Markup Languages Books

I'm a big fan of Barry Burd's books. This is the third book I've read from him. I bought it in 2008 and it was written several years earlier. This makes some of the material dated, but throughout most of the book, the examples compile fine. Before this book, I knew nothing about XML but knew how to program in Java. And by the time I was about a third of the way through the book, I had one of my Java programs pulling in an XML feed and displaying the results. I would recommend this book after you read Barry's Java for Dummies.

This was one of the gifts my son wanted for Christmas. He was so thrilled to add it to his "library". When I browsed through it, I discovered that it's even simple enough for me to understand!..ha ha
Keep the Dummies books coming.

I am not sure what book the other two readers have read but it sure is not this one, I have been in the business for a number of years and the author offers trite remarks and even worse idioms to pad the book out. If you are interested in XML or Java I would suggest another book such as Mastering Java which actually tells you what Java and XML are for.

I have 18 years exp. with IBM BAL and I'm also doing some work with modern technologies. I have looked through many JAVA/XML books and this is definitely the best book for both beginners and advanced users. Author presents in good depth a vast array of present technology, samples are working like that!! It has helped me a lot to get a grip of advanced matter such as SAX, DOM, JDOM, schema, SOAP and so on... Some other nice features of this book is a good readable style and more than usual coverage of the main subject.
I am grateful to the author for the enormous scope of what has been accomplished. And, of course, I'll try to follow the recommendation to buy another books by Barry Burd in two copies: one for my home, and another for my office.

If you're a Java developer looking to get up to speed on how XML/Java/XSLT/Web Services, and lots of other topics, then this book is a great place to start.

The book doesn't pretend to (and says so) teach every topic it covers (XSL, for example is presented in context but not really taught -- that would take a MUCH bigger book). Still, with some familarity with the topics, the code presented is great. XML (part of the book's title) is covered quite nicely.

It's assumed that you're somewhat familiar with Java.

In my case, I needed to find some clear explanations of how to create an XML file and then read that XML file along with an XSL stylesheet (I was learning XSL using Java/XSLT by O'Reiley at the same time). Barry's JDOM chapter and the chapter on putting data on the Web solved both these issues.

Don't get put off that this is a "Dummies" book. I have found it useful for at least two projects (the most recent I wrote about above).

Also, when there was a minor problem with the code where IE 6 wouldn't recognize the stylesheet processing instruction when it was at the bottom of the XML file, the author was extremely helpful and responsive to this issue. He helped me research the problem and wrote me back with his findings.

To put my review in perspective: I'm the kind of developer who likes to learn to walk before I learn to run. If you like to just jump into a complex book and wade your way though the material, then this book might not be for you. But, if you like to get a feeling for the technology and get relatively straightforward examples *working* first, then check out this book.

Barry explains topics clearly and simply.

All in all, I found this book to be completely refreshing compared to most of the books out there.

He will take your money and never deliver the site. His coding and design is 10 years old. Don't waste your money on his book and NEVER wire him money to the UK.

As informative as this book is, I've found that it doesn't cover much in detail. It brushes against the fundamentals, but lacks a more in-depth guide for advanced developers.

I also found the index and appendixes very difficult to utilize when looking for specific functions. It would have been nice to find ALL references to what I needed and not just the appendix 'definition'.

It's a good starting point for beginners, but advanced users might find it a bit frustrating.

The author has done an excellent job of presenting the enormous amount of information contained in this book. It is laid out logically with step by step instructions and plenty of easy to follow examples. It can be read right through or dipped into when needed. I recommend it to advanced Lasso developers and beginners alike.

The Lasso Professional 5 Developer's Guide certainly demonstrates the foundations of exemplary Lasso development: simple, efficient, well documented code, proper security mechanisms, and a well organized project. But, more importantly, it provides a critical perspective: Lasso is not only a tool to throw up some forms or get a database on the web; it is a fully featured development platform which will allow you to build web applications with incomparable efficiency. Users of Lasso since version 1 to those embarking on their first Lasso project will benefit from the perspective and experience clearly articulated in this well organized and thoughtful guide.

This guide is excellent. I've read the thing cover to cover and consequently left my nervous insecure lasso newbie stage for a pretty much know what the heck I'm doing and can get it done pretty dang fast stage. The book is easy to read with excellent and clear examples. The sample code is invaluable and very practical. It's oriented for both the new and experienced Lasso developer with many insights on Lasso 5 that you won't find elsewhere. It's a reference book and a learning guide. The section of regular expressions just might change your life. I don't think you can't go wrong if you get this book.

Ramalho did a very good reference for who wants to learn html 4.0. The book is very clear and good to stay up-to-date in html code.

This book is for people who do not know HTML already. It covers DHTML very little. Almost the half of the book is about HTML.

I gave it to a friend of mine who wants to start building homepage.

If you're an experienced, get a book from O'Reilley.

I feel that I have a good understanding of HTML after reading this book, and I also got an overview of other important aspects of WEB development, such as Java Script, CGI programs and DHTML. For CGI programming the language Perl was used, which I believe is an old fashion programming language. CGI-programming in C/C++ would have been more helpful. I liked that the author explained thoroughly the differences between Netscape and Internet Explorer, and the programs included on the CD was also helpful. It is not room for everything in one book, but I would have appreciated a better explanation of server topics, such as how to receive information sent from the user (from forms), how to store it on the server, files etc. The script language could also have been more thoroughly described. The educational structure of the book is a bit untidy. The structure varies through the book, which is a bit irritating. The layout of the web pages are a little eighties. It is also a bit difficult to find the examples on the CD-room. OK, enough is enough, this was a very good book, but not a 5-stars. I rate it 4 stars.

The book is easy to use even for novises in HTML. The examples are well documented and easy to understand. Especially the parts on DHTML , Java and Perl make the book usefull for individuals with more knowledge in HTML.

This book takes the novice or intermediate internet user and shows all resources needed to develop a professional page. From the basics of HTML the author takes the reader by the hand and introduces advanced topics including image maps, animated images, Javascript and DHTML. If you are not a web designer and wants to start you home page this book is an excellent option. The book comes with many freeware tools to help the reader write an home page

I'm not sure why other people are giving this book such a high mark because my experience with this book is that it's written in haste without much check to the codes that are featured in this book. I would say that in many case using the example off the book would not yield the effect that is shown in the figures. For instance on page 272, the source has a typo where its supposed to say IMG src=" is written as IMGsrc=". With the example of this page the logo image will appear with borders ( an effect you don't want with your company logo ) but the figure in the book shows logo with no borders. I also find the format of presentation to be sketchy and not to be clear about what code produced what effects. The author presents a block of code and boom, this is how the page looks is the way things are explained (?). This is unhelpful especially if the code contains bugs. Readers who have minimal exposure to HTML will no doubt find the gap bewildering. The book also lacks scenario for gradually building up for practical application of each tags. (...)

They probably can lead you in a more concise step by step introduction to each tags and publishing on the web. If you're looking for a list of HTML 4 tag reference, you probably can find a better book than this.

The layout and straightforward presentation of Practical HTML 4 allows the reader to efficiently absorb information very smoothly and quickly. It is a joy to read and cleanly organized with a nice amount of white space to jot down notes, etc. The dissected PARTS into smaller topics are especially helpful. A reader may skip an entire portion without loosing necessary information to move forward through the book. This book claims to be for beginners. This is true but it will also be useful as a reference book for those more experienced. You do not have to look further. Enjoy!

This book is well layed out and has interesting examples that anyone who has never used HTML can follow. I would recomend it as an HTML text or reference book.

The more advanced sections of the book are an ok overview of concepts. Unfortunately, I found that there were a lot of type-o's and some of the javascript examples simply don't work with out being fixed. If the reader has never seen C++ or Java before I don't know how they will figure out what needs fixing.

I recently bought this book because I'm very interested in making my own web pages and didn't know anything at all about HTML. Right from the introduction, I felt comfortable with my decision to buy the book. It was definitely made with the beginner in mind and it even says so. With close to 700 pages you'd think you were taking on a task that was next to astronomical but I assure you, you'll have fun learning with this book and value it's information.

The layout and straightforward presentation of Practical HTML 4 allows the reader to efficiently absorb information very smoothly and quickly. It is a joy to read and cleanly organized with a nice amount of white space to jot down notes, etc. The dissected PARTS into smaller topics are especially helpful. A reader may skip an entire portion without loosing necessary information to move forward through the book. This book claims to be for beginners. This is true but it will also be useful as a reference book for those more experienced. You do not have to look further. Enjoy!

I bought this book not knowing what to expect, the description promised quite a bit of know-how was contained within. Pleased to say it was well worth it. Prior to getting this book, I'd gotten good with ActionScript and JavaScript but to hook Flash up with any back-end scripting or XML for my clients I've always been calling other people to consult and half the time had to just go with HTML instead.

I always had a fear of any of those 3-letter languages (ASP/PHP) since the few books I'd gotten on them were way to heavy on programming theory and usually lacking on real world examples, and definitely never had an example of how to connect those things to Flash! There's a good sampling of how to effectively use XML with Flash and working through the examples let me finally understand many concepts that previously had been just out of my grasp.

If you are new to coding, and want to learn about the XML objects in Flash, and how they interact with PHP, ASP and Java, this book will more than get you started. Very well commented source code also.

XML in Flash begins by illustrating the basics of XML and the Flash XML Object.

In Part I, Flash is used as a teaching aid as you learn the basics of Flash/XML integration.

Part II covers how Flash works with middleware languages, such as PHP and ASP, as well as performance and optimization. You will also create a Flash message board with a database. Part

III delves into the advantages of XMLSocket. Hands-on projects include creating a stock market ticker to receive XML data from servers. Finally, the appendixes include invaluable reference information on XML, XMLNode objects, and XMLSocket objects, as well as Frequently Asked Questions.

The example applications also illustrate the key concepts necessary for understanding the Flash/XML relationship.

To be fair, I am giving them 3 stars. I purchased this book months ago to get me started with XML in Flash. I have not read the whole book, and gave up rather easily. I am not saying the book is bad, I just wanted to say that if you tell your readers the web site will be an "invaluble resource for learning the ins and outs of using XML in Flash" you might want to offer more than just the source code.

"[URL]will also have message boards and Frequently Asked Questions so you can find quick answers to any questions that need answering."

Please go to the website and look for yourself.

[URL]

The page was last modified 3/25/2002 and here it is months later.

This book is a MUST HAVE if you plan on working with XML within Flash. The book covers all the details of working with ActionScript and XML. I started out with little knowledge of ActionScript and working with the ActionScript associated with Flash's XML objects and methods. The authors explain almost every thing so clearly, that you understand not only how to work with the XML objects and methods, but how to work with ActionScript. I've found that there are quite a few errors that cause things not to work, which kind of bugged. But with my new knowledge was able to correct the bugs. .... I gave it 4 stars because it was enjoyable learning, easy to understand and I was able to do what I wanted...Learn XML in Flash, I would have given it a +5 if the errors wouldn't have been there.

I bought this guide because I needed a quick lookup for XML schema elements (something you'd think would be readily available online, but isn't - at least not in a usable form). The bulk of the book (70 of its 162 pages - about half) is dedicated to XSD, so I was very happy with what I got. The first 30 pages cover XML itself (all the nitpicking details like predefined entities, what characters are allowed in attribute names, etc). The next 17 pages cover DTD (which you may occasionally still need to know, even these days). The next 70 cover XML Schema, and the book finishes up with an additional 43 pages on Relax-NG and Schematron (two competing, and not very common, schema definition formats).

I agree with other reviewers that the book would have been complete without the Relax-NG and Schematron coverage, but it would have just been 43 pages shorter if that was the case - there's really not much else they could have said about XML, DTD and XSD and still have been a concise "pocket reference". This book is actually pretty thick for an O'Reilly pocket reference - I have four other pocket guides on my bookshelf right now, and the other three have 120, 124 and 66 pages each. By that standard, I figure the coverage of Relax-NG and Schematron were just a "buy one get one free" type of add-on, especially since this book costs the same as all the other pocket reference books.

This book is a perfect reference for somebody who needs a quick, handy reference to XML schema and the occasional XML rule.

My problem with this book is that I was hoping it would concentrate more on just XML Schema, something I think most people would prefer. Of course, how I am qualified to make that kind of statement is beyond me ;-) But here is my reasoning: A fairly large portion of the book covers DTDs, RELAX NG, and Schematron. DTDs, while ubiquitous, are being supplanted by XML Schema. Usage of RELAX NG and Schematron are, by the book's own admission, not widespread. So it seems that all three of these technologies could have been admitted, as were many other XML-related technologies (XSLT, XPath, etc.)
In addition, I feel the regular-expression-like inclusions should have been omitted. These include something referred to as Productions in one part of the book and Contents in another. Maybe good for hard-core CS people, but pretty much useless for those of us who just want to work with XML Schema. An ideal replacement would have been some examples illustrating sample usage of various elements and attributes.
All in all, the descriptions accompanying the elements and attributes are pretty good. Unfortunately, that accounts for only about one-third of the book. But it only costs $10 and it is small, so maybe it's worth it.

The other review book I received yesterday was XML Pocket Reference (3rd Edition) by Simon St. Laurent and Michael Fitzgerald. Depending on what you're looking for, this may or may not the book for you...

Contents: Introduction; XML Structures; Document Type Definitions; W3C XML Schema; RELAX NG; Schematron; XML Specifications; Index

Admittedly, trying to cover "XML" in a single book is a daunting task. XML is made up of so many standards and technologies (XPath, XForms, XML Schema, etc.) that you either have to specialize your coverage area or be ready to publish a *really* heavy book. To their credit, the authors stripped out XSLT into it's own pocket guide. That act keeps this particular book small enough to fit in your pocket and that's good. But if you're wanting information on XSLT and think this might be your book, forget it.

Next, the XML Structures and Document Type Definition chapters seemed to be a little confusing. There was something introduced that I had never heard of before... something called "Productions" followed by syntax that looked like regular expression language. Never having seen that term before in my XML reading, I went back to the introduction to see what the authors wanted to convey there. The only explanation was "As each structure is discussed, applicable productions from the XML 1.0 and 1.1 specs will be listed in the order in which they appear in the specs." So, I still really don't know what productions are, and I probably have to go to the specs to find that out. The description of each section in an XML document, like CDATA or declarations, was nice though.

The book starts to become really useful when you get into the XML Schema section. There they go into each of the elements along with each attribute that can be used with the element. This is the type of reference information I'd expect to see in a pocket guide. Something I can turn to quickly as a refresher for what parameters or attributes I can use with an element, or to gain a quick understanding of an element I haven't seen before. This same structure is followed for the RELAX NG and Schematron schema languages, so the book will be helpful if you live in those worlds also.

Basically, I found the XML Pocket Guide to be a little "hit and miss". If the title had been "XML Schema Pocket Guide", I'd have felt like the book was pretty on target. Trying to call it the XML Pocket Guide seems to infer there's a lot more in here than there actually is, and a buyer might get a copy and be highly disappointed in what it doesn't cover. If you're looking for schema info, you'll love the book. If that's a secondary reason for you to get the book, you might be disappointed.

The majority of the new material in this book is on different schema specifications. Schema, Relax NG and Schematron are covered. A handy book to have around when you are hacking XML. The online free documentation is not as handy as the content as it's organized in this book.

I am one of the coauthors of this book. I feel compelled to write a review in support of my friend and coauthor, Simon St. Laurent, who wrote the section on XML Schema. Of the 160 pages of text in XML Pocket Reference, Third Edition, 71 pages are dedicated to XML Schema. That's 44 percent of the book. Of the 71 pages, 16 pages cover examples of XML Schema.

DTDs are covered in 15 pages, RELAX NG in 32, and Schematron in 10 (57 pages total). XML Schema receives the most extensive treatment of any of the topics covered, and within the limitations of the size of the book, Simon did an excellent job.

XSLT and XPath were not included in this book because a new, separate volume has been dedicated to those topics-XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference, by Evan Lenz, which also appeared in August 2005.

As for the production rules, they were included for programmers and others who need grammars. The productions, which come from the XML spec, are a means for understanding XML syntax precisely, and it would have been unwise, in my view, to omit them.

I found this book great. I am a novice and wanted to create my own web site, thinking that it really can't be that hard. And thanks to this book it was easy. The lessons were easy to follow, the explanations were very clear, and it gives you a good grounding in html. I would recommend it to anyone with an iMac.

While basic HTML is the same, web site design has advanced so much since this book was first published it only serves as a source of frustration for anyone wishing to create a sharp-looking site. It takes hours of reading this book to learn basic information you could otherwise get from one of those HTML cheat cards they sell at the bookstore (which, this book is dearly lacking!). As an earlier reviewer noted, there is little in the book that is Mac-specific, so don't think you need a book that says, "Mac" on the cover to learn HTML.

The narrative format may work well for someone who knows absolutely nothing about the web. But, it only slows down the reader looking to get up and running fast. If you want to create a cheesy "retro" style web page circa 1999, this is your book. If you want to create a professional site, there must be better books out there than this one.

As an artist I felt it would be somehow cheating to have someone else design my website, even though I'm not a computer artist. But it seemed like a huge endeavor, something that would take ages to learn. ( I didn't even know what HTML was when I began!).
Finally I purchased Steve Callihan's book out of a small selection of instructional books for Mac users. I didn't look at it for several weeks, but when I did just a few days ago I found that with Steve's engaging writing style and clear step-by-step instructions, I was learning and creating just as fast as the book promises! In no time I understood what I was doing well enough to play around with the helpful example sites and graphics he supplies.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to do this but dreads getting started.
Also, the book's web site is very helpful, with more graphics that you can download and a FAQ section which you can add to with your own questions. Many other web publishing resources are also listed in the book.
Steve Callihan is a wonderful author and teacher!

[This is a review of the *Macintosh* version, "Create Your First Mac Web Page on a Weekend"] There's far too little devoted specifically to the Macintosh end of computing, so I was happy to see this book address a project I've always wanted to start: creating my first webpage, but *not* on a dreaded Windows machine! I'm pleased to say the book is exactly as advertised...by the end of a weekend I'd created and posted a simple but effective website on AOL. Step-by-step exercises take you through the various aspects of coding, assuming no previous knowledge, and a simple but effective process of typing a few lines of code, and then checking it in your web browser to see the instantaneous results, gives you good feedback and instant gratification to see what you're learning. Calihan covers text-based HTML as well as an overview of using Adobe PageMill 3.0, and a decent general look at the mechanics of a basic and effective website (rule #1: always plan your website's structure before you start coding...I learned this the hard way!) An enclosed CD-ROM contains all the software tools you'll need plus numerous coding examples, website templates, images, clip art and backgrounds to get your started. The basic structure of the book breaks your work into easy-to-handle weekend segments (Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, etc.) so you can go into work on Monday and tell your friends to look at your new website. A number of minor flaws take a couple points away from my praise: 1) There's no general overview or review of what you have learned and where it has gotten you at the end of each chapter or session--a point by point recap, with a review table of the coding you've learned, would have been much appreciated. 2) There's no appendix or pull-out reference chart of the various coding you've just learned...to remember what you need to type, you have to page back through the chapters. (There are several *other* books that feature such charts or pull-outs, but the inclusion of one in this volume would have been a big help). 3) The most grievous problem: a number of typos in the coding examples themselves might have you scratching your head wondering what you did wrong. I finally figured out there were missing proper end paragraph codes at the end of examples on page 51 and 60, for example. For Mac users who get frustrated at Windows-centric manuals, this *is* a solid book, but it needs some improvements and corrections. Version 2.0 anyone?

It was a choice between Sams and Dummies. I choose dummies because it was the latest (4.51) and for dummies. When I read it though, it wasn't for dummies. I was looking for more of a step by step this is how you do it kind of book. Instead, it was mostly describing what certain things do without giving a real clear step by step this-is-how-you-do-it. Now I have to go back and buy another Homesite book because this wasn't what I expected at all. If you know what you're doing, then this is for you. I've used frontpage and am fine with it, but this book was way too advanced and general for me.

Homesite 4.5 is an excellant program, and some of its many features are quite intuitive. But you KNOW there is much more power under the hood... if only you could figure out how to tap it. This book succeeds in doing just that. It does a <> job explaining, not only "To insert an image (for example) click here", but what the various image options are, how they will look, what options may not work with older browsers, and such. Nearly every page I read I thought to myself "Wow! Homesite does THAT?". A book has got to be REALLY good to accomplish that.

The review from LillySSS does point out one (potential) limitation: This book does not teach you how to create a web site. If you've never created a web site before, neither this book (or, in my opinion, Homesite itself) is for you. But if you've created a few pages with Frontpage and now need more control (or want to create pages that aren't so bloated with code) then this book should do the trick. Conversely, if you've hand coded web sites in HTML, the program and this book let you do exactly what you've been doing, but with a whole lot less effort.

In any case... if you are using Homesite, you will get a lot more out of the program, and become more proficient, with this book.

I've been using HomeSite for several months now and finally broke down and purchased this book. I wasn't sure if I really needed it because HomeSite is very intuitive and I was already very productive with it. Even so, this is a very worthwhile purchase. I have only read some of it, but I discovered a feature that I've been misusing and a few others that I didn't really know too much about. Each of these, properly used, will save me time and I'll be even more productive. Because this book was coauthored by Nick Bradbury, the original developer of HomeSite, I have a better appreciation of his overall intent with HomeSite. It really is a product geared toward productivity and the more you understand that, the more you really want to fully master the software, because like a good investment, you'll get back what you put into it and much more.

At first I was afraid that since this book was co-written by Nick bradbury, the creator of Homesite, it would be way over my beginner head. But alas- I was wrong. I've had no trouble at all manuvering through the maze of new information, really grasping what a wondeful HTML editor Homesite 4.5 really is. This book is comprehensive as heck and i now know so many little shortcuts I feel like a pro. If you already have a bit of a grasp HTML you can skip ahead and still learn all of the nifty shortcuts that will save you valuable time - that you can spent outside, away from your computer.

This book provides the easiest way to teach yourself HTML. I highly recommend this book.

I think this book is quite a acceptable guide for HTML beginner. However, I've found quite a number of typing and grammar mistakes. It seems that the book was written in a hurry. Not so well orgranized and presented.

If you want to learn to design your own web pages in a very short amount of time, this is the book for you. No sophisticated computer talk -- just plain, usable, practical information.

I like it alot it goes into detail of how o create web pages on the net though sometimes it seems to get lost and it could also use a better quick reference for html tags!! other than that it is a solid book and I would reccomond buying it!

This is an excelent book buy it

* El CD es bueno, contiene bastantes imágenes, para aquellos que saben utilizar programas de manipulación de imágenes, pueden hacer uso de algunas para su sitio.

* Contiene tambien bastante código re-utilizable, que es bueno tambien, sim embargo, la mayoría de estos los encuentras en internet.

* El problema con este libro, es que está enfocado a programación básica, no entra en detalles como Bases de datos, Macromedia, e incluso scripts.

* Lo recomiendo para aquellas personas que deseen empezar en esto. Es fácil de leer, y con bastantes ejemplos.

Suerte!

Este libro te enseña a utilizar código mas que nada. No habla sobre bases de datos, ni sobre applets, o Macromedia. Siento que está muy atrás de lo que es internet hoy en día.

* Para los que son nuevos en esto, está perfecto.

* Para el que quiere crecer sus conocimientos en el Desarrollo de Internet, no es muy bueno.

* Para el que es muy autodidacta, no se lo recomiendo, ya que puede aprender todo lo que viene en el libro, en el mismo Internet.

Reutilizar código es bueno, pero tambien necesitamos saber al 100% cómo realizarlo.

El CD que viene con el libro, es bueno. Tiene muchas imágenes que puedes utilizar en caso de saber manipularlas.

Suerte!

Este libro les ayudará a crear sus páginas web de una manera muy sencilla. No utiliza literatura complicada y cada cosa es explicada suponiendo que no poseemos mucha experiencia previa en el tema. Ideal para personas que se inician en el armado de páginas Web.