XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
August 25, 2010 by BPELforum · 5 Comments
XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
What is XML? XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, is a specification for storing information. It is also a specification for describing the structure of that information. And while XML is a markup language (just like HTML), XML has no tags of its own. It allows the person writing the XML to create whatever tags they need. The only condition is that these newly created tags adhere to the rules of the XML specification.
In the seven years since the first edition of “XML: Visual QuickStart
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(out of 14 reviews)
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Review by PGCo for XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
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Quite simply the best introduction to XML and all the related standards which I’ve found so far. Obviously it doesn’t have the breadth and depth of, say the O’Reilly books, but as a ‘one stop shop’ for anyone new to XML, XSLT, XML Schemas, XPath, etc, this would be hard to beat.
Review by Robert F. Sullivan for XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
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Truth be told, I do not work as a Web developer, but on a daily basis my job has me in contact with business clients and Web application developers. My clients require robust Web applications, my developers make it happen. Because of legacy data issues, shared disparate databases, and the need for them to handshake; XML Web services have become a standard solution in many commercial Web solutions. Though I am somewhat familiar with the basics of XML I wanted to go deeper to better myself and better my knowledge in client/tech conversations. What I did not want to do is to go so deep as to read a monster 1000+ page tome that would require weeks of book study, application and befuddlement.
Instead, Mr. Goldberg’s book provided me a concise break down the structure of XML markup language in a detailed/digestible enough manner to keep me engaged and participatory. Each chapter cleverly builds on previous topics, so as to provide a pyramid learning approach. This enabled me to go deeper than before into the more arcane areas of the language (XPath patterns, functions, expressions, XSL-FO, DTD’s, schemas, etc.) so it could be more easily understood.
If you are new to XML, curious, or need enough to know to be dangerous in your job, then this book is for you. BTW, I highly recommend that you download his chapter samples so as to follow along and to tinker with. I read the entire book in a weekend and returned to work on Monday loaded for bear. Now I keep it at my desk for easy reference.
Review by Em for XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
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XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn the basics of XML.
I have about an intermediate level of HTML acumen and wanted a book that would cover enough of the rudiments to get a good grasp of the subject. It does that, as well as cover a myriad of related apps such as XPath, XSLT, and XQuery.
I also really appreciated the comprehensible instructions, visual examples, recommended tools, and the applications that give XML its currency in the real world.
All in all, an excellent source.
Review by Tim E Robertson for XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
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XML (eXtensible Markup Language) has become the medium to move data in efficient and predictable ways. Derived from a similar markup language, SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), XML is structured, but not as highly as SGML. Structure is what itís all about. The very loosely structured HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is also derived from SGML. Even the XML markup looks amazingly like HTML, except, as the author explains, HTML defines how information will look, while XML defines how the information is formatted.
Here is a portion of an XML file:
Norm
Male
65
Nancy
Female
52
Guy
Male
48
If you analyze the code sample above, you should be able to see that there are three siblings defined. Each siblingís information is contained, or wrapped, between the and tags, and that the information on those three siblings is wrapped between the and tags. Taking this one step further, you can think of these sibling “chunks” as parts of a database: the content between the and tags would be defined as a record, while the , , and tags define fields within a record. This content can then be transformed into content in a different format and reused in many different ways.
In XML, as in HTML, you can also see that each chunk of information is tagged with an opening and closing tag.
Why structure? With a standardized method of defining chunks of information, the information can be easily shared, re-used, translated, and manipulated in infinite ways, yet retain its integrity and its overall definition. XML, being an ASCII text format, is universalóit can be shared among multiple platforms without modification, save for some minor file system issues that are beyond the scope of this review.
One major use of XML is in content management systems (CMS), where it can be searched, selectively extracted, and assembled into larger documents that then can be transformed into final deliverables, such as a PDF file, Help files, or a set of HTML files. Sure, you could probably do this with plain text, but without the underlying required structure, it would be a lot harder, and would probably require a large amount of post-assembly editing before even attempting to create the deliverables.
Another popular use of XML is in Adobe Flash animations and programs. By building the text content in external files formatted as XML that the Flash file points to, dealing with localized (translated) content is an extremely simple matteróoften just changing the filename links in the main Flash file can transform an English language document into a Spanish, French, or whatever document in momentsóand by maintaining the master files in a database-driven content management system, you can translate content that might be used in multiple documents or even multiple times in the same document once and only once, which, I can assure you, results in huge cost savings.
Kevin Howard Goldberg has put together an excellent primer on the multifaceted alphabet soup that is XML. He updated the first edition of this book, originally authored by Elizabeth Castro, with Ms. Castroís assistance, adding information on some of the newer applications of XML: XSL-FO, XSLT 2.0, XPath 2.0, and XQuery 1.0.
The book is divided into the following sections, each of which builds on the previous chapter:
* XML ñ The basics of writing XML code, and the underlying structure.
* XSL ñ How to transform XML into multiple deliverables (HTML, XML, etc.). It also covers XSLT, XPath, and XSL-FO. XSL-FO is most widely used to transform XML files into PDF deliverables.
* DTD ñ Document Type Definition. DTDs are the underlying glue that holds the XML together. How? By defining and detailing the rules under which valid XML files function. Separate sections discuss entities and notations, as well as validations (ensuring the XML file follows the rules defined in the DTD).
* XML Schema ñ Developed to overcome some of the shortcomings of DTDs, the XML Schema is a more powerful document, designed to give the author even more control over how the XML content is structured and defined.
* XML Namespaces ñ A method of combining XML from multiple sources, even if there are identical element names. XML Namespaces provides a method to merge the content while retaining the definitions of each independent element (I hope I got that rightÖ).
* Recent W3C (World Wide Web Committee) Recommendations ñ Discusses some of the newest enhancements to the XML specifications including XSLT 2.0, XPath 2.0, and XQuery 1.0.
* XML in Practice ñ Applications of XML, especially in Web 2.0 usage. Topics and examples include Ajax, RSS, SOAP, WSDL, KML, ODF, OOXML, eBooks, ePub, and more. I told you it was an alphabet soup!
* Appendices ñ Discusses XML editors and tools. Full character set and entity tables.
This book is a great introduction to XML. Itís loaded with sample code and examples to get you started. Itís well illustrated and makes great use of color. Peachpit Press also offers a companion website with sample code, updates, etc.
XML is not for the faint-of-heart. There are just so many pieces that comprise the XML specification; it can be confusing, even with this Visual Quickstart Guide. The only thing I didnít see in this book, and most likely because of its inherent specialization is the DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) specification. DITA is a highly specialized topic-based XML-based markup language, mainly used for creating instructional materials (user documentation, educational texts, and so on). I recommend this book highly.
MyMac Magazine rating of 4.5 out of 5
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Review by Michael P. Weiss for XML: Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition)
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XML? HTML? XHTML? So many letters, so many meanings. As an amateur programmer I was really confused about XML. For one, why do I need to know it? What does it really do? Is it important? I am happy to say that I am no longer confused. Mr. Goldberg’s writing style and his use of real world examples (using the Wonders Of the World was brilliant) not only put me at ease, but allowed me to fully understand what XML is, when to use it and more importantly HOW TO USE IT.
I am a huge fan of Peachpit. Their books read well and to be honest feel good in my hands (high quality printing and paper). I checked to see what else Mr. Goldberg has written and it seems this is his first book for Peachpit. I hope they plan to have him write more!