Product Author Bios
Steven Holzner is an award-winning author who has been writing about XML for as long as it's been around. He's the author of 75 books on programming, and a former contributing editor to PC Magazine. A number of his books have been programming bestsellers, and he's had books translated into 16 languages around the world, selling more than 1.5 million copies. He received his Ph.D. at Cornell University, and has been on the faculty of both Cornell and MIT. His hobbies include travel, chess, classical music, and writing books on philosophy.
Steven Holzner's friendly, easy-to-read style has turned this book (formerly known as Inside XML) into the leading reference on XML. Unlike other XML books, this one is packed with hundreds of real-world examples, fully tested and ready to use!
Holzner teaches you XML like no other author can, covering every major XML topic today and detailing the ways XML is used now--connecting XML to databases (both locally and on web servers), stying XML for viewing in today's web browsers, reading and parsing XML documents in browsers, writing and using XML schemas, creating graphical XML browsers, working with the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and a great deal more. Real World XML is designed to be the standard in XML coverage--more complete, and more accessible, than any other.
"The author's approach is definitely bottom up, written in a highly personable tone. He makes efficient use of example code, which sets this book apart from many I have read in the past. His examples bring to life the code without overwhelming the reader, and he does not present any examples for which the reader has not been prepared. In addition, no prior knowledge of XML is assumed. As such, this is an excellent book for both beginners and intermediate level web designers and programmers. Experts, too, will find this book of value, due to its emphasis on real world applicability. Overall, this book will benefit all web developers and programmers, with a special emphasis on beginner and intermediate developers."--Donna A. Dulo, MS, MA, Senior Systems Engineer, U.S. Department of Defense
"This book will provide a brilliant basis for anyone wishing to keep up to speed with the new XML developments."--Mr. Andrew Madden, Department of Computer Science, University of Wales
"I found this book's strengths to be: its exhaustive specification reference for the conscientious developer; access to the official specs, which is key; the wide variety of choices provided for all aspects of XML; several alternatives provided for each editor, browser, parser, stylesheet transform engine, and programming language; and working examples that show the power of the tools used."--Jaime Ryan, Software Developer/Documentation Manager, Blue Titan Software
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Comprehensive, Well Organized, Great value for money, December 16, 2000
Inside XML by Steven Holzner is probably the most comprehensive book written on XML so far. Each of the one thousand and fifty nine pages (excluding index) contains judicious and practical information for anyone willing to learn almost everything about XML. The logical organization of knowledge and adroit arrangement of information in the book make reading a joy. Can this be the only book you need to read about XML? I think yes. XML indeed is the future of business and communication on the net. Many analysts believe that despite its wonderful portability and universal compatibility, XML has yet to achieve practitioners' acceptance and approbation. XML standards have not been practiced as ubiquitously as analysts had expected. List of major reasons for its slow advance includes lack of browser support and functional inconsistencies of currently available XML parsers. I always believed that "lack of quality literature on XML" also contributed to XML's limited success...
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52 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Exciting book, December 10, 2000
This book is exciting. It suits xml novices and experts. What's good in this book: 1. Both for beginners and advanced. More advanced than <<XML by example>> and <<Java and XML>, easier to read and more practical than <<Professional XML>>. 2. Both microsoft and non microsoft. 3. XML schemas, it's quite new and it's well explained in the book. 4. Java and DOM, Java and SAX. More advanced than <<Java and XML>>. 5. It is good to introduce XHTML, it is a bridge between HTML and XML and is becoming popular. 6. Introductions to different special XML Markup Language. 7. Infosets and Canonical XML (in Chapter 1). Some opinions: Presentation can be improved, code can be made downloadable, can have more on a) XML for deplayment (of JSP, EJB, J2EE, ...), b) SOAP, c) XSP, d) WML and e) Java with JSP, ASP
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
It�s a real appetizer, February 8, 2001
Inside XML Inside XML, written by Steven Holzner, is an excellent start for a beginning web programmer as well for an experienced web site developer. The author has succeeded in explaining the variety of subjects concerning XML in a very understandable way. He has achieved this by presenting very complex items in such a way that the items become very simple to understand. The book also provides useful examples and references to sites for more information on the subjects. The book delivers a complete overview and covers the following items: DTDs, XML schemas, client-side XML handling using DOM and JavaScript, server-side handling using DOM, SAX and Java. Related items like XSL, XSLT, VML, SMIL, HTML+TIME, XHTML, RDF, CDF are discussed. Last but not least the book describes how to combine CSS with XHTML/XML. The book is very usable for creating XML courseware, for beginning and experienced web developers. I personally enjoyed the reading of this book, and felt that my time and money was...
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Table of Contents
1. Essential XML.
Markup Languages. What Does XML Look Like? What Does XML Look Like in a Browser? What's So Great About XML? Well-Formed XML Documents. Valid XML Documents. Parsing XML Yourself. XML Resources. XML Editors. XML Browsers. XML Parsers. XML Validators. CSS and XSL. XLinks and XPointers. URLs Versus URIs. ASCII, Unicode, and the Universal Character System. XML Applications.
2. Creating Well-Formed XML Documents.
The World Wide Web Consortium. What Is a Well-Formed XML Document? Markup and Character Data. The Prolog. The XML Declaration. Comments. Processing Instructions. Tags and Elements. The Root Element. Attributes. Building Well-Formed Document Structure. CDATA Sections. XML Namespaces. Infosets. Canonical XML.
3. Valid Documents: Creating Document Type Definitions.
Valid XML Documents. Creating Document Type Declarations. Creating Document Type Definitions. Validating Against a DTD. Element Declarations. ANY. Child Element Lists. #PCDATA. Creating Subsequences with Parentheses. Choices. Mixed Content. Empty Elements. DTD Comments. A DTD Example. External DTDs. Using Document Type Definitions with URLs. Public Document Type Definitions. Using Both Internal and External DTDs. Namespaces and DTDs.
4. DTDs: Entities and Attributes.
Entities. Attributes. Creating Internal General Entities. Creating External General Entities. Building a Document from Pieces. Predefined General Entity References. Creating Internal Parameter Entities. External Parameter Entities. Using INCLUDE and IGNORE. All About Attributes. Declaring Attributes in DTDs. Setting Default Values for Attributes. Attribute Types. Embedding Non-XML Data in a Document. Embedding Multiple Unparsed Entities in a Document.
5. Creating XML Schemas.
Using XML Schemas in Internet Explorer. Writing XML Schemas. What Elements Can You Use in Schemas? Declaring Types and Elements. Specifying How Often Elements Can Occur. Specifying Default Values for Elements. Specifying Attribute Constraints and Defaults. Creating Simple Types. Creating Simple Types Using Facets. Using Anonymous Type Definitions. Creating Empty Elements. Creating Mixed-Content Elements. Annotating Schemas. Creating Choices. Creating Element Groups. Creating Attribute Groups. Creating all Groups. Schemas and Namespaces.
6. Understanding JavaScript.
What Is JavaScript? JavaScript Is Object-Based. Using Object Properties and Methods in JavaScript. Using Events in JavaScript. Programming in JavaScript. Working with Data in JavaScript. Commenting Your JavaScript. Working with JavaScript Operators. Creating JavaScript if Statements. Creating JavaScript if...else Statements. Creating switch Statements. Creating JavaScript for Loop Statements. Creating while Loop Statements. Creating do...while Loops. Creating Functions in JavaScript. Passing Values to Functions. Creating Objects in JavaScript. Using String Objects in JavaScript. Using the Array Class to Create Arrays. Working with Events. Getting Event Information. Handling Mouse Events.
7. Handling XML Documents with JavaScript.
The W3C DOM. The XML DOM Objects. The DOMDocument Object. The XMLDOMNode Object. The XMLDOMNodeList Object. The XMLDOMNamedNodeMap Object. The XMLDOMParseError Object. The XMLDOMAttribute Object. The XMLDOMElement Object. The XMLDOMText Object. Loading XML Documents. Using XML Data Islands. Getting Elements by Name. Getting Attribute Values from XML Elements. Parsing XML Documents in Code. Parsing an XML Document to Display Node Type and Content. Parsing an XML Document to Display Attribute Values. Handling Events While Loading XML Documents. Validating XML Documents with DTDs in Internet Explorer. Scripting XML Elements. Editing XML Documents with Internet Explorer.
8. XML and Data Binding.
Data Binding in Internet Explorer. Using Data Source Objects. Binding Data to HTML Elements. Using Data Binding with XML. XML Single-Record Binding Using XML Data Islands. The Properties, Methods, and Events of XML DSOs. Tabular Data Binding and XML. Single-Record Data Binding with the XML DSO. Tabular Data Binding with the XML DSO. XML and Hierarchical Data. Handling Variable-Size Hierarchical Data in XML Documents. Searching XML Data.
9. Cascading Style Sheets.
Attaching Stylesheets to XML Documents. Selecting Elements in Stylesheet Rules. Grouping Elements in Selectors. Creating Pseudo-Elements. Classes. Creating Pseudo-Classes. Selecting by ID. Using Contextual Selectors. Using Inline Styles. Using Inheritance. Understanding Cascades. Creating Style Rules. Creating Block Elements. Styling Text. Setting Colors and Backgrounds. Margins, Indentations, and Alignments. Applying Styles to Lists. Creating Borders. Displaying Images. Absolute Positioning. Relative Positioning. The Formal Style Property Specifications. Text Properties. Font Properties. Background and Color Properties. Table Properties. Positioning and Block Properties. Box Properties. Visual Effects Properties. List Properties.
10. Understanding Java.
Java Resources. Writing Java Programs. Java Is Object-Oriented from the Ground Up. Getting the Java SDK. Creating Java Files. Writing Code: Creating an Application. Compiling Code. Running Java Applications. Commenting Your Code. Importing Java Packages and Classes. Creating Variables in Java. Creating Arrays in Java. Creating Strings in Java. Java Operators. Java Conditional Statements: if, if...else, switch. Java Loops: for, while, do...while. Declaring and Creating Objects. Creating Methods in Java. Creating Java Classes.
11. Java and the XML DOM.
Creating a Parser. Displaying an Entire Document. Filtering XML Documents. Creating a Windowed Browser. Creating a Graphical Browser. Navigating in XML Documents. Modifying XML Documents.
12. Java and SAX.
Working with SAX. Displaying an Entire Document. Filtering XML Documents. Creating a Windowed Browser. Creating a Graphical Browser. Navigating in XML Documents. Modifying XML Documents.
13. XSL Transformations.
Using XSLT Stylesheets in XML Documents. XSL Stylesheets. Making a Transformation Happen. Creating XSLT Stylesheets. The xsl:apply-templates Element. Getting the Value of Nodes with xsl:value-of. Handling Multiple Selections with xsl:for-each. Specifying Patterns for the match Attribute. Specifying Patterns for the select Attribute. Understanding Xpath. The Default XSLT Rules. Altering Document Structure Based on Input. Creating New Attributes. Generating Comments with xsl:comment. Copying Nodes. Sorting Elements. Using xsl:if. Using xsl:choose. Controlling Output Type.
14. XSL Formatting Objects.
Formatting an XML Document. Creating the XSLT Stylesheet. Transforming a Document into Formatting Object Form. Creating a Formatted Document. The XSL Formatting Objects. The XSL Formatting Properties. Working with Formatting Objects. The Document Root: fo:root. The Master Set Layout: fo:layout-master-set. Using a Page Master: fo:simple-page-master. Creating Regions. Creating Page Sequences: fo:page-sequence. Creating Flows: fo:flow. Creating Block-level Content: fo:block. Inline-Level Formatting Objects. Creating Page Numbers: fo:page-number. Creating Tables. fo:table. Creating Lists.
15. XLinks and XPointers.
XLinks. XPointers. All About Xlinks. Declaring the XLink Attributes. The xlink:type Attribute. Locating Resources with xlink:hre.f Describing Resources: xlink:role and xlink:title. The xlink:show Attribute. The xlink:actuate Attribute. The xlink:arcrole and xlink:label Attributes. Extended Links. Creating Arcs with the xlink:from and xlink:to Attributes. Inline Versus Out-of-Line Links. All About Xpointers. XPointer Axes. XPointer Node Tests. XPointer Predicates. XPointer Location Set Functions. Using XPointer Points. Using XPointer Ranges. XPointer Abbreviations.
16. Essential XHTML.
XHTML Checklist. Differences Between XHTML and HTML. Automatic Conversion from HTML to XHTML. Validating Your XHTML Document. <html>—The Document Element. <head>—Creating a Web Page's Head. <title>—The Document's Title. <body>—The Document's Body. <!-- --> Comments. Headings: <h1> Through <h6>. Text Handling. —Making Text Bold. —Making Text Italic. <u>—Underlining Text. <font>—Specifying a Text Font. <br>—Creating Line Breaks. <p>—Organizing Text into Paragraphs. <hr>—Creating Horizontal Rules. <center>—Centering Displayed Text. <div>—Formatting Text Blocks. <span>—Formatting Text Inline.
17. XHTML at Work.
<img>—Displaying an Image. <a>—Creating a Hyperlink or Anchor. <link>—Setting Link Information. <table>—Creating Tables. <tr>—Creating Table Rows. <th>—Creating Table Headings. <td>—Creating Table Data. <frameset>—Creating Documents with Frames. <frame>—Creating Individual Frames. Using Stylesheets in XHTML. <style>—Creating Embedded Stylesheets in XHTML. Using Inline Styles in XHTML. <script>—Using Script Programming. <form>—Creating XHTML Forms. <input type = "button">—Creating Controls. <input type="text">—Creating Text Fields. Extending XHTML—Creating New Elements and Attributes. Extending Public XHTML DTDs. Extending XHTML with a Driver DTD. All About XHTML 1.1 Modules. Modifying XHTML Content Models.
18. SOAP and RDF.
SOAP. A SOAP Example Using Java. RDF. RDF Syntax. RDF Root Element. RDF Namespace. RDF Description Element. RDF Property Elements. Dublin Core. Describing Multiple Properties. Describing Multiple Resources. Nesting Resources. Referring to Resources by Reference. Using XML in Property Elements. Using Abbreviated RDF Syntax. RDF Containers. Using the Bag Container. Using the Seq Container. Using the Alt Container. Making Statements About Containers. Making Statements About the Items in a Container. Selecting Container Items by Prefix. Creating RDF Schemas.
19. Vector Markup Language.
Creating VML Documents. The VML Elements. The <shape> Element. Using Predefined Shapes. Coloring Shapes. Scaling Shapes. Positioning Shapes. The absolute Position Style. The <shadow> Element. The <fill> Element. Using the <shapetype> Element. More Advanced VML.
20. WML, ASP, JSP, Servlets, and Perl.
XML and ASP. XML and Java Servlets. JSP. XML and Perl. WML. Getting Starting with WML. Setting Text Alignment. Basic Text Styling. The <do> Element. The <prev> Element. Hyperlinks. Tables. Text Input. Select Elements. Timers. Connecting to the Server. Images.
Appendix A. The XML 1.0 Recommendation (Second Edition).
Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Second Edition). Abstract. Status of this Document. Table of Contents. 1 Introduction. 2 Documents. 3 Logical Structures. 4 Physical Structures. 5 Conformance. 6 Notation. A References. B Character Classes. C XML and SGML (Non-Normative). D Expansion of Entity and Character References (Non-Normative). E Deterministic Content Models (Non-Normative). F Autodetection of Character Encodings (Non-Normative). G W3C XML Working Group (Non-Normative). H W3C XML Core Group (Non-Normative). I Production Notes (Non-Normative).
Index. Downloadable Sample Chapter
Sample Chapter - 830 kb -- Chapter 1 - Essential XML
