XML Step by Step

The first thing the reader notices about this book is its light, illustrative style. Well-designed syntax diagrams and pieces of sample code ease XML newcomers into each topic. Valid and well-formed XML syntax is presented at a leisurely pace, with plenty of examples. XML display that uses cascading style sheets (CSS) is presented in a similar manner.

Those who are new to XML should be aware of the topics this book leaves out, however. For example, there is no discussion of schemas--the upcoming alternative to Document Type Definition (DTD)--and relatively little explanation of XML as a data-transfer mechanism. Data binding is discussed, but the focus definitely is on using XML as a presentation vehicle.

While this shouldn't be your only XML tutorial, it's a comfortable introduction to the basics and will be especially applicable to your work if you code for Internet Explorer 5.0. For a first taste of XML, it's a fine place to start. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• XML document structure
• Well-formed versus valid documents
• Processing instructions
• CDATA sections
• Entities
• XML with CSS
• XML data binding
• Display with DOM scripts
• XSL style sheets