SGML Books
Related Subjects: Companies Style Sheets Applied Languages HyTime Groups Software References and Standards
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You know, they say 'Let dead dogs lie'Review Date: 2006-11-30
Visual Master PieceReview Date: 2000-10-12
The best thing about this book is that it's CONCISE! Most books go into unnessasary detail or drone on and on just to make the book bigger and thus try to make itself seem like a better value, but this book doesn't. It is well written and gets straight to the point! ... uh. unlike this great review! =)
Works, but very Outdated!Review Date: 2003-11-01
the easiest and bestReview Date: 2002-05-07
The "Webster's Dictionary" of HTML booksReview Date: 2001-03-29
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Great BookReview Date: 2001-02-21
Promises but doesn't deliver!Review Date: 2001-01-02
I gave up.
I expect when I purchase a book, that most if not all (no one is perfect) the examples will work. I also believe that expensive and expansive books like this one should come with a CD that not only fully reflects the code in the book; but also contains a HTML version of the book as well to facilitate searching.
My comments only reflect upon the Java XML chapter 42. I have been reluctant to use the book any further. I hope the next edition rectifies the present short-comings.
If you are a beginner, this book is okReview Date: 2002-08-11
A well-rounded education in current web development toolsReview Date: 2001-01-23
Thorough, engaging overview of Web technologiesReview Date: 2001-02-25
That gamble paid in spades. This book will provide a computer-familiar reader an idea of the plumbing behind modern Web sites. The text describes many varieties of Web-building tools, and includes clear explanations, examples, and code. I especially enjoyed learning from the book's dozens of figures. These typically show the results of executing example code, with the captions giving excellent summaries of points made in the text. For example, rather than writing "Here is a sample of Netscape Dynamic HTML layers," the caption on p. 684 says "Netscape Dynamic HTML layers can be used to show context-sensitive information on your Web pages."
I could not find any faults with this book, although Web development is not my specialty. If you are looking for a book to make you an expert in any one or two of the subjects covered (i.e., JavaScript, Dynamic HTML, even XHMTL), you will not be satisfied. The authors recognize this point and direct focused readers to more comprehensive sources. If you are looking for a guide to what makes Web surfing and serving work at a technical level, I strongly recommend this book. Keep in mind that rapidly evolving Web processes can make books like this less relevant as time passes. If you believe this particular edition is becoming obsolete, be confident that the authors' next edition will be just as educational.
Note: I congratulate the editors and four authors for creating a "cohesive" 1400 page book. I was pleased to see each chapter explicitly bearing the individual author's name, and glad to see seamless references to work in chapters by different co-authors. Bravo Que.
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Not for XML Novice!Review Date: 2008-07-14
You need to learn Python Language before understanding this book, wtf?
If you are looking for a quick guide and learning book for XML, you might be disappointed by this paper-brick.
Might be a fine reference for XML veterans.
Book is god but the most companion Sourcecode is missing!!!Review Date: 2003-09-05
In most the RSSKIT library from the greatest Artikel in this Book.
Also missing some smaller parts like SAXTRACKER and more.
It seems also that the Code is almost out of Time.
Complete reference for experienced developersReview Date: 2002-06-26
After a quick introduction to the XML processing the author wastes no time getting to the meat by going into processing types in Sections II (Event-Based Processing), III (Tree-Based Processing) and IV (Declarative Processing). Each of these sections are comprised of chapters and topics that cover the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, common tools and example applications, and tips and techniques.
Section V is focused on Java development, including SAX in Java, DOM in Java and XSLT In Java Applications. This section covers APIs, tools and specific considerations for each topic.
The final section addresses XML processing in detail, and deals with alternative processing approaches (including hybrids of event-, tree- and declarative-based models), schemas, and RSS.
In addition the appendices are informative and add to the value of this book. In particular, Appendix A, A Lightning Introduction to Python, will get seasoned developers up-to-speed (augmented by Appendix C which covers Python XML Packages). Appendix B is a glossary that goes into considerable detail, making it a handy reference.
I found this book to be well written, complete and devoid of fluff. An excellent companion to this book is the three book bundle titled "The Definitive XML Professional Toolkit", which contains CHARLES F. GOLDFARB'S XML HANDBOOK by Charles F. Goldfarb and Paul Prescod, DEFINITIVE XSLT AND XPATH by G. Ken Holman and DEFINITIVE XML SCHEMA by Priscilla Walmsley.
Well Written and to the PointReview Date: 2002-07-14
Not so with Garshol's manuscript. For only a little more money I recieved a lot more on general XML processing than just SAX (and more on SAX than most of those other books). "Devinitive XML Application Development" is a well written book covering the most prevailent operations in XML processing and how to implement them (using the most popular event-based, tree-based and other APIs). Also, as a testiment to Garshol's writing, I was able to understand the examples used throughout the book even though he uses Python - a foriegn language for me. There is also a quick tutorial on Python in the appendix.
One minor nit: this book doesn't have any reference material to complement the wonderful text. However, another book in the series (Charles F. Goldfarb's XML Handbook) covers that. Besides, a reference alone won't give you, "...the skills, insights, and example code you need to build [XML applications] right" (from the back cover, which says it better than I could).
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Necessary for SGML; useless for XMLReview Date: 2002-04-08
But beware: if you're doing just XML, and if you think "well, since XML is a form of SGML, I might as well get the SGML standard", don't do it! XML is all you need to know, so just get an XML book-- I happen to like XML Pocket Reference, partly because it's less than one TWENTIETH the price of the SGML standard, and yet it's a hundred times more useful! (Having a copy of the XML spec, from the W3C site, can also be helpful.)
For the kind of money that you could be spending on The SGML Handbook, instead go buy a copy of the Codex Seraphinianus. It's equally indecipherable, but at least it's pretty.
Required SGML Reading IFReview Date: 2000-02-08
The official ISO standard.Review Date: 1996-02-04
Turgid, obscure, confusing; but essential for advanced SGML.Review Date: 1996-08-07
However, SGML is so far the only reasonably universal and standard way of marking up text, and this is the only comprehensive treatment of it, including all the peculiar little bits that you probably should never use. The book includes the full text of the ISO standard as well as cross-references and annotation.
The book, like the standard, uses terminology and notation which are not standard in the rest of computer science. The tutorial material is weak. The book design is ugly and hard to read.
Yet SGML, bad as it is, is an important and useful standard, and this is a comprehensive reference for it. Let us hope that both the standard and the book will be improved radically in the future.
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UselessReview Date: 2003-03-22
Content good, writing poorReview Date: 2002-05-03
Agreed its a good workReview Date: 2002-03-22
You can have this book even on the road, and I promise it would add value to whatever you know about this subject. I would suggest to buy this book for sure.
Awesome book! A must buy for system architectsReview Date: 2002-03-16
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In-depth and practicalReview Date: 2004-11-20
Useful but becoming outdatedReview Date: 2006-01-05
But the biggest problem is that Six Apart has updated Movable Type in ways that make this book obsolete in some aspects and that make it necessary to translate concepts in others. At this point, it's probably not worth the trouble to buy the book, and also probably not worth the trouble to write this kind of book when updates are so extensive and frequent.
This book is difficultReview Date: 2005-03-18
But in all fairness, this is a difficult subject to explain. Since personal blogging is so new on the scene, it seems like the blog jargon is still a little fuzzy. Liberal use of Google helps. Since many of the concepts in blogging software are new to me, I would have appreciated a clearer explaination in the introduction, perhaps with some graphic illustrations. Some of the topics here, "Publishing with Movable Type" for example, are filled with examples and terminology that belong in a later section of the book. It would suffice to just give the reader a broader overview of how the software works.
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Great beginners reference book for beginners!!Review Date: 2007-05-24
replaces 6 books [one for each language]Review Date: 2005-08-09
Hopefully, you should be able to appreciate that HTML is simple. In fact, of all that the book discusses, HTML is the simplest language. Several initial chapters walk you through HTML. It must be stressed that mastery of HTML is needed to make sense of the rest of the book.
The later languages either extend the scope of an HTML file, or they generate the file, roughly speaking. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) lets you easily factor out common definitions that are used across multiple web pages, where you can imagine that each web page corresponds to a file storing it. Schafer explains how to use CSS to simplify management of a set of HTML files. A centralised way to set common fonts and the like. More robust.
But HTML is a declarative language. Good, because laymen can more easily understand and write such languages. It's easier to say what should be done, than how to do it. But for the times when you need more expressive power on the browser, Schafer offers JavaScript. A procedural language that actually has nothing to do with Java. [The coincidence in names was a marketing ploy.]
Schafer does not ignore the server. CGI is given, as the first generation attempt at server side code. Its limitations spawned the use of Perl, PHP and Python for easier parsing of user input and generation of new dynamic pages.
Each of these languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Perl, PHP and Python) is often the subject of its own book. No surprise then that Schafer explaining all 6 gave us a book of this length!
Web standards?Review Date: 2006-08-08
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great intro bookReview Date: 2002-08-26
Excellent Beginners BookReview Date: 2002-08-26
Worst Technical Book EverReview Date: 2002-08-05
Far too many fluff drawings, blank pages and repeated information. Specifically, this book advertises to have 192 pages, but only about 100 pages have relevant information; the last page number in this book is 167, which is at the end of the index. This is followed by 13 completely blank pages.
If you want a book on XML, start with "Beginning XML" by David Hunter. It has all of the details that you need to understand XML. From there, you can tackle XSL, JDBC, etc.
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Niceties and generalitiesReview Date: 2004-04-28
Almost useless for the techie interested in the internal workings/practicalities of SGML
A readable account of SGMLReview Date: 1996-12-13
The full title of this book is *ABCD...SGML A User's Guide to Structured Information*; the author is described as "a writer and consultant in SGML and technical publishing", which is an understatement - Liora Alschuler is an authority on, and an articulate advocate for, SGML. I am impressed by her ability to discuss technical matters in plain language, something that should make the subject of SGML accessible to a wide audience.
The Standard Generalized Markup Language is an ISO standard (ISO 8879:1986) that "originally ... was just another way to set type". Since then it has had a tremendous impact on electronic publishing and served as a template for the ubiquitous HTML.
Who uses SGML? There is a formidable user-base that includes DoD (and the defence establishments of many countries), government instrumentalities world-wide, large corporations (including Intel, Butterworth, Ericsson, Standard & Poor's, and Columbia University Press), and even Microsoft (in Cinemania).
This book describes what SGML is, what it is capable of doing - in both print and electronic media - and discusses the question: Should I use SGML? The author's passion for SGML does not cloud her objectivity; she makes it quite clear that SGML is not an appropriate solution for every application, and her in-depth discussion of the issues should enable readers to make informed assessments.
An extensive chapter entitled, Who Uses It?, presents several detailed case studies and some brief "sketches" covering a wide range of applications. A reading of just this chapter, which does not demand any special technical knowledge, will give a clear picture of SGML's versatility and power. If one wants to persuade management to consider SGML, this is a most lucid and convincing argument.
A chapter, Who Needs It?, opens with the sentence, "The truth is, not everyone needs it". The author then discusses in remarkable detail cost-effectiveness issues; this is no superficial analysis, but sets out the questions that have to be answered in order to make a sound, economic decision.
However, to go back to the beginning. The book opens with a chapter, Understanding SGML and Where It Came From, in which the concept, origins, and its development are described. That flows on to the next chapter, which further elaborates on what SGML is and how it compares with other markup systems, DTP software, and Web publishing systems. There is a very good discussion of how SGML can be applied to database-structured data, an application used by Standard & Poor's. Also briefly discussed are ODA, OpenDoc, OLE, RTF, and PDF.
The author then goes on to discuss the tools, such as parsers and editors. An SGML document can be created using a text editor that produces an ASCII file with embedded markup, but there are now specialist tools that produce SGML files. The book contains a considerable amount of technical and other information about a wide range of SGML tools.
There is a common perception, quite erroneous, of SGML as a complex form of HTML. HTML, in the form familiar to Web users, is about short - very short - documents. SGML can be used for the same purpose, but its real use encompasses document analysis, information management, and team work. Web pages (the term, page, is by no means accidental) are usually the work of one person; SGML documents require input from many sources. Under a heading, "Who Does It?", the author lists:
publications manager, product manager, editor, editorial supervisor, managing editor, production manager, production staff, QA/QC, writer, typographer, layout and design staff, and programmer.
The reason for such an army is that SGML documents are forever, whereasWeb pages using HTML (or any other system, for that matter) are ephemeral. "Documents forever" does not mean the same as "diamonds are forever", which refers to the durability of a virtually indestructible object; it means documents that can sustain changes to content without the need to tinker with the SGML engine that eventually drives them. That is what this book is largely about.
The book addresses theoretical issues and practical considerations, even down to costing. It is all very well to be presented with a persuasive argument about the marvellous things of which some new system or technology is capable - but is it cost-effective? Both sides are fairly presented by the author. It is not an SGML how-to book, but an intelligent analysis of issues and a description of resources.
The case studies are illuminating and describe a number of diverse applications of SGML and, importantly, the considerations and experiences of those who chose the SGML path.
The book is an excellent resource and deserves a place in libraries if only for that. It is also a good read - at least, I found it so - that should capture the attention of anybody with an interest in publishing and document management.
Liora Alschuler is to be congratulated on a well-written, well-presented, and comprehensive book about SGML. The publishers have done an excellent job of design; the illustrations are of a high standard and provide a good supplement to the text, the references are a useful resource, the glossary is helpful, and the index comprehensive.
Reviewed by Major Keary
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed are my own. I have no interest,
financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of this book,
and - apart from a review copy - I have received no compensation
from anyone who has.
An extensive chapter entitled, Who Uses It?, presents several detailed
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Good for a beginner on a PCReview Date: 2005-09-09
The last third of the book deals with eBay listings and Blogs. The section about eBay is pretty extensive, giving the reader all sorts of helpful information about everything from finding items to sell to preparing effective graphics to post to pricing and effective ad copy writing. If interested in opening an eBay store, this is a great resource to turn to. Again, the authors explain things thoroughly and in an easy to read manner.
Finally, there is a section about Blogs, which was interesting, since I have never really had a clear understanding of what a Blog was. So while helpful, not something I am interested in creating.
Overall, the book is good for a beginner with a PC. It is excellent if you want to sell on eBay. If you are a MAC user, I'd recommend finding another book.
iconic usagesReview Date: 2005-07-14
The early part of the book goes over HTML basics. You need mastery of this to proceed. The book then gives the 4 modalities as case studies. You may well not want to learn all of them. But if you are reading this, you're probably interested in at least one. The utility of the exposition is to show how learning the chapters for that can give you skills transferable to the other topics.
Now of these topics, blogging has the skimpiest coverage. This might reflect its realities. Most blogs afford you some graphics that you can alter, as a blogger. Like uploading images. But blogging is primarily textual.
The eBay section is far more extensive. For some of you, it may also be the most compelling. Since unlike the other modalities, this is about directly making money. To this ends, if you are interested in this section, read the descriptions about using images in your auctions. Of all the actions you can do as a seller, providing a good image of your item has been shown, on average, to yield higher bids. This also nicely ties into an earlier section of the book, that discusses using Photoshop to improve your digital photos.
Related Subjects: Companies Style Sheets Applied Languages HyTime Groups Software References and Standards
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I can't.
This book is a perfect example of code that half the time only works well in Internet Explorer on Windows. Standards? No. JavaScript is pretty messed up too.
In short, if you use this book for reference in building your website, make sure it isn't a professional site, or you might just lose customers.
[the title is referring to when a dog dies, it may have a disease, and if you touch the dog, you may catch it. - this book is some what like that, it teaches you bad habits that may take a long time to fix.]