XML Applications

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy - an updated version exists!
Review: A good introduction to the 'current' state of XML as of December 1998. Wrox press are about to publish an updated version of this book as 'Professional XML' in February 2000.

The book is a bit frustrating at times since has to deal with matters that have not been finalised, and has constant references to sites where updated details can be found. This is probably the biggest stumbling block for XML as a whole, irrespective of which XML book you buy.

The book is, at times, a bit dry, and could benefit with more code samples.

Overall a very good introduction to XML - but buy the updated version of the book!

Rating:
Summary: Lot to be worked
Review: First few chapters are good. Then this book takes a sudden twist; getting harder in the latter chapters...

Plenty of room for improvement

Rating:
Summary: XML APPLICATIONS
Review: Have bouhgt many WROX books and found this to be by far the hardest read, made simple things difficult and ponderous (suffering from verbal diarrhoea), referring too much to later content. Go read something else even from the web it'll save you money and time.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book with very LIMITED USE
Review: I liked the book and it's approach in introducing to XML Application Development. Unfortunately, Microsoft has withdrawn msxml.exe on which most of the content of the book is based. I am not sure if there is any plan, by the authors, to help the developers to get around this and yet, refer to the book for it's excellent approach to mastering XML Technology. I, particularly, liked the chapters on XSL, and practical applications (case studies), including CDF application. I, however, did not like the XML-Data chapter so much. This is mainly because it really does not provide the learning steps as much in detail as other chapters. I wish the author had followed the method used in authoring of CDF-chapter. The book does not provide step-by-step procedure (including that of tools required, setting of tools, personal web server etc.) for testing the source codes provided in the book. It is left to the imagination and the exhaustive work, expenses of time and communications for advice etc. of the learner of this new technology. It took me several hours before I could successfully test the case study source codes. Also, the author/publisher should provide after-sales support due to lack of the basic tool (msxml.exe) on which the entire book is based. Publisher should withdraw this book from the distribution/sale. It seems the author is planning to publish another book in lieu of this, later in Year 2000. Hope the publisher will be kind enough to give some discounts to the buyers of the current book.

Rating:
Summary: Authors were in a hurry
Review: I Read this book and found it frustrating Just to write a simple Hello World program, i had to read almost three chapters, they made XML a VERY hard language to learn,which is not.I took it as a challenge and atlast ran an XML file and had a pitcher of beer to get relieved ...from the stress i had undergone...so dont buy this book

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not for someone wanting to learn from scratch
Review: There wasn't one example which shows how to demonstrate the XML architecture. The case study which was mentioned in this book was Microsoft based products.

Rating:
Summary: Intensely Frustrating
Review: This book really made me feel stupid. I only got throught the first three chapters before giving up. The book was at least three times as difficult to read as the material warants.

Rating:
Summary: xml for programers
Review: This is a typical wrox book: covers mostly microsoft material, good code examples. You can read about XML from resources on the web, but this book gives you an idea on how actual applications may be implemented, at a time where there is little published browser support. 4 stars for the material, 1 for the timing.