XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference

Some passages of this book are on the dense side. It certainly isn't written in the chatty style, replete with bad jokes, that I've come to expect from most programming books. But if you can make it to the end of chapter two where the theory becomes useful in an apparent way and the author gets into the nuts and bolts of XSLT, you realize that you have yourself a gem of a book. It's every detail you could want, and a few you don't. It's not dumbed down or condescending or pedagogical. The author assumes you can keep up, and if you're an experienced programmer and have worked with XML before, you should have no trouble. It's a goldmine of information and a thorough reference all in one. I wouldn't call it a "page turner," and you get some sense that the book is partly a marketing tool for the XSLT tool the author sells. That said, it's the only book on XSLT you'll need to buy.

Absolutely essential source of information for those who are serious about using XSLT in general and 2.0 in particular. Viktor Melekhine

Everyone working seriously with XSLT will want this book. The fourth edition is newly updated and improved. Not only has it been corrected to reflect the design of the current XSLT and XPath specifications (which were not final when the 3rd edition went to press), but also it has been redesigned for usability, with much better indexes and navigation apparatus. No more casting about to find things (although you may still not resist a few post-it notes here and there). XSLT and XPath are now in one volume (a big plus); the lighter pages and hard cover make the book serviceable as a reference text in regular use. It sits open and will wear well (provided you use it for its intended purpose and not as a coaster for your drink, which will be tempting since the book will be there open on your desk). But the book's strengths are unchanged. Complete and comprehensive, coherent, realistic, clear, with worked examples. No one knows this technology better than the author, who has served on the XSL Working Group and edited the XSLT 2.0 Recommendation. Long-time observers will also confirm that he is also one of the best in the business at explaining things. The only thing less than positive to say about this book is that beginners may find it intimidating. Don't. Just supplement it with a treatment aimed at you such as XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly)) or anything by Jeni Tennison, and keep the Programmer's Reference ready for the summary comprehensive view, or when you need to go deep. I have seen many decrepit copies of earlier editions of this book used by industry professionals. This one looks to be good for a long time to come.

This is an excellent update. The writing has improved. And as a reference, I am glad the previous 2 volumes are now compiled into this single volume. Also, I appreciate the hard cover to help reduce wear and tear. And I appreciate the thinner paper to keep the thickness/weight down.

You won't easily find a better book on XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0. The reason is very simple: Michael Kay is THE expert on the subject, he has been publishing xslt references for almost a decade now. Currently he is the editor of the XSLT 2.0 specification at W3C. He is also involved the XQuery and the XML Schema Working Groups, also at W3C. He has developed the Saxon XSLT processor. This book (like its predecessors were and its future versions will be) is the definitive reference on XSLT. The third edition was in two separate books, one on XSLT 2.0 (XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)) and one on XPath 2.0 (XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)). If you are serious about XSLT 2.0, you also need the information on XPath 2.0, as it is a sub language of XSLT 2.0. So you would need both books at hand. The current book contains all of the material available in the two predecessors, and more. I could have survived on the two books, but tired of taking them from my office to my home and vice versa, I ordered the new edition and I am enjoying it very much. After using the new edition for a week or so I have come upon quite a few improvements, for instance the chapter on regular expressions contains more information and is better structured. Examples have been updated and as have been the appendices covering the processors. There is a new appendix on the Altova processor. I should also mention the quality of the paper, the binding and the price, they are much better than the two previous books together. As a reference, the book is complete. It contains a clear description of all the elements of the standards and lots of (tested) examples. There is also much material about the design backgrounds of both standards (and of others like XML Schema and XQuery). The book is extremely well written and a joy to read. The book is aimed at developers and should not be used as a first introduction to XML transformation technology (unless you are an experienced programmer). If you need an introduction to XSLT (in its context) check out one of the other Wrox books like Beginning XML, 4th Edition (Programmer to Programmer) or Professional XML (Programmer to Programmer). One could also try Beginning XSLT 2.0: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: from Novice to Professional), it has good reviews. In any case if you are seriously interested (even as a newbie) don't buy anything from before 2004, it will not include the 2.0 functionalities. If you buy something published after 2004 check that they really updated the book and not only the title. Recently O'Reilly has issued an update of tidwell's XSLT, 2nd Edition. I could be worthwhile to consider this book also.