XML for the World Wide Web
by Elizabeth Castro

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Book Reviews of XML for the World Wide Web

Book Review: Another industry standard from Elizabeth Castro
Summary: 5 Stars

Well, that might be true if it were an XML book from anyone other than Elizabeth Castro and Peachpit Press.

Castro, the author of two other bestsellers, HTML for the World Wide Web and Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web has the rare gift of being able to take extremely complex subjects and render them into understandable terms for just about anyone. In her newest book, XML for the World Wide Web, Castro scores a direct hit in being able to convey the ins and outs of XML and all of its aspects in a way that makes it unique, usable and useful.

Castro tackles Schemas, DTDs, Namespaces, XPath, Xlink, Xpointer, XSLT, CSS used with XML and just about everything else being discussed, implemented, debated, planned or argued in the constantly changing world of XML. That's not unusual for an XML book. However, Castro actually pulls it off extremely well, resulting in a very very very good book for those about to immerse themselves in the complexities of XML. That is unusual. Many XML purists will point to Simon St. Laurent's "XML:A Primer" and Benoit Marchal's "XML by Example" as being definitive "first XML books." I would agree, to a point. I have both of those and they are indeed excellent 5-star books but I honestly think that Castro's book will be more digestible to more people not well-versed in XML.

Critics, if any, might argue that XML for the World Wide Web is too basic or doesn't cover this topic in extreme detail that way or this way. That's not the point of this book. If you are already working in XML, you'll probably have a shelf full of advanced Wrox or Que or O'Reilly books on XML anyway that are very detailed. No, this book is truly for those just starting out who want to or need to actually learn XML and how to use it. And in that capacity, it succeeds on a grand scale.

Castro's HTML for the World Wide Web, now in its 4th edition, has become an industry standard. It can be found in every bookstore across the US and in many many college classrooms. Her Perl & CGI book accomplished the same thing for its target audience. I think that it can be said that XML for the World Wide Web will achieve the same lofty status, becoming the third jewel in Castro's triple crown.

I have no gripes at all with this book. But, I do have one suggestion that doesn't detract from the excellence of this work. In XML for the World Wide Web, Castro devotes Appendix A to XHTML. My only suggestion would be that perhaps she should instead consider making the 5th Edition of her HTML book an XHTML book, since HTML 4.01 was superseded by XHTML 1.0 almost a year ago. But again, that's only a suggestion.

In conclusion: XML for the World Wide Web...great price, great book, future standard!

I recommend it highly to those in the early stages of their XML careers.

Summary of XML for the World Wide Web

Fortunately for her readers, Castro has identified successfully the core components of XML, and presented them in a streamlined way. This book doesn't tackle any of the advanced elements of XML technology, such as SOAP, SAX, or integration with the Document Object Model (DOM). Instead, it focuses on teaching the basic nuts and bolts of creating XML documents, styling them, and defining their structure.

This book moves at a fast pace. Document Type Definitions (DTDs), for instance, get only 30 pages of coverage. This tight format comprises simple examples that illustrate commands and concepts, instead of pages of text. The pages are presented in a two-column format, so that code fragments can be placed (wisely) side by side with the step-by-step explanatory text. Each topic example is supplemented with one or more useful implementation tips.

For a true grasp of XML and all of its potential, you'll need to follow up this introductory tutorial with more reading on the applications of the technology and case studies. But this little book is a great way to learn the basics of XML in a weekend. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• XML documents
• Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
• Schemas
• Namespaces
• XSLT and XPath
• Cascading style sheets (CSS)
• XLink
• XPointer

Database Design Books

• Subjects > Computers & Technology > Databases > Database Design
• Programming > Languages & Tools > XML
• Software
• Web Development > Web Design