Markup Languages Books
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XML in a Nutshell, Third Edition
Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2004-09)
List price: $39.95
New price: $19.91
Used price: $12.94
Used price: $12.94
Average review score: 
for code jockeys that need a quick reference for their angle brackets
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-02
Review Date: 2008-02-02
Best XML reference I ever saw
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-04
Review Date: 2007-03-04
This book claims to be your only needed guide in XML and related topics. It covers almost all you can imagine. I liked it very much and glad, that I have a book, that I can use like XML reference.
I have just nothing to say about this book except it contains ALL information one can need on XML.
I have just nothing to say about this book except it contains ALL information one can need on XML.
A reference useful for a limited audience among those who already know XML basics
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-31
Review Date: 2006-07-31
O'Reilly's XML IN A NUTSHELL is, like all entries in the Nutshell series, a desktop quick reference. It provides concise information about nearly all matters of XML, and is split into roughly four parts. The first introduces XML, the concept of tags, well-formedness, Unicode, DTD's and schemas, namespaces, and so forth. The second provides an overview for the many formats that are built upon XML, such as XHTML, XSL:FO, Docbook, etc., and technologies that plug-in into XML, namely XSLT, XPath, XLinks, XPointers, XInclude, and CSS. The fourth covers DOM and SAX, the APIs for dealing with XML. Finally, the book ends with a "Reference section" for various technologies covered earlier in the book, structured much like O'Reilly's pocket guides. I found the Reference section somewhat inconvenient, it causes flipping back and forth when each section could have been simply integrated with the previous discussion of the relevant technology earlier in the book. Furthermore, the book ends with a long series of Unicode character tables, which are of limited utility, as they cover only a portion of Unicode, which has already expanded in the time since, and these tables simply bloat the book a little.
This third edition is especially admirable for its advocation of schemas, whereas many other XHTML publications would mention only DTDs.
XML IN A NUTSHELL is emphatically not a tutorial for XML, in spite of the friendly introduction to the markup language that opens the book. For each of the technologies mentioned herein, you'll want a separate book. For XPath especially, O'Reilly's XPATH AND XPOINTER is worth getting. XML IN A NUTSHELL instead provides only a quick reference for matters the reader is already acquainted with. Now, much of this quick reference information can be freely had on the Web. I'd recommend the book only to those who are fortunate enough to have someone else cover their book expenses, or can get it from their library, or those who simply adore print documentation.
This third edition is especially admirable for its advocation of schemas, whereas many other XHTML publications would mention only DTDs.
XML IN A NUTSHELL is emphatically not a tutorial for XML, in spite of the friendly introduction to the markup language that opens the book. For each of the technologies mentioned herein, you'll want a separate book. For XPath especially, O'Reilly's XPATH AND XPOINTER is worth getting. XML IN A NUTSHELL instead provides only a quick reference for matters the reader is already acquainted with. Now, much of this quick reference information can be freely had on the Web. I'd recommend the book only to those who are fortunate enough to have someone else cover their book expenses, or can get it from their library, or those who simply adore print documentation.
By far, the best book available on XML
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-01
Review Date: 2007-11-01
This book is by far the best book I've read on XML. Typical of O'Reilly "In a Nutshell" books, the converage of XML is fast paced and complete. Your money will be well spent on this book. I even think most beginners will do well with this one!
Strictly a Reference book only...
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-11
Review Date: 2006-03-11
I took this book as it was a recommended book for one my courses.. i thought it would be same as other text books, where you actually LEARN THRU THE BOOK..
But this book is STRICTLY for a reference purpose.. I had to take another book to learn the basics of XML.. also, the net tutorials helped a lot..
Though, as a reference book, I'll give full points to it.. once you have the basic knowledge about XML, you can really use this book to its optimum level, and it really helps you to refer ALL the types in XML..
So if you are starting to learn XML, I would advise to take a simpler book, like "XML Applications" and go through the net too.. but once you are done with the basics, buy this book the very next day, and check out what all wonders you can do through XML!!!...
But this book is STRICTLY for a reference purpose.. I had to take another book to learn the basics of XML.. also, the net tutorials helped a lot..
Though, as a reference book, I'll give full points to it.. once you have the basic knowledge about XML, you can really use this book to its optimum level, and it really helps you to refer ALL the types in XML..
So if you are starting to learn XML, I would advise to take a simpler book, like "XML Applications" and go through the net too.. but once you are done with the basics, buy this book the very next day, and check out what all wonders you can do through XML!!!...
Html 4.0 Sourcebook
Published in Paperback by John Wiley & Sons (1998-04-13)
List price: $34.99
New price: $4.00
Used price: $0.39
Used price: $0.39
Average review score:
Good but not great
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-07
Review Date: 2007-04-07
I know lots about HTML and this book shows it very well, its outdated but was deffinetely worth the price. If you are new to HTML I recommend this book because it shows you how to HTML in simple terms. Its VERY TIME CONSUMING!! BUT STILL GOOD!!
Booooooring!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-24
Review Date: 2001-03-24
Okay, I know programming/scripting/formatting books are inherently boring. That's the nature of the beast. But this one takes the cake. I don't question the soundness of the information provided, but the way it is presented reminds me of a boring teacher in high school on a 1:00 PM class after a hearty lunch...you just want to sleep. This is not an exaggeration...I have actually tried reading the book for the purpose of getting some sleep - it worked! Elizabeth Castro's HTML for the World Wide Web, reads like a riveting spy thriller compared to this...for much less money. The thing with Elizabeth Castro is she manages to present a boring subject interesting and engaging.
You get what you pay for
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-09
Review Date: 2000-03-09
This book delivers on its promise of a thorough review of HTML 4.0. Every tag and attribute is explained well enough for you to get the hang of it on your own. This is not the "end-all" book on HTML, but simply a quick (but thorough) reference and a starting guide. It explains HTML topics in a natural language that can appeal to all classes of readers.
I was greatly pleased with one feature that this book possessed where others did not. Every tag and attribute in the book is labeled so that you know exactly what is currently supported by which browser. That is immensely important in web design. Graham also consistently included pictures of how various web pages were interepreted by differing browsers, along with the code itself.
This book is good for a beginner as well as a quick reference for developers. If you want a large quantity of specific information on specific topics within or related to HTML (E.g. CSS, XML, cgi, etc), then buy a different book. However, for all of the features proprietary to HTML 4.0, this is the book to get.
Excellent!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-24
Review Date: 2000-02-24
I was looking for exactly what this book contains. I spent 20 minutes in a book-shop digging the shelves trying to find something that could explain HTML with short and clear examples, going directly to the grain, and I found it!. This book is well written, clear and give you a good practical perspective of how to design a web site.
Great book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-23
Review Date: 1999-09-23
I used this book during a summer internship in 1996 and I found it very useful. Whenever I had questions, I would email the author who would explain things to me in detail. Its been a while since I saw the latest version of this book, but the earlier ones were very useful!
New Perspectives on Creating Web Pages With Html: Comprehensive (New Perspectives Series)
Published in Hardcover by Course Technology Ptr (Sd) (1998-03-19)
List price: $44.95
New price: $10.00
Used price: $0.61
Used price: $0.61
Average review score:
It's required for the course.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-20
Review Date: 2006-03-20
Like many required textbooks it is overpriced and there are better books available. It's still cheaper here than most other outlets and it does provide one more reference to turn to.
School book required
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-19
Review Date: 2005-07-19
This book was required for an online summer course. Material in book covered what was expected from the teacher.
It's a technical textbook...what do you expect
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-11
Review Date: 2003-06-11
I bought this book for a college-level course on HTML Programming. The text is fairly easy to follow and provides clear examples and "modules" to learn from. I didn't really need to take the class to learn. This book taught me more than my teacher did. If you read the text and attempt to do the activities as the book explains them, you learn quickly. Drawbacks...the book isn't as organized as some of the others in this series (New Perspectives) It's a little harder to look up a specific function. Advantages...like the other books in the series, it does a good job of preparing you to take the MOUS certification exams, or just to give yourself a basic knowledge of the subject. I would recommend this and the other books in the series.
It's a technical textbook...what do you expect
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-11
Review Date: 2003-06-11
I bought this book for a college-level course on HTML Programming. The text is fairly easy to follow and provides clear examples and "modules" to learn from. I didn't really need to take the class to learn. This book taught me more than my teacher did. If you read the text and attempt to do the activities as the book explains them, you learn quickly. Drawbacks...the book isn't as organized as some of the others in this series (New Perspectives) It's a little harder to look up a specific function. Advantages...like the other books in the series, it does a good job of preparing you to take the MOUS certification exams, or just to give yourself a basic knowledge of the subject. I would recommend this and the other books in the series.
Possibly the worst textbook of all...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-15
Review Date: 2004-07-15
Unless you are wanting to be completely confused and write poor HTML, don't buy this book. I have used the 2nd edition (same author) and a friend's 3rd edition. They have so many typo's in the code that some of it doesn't work. E.g., It doesn't always "quote" the attribute values in HTML coding tags as you are supposed to.
3rd edition, Tutorial-4, Case-1, gives step-by-step instructions to create the example web page, but with code that does Not exist! What is this code: < td width="200" bgcolor="back4.jpg" > ?? Is it for the background color or an image? Which is it!? It can't be both!
So in closing, this book is extremely poor and confusing. Please ask your school to quit buying this series of programming books.
If you want to learn competant HTML quickly and learn it well, use the free online tutorials from www . w3schools . com. Because this group of people created HTML and there are sure to be no errors.
Cocoon: Building XML Applications
Published in Paperback by Sams (2002-07-24)
List price: $39.99
New price: $15.00
Used price: $5.48
Used price: $5.48
Average review score:
Excellent book on web publishing via Cocoon
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-10
Review Date: 2004-08-10
Excellent book!. Introduces Cocoon as a web publishing (and integration) framework that it is. Shows nicely how to use xml-based technology to create web-sites like portals that integrate external and internal data sources without writing any java code. But the book also explains the internals of Cocoon for java developers so that those who want to extend its functionality can do so (by writing appropriate java modules). Overall it made me understand the -significant- powers of the cocoon project and its overall scope too. So, to recap, the book is very easy to read if you have basic knowledge of xml and java, and it explains what you can and cannot do with cocoon: a framework for building web-sites that mostly deal with publishing documents. In that sense, cocoon can be used to create robust portals or document management systems or even more general content management systems (Lenya).
CForm Rules
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-07
Review Date: 2004-07-07
Please please please... if any author wants to write another cocoon book make it as updated as you can. I got two cocoon books (I guess everyone knows what they are since there aint a lot of them around!). In a weeks time I was up and running. But then it was announced XMLForm and JXForms have been removed from the 2.1.x distribution flushing all efforts down the drain. Dont get me wrong. Good books... Only outdated.
I will feel better if it cuts to half pages
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-30
Review Date: 2003-01-30
The first 48 pages is an introduction to internet and xml. Will this level of introduction helpful anyway to people without knowledge of internet or xml? Or who needs that level of introduction if he knows internet and xml?
From page 343 onwards is appendix and index. 480-343=137. So totally 48+137=185 pages out of 480 are basicly nothing. You got 300 pages left which could be helpful.
A good developer does not necessary be a good author.
I will feel better if it cuts to half pages
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-29
Review Date: 2003-01-29
~There is introduction on Internet and XML up to page 48. Who needs an introduction of Internet and XML if he is trying to work on Cocoon? Does that introduction helpful if one has no knowledge of Internet or XML anyway?
There are appendix from page 343 to the end, page 480, that's 137 pages, plus 48 pages, totally 185 pages is basicly nothing. So you got less than 300 pages left maybe useful.
I buy this book since there are only 3 books about Cocoon in the market. Now I am a bit regret.A~~ good developer does not mean a good author.~
Not the best book on Cocoon.
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-15
Review Date: 2003-02-15
I was happy with this book after reading the first few chapters however after I got stuck into Cocoon I discovered that it was not suitable as a reference. I couldn't find information on XML fragments or i18n. The index isn't good at all. The information may be in there but you will have to read the book from cover to cover to get value from it. I would recommend going for the Cocoon Developers Handbook.
HTML Black Book: The Programmer's Complete HTML Reference Book
Published in Paperback by Coriolis Group Books (2000-05-23)
List price: $59.99
New price: $15.00
Used price: $1.59
Used price: $1.59
Average review score:
Great Beginner's Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-07
Review Date: 2003-02-07
As many have said, this is probably not intermediate/advanced as it claims to be. But it is an excellent place to start, especially compared with some of the other "beginner's" titles out there. It doesn't talk down to you and is very thorough and moves quickly.
Very good book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-25
Review Date: 2001-11-25
While this book is far from being a complete resource for HTML, I would doubt any book is.
After the first three chapters, I had several web pages complete and am looking forward to the rest of the book.
After the first three chapters, I had several web pages complete and am looking forward to the rest of the book.
Great place to start for the novice.
more of a beginner start-off then a reference
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-18
Review Date: 2000-10-18
i was looking for a comprehensive reference, and this being a "black book" and having a reader's level of "INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED" seemed like it. but it wasn't
The book is NOT built as a reference, and doesn't even have all the detailed info included on the methods/objects. chapters are built in more of a "tutorial" style then a reference (for example, having things like "and then your boss sais: "well, why don't you do it?", and you say "Great." in the middle of a text is really not what a reference is about.
Anyway, if you are a TOTAL beginner and want a comprehensive start-up manual - get this book, if you want a comprehensive REFERENCE - you can get a $7 softcover book that will be a lot more helpfull
The book is NOT built as a reference, and doesn't even have all the detailed info included on the methods/objects. chapters are built in more of a "tutorial" style then a reference (for example, having things like "and then your boss sais: "well, why don't you do it?", and you say "Great." in the middle of a text is really not what a reference is about.
Anyway, if you are a TOTAL beginner and want a comprehensive start-up manual - get this book, if you want a comprehensive REFERENCE - you can get a $7 softcover book that will be a lot more helpfull
Forget this book
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-17
Review Date: 2001-01-17
I was really disappointed with this book. The statement 'The only Html Book You'll need to develop your web site' is a lie. This book is more for beginners then for serious web developers. Examples in this book are simple and you will hardly have any use in real life application. I'm building web application and If you are looking for something it takes forever to find it in this book. If you don't want to waste your time and money, forget this book.
Not worth it to HTML experts...
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-10
Review Date: 2000-12-10
I was really looking forward to getting this book. I have been coding HTML for over 3 years now and really do not have an HTML reference book on hand. I was hoping this would be it, it isn't. The book is VERY poorly bound. I expect it will fall apart shortly, with heavy use it wouldn't last a week! The book is full of redundant code examples, to increase the page count I assume. Even as a tutorial it falls short. The book tries to come off as THE guide for HTML, but falls short again. I would like to know why Perl, XML and Java are in this book. They have nothing to do with HTML. They deserve books all to themselves of which there are plenty out there. While they are a part of webpages they are not a part of HTML, well not since the last time I checked with the W3C they weren't. There are some pluses though, that's why the rating is not as low as you would think. The way the HTML tags are detailed with the listing of all of the Attributes and which browser supports what tag is really good. The Style Sheets section is also nicely done and probably the books best feature. Unfortunately, if I keep looking for info in the book it will probably fall apart at the seems in my hand. Not worth a buy!
Beginning Web Programming with HTML, XHTML, and CSS (Wrox Beginning Guides)
Published in Kindle Edition by Wrox (2004-08-06)
List price: $39.99
New price: $23.75
Average review score:
Great teaching book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-11
Review Date: 2007-12-11
Great introduction to front-end web programming using XHTML and CSS. It even gets into the nitty-gritty of SEO strategies, rating your site for child access, testing methods, and accessibility for the visually impaired. Also provides a good, although brief intro to JavaScript, database driven websites, and programming for mobile devices.
Yes there is a lot of repetition and a bit of wandering back and forth across subjects, and yes it can be annoying. But most books in this genre are guilty of that. This one is no better nor worse than the others. Nice reference and appendix. Recommended.
Yes there is a lot of repetition and a bit of wandering back and forth across subjects, and yes it can be annoying. But most books in this genre are guilty of that. This one is no better nor worse than the others. Nice reference and appendix. Recommended.
Great intro for novice programmer
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-20
Review Date: 2007-04-20
I have only dabbled in programming before, mainly in C#. I am well-pleased with this book.
PRO: 1. This book was a solid introduction to HTML and XHTML. What impressed me most is that the author gives you the fundamentals of the HTML language, and also teaches you modern Web methods using CSS.
2. Follows a logical order, putting you into practice from the first chapter.
3. Good primer for [...]and general web development for the new programmer. In fact, if you are interested in XML, I would study this book first, and then move on to XML. By the end of the book, you will have mastered many concepts of XML, and will have learned HTML in the process.
CON: It could have used a better scheme of highlighting points, bulleting, etc. But the dedicated reader will overcome this small failure.
PRO: 1. This book was a solid introduction to HTML and XHTML. What impressed me most is that the author gives you the fundamentals of the HTML language, and also teaches you modern Web methods using CSS.
2. Follows a logical order, putting you into practice from the first chapter.
3. Good primer for [...]and general web development for the new programmer. In fact, if you are interested in XML, I would study this book first, and then move on to XML. By the end of the book, you will have mastered many concepts of XML, and will have learned HTML in the process.
CON: It could have used a better scheme of highlighting points, bulleting, etc. But the dedicated reader will overcome this small failure.
Serves it's purpose.....I like it
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-06
Review Date: 2007-03-06
I had an interest in web development years ago when I invested some time going through free html tutorials online. I also spent some money on a couple of books on html as well as JavaScript, but never finished what I started. About a month ago I purchased this book to get my feet wet again, and I have to say that this book served its purpose.
The title does say "Beginning Web Programming..." and the material definitely fit the title. Having finished reading the XHTML and the CSS portion of this book I feel very comfortable in writing XHTML documents. It also served as a handy, although heavy, reference during my practice coding sessions.
The CSS portion of this book took up two chapters. It served as a great introduction to CSS and it left me with enough know how to write simple stylesheets. As I tried to write more complicated stylesheet like defining rules for layouts using
Hard to follow
Excruciatingly verbose
The title does say "Beginning Web Programming..." and the material definitely fit the title. Having finished reading the XHTML and the CSS portion of this book I feel very comfortable in writing XHTML documents. It also served as a handy, although heavy, reference during my practice coding sessions.
The CSS portion of this book took up two chapters. It served as a great introduction to CSS and it left me with enough know how to write simple stylesheets. As I tried to write more complicated stylesheet like defining rules for layouts using
, I found myself struggling and decided to purchase a more advanced book on CSS.
There are two chapters devoted to JavaScript on this book. From reading the titles of those two chapters I am under the impression that it will give you enough knowledge to download pre-written JavaScripts online and be able to effectively implement it on a webpage. I complete skipped these chapters as I had purchased a separate book on this subject.
All in all, this is a good book for beginners who want to gain the fundamental knowledge about building a website. If you want to become a professional this book serves as a good starting point, as it will equip you with the fundamentals and lead you to your next step in your studies to become a professional Web Developer.
There are two chapters devoted to JavaScript on this book. From reading the titles of those two chapters I am under the impression that it will give you enough knowledge to download pre-written JavaScripts online and be able to effectively implement it on a webpage. I complete skipped these chapters as I had purchased a separate book on this subject.
All in all, this is a good book for beginners who want to gain the fundamental knowledge about building a website. If you want to become a professional this book serves as a good starting point, as it will equip you with the fundamentals and lead you to your next step in your studies to become a professional Web Developer.
Hard to follow
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-03
Review Date: 2007-06-03
I have gone from being frustrated with this title to disliking it intensely. I would suggest alternate materials such as the O'Reilly publication, "HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide."
First, "BWP w/HTML, XHTML, and CSS" is dated. Its publication date is 2004. This text often complains that features "are not supported by browsers" that have since been updated. There are more current materials published within the last year. (And on the subject of browsers, I have not found a single mention of Mozilla, Safari, or Opera in this book).
Second, the author's presentation is often difficult to follow. Concedely it is a difficult subject to organize when there are "live" tags, "deprecated" tags, the ongoing effort to separate stylistic elements into CSS, and different browswers' idiosyncracies with which to deal. Duckett, however, is next to hopeless in separating these subjects.
Most critical is the fact that this book is a very unhappy blend between an introductory tutorial and a reference "bible." Duckett will introduce a basic concept -- say, "tables" and will then load up on all of the attributes that the element might take. Learning the key ideas gets lost in the process. The book often leads off into asides and references to more advanced topics that will easily lose the initiate. It is no coincidence that several of the reviews here use the word "intermediate" in connection with this text.
The author does not seem to understand the principle that individuals learn by working from the "known" step-by-step to the "unknown." Instead, he seems to rely upon the idea that "if I throw everything at them in a random fashion, they'll figure out a good amount of it."
As an example of its "random walk" approach, Chapter 4 first provides a sound introduction into the use of colors and making references to images. The closing section of the chapter, however, branches off into a discussion of the
First, "BWP w/HTML, XHTML, and CSS" is dated. Its publication date is 2004. This text often complains that features "are not supported by browsers" that have since been updated. There are more current materials published within the last year. (And on the subject of browsers, I have not found a single mention of Mozilla, Safari, or Opera in this book).
Second, the author's presentation is often difficult to follow. Concedely it is a difficult subject to organize when there are "live" tags, "deprecated" tags, the ongoing effort to separate stylistic elements into CSS, and different browswers' idiosyncracies with which to deal. Duckett, however, is next to hopeless in separating these subjects.
Most critical is the fact that this book is a very unhappy blend between an introductory tutorial and a reference "bible." Duckett will introduce a basic concept -- say, "tables" and will then load up on all of the attributes that the element might take. Learning the key ideas gets lost in the process. The book often leads off into asides and references to more advanced topics that will easily lose the initiate. It is no coincidence that several of the reviews here use the word "intermediate" in connection with this text.
The author does not seem to understand the principle that individuals learn by working from the "known" step-by-step to the "unknown." Instead, he seems to rely upon the idea that "if I throw everything at them in a random fashion, they'll figure out a good amount of it."
As an example of its "random walk" approach, Chapter 4 first provides a sound introduction into the use of colors and making references to images. The closing section of the chapter, however, branches off into a discussion of the
Excruciatingly verbose
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-08
Review Date: 2006-05-08
This will absolutely be the last Wrox book I bought. The annoying, condescending author's photo on the cover aside, this book is extremely verbose, to the point of distracting the reader from really learning anything. For example, it seems on every other page the author feels compelled to tell you that XHTML is just the successor of HTML (he must of thought of the typical reader as totally dumb) and he has a God-given talent of saying so in far more words than necessary each time. Another example: when he gives you some sample code, he would do it step-by-step, and each step would repeat teh same code that was already printed before! What's more, in teh "how it works" recap section, he would then re-print the entire code segment! This book weighs in at over 600 pages, but the contents could easily have fit on half that. Talking about killing trees.
The content quality itself is also quite lacking. The book is neither a tutorial nor a reference, but seems stuck trying to be both. For example, when a HTML element is introduced, say
The content quality itself is also quite lacking. The book is neither a tutorial nor a reference, but seems stuck trying to be both. For example, when a HTML element is introduced, say
Developing Feeds with RSS and Atom
Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2005-04-13)
List price: $39.95
New price: $21.99
Used price: $12.00
Used price: $12.00
Average review score:
Might have been called The Definitive Guide to RSS
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-27
Review Date: 2006-06-27
One of the very best O'Reilly books I've read in a long time, is Developing Feeds with RSS and Atom by Ben Hammersley. On 240 odd pages, the author introduces the reader to syndication, feeds, the RSS dialects, the Atom syndication format and discusses parsing of feeds and creating feeds. This he does concisely and to the point but with a sense of humor which I greatly enjoy.
The only thing which might be expanded on in a second edition, would be how different RSS reader applications react to feed content. Never the less, I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to get inside RSS feeds.
The only thing which might be expanded on in a second edition, would be how different RSS reader applications react to feed content. Never the less, I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to get inside RSS feeds.
Get your creative juices flowing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-10
Review Date: 2006-03-10
Great intro to the history of RDF/RSS/Atom. Chapter 10 "Unconventional Feeds" will give you great ideas to create and manipulate feeds for yourself. Note that some content has been republished from "Content Syndication with RSS" (0596003838).
Sorely Lacking Content
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-26
Review Date: 2005-10-26
This book has some good resource citings, and general information on RSS. It includes a lot of discussion on the previous iterations in the RSS geneology...up to the current RSS 2.0 specification.
The index is not very thorough.
I bought the book hoping to learn more about RSS feed development (as the title suggests). I was greatly disappointed. There is one chapter dedicated to RSS 2.0. Within the chapter there is a section entitled "Creating RSS 2.0 Feeds." This section--you would think is the core of the book-- is 8 pages long (if that) including 3 pages of Perl code examples.
Good luck if you want to learn about creating Atom feeds from this publication. There is a 14 page chapter dedicated to Atom. It is prefaced with a disclaimer indicating that code in the chapter may fail due to version rot (and to surf the web for answers). Also in this chapter, there is a section entitled "Producing Atom Feeds." This consists of 2 brief paragraphs explaining how the current Atom version is not worth addressing and suggests purchasing the next edition of the book to find out how to produce feeds using up to date libraries!!!
You can draw your own conclusions from all that.
This book falls far short of the quality O'Reilly books of yore.
The index is not very thorough.
I bought the book hoping to learn more about RSS feed development (as the title suggests). I was greatly disappointed. There is one chapter dedicated to RSS 2.0. Within the chapter there is a section entitled "Creating RSS 2.0 Feeds." This section--you would think is the core of the book-- is 8 pages long (if that) including 3 pages of Perl code examples.
Good luck if you want to learn about creating Atom feeds from this publication. There is a 14 page chapter dedicated to Atom. It is prefaced with a disclaimer indicating that code in the chapter may fail due to version rot (and to surf the web for answers). Also in this chapter, there is a section entitled "Producing Atom Feeds." This consists of 2 brief paragraphs explaining how the current Atom version is not worth addressing and suggests purchasing the next edition of the book to find out how to produce feeds using up to date libraries!!!
You can draw your own conclusions from all that.
This book falls far short of the quality O'Reilly books of yore.
Far more practical than Practical RDF
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-21
Review Date: 2005-06-21
O'Reilly's other book on RSS related technologies, Practical RDF, was not very practical at all. This book, on the other hand, addresses a variety of real feed production and consumption topics in a set of language. You will learn the feed standards. But you will learn them through application, not abstraction. And I find that much more effective than a book that presents technologies at the standards level (most of which you never use anyway). Then leaves you hanging.
Good, but heavy on the PERL
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-03
Review Date: 2005-07-03
This book has some great info on RSS and Atom, although not as up to date as one might hope. This book, like the O'Reilly RSS book before it, has a good 1/2 of the book dedicated to PERL specific programming ideas.
Since I don't program in PERL, and can't necessarily follow along, I would much rather have seen more conceptual discussion about RSS/Atom possibiliities than the specific (PERL only) few examples.
Comments for instance - RSS has a tag, but the book doesn't go into depth at all on how to use it. As a webmaster of several blogs, I'd like to know more about the "right" way to do comments - is it as a separate feed? Can I put them inline? How do other people do it? What's the benefits one way or the other?
Overall, a good book, don't get me wrong. I'd just hoped for something a bit different, and hopefully that'll come soon.
Since I don't program in PERL, and can't necessarily follow along, I would much rather have seen more conceptual discussion about RSS/Atom possibiliities than the specific (PERL only) few examples.
Comments for instance - RSS has a
Overall, a good book, don't get me wrong. I'd just hoped for something a bit different, and hopefully that'll come soon.
Html for Dummies Quick Reference
Published in Paperback by Hungry Minds Inc (1996-05)
List price: $12.99
Used price: $0.57
Average review score:
The most basic basics ONLY
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-15
Review Date: 2001-08-15
This book is OK if you just want to learn a small sampling of the simplest tags. Attributes, even of those tags that are covered, are never covered in any appreciable way, and there are many things that just keep showing up that make no sense and are never explained (try figuring out what 'method=get' vs 'method=post' means, for instance). I can appreciate that this book is only meant to cover the basics, but it seemed to me that even what I considered the basics weren't included.
i didn't understand any of it
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-16
Review Date: 1999-04-16
if u don't use words that i can understand than i wont by anything like. that includes any future documents or books. very unsatisfying
A good book for beginners
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-27
Review Date: 2000-07-27
I bought this book a while ago without much knowledge of HTML. This book pretty much covers everything somebody will need to know for a good personal homepage. This book forgets to include examples for the EMBED tag and more advanced html tags. Also, CSS would have been nice to have been mentioned in this book. If you are thinking of becoming a proffesional webmaster, skip this book. It only covers the basics but it does a good job.
Great book! Very helpful and easy to look things up!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-13
Review Date: 1999-07-13
This book is not only helpful with tags and the like, it's also a great learning tool. Look things up by their names or their tags. It's a must have for anybody working with HTML!
Could be all you need to learn HTML
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-14
Review Date: 2000-01-14
While reading this book I was taking an HTML class, and everything we covered in class was discussed clearly in the book. While the book is written at a basic level, presumably that's what someone buying a Dummies title wants. The only reason I didn't give this edition 5 stars was that it doesn't cover HTML 4 or cascading style sheets, which came into use after it was written. But if you want a foundation in HTML written in a very accessible format and without all the cutesy filler so common to other Dummies books, this one is for you.
Inside Dynamic Html (Microsoft Programming Series)
Published in Paperback by Microsoft Pr (1997-10)
List price: $39.99
New price: $4.88
Used price: $0.32
Used price: $0.32
Average review score:
A little old but still the best!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-21
Review Date: 2000-12-21
I've had this book for quite some time know and I still refer to it often. Scott Isaacs, one of the men representing Microsoft for the W3C at the time of the books writing and one of the creators of DHTML, does an outstanding job of introducing you to DHTML in a very easy to understand way. If you are familiar with JavaScript and HTML and need a better understanding of how to combine the two to produce interactive webpages this book is for you. While this book is a bit dated it does an excellent job of laying the foundation for the current state of DHTML. The lessons you learn from this book can be extended by visiting the authors website, probably one of THE best websites available today on cross-browser DHTML! This book is a definite buy!
Only Useful
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-13
Review Date: 2000-01-13
The only word I wanna say is that this book is definitively useful. For those Netscape browsers, the DHTML will not affect the layout of the page at all. If your browser doesn't like DHTML, that's your problem, not our technology's problem. Think about this: If you have no feet, there is no use for shoes. But we cannot deny the fact that shoes are useful.
This is a good book for JavaScript programmers.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-14
Review Date: 1999-04-14
The book provided enough samples to give a good basic understanding of DHTML. If you are looking for a quick and handy DHTML reference book this is NOT it.
The BEST book on DHTML.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-06
Review Date: 1999-02-06
This is THE most thorough and easy to understand book on DHTML today. The author helped create DHTML, so he knows what he's talking about. The website is a great extension of the book.
VB Scripters Move On
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-18
Review Date: 2000-05-18
This book has a lot of fancy Java Script, but to those of us who refuse to write anything compatible with Netscrape (in other words, us VB Scripters), this book is difficult to read. You have to translate the miles of JScript into VB Script. Not much fun. VI Web Technologies reference is a useful daily reference, as well as MSDN Scripting Technologies web site.
Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML and XHTML in 21 Days, Professional Reference Edition (3rd Edition)
Published in Paperback by Sams (2001-06-28)
List price: $49.99
New price: $6.79
Used price: $1.52
Used price: $1.52
Average review score:
good book, bad service
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-20
Review Date: 2003-12-20
The book itself is well written, and I'm learning a lot from it. HOWEVER, the selling-point for me was, as advertised inside the back cover, the companion site with source code and graphics used in the examples in the book. Some competitors' books have a CD-ROM included, but I chose this one figuring accessing a Web site would be just as easy. Well, the Web site does not exist. Bringing this to the publisher's attention was a waste of time. They were neither concerned, apologetic, or interested in making any kind of effort to accept responsibility or rectify the situation. Bad customer service.... I'm quite annoyed.
Beginners: buy this book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-08
Review Date: 2003-05-08
If you want to learn HTML and XHTML this is the book to read. Some subjects are deeper covered than some others but this is the best guide for newbies and a very good reference for the advanced.
The best HTML book - in 2002
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-23
Review Date: 2003-02-23
I am a professional software developer. I've dabbled in HTML as part of my job, but in late 2001 decided to finally take the time to learn the latest HTML standards right. So I set out to find the best and most comprehensive HTML book there was. I considered the five most available and highly-rated ones: Laura Lemay's Teach Yourself (Professional Edition), The HTML Bible, the Wrox HTML book, Elizabeth's Visual QuickStart Guide, and Molly Holzschlag's Special Edition.
None of them are perfect, but Lemay's book seemed to be the best of the bunch - at the time (more on that later). I worked through it the hard way - from cover to cover. Now I can share with you my observations:
PROS:
1) Comprehensive coverage of almost all the important topics, from site planning, the HTML language itself, sound/video to design tips, site marketing and server admin. Its unrivaled breadth gives the novice a good survey of the entire field.
2) The comprehensiveness extends to the well-written appendices - HTML, CSS, Javascript, charset, color and MIME charts make this book a great all-in-one reference long after you've finished the lessons.
3) Commitment to XHTML1.0 means you will learn to do things the right way
4) The three meaty chapters on web server set-up and admin set this book apart, as are the chapters on site marketing and testing.
5) As for the basics, good coverage of text formatting and wrapping
6) Clean, readable writing and layout
CONS:
1) The only major shortfall - insubstantial CSS coverage. The future of page design deserves more than one rather generic chapter. Particularly annoying is Lemay's practice in early chapters of introducing classic formatting tags/attributes only to tell you it's deprecated in HTML 4.0. A comprehensive chart of old-vs-new practices at the end of the CSS chapter would have been helpful, as are re-implementations of all previous examples in standard-compliant HTML (especially for tables).
2) There should have been a few color insert-pages - to help explain the Using Colors section, at least! (I am thinking about the Color Wheel model in the old Teach Yourself Web Design book)
3) Laura Lemay is not a professional designer, and it shows. Look at any HTML book and you can tell whether the author is a Developer, a Tech Writer or a Designer. Lemay writes well and gives some good general design advices, but her example pages are uninspiring. Typography, an issue dear to designers and problematic in the web world, receives scant attention. To learn design, go to chapter 6, 7, 8, 12 of Robin William's "The Non-Designer's Web Book" for sharp and practical advices.
4) Skimpy on: WYSIWYG tools, Java, streaming, Flash, META tags, DNS and domain registration; no mention of the AOL browser
5) Needs better explanation of the DHTML concepts, especially diagrams that show how HTML, CSS and Javascript work together
6) Examples not consistently standard-compliant, Ch.20 errorneously states that Javascript array index starts with 1, and other minor editorial errors
What worries me though, is that the book is not being maintained. Its companion site is gone, and Laura herself stated on her site that she's retired. In contrast, Molly Holzschlag is an active member of the web designer community and her "Special Edition" was just updated last May - so that may be the new Gold Standard now.
The definitive beginners XHTML guide
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-16
Review Date: 2002-06-16
I picked up this book in March, 2002 with no prior knowledge of HTML. In less than three weeks I learned how to create good-looking web pages, featuring Cascading Style Sheets, in XHTML (the latest revision of HTHL).
This book is simply outstanding. Laura Lemay presents the markup language in a clear, easy-to-understand manner with excellent, real-world examples. You need no prior programming skills of any kind. Reading and working through the examples of this book has enabled me to create my own website in a matter of weeks.
For anyone who wants to learn HTML, I would strongly recommend this book.
SAMS Teach Yourself Web Publishing With HTML And XHTML In 21
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-20
Review Date: 2002-02-20
This is the professional reference third edition, complete with a CD-ROM that has source code examples, web graphics and sample software. This is a very easy-to-use, comprehensive book for learning either HTML or XHTML.
The clear step-by-step instructions in this book make it easy for even a beginner to gain hands-on practice with web page creation.
This book will teach you how to work with color, sound, animation and images.
I let my husband, who knows nothing about computers, take a look at this book and play around designing a web page. It was one of the few times he wasn't saying "honey, how do I.......?"
If you are a beginner, I'd definitely get this book. If you have some experience with HTML or XHTML, this would make an excellent reference edition for your bookshelf. The user level is beginner to intermediate.
I have spent a lot of time building web pages over the last four years and some of the information in this book was new to me.
The clear step-by-step instructions in this book make it easy for even a beginner to gain hands-on practice with web page creation.
This book will teach you how to work with color, sound, animation and images.
I let my husband, who knows nothing about computers, take a look at this book and play around designing a web page. It was one of the few times he wasn't saying "honey, how do I.......?"
If you are a beginner, I'd definitely get this book. If you have some experience with HTML or XHTML, this would make an excellent reference edition for your bookshelf. The user level is beginner to intermediate.
I have spent a lot of time building web pages over the last four years and some of the information in this book was new to me.
Books-Under-Review-->Computers-->Data Formats-->Markup Languages-->29
Related Subjects: XML SGML XHTML SMIL HTML
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Related Subjects: XML SGML XHTML SMIL HTML
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A better title for it might have been: "XML: A Developer's Almanac". (Which, I suppose is a good-enough alternative title for any book in the O'Reilly "Nutshell" series.)