The XML Handbook (The Charles F. Goldfarb series on open information management) - Softcover

Goldfarb, Charles F.; Prescod, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0130811521 ISBN 13: 9780130811523

Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR, 1998

Synopsis

This is the second edition of Charles Goldfarb's XML Handbook. We are positioning it as the "Millenium" edition because of its publication so close to the new millenium for web publishing.

About this title

Review

The XML Handbook is really two books in one. First, it provides a general introduction to XML. Without assuming any previous knowledge, the authors explain the key concepts and offer easy-to-follow tutorial chapters. Although the material is technical, they take care to explain each step in plain English, making the book more approachable than most XML guides. The other, more unusual aspect of The XML Handbook is that it includes chapters from 27 sponsors, representing companies working with XML technology. These chapters describe how each organisation is using XML in its particular specialist field. The advantage is that it increases the book's breadth of coverage and provides a snapshot of how XML is actually being used today. On the downside, it means that there is no critical appraisal of these different approaches and readers are left to draw their own conclusions. This point aside, the input from many different specialists makes this a particularly valuable resource.

Charles Goldfarb writes with authority, since he is one of the inventors of SGML, the markup-language from which XML is derived. In this third edition, he and his co-author bring the handbook right up to date. There is extensive coverage of XML Schema Definition Language, which is the evolving alternative to the DTD (Document Type Definition), and some information about SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), the XML standard for remote object invocation. The XML Handbook is particularly strong on publishing and content management, and also has a good treatment of e-commerce issues.

Overall, this is recommended both for the technically-minded general reader and for developers or IT managers wanting an overview of the XML world. --Tim Anderson

From the Back Cover

1471D-0

• The definitive XML resource: applications, products, and technologies!
• Revised and expanded Second Edition -- over 600 new pages
• CD ROM: 125 Genuinely free software packages including the IBM alphaWorks suite - plus unique trialware, demos, examples, specs, and more

"This book is an excellent starting point where you can learn and experiment with XML. As the inventor of SGML, Dr. Charles F. Goldfarb is one of the most respected authorities on structured information. Charles and I share a common vision: that the most valuable asset for the user or for a corporation, namely the data, can be openly represented in a simple, flexible, and human-readable form. This vision can now be realized through XML."

• From the Foreword by Jean Paoli, Microsoft XML architect and co-editor of the W3C XML specification

The definitive resource for the Brave New Web of smart structured data and electronic commerce

• Start by understanding what XML is, how it came to be, how it differs from HTML, and the handful of vital concepts that you must understand to apply XML quickly and successfully.
• Experience what it's like to use XML through illustrated walk-throughs of applications and XML tools -- including hot new Web servers for e-commerce, portals, content management, conversion, syndication, and presentation.
• Master the details of the XML language and related technologies from reader-friendly,in-depth presentations on XML, XSL, XSLT, XLink, XPath, schemas, namespaces, topic maps,and extended linking.

Edition details

• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0130811521
• ISBN 13: 9780130811523
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 450