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EBooks » XML
 For managers the book is too heavy on the technical details of XML and
XML Schema. For developers and architects who would actually want to
implement a semantic application there is too little substance on
ontologies, semantic web, semantic web services or OWL to be of any
use.
Many chapters (and the book in general) are poorly organized. For a
much better (and more practical) explanation of the key concepts check
out the recently released "Explorer's Guide to the Semantic Web".  XML by Example is a hands-on guide for those who already know
the basics of HTML authoring but want a complete introduction to the
exciting new world of XML. It lives up to its title, with plenty of
examples of actual XML, HTML, JavaScript, and Java code. The author is
an experienced trainer in XML and Internet technology, and the result
is a particularly clear and well-informed tutorial. Beginning with
an overview of XML technology, the book goes on to explain XML syntax
complete with a list of common errors and misunderstandings. Next comes
an explanation of DTDs (Document Type Definitions) and then a guide to
transforming XML into readable output with XSL (XML Stylesheet
Language) and CSS (cascading style sheets). That accounts for the first
half of the book. The second part focuses on the programmer's view of
XML, with information on XML parsing, the DOM (Document Object Model),
and SAX (Simple API for XML). Finally, there is a walkthrough of a
multitier e-commerce application using XML and Java servlets. There is
an appendix providing a crash-course introduction to Java.  Part I. Introduction Chapter 1. XML and Security Chapter 2. Digital Cryptography Basics Part II. XML Basics Chapter 3. The Extensible Markup Language Chapter 4. XML Document Type Definitions Chapter 5. XML Schema Chapter 6. XPath: A Basic Building Block Chapter 7. URIs, xml:base, and XPointer Chapter 8. SOAP XML is bringing together some fairly disparate groups into a new cultural
clash: document developers trying to understand what a transaction is, database
analysts getting upset because the relational model doesn't fit anymore, and web
designers having to deal with schemata and rule based transformations. The key
to rising above the confusion is to understand the different semantic structures
that lie beneath the standards of XML, and how to model the semantics to achieve
the goals of the organization.
A pure architecture of XML doesn't exist yet, and it may never exist as the
underlying technologies are so diverse. Still, the key to understanding how to
build the new web infrastructure for electronic business lies in understanding
the landscape of these new standards.
  By Elliotte Rusty Harold and W. Scott Means
ISBN 0-596-00292-0
Second Edition, published June 2002.
XML is one of the most important developments in
document syntax in the history of computing. In the last few years it has been
adopted in fields as diverse as law, aeronautics, finance, insurance, robotics,
multimedia, hospitality, travel, art, construction, telecommunications,
software, agriculture, physics, journalism, theology, retail, and comics. XML
has become the syntax of choice for newly designed document formats across
almost all computer applications. It's used on Linux, Windows, Macintosh, and
many other computer platforms. Mainframes on Wall Street trade stocks with one
another by exchanging XML documents. Children playing games on their home PCs
save their documents in XML. Sports fans receive real-time game scores on their
cell phones in XML. XML is simply the most robust, reliable, and flexible
document syntax ever invented.
XML in a Nutshell is a
comprehensive guide to the rapidly growing world of XML. It covers all aspects
of XML, from the most basic syntax rules, to the details of DTD and schema
creation, to the APIs you can use to read and write XML documents in a variety
of programming languages. |
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