Rating: 
Summary: My favorite XHTML coding reference
Review: I am in my second college term learning web development. This recent purchase has become my best friend, my 'go-to' reference. Most any question is answered within, as most available tags are referenced to some extent. I have found very few discrepancies in this comprehensive guide to XHTML. I think any responsible web developer should take it upon themselves to write entirely in XHTML. The transition from HTML is very easy with this text in hand, and the authors reference their working suggestions to W3C standards frequently. My only desire in a HTML/XHTML text not satisfied relates to seldom addressed yet extensive discrepancies between various viewing platforms. However, few other texts do much better in this respect. If you have more experience with HTML development than me, you won't be bothered by this deficiency.
Rating: 
Summary: This book has mistakes!
Review: I am trying a review for the first time. I totally agree with the review titled "Big disappointment!" by Kathy Carrington. I am disappointed too. I started out reading the book with the happy feeling that I would learn how to make XHTML web pages the right way. With each chapter I read, I found more and more mistakes. These mistakes may not seem like a big deal to someone who knows a lot about making web pages, but to me, the mistakes are a big deal. I am just learning and even an extra blank space where it souldn't be is bad. I submitted mistakes I found but nothing ever showed up at the wrox website. I also agree with the review "Too many mistakes" august 6,2000 by a reader from Chicago, IL USA. I also found that problem in the chapter on tables where the tfoot and tbody elements are in the wrong order in the examples. I am still going to finish the book and would still possibly buy more books from wrox. I am still able to learn some things from reading this book. It just takes longer because I have to figure out what is wrong when I run across a mistake. I guess some of the people who helped write the book are also working for the W3c so they know a lot about how XHTML works.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for beginners
Review: I am well versed in writing HTML and limited JavaScript, however I have learned all I know through disecting the pages of others. I wanted a book that would give me a more-or-less formal education on correct standards, etc.. for writing XHTML and at the same time introduce me to attributes I wasn't familiar with. This is the book I wanted. It is perfect for anyone wanting to learn XHTML but has no experience with it. It is also perfect for someone wanting to brush up to current standards, or someone looking for a basic reference manual (although I use a Black Book for that). The XHTML examples are throughly explained and easy to follow. The book also includes a full explanation of what XHTML is and why it was developed. The last few chapters deal with a brief, and very fast-paced intro to JavaScript. I think beginners would have a hard time following this part, but it a good jumping point for someone planning to learn JS in the future. If I included the JavaScript chapters in my review I would probably give the book 4 stars. But, as it is an XHTML book, and the JS composes a strong majority of the text, I haven't included it in the rating. If you don't understant the JavaScript, or have no intention of learning it, then don't read that part. The book is well worth the price regardless. As far as the previous one star reviews, I can only attribute this to narrow-mindedness and impatience on the on the part of the reviewers. Take your time, do all the examples, don't skip any paragraphs, and this is the perfect book for beginners.
Rating: 
Summary: Good review of HTML and good intro to XHTML
Review: I don't think an introduction to XHTML has to assume the reader knows nothing about HTML. I enjoyed this book, although a lot of it was review (I've been using HTML for several years, but nothing very complex). I find myself using style sheets a lot more after reading the book, and I'm using XHTML syntax for all my newly created web pages (and updating a few of the already-existing ones). The sections on JavaScript did not go very deep, but the book is not about JavaScript. There are lots of books available on JavaScript. I'll refer now and then to the appendixes on HTML, style sheets and JavaScript (until I get them memorized). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to keep up with the move to incorporate XML and style sheets into web pages.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Learning "Forward Compatibility"
Review: It is not for utter beginners. You need to know something about HTML and the Web before reading this book. That being said, it does a wonderful job of explaining XHTML, introducing XML and explaining where XHTML came from, and describing CSS. It also throws in a basic introduction to JavaScript and has a chapter on Mozquito, a program for producing XHTML Forms right now. The appendices are not reiterations of the book and are invaluable. For myself, the best appendix is the one on the XHTML DTDs. They clearly explain which element is supported by which DTD -- something which is not easy to find on the Web. My critiques of this otherwise fine book are as follows: 1. It tries to cover too many topics.
For instance, the basic introduction to JavaScript was unnecessary, especially in light of the fact that Wrox publishes an excellent tutorial on the subject entitled Beginning JavaScript. The chapter on Mozquito is completely irrelevant to a person trying to learn XHTML. It's like trying to stick a chapter on Dreamweaver into an HTML book: it just doesn't belong. 2. It lacks an appendix on the XHTML character entities.
It's not a tragedy, but it is annoying since the character entities are just as much a part of XHTML as its elements and attributes are. Despite these criticisms, I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone interested in making their Web sites "forward compatible." Fortunately, the book can work both as a reference and a tutorial on XHTML.
Rating:
Summary: I liked the version of the book I read
Review: Reading the previous reviews I wondered if everyone read a different book. I liked the one I read. I know HTML and a fair bit of XML and its related recommendations. However, I needed to know about using XHTML as the basis for a larger XML-based markup language for a particular use. This book was very helpful, answered my questions in an understandable manner. I think the writing is particularly good for a technical book, probably because of Jenny Raggett. As they say in the fine print of the TV ads, Results not typical. But you should consider this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference but not for beginners
Review: This book covers all the new technologies and has its pulse on the new wave of web programming. The book is expertly researched and organized. I have not been able to find a text that covers all the topics (from HTML to XHTML to XML and including Java, JavaScript, CSS, DHTML, etc.). It's more of an Advanced Web Pages book or Beyond Simple HTML book. And it is very up-to-date. My one complaint is that the publisher must have been rushed to get the book to press. It is team written and different chapters are written in different styles and don't relate easily to what is written in other chapters. It is much too verbose. The book could be about 2/3 the size without losing anything, but gaining some clarity. The book is written at an intermediate/advanced level (I started using it in my advanced web pages class with great results). As a result, the reader should have a good grasp on HTML and how the web works before approaching this volume. For those individuals, it is an excellent reference.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Intro to XHTML
Review: This book is absolutely wonderful when it comes to introducing XHTML to a web-developer or design student who is already familiar with HTML. It does contain several bugs and on ocassion its examples contradict what's been written in the text of the book. I wouldn't recommend it to the people who're just learning standard HTML. To those beginners who've trashed a book on a fairly advanced web-design topic, get a book on basic HTML and actually learn it before you decide to learn something which assumes fairly fluent knowledge of HTML syntax, document structure, standards, and CSS. A tutorial on webmonkey.com may be all you need to create simple HTML documents, but it doesn't cut it as far as being able to go on to more advanced topics and actually know when something may or may not be right in a book. Books aren't there to be the holy grail of they're there to give you a concsise, convenient introduction to whatever topic said book happens to cover. For the rest of you, that know HTML, some CSS, and maybe a little java script and are wanting to move on to XHTML, buy this book. You may also want a companion text on XML. I recommend Elliotte Rusty Harold's XML: Extensible Markup Language. O'Rielly has some very good texts on CSS and JavaScript, which you'll probably want to check into after reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book is great!!!! Great, great, great! I had never programmed HTML or XHTML by hand prior to this. I was able to create websites and be proud fo them!!! WROX explains everything in plain english and does a great job doing that!!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book is great!!!! Great, great, great! I had never programmed HTML or XHTML by hand prior to this. I was able to create websites and be proud fo them!!! [...] WROX explains everything in plain english and does a great job doing that!!!
| 
