The Concise SGML Companion

Rating:
Summary: So concise that it is incomplete and almost unusable
Review: As stated in the title of the book, The Concise SGML Companion is really consice. The book is very seriously presented and the there is absolutely no hand waving involved. Every page is filled with useful information.

The problem with this book is that is to concise! First of all SGML is not explained in full. There is several (not commenly used) parts of SGML that is simply not discussed. If the book is supposed to be used as a reference book (as seems to be the point) the it becomes useless. Not even the road map (a strangely formatted list of production rules) in the end of the book is complete. This book is not to be used alone. If only one book is to be bought then The SGML Handbook is a better alternative.

Second, all the examples is very short (mostly 3 lines or less) and can it hard to grasp the context in which each construction is used. The book should have had at least a few larger examples and at least one full SGML document showing most the features.

Third, there is chapters that introduce HTML and CALS tables, which in my opinion is not very relevant for the book. If any other languages are to be described it is XML. XML was not developed at the time of writing, but then a newer edition could have done that.

Rating:
Summary: Great reference for DTD syntax
Review: I had to learn SGML "the hard way" and this book became a bible to me - it is now my most treasured SGML book - all battered and highlighted to death.

It offers a concise guide to the syntax of SGML DTDs. It isn't meant for folks looking for an all over how-to book for SGML. Its a serious reference book that is concise and to the point.