relational database systems, then OWL is equivalent to applications such as SAP and PeopleSoft, which implement a business domain model on top of the relational store.
The next chapter focuses on RSS, the implementation of RDF/XML most widely used, which supports syndication and aggregation of news sources. RSS is used to syndicate news sources as diverse as Salon and Wired, as well as online personal journals known as weblogs, a web technology gaining popularity.
A specification is only as good as the applications that use it, and RDF is used in a surprising number of sophisticated commercial and noncommercial applications. I say "surprising" primarily because RDF is not a well-known specification. However, it is one of the older specifications, and this is a good guide to it.
Good book, lots of information.......2006-04-11
This book is jam packed with RDF information. RDF itself is a fairly obscure and it is often difficult to find a single mass of information that is comprehensive enough to be useful. This book is definitely a good move towards consolidating the information available about RDF, though I fear that "Practical" is a misnomer, as this is much more comprehensive than practical.
A huge time saver.......2006-04-01
This book is Practical RDF and not "Progamming with RDF (with examples)". Yes, you can find all of the information in this book by searching the Internet. The point is that your results will vary based on who you, how much time you have at your disposal, which day it is, and whether your phone is about to ring.
What Powers and the editors have done in Practical RDF is put the most relevant information (available at the time) in one place, with the typical advantages and disadvantages of a book, such as, you don't need an internet connection, it's operating system neutral, you can make notes in it, it's easy to put down and return to, etc..
I spent the last month researching RDF online. After all that work, I frankly didn't learn much from the book. However, I could have saved myself a lot of time had the book arrived at my door earlier.
We in the information business know how hard it is for our colleagues to embrace semi-new technology. Having a (or several) copy of this bookoin your bookshelf can save you loads of breath. Most people don't take well to "go do your own research." This book contains the research on RDF and is therefore indispensable for all except those who are fortunate enough to work independently.
As noted in other reviews, there are areas for improvement. The technology has advanced since 2003. The original text was probably rushed. This book is due for a second revision, perhaps with more focus on OWL and inference (e.g., take the cwm out for a spin).
For those seeking programming grit, the problem is very similar to programming with XML: which platform, language, and tools do you choose? With XML and RDF, many cross-platform tools exist (Jena, Sesame, Redland). As with most programming books, online documentation from open source tools are likely to be far more useful.
When you want to learn about a largish subject, buy a book. When you want to program, there's no substitute for writing code.
In sum, if there was a book that better educates the uninitiated to RDF, I would mention it here. But I haven't found one, and of course I'm hopeful that someone will write it. Until then, Practical RDF is the best of the pack.
Good book but needs editing...........2005-06-28
I started reading the book and very soon realized that even though I was learning a few things about RDF, I was getting stuck with mismatch between text and graphical representation, and other editing problems that can and should be fixed... may be in a new release or in a revised printing. I am happy to have a book to read but by no means I am happy with the quality of presentation.
If you want Practical RDF, this is the book!.......2005-03-23
This is a very good book on a subject that is notoriously difficult to present. It *is* a practical book, with syntax examples from the start, but by necessity there is also quite a lot of theory in the early chapters. After covering the concepts involved in RDF and RDF Schema Shelley moves on to creating vocabularies and gives good (practical) overviews of the toolkits/APIs available to the developer. The latter sections explore existing (and potential) applications. As Shelley makes clear in the introduction, there are many different ways of viewing RDF. The way she goes about it is from the point of view of someone who works with Web technologies on a daily basis, sleeves rolled up.
The writing style is fairly informal, which may not be to everyone's tastes. But I liked it, found it friendly, and think it's very helpful in this context. Rather than fudging issues Shelley is honest for example when applications don't behave as they're meant to. The occasional editorial errors are irritating, but don't really get in the way of the content.
Shelley's commitment to the subject matter and the book are not in doubt. She was brave enough to put her early drafts online for public review, and since publication has been providing maintenance material on her Practical RDF weblog. Her own practical work takes advantage of the techniques discussed in the book, check out the Burningbird blog.
The Resource Description Framework is at the heart of rapidly growing aspects of Web development, and Shelley's book provides a practical introduction. With the code, explanations and pointers to related material provided it's certainly enough for any developer to start taking advantage of RDF technologies. Whether you're looking for a good modeling approach for your application, or arrived at RDF from RSS syndication, or are interested in the Semantic Web vision, you'll get lots from this book.
Book Description
XML, the Extensible Markup Language, is everywhere: the syntax of choice for newly designed document formats across almost all computer applications. Now used daily by developers, XML is living up to its reputation as one of the most important developments in document interchange in the history of computing.
A perennial bestseller, the handy XML Pocket Reference from O'Reilly has been revised once again to give you quick access to the latest goods. In addition to its comprehensive look at XML, this third edition has been updated with new material on Namespaces and XML Schema--considered among the most important elements in current XML use--along with RELAX NG and Schematron, additional powerful tools for describing XML document structures.
Like other titles in O'Reilly's Pocket Reference series, the XML Pocket Reference, 3rd Edition features a well-organized format that gets right to the point. As a result, it's already won over the allegiance of developers everywhere. If you need XML answers quick and on the fly, this compact book is most definitely the book for you.
Customer Reviews:
Provides exactly what it promises.......2006-10-12
I bought this guide because I needed a quick lookup for XML schema elements (something you'd think would be readily available online, but isn't - at least not in a usable form). The bulk of the book (70 of its 162 pages - about half) is dedicated to XSD, so I was very happy with what I got. The first 30 pages cover XML itself (all the nitpicking details like predefined entities, what characters are allowed in attribute names, etc). The next 17 pages cover DTD (which you may occasionally still need to know, even these days). The next 70 cover XML Schema, and the book finishes up with an additional 43 pages on Relax-NG and Schematron (two competing, and not very common, schema definition formats).
I agree with other reviewers that the book would have been complete without the Relax-NG and Schematron coverage, but it would have just been 43 pages shorter if that was the case - there's really not much else they could have said about XML, DTD and XSD and still have been a concise "pocket reference". This book is actually pretty thick for an O'Reilly pocket reference - I have four other pocket guides on my bookshelf right now, and the other three have 120, 124 and 66 pages each. By that standard, I figure the coverage of Relax-NG and Schematron were just a "buy one get one free" type of add-on, especially since this book costs the same as all the other pocket reference books.
This book is a perfect reference for somebody who needs a quick, handy reference to XML schema and the occasional XML rule.
Another view.......2006-02-15
I am one of the coauthors of this book. I feel compelled to write a review in support of my friend and coauthor, Simon St. Laurent, who wrote the section on XML Schema. Of the 160 pages of text in XML Pocket Reference, Third Edition, 71 pages are dedicated to XML Schema. That's 44 percent of the book. Of the 71 pages, 16 pages cover examples of XML Schema.
DTDs are covered in 15 pages, RELAX NG in 32, and Schematron in 10 (57 pages total). XML Schema receives the most extensive treatment of any of the topics covered, and within the limitations of the size of the book, Simon did an excellent job.
XSLT and XPath were not included in this book because a new, separate volume has been dedicated to those topics-XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference, by Evan Lenz, which also appeared in August 2005.
As for the production rules, they were included for programmers and others who need grammars. The productions, which come from the XML spec, are a means for understanding XML syntax precisely, and it would have been unwise, in my view, to omit them.
Good and Not-So-Good.......2006-01-19
My problem with this book is that I was hoping it would concentrate more on just XML Schema, something I think most people would prefer. Of course, how I am qualified to make that kind of statement is beyond me ;-) But here is my reasoning: A fairly large portion of the book covers DTDs, RELAX NG, and Schematron. DTDs, while ubiquitous, are being supplanted by XML Schema. Usage of RELAX NG and Schematron are, by the book's own admission, not widespread. So it seems that all three of these technologies could have been admitted, as were many other XML-related technologies (XSLT, XPath, etc.)
In addition, I feel the regular-expression-like inclusions should have been omitted. These include something referred to as Productions in one part of the book and Contents in another. Maybe good for hard-core CS people, but pretty much useless for those of us who just want to work with XML Schema. An ideal replacement would have been some examples illustrating sample usage of various elements and attributes.
All in all, the descriptions accompanying the elements and attributes are pretty good. Unfortunately, that accounts for only about one-third of the book. But it only costs $10 and it is small, so maybe it's worth it.
Depends on what you're looking for..........2005-09-04
The other review book I received yesterday was XML Pocket Reference (3rd Edition) by Simon St. Laurent and Michael Fitzgerald. Depending on what you're looking for, this may or may not the book for you...
Contents: Introduction; XML Structures; Document Type Definitions; W3C XML Schema; RELAX NG; Schematron; XML Specifications; Index
Admittedly, trying to cover "XML" in a single book is a daunting task. XML is made up of so many standards and technologies (XPath, XForms, XML Schema, etc.) that you either have to specialize your coverage area or be ready to publish a *really* heavy book. To their credit, the authors stripped out XSLT into it's own pocket guide. That act keeps this particular book small enough to fit in your pocket and that's good. But if you're wanting information on XSLT and think this might be your book, forget it.
Next, the XML Structures and Document Type Definition chapters seemed to be a little confusing. There was something introduced that I had never heard of before... something called "Productions" followed by syntax that looked like regular expression language. Never having seen that term before in my XML reading, I went back to the introduction to see what the authors wanted to convey there. The only explanation was "As each structure is discussed, applicable productions from the XML 1.0 and 1.1 specs will be listed in the order in which they appear in the specs." So, I still really don't know what productions are, and I probably have to go to the specs to find that out. The description of each section in an XML document, like CDATA or declarations, was nice though.
The book starts to become really useful when you get into the XML Schema section. There they go into each of the elements along with each attribute that can be used with the element. This is the type of reference information I'd expect to see in a pocket guide. Something I can turn to quickly as a refresher for what parameters or attributes I can use with an element, or to gain a quick understanding of an element I haven't seen before. This same structure is followed for the RELAX NG and Schematron schema languages, so the book will be helpful if you live in those worlds also.
Basically, I found the XML Pocket Guide to be a little "hit and miss". If the title had been "XML Schema Pocket Guide", I'd have felt like the book was pretty on target. Trying to call it the XML Pocket Guide seems to infer there's a lot more in here than there actually is, and a buyer might get a copy and be highly disappointed in what it doesn't cover. If you're looking for schema info, you'll love the book. If that's a secondary reason for you to get the book, you might be disappointed.
Lots about the schema.......2005-08-27
The majority of the new material in this book is on different schema specifications. Schema, Relax NG and Schematron are covered. A handy book to have around when you are hacking XML. The online free documentation is not as handy as the content as it's organized in this book.
Book Description
Create Applications that Gather, Process, and Analyze Information with InfoPath! InfoPath is one of the fastest growing products within the Microsoft Office System. It is a forms-based solution that streamlines the process of gathering, sharing, and using information by enabling teams and organizations to create, share, and work with dynamic forms. Programming Microsoft InfoPath: A Developer's Guide, Second Edition is a completely updated edition of the best-selling book that covers the new features and options of InfoPath with Service Pack 1, that center on east of use for end users and extensibility for developers. The book takes a practical and code-oriented approach to provide the essential skill set needed to develop and implement applications with InfoPath. Updated examples that clearly demonstrate the use of InfoPath with the Service Pack 1 extensions are also included. Programming Microsoft InfoPath: A Developer's Guide, Second Edition is an ideal reference for developers creating distributed applications using InfoPath with Service Pack 1.
Customer Reviews:
Covers the latest features and options of InfoPath.......2006-04-14
Thom Robbins' PROGRAMMING MICROSOFT INFOPATH: A DEVELOPER'S GUIDE appears in its updated second edition to cover the latest InfoPath solutions in the MS Office system. It updates the former book to cover all new features and options as they work with Service Pack 1, provides updated examples and insights, and will reach practicing developers with the latest forms and options which can be customized to meet user needs.
A Clear Introduction to the Subject.......2006-03-30
This is an intermediate level book aimed a the programmer/developer who is setting up a distributed application using InfoPath. If you are an InfoPath end user, this is not the book for you. If you are just starting out as an InfoPath developer, then this is the place to start.
The book begins with a bit of history and description of the basic structure of the Microsoft .NET framework, Service Oriented Architecture, and its integration into Microsoft Office.
From there it goes into the InfoPath IDE and you're off and running. The book is somewhat tutorial in nature, with screen shots showing how to do things. It also has some of the characteristics of a reference book with descriptions organized by subject rather than going through in a straight tutorial format.
This is the second edition of this book and it covers all of the changes and updates included in Service Pack 1. There is a CD with the book that includes all of the source code, figures, and projects from the book. The writing is clear and to the point. This is a good introduction to the subject.
Infopath for Developers.......2005-04-14
This book really doesn't teach you much of anything - it tells you about things, it describes concepts - but there is very little step-by-step information. If you are looking for tutorial type materials, this isn't it. If you are looking for books to supplement tutorial type materials, this is very likely your book.
The Best Book on InfoPath for the Developer.......2005-03-26
InfoPath is a new component of Microsoft Office that serves to implement Microsoft's vision of how Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Outlook, Internet Information Server, VisualStudio.NET, Windows, SQL Server all tie together in the basic .NET environment to make an integrated business environment for the sharing of data within an organization.
Mr. Robbins is a Senior Technology Specialist with Microsoft. He appears to be an evangelist for the .NET, Web Services, XML and certainly the InfoPath approach. In this book he presents a complete introduction to InfoPath from describing what it is supposed to do, to using it's IDE to produce some intergrated solutions.
The book is said to be of beginner to intermediate level. This means beginner only so far as InfoPath is concerned. The book presumes you have a good understanding of especially Office 2003, the .NET Framework, and Visual Studio.NET 2003. You also need some knowledge of the other packages listed at the beginning. Finally, this is a book designed for the applications developer, not the end user. Consequently some programming experience may not be an absolute requirement, but a little .ASP, SQL, HTML knowledge wouldn't hurt.
This is the hands down best book on InfoPath for the developer that's been published so far.
Great place to get started.......2004-06-12
"Programming Microsoft InfoPath" is a great place to start.
The book covers how to get started and how InfoPath fits into the software developer's toolbox, from Form design thru security, and integration with SharePoint/BizTalk.
With this book and a little practice, I was able to start creating practical "Smart Client" applications on the first day.
Pat Tormey PE
Foursquare Solutions
Average customer rating:
- Good concise introduction to Office XML and Smart Documents
-
Loved it!
- If you think you might need it - BUY IT
- Excellent resource for end-users and developers
- Much nicer way to get at MS Office data
|
Office 2003 XML
Simon St. Laurent ,
Evan Lenz , and
Mary Mc Rae
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0596005385 |
Book Description
In Microsoft's Office 2003, users experience the merger of the power of the classic Office suite of applications with the fluidity of data exchange inherent in XML. With XML at its heart, the new version of Microsoft's desktop suite liberates the information stored in millions of documents created with Office software over the past fifteen years, making it available to a wide variety of programs. Office 2003 XML offers an in-depth exploration of the relationship between XML and Office 2003, examining how the various products in the Office suite both produce and consume XML. Developers will learn how they can connect Microsoft Office to others systems, while power users will learn to create and analyze XML documents using familiar Office tools. The book begins with an overview of the XML features included in the various Office 2003 components, and explores in detail how Word, Excel, and Access interact with XML. This book covers both the user interface side, creating interfaces so that users can comfortably (and even unknowingly) work with XML, and the back end, exposing Office information to other processes. It also looks at Microsoft's new InfoPath application and how it fits with the rest of Office. Finally, the book's appendices introduce various XML technologies that may be useful in working with Office, including XSLT, W3C XML Schema, RELAX NG, and SOAP. Office 2003 XML provides quick and clear guidance to a anyone who needs to import or export information from Office documents into other systems. Both XML programmers and Office power will learn how to get the most from this powerful new intersection between Office 2003 and XML.
Customer Reviews:
Good concise introduction to Office XML and Smart Documents.......2006-02-07
This book provides a good overview of Microsoft's Office XML formats. In addition to covering these formats, it also provides some useful material related to Microsoft Office smart documents, an extension mechanism for Microsoft Office applications.
Note: Microsoft Office XML is completely distinct from the Open Office.org XML format (OASIS OpenDocument) which is not covered in this book.
Loved it! .......2005-02-24
Clear, concise, and packed with practical knowledge. I work with XML, XSLT, and C# for a living, and this book had me using XSLT to whip up WordprocessingML documents in no time. I especially appreciated learning how to turn off the default "Word" display of ML documents in Internet Explorer. I'm also using Evan's great XSLT that mimics Word's "data-only" output format-- as part of a process to validate foreign tag sets in WordML documents. Thank you!
If you think you might need it - BUY IT.......2005-01-24
This book answers a very specific need - you are working with the new Office xml formats. If you are directly reading or writing WordML, SpeeadsheetML, or the other xml formats - stop what you are doing, buy this book, and read it. It will put you miles ahead.
Clear, concise, and about as complete as it can be with Microsoft's incomplete documentation to work from. I had it open on my desk next to me the whole time I was working with these file formats.
It has some stuff for InfoPath and Office WebServices. I didn't read those part but the rest is so well written I would bet that part is indespensible too.
Excellent resource for end-users and developers.......2004-07-29
I've read the Addison Wesley book on Microsoft's new Office XML standards and this book is much much better. The book covers four applications; Word, Excel, Access and Infopath. It covers both the storage XML format for Word and Excel, as well as the use of XML within Word and Excel itself from the end-user side. The coverage of the storage format is excellent, and that, being a developer, is something I can appreciate.
For end-users of Word and Excel who are just looking to consume XML in your document or spreadsheet, or to mine XML using Infopath, this is a well written book that is worth your money and you can ignore the technical segments. For engineers looking to work with the new Microsoft XML storage formats you will find a lot to like here, and you may just find some cool things to do with XML to do on the forward facing end-user side of the house.
Much nicer way to get at MS Office data.......2004-06-20
Hurrah! Microsoft has said for several years that it strongly supports XML. Well MS Office 2003 is one of the first major products that conforms to this. As you probably know, earlier versions read and wrote to Microsoft's own doc format. A binary format. Third party developers then had to write code to read and write files in this format. Doable, but certainly an aggravation to some, given the complexity of the format.
Which is why MS Office 2003 was eagerly awaited. Now, XML is a fully supported data format. It also lets you see in an easy and direct way the complexity of deciphering the doc format, if you had never tried to do that firsthand.
Here, the book walks you through the various XML outputs and their associated schemas. There is the usual XML verbosity. (No surprises here.) But you can now read, in plaintext, how the suite structures its code in an OO fashion. So much nicer!
Not that the book is trivial. Many examples show how a lot of XML's capabilities are used. Like namespaces, XSLT, XSL and XPath. A reassuring point is that your needs might not have to extend to all these usages. The book also has many very simple XML examples that could be germane.
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Beginning Xml
XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)
Learning XSLT
