5 comments about XML Development with Java 2 (Other Programming).

1. In my 17 years of buying and reading software development books, this work rates among the best I've ever seen: its clearly written, easy to read, packed with all sorts of helpful context and detail, and conveys the enthusiasm the authors have for their subject matter. (Also the size is reasonable and its not padded with whitespace and screen-shot filler so common these days...)



2. XML Development with Java 2 is not quite as solid a work as it might appear from first glance. The examples, though thorough in their coverage, are incomplete in several respects. To explain: one of the first code samples in section 2.17, is not included on the CD Rom source (how many others are missing?); the book fails to mention which of several third party Java libraries are needed to build the sample applications, and much of the required software is not on the CD Rom so once you identify the libraries you must find, download, and install each one from the internet; the Java 2 compiler complains of deprecated apis; compiling chapter 8 sample code results in complaints that classes cannot be found - listing 8.6 calls for sams.chp7.XMLUtil, which doesn't exist.

   Having complained to the technical support link at the back of the book, the only response was that they appreciated the comments and would consider what would need to be done for the next edition of the book.

   Overall, I am impressed with the content but am non-plussed by the level of quality and technical support. If you want a book that you don't have to second guess, this book may not be for you.




3. I don't like this book for following reasons:

   - The source code can't be used on a project due to bugs and poor quality.

   - The author does not know what Java Beans are but goes on to provide a buggy utility class.

   - About 30% of the book is dedicated to non XML related concepts such as EJBs and Servelts etc.,

   - Does not explain the concepts of DOM L1/L2 in detail.

   - Does not describe JAXP in sufficient detail.

   There are few more reasons, but I will stop here due to lack of time...

   The landscape of Java & XML is very dynamic. There are lots of good books on XML but there are no good ones that provide good conent in the context of Java and JAXP. There is no point in buying this book unless company is paying for it.




4. This book is surely helpful for programmers have understood XML and Java(Servlet or EJB) . But it is imcomplete to explain the relationship Java and XML. So I only use this book as "Examples for XML and Java".



5. This book is helpful for programmers have understood XML and Java(Servlet or EJB) . Because I don't understand XML, I only use this book as "Examples for XML and Java".

1 comments about Even More Excellent Html With Xml, Xhtml, and Javascript.

1. This was my classroom text book the semester I took HTML. It's great. HOWEVER: make sure you get the reference manual. And if you don't, don't settle for a $2 refund. The reference manual is worth $20 at least.

5 comments about Xml Complete (Mcgraw Hill Complete Series).

1. This book is bad on so many levels, it's hard to know where to begin. The typesetter was clearly drunk, as evidenced by the unreadable spacing and inconsistent typefaces used in the code samples. The code samples themselves were often either useless, or just flat-out wrong. The Java code was not only completely extraneous, it was hideously bad, throwing out any semblance of style or normal coding conventions. The XML grammar itself was presented in difficult-to-read snippets of BNF notation, which is an incredibly irritating way to try to learn new concepts. I think the author must have been cutting and pasting from the w3c spec.

   It doesn't even seem worth pointing out that much of the information in the book is long out of date.

   Just unspeakably wretched. Buy any other XML book, or buy none. You'd be better off.




2. What was the author thinking i mean the book just talks about java infact one whole chapter i brought the book to learn XML and it doesn't teach you that it teaches you more java then XML.



3. I read this book cover to cover before I took out the CD. What could be simpler - just download the parser and off you go. No it didn't work like that. The parser isn't on the Microsoft site in that form and without it the book is a waste of time. I find it amazing that a book like this can be written that fails on the most fundamental point - the basic tools aren't included.



4. After reading through this book, I was so thoroughly disgusted that I took the time to print out a new title, "XML Complete CRAP", and tape it to the spine of this book. I even matched the color and the font exactly! Why did I spend an hour of my time doing this? Because I wanted to save my co-workers the effort of pulling this ridiculous book off our bookshelf and opening it. This book is a "complete" joke. The writing is muddled, the layout and font are awful, and the examples are repeatedly copied and pasted to fluff up the book and make it look respectable. I would be astonished if there was a worse book out there.



5. With some java background, using XML Complete to learn XML is not a bad idea. The programs are well written. I do have some compilation errors with some of the programs; but with a little fix you're good to go.

No comments about SUN LEADING EFFORTS TO DEFINE JAVA STANDARD EXTENSION FOR XML LANGUAGE.: An article from: Software Industry Report.

5 comments about Xml in Plain English (In Plain English (IDG)).

1. I have to agree with Annette Truong (below) on this one, it's a great book. After going thru every XML book in Borders I finally settled on this one as the most comprehensive and UP-TO-DATE reference I could find. (There is so much xml stuff out there that is just out of date!) ... Make no mistake, this is not an xml wet-nursing book. This is for people who are familiar with (although not necessarily accomplished in) xml. It packs a lot of punch into each page and although it is primarily a reference it has plenty of examples and tutorials.



2. If you are an XML guru, then a high-density syntax reference may be all you need. You will note that those who have given positive reviews were all reasonably accomplished in XML and happy for the reference material. However, as someone that had never even seen any XML, I found the tutorial incomprehensible. The author seems to have a terrible grasp of English, uses it sloppily, and makes errors to boot. As even those that gave a positive review seem to agree, if you want a book to learn XML give this book a wide berth.



3. If you are an XML guru, then a high-density syntax reference may be all you need. You will note that those who have given positive reviews were all reasonably accomplished in XML and happy for the reference material. However, as someone that had never even seen any XML, I found the tutorial incomprehensible. The author seems to have a terrible grasp of English, uses it sloppily, and makes errors to boot. As even those that gave a positive review seem to agree, if you want a book to learn XML give this book a wide berth.



4. First of all, this is a book for people who know their stuff and need to be able to go an extra mile without spending an hour wading through deteriorating Web. Even tutorial part is for people who know and understand a lot and that is how it should be for a book which is already too heavy.

   Things that could be better - information on case sensitivity of Xpath functions and patterns, marking up which stylesheet elelments are in CSS1, which in CSS2 and which in neither, more complete table of Unicode character references (to include full ASCII for example including interpunction), 8-bit Character set tables and mapping to Unicode, font, leading, and even margins could be a level smaller to make book thinner, lighter and more dense for everyday use, the "Releted Properties,Objects etc." could go to a small print to both not eat up the space and be faster to spot when needed.




5. I'm almost certain I speak both English and technical English. I definitely speak HTML and I can parse XML.
   
   So why is it that I stopped and re-read two full pages trying to determine what they were trying to say? And came away knowing merely that I had been correct on my first pass; no actual useful definition of the terms was given in those pages.
   
   Also, Plain English structure puts the Tutorial first rather than last...

No comments about Datapower XS40 XML Security Gateway: Comprehensive XML & Web Services Security on a Hardened Network Device ZapNote.

No comments about SOA & XML Workshop General Session Presentation.

No comments about Processing XML on the Network White Paper: The Importance of the Data Layer.

No comments about PLANET 7/WRQ TO INTEGRATE MAINFRAME WITH XML NETWORK.(Company Business and Marketing): An article from: Mainframe Computing.

5 comments about Oracle XML Handbook (Book/CD-ROM package).

1. The book provides an overview of XML from Oracle's standpoint. Chapter one is a basic introduction to XML itself, but from that point onwards it is more about how Oracle integrates XML into its products & how you might use them to put together a technology solution.

   If you are already vaguely familiar with what Oracle offer, then there this is a good starting point to determine how to solve problems using their fairly extensive toolset. Then you will probably want to purchase another title that focuses more upon the individual tools you choose.




2. There are several problems with this book. One is that very little coverage is given to the Oracle XML SDK. I could not find useful documentation on TechNet regarding use of the XML SDK via PL/SQL. I had hoped that this book would provide examples of SDK and a more complete set of documentation. To my disappointment, this book does not provide much more than an overview.

   The other problem with this book is that it was written with examples for Oracle Application Server, which has been replaced by iAS. Bottom line, this book reads like it was written for the first release of Oracle's XML SDK. Your better off on TechNet and the newsgroups.




3. If you've ever tried understanding Oracle's XML offering from the technet documentation, you've probably given up in despair, as the information is available, but it's totally disorganised.

   Unfortunately, this book suffers the same problems. Many of the examples can be found on technet, and the organisation is no better. Like many Oracle Press books, this layout is poor, and the examples are either superficial or non-existent.

   Instead, try Steve Muench's "Oracle XML Applications." It's superb.




4. There is very little of value in this book that shouldn't be posted on Oracle's web site as a tutorial or whitepaper. It is expectedly Oracle centric, but only covers their products in a very broad manner without much meat. For example, Chapter 4: "Developing for an Oracle Application" is only 16 pages and simply provides definitions for the variety of Oracle-side web apps/extensions.

   If you really want to buy an Oracle XML book, then get the O'Reilly "Oracle XML Applications". Now there's a 5* book.




5. There is very little of value in this book that shouldn't be posted on Oracle's web site as a tutorial or whitepaper. It is expectedly Oracle centric, but only covers their products in a very broad manner without much meat. For example, Chapter 4: "Developing for an Oracle Application" is only 16 pages and simply provides definitions for the variety of Oracle-side web apps/extensions.

   If you really want to buy an Oracle XML book, then get the O'Reilly "Oracle XML Applications". Now there's a 5* book.