Essential XML Quick Reference: A Programmer's Reference to XML, XPath, XSLT, XML Schema, SOAP, and More

Diamonds are carbon that has been compressed in the high temperatures and pressures found far below the earth's crust in a region called the upper mantle. Because of their beauty and rarity diamonds are highly valued. Now imagine that a stack of specifications related to XML, the eXtensible Markup Language, is our carbon and that two gentlemen, Aaron Skonnard and Martin Gudgin, play the role of the upper mantle. The result would be Essential XML Quick Reference. This gem of a XML reference (sorry, couldn't help myself) is definitely worth having if you are working with XML.The book presents reference material from the following specifications:XML 1.0 and NamespacesDTDsXPath 1.0XPointer, XInclude, and XML BaseXSLT 1.0SAX 2.0DOM Level 2XML SchemaSOAP 1.1Each chapter has a brief introduction and then it dives right into the reference material. The reference text is accompanied by concrete examples that illustrate how the item is used. The SAX 2.0 and DOM Level 2 chapters provide code examples in Java and Visual Basic.All the topics are solidly covered but I thought that the sections on XSLT, Schemas, and XPath to be a cut above. The XPath chapter I found to be especially good. It contains diagrams that provide examples of the XPath tree structure, document order, node string-values, and how axes work, along with first-rate examples of how the elements of XPath work.While the book is aimed at being a reference it can be used, to some extent, as a tutorial on the various topics. I certainly found this to be true of the XPath chapter. I am also aware of people stating that they have used this book in a tutorial fashion to prep for the IBM XML certification test.So, what's not to like? Very little. Since SOAP was covered I think it would have been nice to have had a section on WSDL (Web Service Description Language). There are also a few typos here and there but they don't detract from the information that is being conveyed.This book is a sparkling reference for XML and related technologies.

This is the most useful XML technology reference I've come across. I do own several books on this stuff ( including the droning and disjointed Professional XML from Wrox ), and this is the only one I ever need to take off the shelf.This is a concise and tight little reference book; examples are present, albeit short ones they do get the point across. The book's layout and organization make it easy to find information, and the typesetting offers enough contrast to let you scan a page quickly to locate the information you need. There is just a little background information on each technology - probably not enough to bootstrap yourself into a project without at least a little XML knowledge under your belt. It's a reference book, so if you already know what XML ( or XML-Schema, SOAP, SAX, or the DOM ) is you'll get the most leverage off of this book.Overall a great book to own if you're working on XML-related projects - especially if you've got a basic understanding of XML technologies and don't require the slow pace most books use to ease you into the technology like a old man getting into a bath. :)Highly recommended.

Good computer reference books are really very rare. When I do find one, I gratefully use it all the time. This is one of those rare gems! It consists of a comprehensive but very concise summary, in reference form, of the various W3C standards documents for XML - more readable than the latter, but still pretty dense. What makes this book awesome, though, are the code samples. Each entry is illustrated with one or two bits of simple XML. It doesn't take long to 'get' one of these examples, and as soon as you do, the light bulb goes on and you understand what the textual definition, in its precise but dry fashion, is trying to convey. Addision-Wesley has put out some clunkers recently, but they have my applause for this one. It has been well edited and the layout is superb: the right things stand out in the right places. It's surprisingly compact for the quantity of information contained, has an excellent binding, and even feels good to hold in your hand (no kidding!).

In my home office, there is a special shelf within reach of my desk where I place those select books that are in highest demand. After I completed reading this one, it went right to that shelf. While the explanations are short, they are detailed enough to be useful and the coverage is complete. Code examples are used to illustrate most of the commands and they are well-constructed, succinct without being simple. You will not learn the components of XML by reading this book. However, if your need is for a reference that is a reminder, then this is the book for you.

The Essential XML Quick Reference is a must-have item for any developers who work with XML. It provides a concise, easy to search reference for the core technologies of XML: namespaces, DTDs, XPath, DOM Level 2, SAX, SOAP, etc.The book is broken up by topics. For example, one chapter covers XSLT 1.0. The chapter begins with a concise overview of XSLT. A breakdown of some of the key XSLT concepts follows. Finally, the chapter ends with a reference to every XSLT element defined in the W3C standards.Where the book excels is that it is pure XML. It avoids getting bogged down in parser-specific issues, but instead addresses XML at a standards level. In the few places where language-specific sample code is provided, the samples are available for both the Java and COM worlds.Another strength of the book is in its coverage of two of the most exciting XML concepts: Schemas and SOAP. The schema coverage is split into two chapters. The first deals with the base schema types and how to create simple type. The second chapter focuses on complex types and schema extension. The SOAP chapter, like the rest of the book, stays focussed on pure XML and avoids discussion SOAP implementations from IBM, Microsoft, etc. It provides a great reference to the building blocks of a SOAP message. The only thing missing from this chapter is a reference for WSDL.One thing to keep in mind that this is a quick reference book. It will not teach you XML. This book is a great companion to the Essential XML: Beyond Markup book also in the DevelopMentor series.