Applied XML Solutions presents a series of projects rather than a tutorial format. The projects follow a natural progression from simple to complex. Within each chapter, helpful sidebars highlight XML fundamentals necessary to understand the project in progress. This will save readers' time having to look to another source if they forget a key detail. The last project incorporates techniques discussed throughout the book. The author will illustrate alternative solutions wherever appropriate. Applied XML Solutions shows professional developers how to apply XML to a variety of real-world applications, including: XML as a scripting substitute, using RSS to syndicate content to multiple & non-traditional browsers such as WAP-enabled handheld devices, using XSLT to facilitate communication between incompatible systems, separating web content from web code, importing data from various file formats.
Applied XML Solutions will be helpful to programmers, analysts, Web developers, and consultants who need to use XML in their work. Developers will benefit directly from exposure to practical solutions and a lot of code. However, analysts and consultants will also benefit from new ideas and new solutions to problems.
Applied XML Solutions will be particularly valuable if you are currently working on XML projects or if you will soon join such a team. It provides sample solutions to problems and plenty of code you can reuse, teaches you new tools, and explains how to better use your current set of tools.
If you are not actively involved in an XML project, Applied XML Solutions will be a source of inspiration for the future. As you read through the solutions, I am sure you will find several examples that would work well for you.
Applied XML Solutions assumes that you know the XML syntax, how an XML parser works, and how to write an XSLT style sheet. If this is your first XML book, you might want to turn to a tutorial first. I think my previous book, XML by Example, is a good introduction to the material in Applied XML Solutions.
