Rating:  - Good introduction
As other reviewers have already pointed out; this is probably the best introduction to XML. XML is a wide field and is changing rapidly, and it is impossible to find a single introductory text book that covers all XML topics. So it is with this book: it covers all topics except XSL formatting objects, but that topic is covered in the more advanced "Professional XML" from the same publisher.
Rating:  - In need of some serious editing
This book is for beginning programmers only and also in need of some serious editing.
I have to agree with other comments which describe this as a poorly written book. I have read other Wrox books and have enjoyed them. This book is torturously wordy. Annoying, unfunny jokes and quips abound. (as opposed to "fine ham") I found myself skipping/speed-reading entire paragraphs and pages just to get to the meat of the subject. Fortunately, once you do find the meat, the book seems very helplful.
If you have experience in programming and want a book that quickly brings you up to speed on XML and its associated technologies, this is NOT the book. Try O'Reilly's XML in a Nutshell instead.
Rating: - Very helpful for programmers who need to understand XML
A very helpful combination of "workbook" and technical reference written for programmers who are object-oriented, dynamically HTML'd and JavaScripted, but not so XML-ly.
What I learned at home, I immediately applied at work. This book lays out XML, chapter by chapter, with each author serving up a specialty layer of information which "cognates" the XML jig-saw into a more complete picture.
Being "hands-on" with a DOS Editor and an Internet Explorer icon will help. I found the "Try It Out" examples and the "How It Works" explanations to be meaningful and practical exercises. Especially in the chapters covering well-formed XML, XPath, XSL and the Document Object Model (DOM).
I can also now appreciate how XSL stylesheet transformations were explained only after the authors first described Namespaces and the XPath language, both of which are critical (as I found out) to understanding and using XSL stylesheets to "transform" your well-formed XML document into an IE web page or an Excel spreadsheet.
I haven't had the opportunity to use the Web Services chapters yet, but now I know more about "Web Services" and how XML plays a role.
I recommend this book to techy, programmer types who want and need to expand their skill sets. But, keep in mind, this is a math book, not a novel. You have to work the exercises, then analyze them before you can put them to use.
Rating:  - The best book on XML and related subjects
Looking at all of Wrox books that are currently on sale, this is the most well-written and most useful one. And among the XML books out there, this is one of the top three. Better than O'Reiley's XML In A Nutshell 3rd Edition at teaching the beginners how to get started on XML, and explains the concept clearly. Covers DTD and Schema along with other XML related applications. Usually books written by multiple authors are a pain in the neck to read, the difference in writing style would simply confuse you. But not this one. If they tell me that all chapters are written by one single author, I'd belive them.
Rating: - Excellent book for beginners...
This is an excellent book for newbies to XML. I had to learn XML for a project FAST! Using this book I got up to speed with other developers on the team in no time. I used a coupon from UnderTag.com, so it was almost free for me too.
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