XML, the Extensible Markup Language, is the next-generation markup language for the Web. It provides a more structured (and therefore more powerful) medium than HTML, allowing us to define new document types and stylesheets as needed. Although the generic tags of HTML are sufficient for everyday text, XML gives us a way to add rich, well-defined markup to electronic documents. The XML Pocket Reference is both a handy introduction to XML terminology and syntax, and a quick reference to XML instructions, attributes, entities, and datatypes. It also covers XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language), necessary to ensure that your XML documents have a consistent look and feel across platforms. Although XML itself is complex, its basic concepts are simple. This small book acts both as a perfect tutorial for learning the basics of XML, and as a reference to the XML and XSL specifications.

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XML Pocket Reference Review,  July 09 2000
Submitted by terry chay   [Respond | View]

ORAs Pocket References are surprisingly useful due to their convenient format. It has all the right stuff.

Unfortuantely, partially due to the nature of XML as a developing standard, This presents the material more as a pocket tutorial than a pocket reference. Witness the fact that there is no "namespace" reference index in the page and the section headings are buried in the bindings. Here you have a hierarchical structured language but a book who's structure does not reflect it!

Still, it provides a convenient tag reference, once you can find it. Again, the descriptions seem overly didatic. But I guess this can prove an immense help to those new to XML as well as due to the lack of a "definitive guide" or "complete reference" for XML.

A minor note is that it would have been nice if he prefaced the namespaces with the latest namespaces, as well as stated in which specification a tag may have appeared. I ran into trouble with the xsl:invoke / xsl:macro /xsl:content which I was unable to find in the most recent XSLT specification at W3 <https://www.w3.org/TR/xslt>.

Also, it could do with a chapter devoted to the DOM for people who will be accessing XML programmatically--MSDN maanged to cram it into an unreadable page, XML:Pocket Reference should devote at least five readable pages.

Part of me wonders why O'Reilly didn't put a big red BETA EDITION across the cover. I could use a discount on the next edition when the working drafts get finalized.

Now having been overly harsh on Mr. Eckstein's work, I have to turn around and recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone trying to pick up XML. Like all of the Pocket Reference series, this one is a winner. The only disappointment they will find is that ORA stopped including the lay-flat binding so they're liable to break the binding of even this tiny book before they've figured out XML and even then, still be referencing it a lot.

-terry


XML Pocket Reference Review,  July 07 2000
Submitted by David Lamb   [Respond | View]

I'd been reading bits on XML here and there, but it wasn't until I picked up this book that I began to make sense of anything regarding this language. Especially helpful was page 56 where Mr. Eckstein explains how to associate an XSL (or CSS) stylesheet with an XML document. I have yet to see any other author or website point out this crucial, basic information. Without it, I'd still be fumbling around.


XML Pocket Reference Review,  March 27 2000
Submitted by John van Rij   [Respond | View]



XML Pocket Reference is a true ode to the concept of "Pocket Reference". It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this book that is just a bit larger than your remote control will satisfy your expectations.

The first 10 pages of this 97 pages booklet will get you quickly up and running with the terminology, good enough to understand the structure and to be able to discuss the concept with colleagues. As in most O'Reilly books, the writer expects you to have some experience in programming as it discusses the concept and syntax quickly and without major examples.

The rest of the booklet is a reference to XML elements and attributes, document type definitions and the extensible stylesheet language. This section is a great reference as everything is easy to find and well indexed. For beginners this part of the "book" is a great but sometimes complex tutorial as every section is supported by quick samples of code.

When I bought this book, I was sceptic with the idea that this book was going to get me developing XML within 1 day. But O'Reilly proved that I was wrong. In less than a day I had my first XML page up and running, and now I use this book to give me the basics for every concept I try to implement.

One reviewer was right when he said on O'Reilly's site that you don't need a 500-page book to learn or develop XML.



XML Pocket Reference Review,  February 13 2000
Submitted by Kamlesh Nanda   [Respond | View]



This book is really gem of all. U don;t need to go thru' bibles rather a hundred pages small booklet gives u all the needed input required for XML & XSL and the story doesn;t end here, it goes for XLink & XPointer as well. In a nutshell its a small jukebox with the world inside.

Problem might be in understanding few of the tags which doesn;t contain quite expressive examples, but on the beneficial side u have small examples at each place in the book.


XML Pocket Reference Review,  February 07 2000
Submitted by Steven Devijver   [Respond | View]



This pocket reference leaves the 'real' reference 500+ page books on XML without a reason to exist. Although this book doesn't provide examples on how to extend (it's the name of the game) your dataflow using XML, it provides everything you'll need to understand XML syntax and to let different components communicate and understand eachother by talking XML. Use your imagination on how to implement XML, this book will set you on track by washing off all myth and hype surrounding XML and make the simple structure of XML visible. You'll create valid XML documents in less than a day.

Happy parsing.

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