Product Description

• Updated and better than ever, this more focused revision provides comprehensive coverage of XML to anyone with a basic understanding of HTML and Web servers
• Featuring all-new examples, this book contains everything readers need to know to incorporate XML in their Web site plans, designs, and implementations
• Continues expert Elliotte Rusty Harold's well-known track record for delivering the best XML guidance available
• Includes coverage of the most recent XML 1.1 specification and the latest trends in XML Web publishing
• Companion Web site includes additional examples and reference material found in previous editions that readers may find useful

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #283892 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 1054 pages

From Amazon.com
The emergence of XML is having an enormous impact on Web development, and scaling the learning curve of this new technology is a priority for many developers. The XML Bible offers a superb introduction to the subject and the groundwork to understand XML's future developments.

Author Elliotte Rusty Harold uses a patient, step-by-step discussion that clearly points out the potential of XML without boring his readership with tons of SGML spec-speak. Harold opens quickly with a "Hello World" example to get the reader coding early, and follows that with a simple but powerful example of XML's data management benefits--presenting baseball statistics. Once you've coded your first XML documents, you'll be hooked on the technology and motivated to learn about the more sophisticated topics.

Style sheet languages are covered comprehensively to illustrate the presentation possibilities and pitfalls. An unusually long list of real-life XML applications also shows how XML is already being used, and there is in-depth coverage of the Resource Description Framework, Channel Definition Format, and Vector Markup Language. The book wraps up with a section that helps you design your own XML application from scratch.

Titling a book a bible is a bold move, but this engaging and informative guide is entitled to make this claim. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: XML background, example XML applications, type definitions (DTDs), style languages, Xlinks, Xpointers, Namespaces, application planning, and XML 1.0 specification.

Book Info
A multi-level user guide to mastering XML and its related topics. Coverage includes fundamentals such as DTDs and tags, using CSS and XSL with XML. The CD-ROM contains sample XML code, XML authoring tools, and W3C standards. Previous edition not cited. System requirements: Java 1.1+, Linux, Windows 95+, Solaris, or Mac OS 8.5 compatibility, CD-ROM drive. Softcover.

From the Publisher
"The XML Bible provides complete coverage on all XML-related topics and will be an essential resource for any developer." —Sean Rhody, Technical Editor, XML Journal

Customer Reviews

The 3rd edition is an excellent update for this series...
I've had the opportunity to go through the XML 1.1 Bible by Elliotte Rusty Harold (Wiley), and I must say it's impressive. Any time you get a tech book going into a 3rd edition, you have to think that the author is doing something right. If you fit the criteria for the target audience, you should be pleased.

The chapter breakout:
Part 1 - Introducing XML - An Eagle's Eye View of XML; XML Applications; Your First XML Document; Structuring Data; Attributes, Empty-Element Tags, and XSL; Well-formedness
Part 2 - Document Type Definitions - Validity; Element Declarations; Attribute Declarations; Entity Declarations; Namespaces
Part 3 - Style Languages - CSS Style Sheets; CSS Layouts; CSS Text Styles; XSL Transformations; XSL Formatting Objects
Part 4 - Supplemental Technologies - XLinks; XPointers; XInclude; Schemas
Part 5 - XML Applications - XHTML; Modular XHTML; The Resource Directory Description Language; Scalable Vector Graphics; Designing a New XML Application; Index

I mentioned the "target audience" above. As you can tell from the chapter layout (and also in the introduction), the author is targeting XML as used in web page design. You won't find anything in here about how to write a Java program to parse out XML using one of the XML parsers available. If that's your need, don't get this book. You'll be highly disappointed. This should be used as more of a reference tool for working with XML or related technologies like DTD or XSL.

I also appreciated the author's explanation as to what went into the 3rd edition. Rather than just add more stuff to what already existed, he removed XML technology chapters that just never caught momentum, like VML or RDF. So although the book is still 1000 pages, it's made up of content that is usable and applicable to the current state and direction of the technology. It's nice to know you're not getting a rehash of material just so the author can squeeze a few more bucks out of a title. Thanks!

The conversational and informal tone of the writing makes the material very approachable and readable. The examples are clear and concise, and relevant to how the technology would be used in the real world. Overall, a very good selection to add to your XML bookshelf.

Good coverage of XML, but why bother?
ERH (the author) knows his XML terminology and concepts backwards and forwards - so if you want to learn what XML is all about you can do no wrong with this book. Stop reading here and buy a copy already. If you are not sure if you want to learn XML keep reading this review.

As a side note this book is HUGE.

After the first three chapters of this Bible you get into what is basically theory, since that is what XML is - theory (for most people anyway).

Now I'm a web developer, so I'm biased in that regard. If you are a web developer thinking of moving into the XML sphere - I have to ask why? Shouldn't you rather be learning some nice PHP or MySQL - stuff that will, you know, make your web site cool and useful instead of more (unnecessary) work for yourself?

Well I shouldn't say that (I did though didn't i?), you might be able to make an extremely complicated page out of XML if you are really, really bored. Or, you could just zap off some regular HTML that will actually work in most browsers for now and the forseable (?) future.

The best part of the book of course is that ERH (the author again) uses Baseball as his XML specification of choice - this makes it both interesting (as far as that is possible with this technology) and fun.

If you want to learn XML, pick up a copy of this hefty tome. If you aren't sure if you want to learn XML do not pick up a copy of this hefty tome as you will never read it, and even if you do you'll be unlikely to use any of it.

I like the cover - a standing robot. That's how you'll feel after 'reading' this incredibly large book. Actually you'll be sitting.

Great way to start
This book is great way to learn XML. It has lots of example and the author writes well.