.NET and XML

£22.80

Niel M. Bornstein; ISBN: 0-596-00397-8

If you're seeking ways to build network-based applications or XML-based web services, Microsoft provides most of the tools you'll need. XML is integrated into the .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET, but if you want to get a grasp on how .NET and XML actually work together, that's a different story. With .NET & XML, you can get under the hood to see how the .NET Framework implements XML, giving you the skills to write understandable XML-based code that interoperates with code written with other tools, and even other languages.

.NET & XML starts by introducing XML and the .NET Framework, and then teaches you how to read and write XML before moving on to complex methods for manipulating, navigating, transforming, and constraining it. To demonstrate the power of XML in .NET, author Niel Bornstein builds a simple hardware store inventory system throughout the book. As you move from chapter to chapter, you'll absorb increasingly complex information until you have enough knowledge to successfully program your own XML-based applications. This tutorial also contains a quick reference to the API, plus appendices present additional .NET assemblies that you can use to work with XML, and how to work with the .NET XML configuration file format.

One study puts the potential market for new software based on XML at or near $100 billion over the next five years. The .NET Framework gives you a way to become a part of it. But to use XML and .NET effectively, you need to understand how these two technologies work together. This book gives you the insight to take full advantage of the power the two provide.

Building Oracle XML Applications

£25.56

Steve Muench; ISBN: 1-56592-691-9

Oracle Corporation, committed to supporting XML in a wide range of products, has XML-enabled its entire Oracle Internet platform--the Oracle8i database, Oracle interMedia, Oracle Application Server, and a variety of other products.

Building Oracle XML Applications, by Steve Muench, Oracle's lead "XML evangelist" and a key Oracle XML developer, gives Java and PL/SQL developers a rich and detailed look at the many tools Oracle has provided to support XML development, such as the Oracle XML Parser, the Oracle XML SQL Utility, and the XSQL Servlet.

The company describes Oracle8i as "the first XML enabled database." This book shows how to combine the power of XML and XSLT with the speed, functionality, and reliability of the Oracle database to build flexible applications. The author delivers nearly 800 pages of entertaining text, helpful and time-saving hints, and extensive examples that developers can put to use immediately to build custom XML applications.

Products covered include:

• XSQL pages and the XSQL servlet: declarative templates and an extensive framework to assemble any kind of static or dynamic XML information and transform it for delivery using XSLT stylesheets.
• JDeveloper: a complete integrated development environment for Java XML developers, including editing, syntax checking, debugging, and more.
• XSLT Processor: a product that enables XML information to be presented and delivered in many different ways, using any web-based format, both inside and outside the database.
• XML SQL utility: an Oracle utility that works with the results of SQL statements as XML documents and uses XML documents to insert, update, and delete information from database tables, views, and object views.
• XML Parser: a product that lets Java, PL/SQL, C, and C++ developers process and construct XML.
• interMedia: a product whose Text option lets developers search XML documents from SQL and leverage the XML document structure for razor-sharp search precision.
• Advanced Queuing: an Oracle queuing mechanism that lets both PL/SQL and Java programs enqueue and and dequeue XML messages.
• PLSXML utilities: Oracle PL/SQL utilities that let developers using any version of Oracle produce XML from SQL statements.

The accompanying CD-ROM contains JDeveloper 3.1, an integrated development environment for Java developers.

CSS Pocket Reference

£5.56

Eric Meyer; ISBN: 0-596-00120-7

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the W3C-approved method for enriching the visual presentation of web pages. CSS allows web pages to become more structural, and at the same time promises that they can have a more sophisticated look than ever before. With good implementations in Internet Explorer 5.0 and Opera 3.6, and 100% CSS1 support expected in Netscapes's Mozilla browser, signs are that CSS is rapidly becoming a useful, reliable, and powerful tool for web authors.

The CSS Pocket Reference briefly introduces CSS and then lists all CSS1 properties, plus the CSS1 pseudo-elements and pseudo-classes. Since browser incompatibility is the biggest obstacle to CSS adoption, we've also included a comprehensive guide to how the browsers have implemented support for CSS1. For anyone who wants to correctly implement CSS, this is a handy condensed reference to all the details in the larger volume, Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide.

DocBook: The Definitive Guide

£20.76

Norman Walsh and Leonard Muellner; ISBN: 1-56592-580-7

DocBook: The Definitive Guide is the complete and official documentation of the DocBook Document Type Definition (DTD) and many of its associated tools.

DocBook is a system for writing structured documents using SGML and XML. It provides all the elements you'll need for technical documents of all kinds. A number of computer companies use DocBook for their documentation, as do several Open Source documentation groups, including the Linux Documentation Project (LDP). With the consistent use of DocBook, these groups can readily share and exchange information. With an XML-enabled browser, DocBook documents are as accessible on the Web as in print.

DocBook: The Definitive Guide was written by Norman Walsh, the author of the XML implementation of the DocBook DTD; and Leonard Muellner, the manager of O'Reilly & Associates' Production Tools Group.

In this book, you'll find:

• A brief introduction to SGML and XML
• A guide to creating documents with the DocBook DTD and associated stylesheets
• Information about using SGML and XML tools like Jade and DSSSL
• An guide to customizing DocBook
• A complete SGML and XML reference, including examples, for every DocBook element

In addition, the CDROM contains:

• The complete source text of this book, in both SGML and HTML
• All the examples from the book
• DSSSL Stylesheets that let you convert DocBook documents to RTF, LaTeX, or HTML

• The DocBook DTD for SGML, version 3.1

  Oasis, the organization that is the official maintainer of the DocBook DTD, has identified DocBook: the Definitive Guide as the official documentation for the DocBook DTD.

Java & XML, 2nd Edition

£25.56

Brett McLaughlin; ISBN: 0-596-00197-5

While the XML "buzz" still dominates talk among Internet developers, the critical need is for information that cuts through the hype and lets Java programmers put XML to work. Java & XML shows how to use the APIs, tools, and tricks of XML to build real-world applications, with the end result that both the data and the code are portable.

This second edition of Java & XML adds chapters on Advanced SAX and Advanced DOM, new chapters on SOAP and data binding, and new examples throughout. A concise chapter on XML basics introduces concepts, and the rest of the book focuses on using XML from your Java applications. Java developers who need to work with XML, or think that they will in the future--as well as developers involved in the new peer-to-peer movement, messaging, or web services--will find the new Java & XML a constant companion.

This book covers:

• The basics of XML, including DTDs, namespaces, XML Schema, XPath, and XSL
• The SAX API, including all handlers, the SAX 2 extensions, filters, and writers
• The DOM API, including DOM Level 2, Level 3, and the Traversal, Range, CSS, Events, and HTML modules.
• The JDOM API, including the core, a look at XPath support, and JDOM as a JSR
• Using web publishing frameworks like Apache Cocoon
• Developing applications with XML-RPC
• Using SOAP and UDDI for web services
• Data Binding, using both DTDs and XML Schema for constraints
• Building business-to-business applications with XML
• Building information channels with RSS and dynamic content with XSP

Includes a quick reference on SAX 2.0, DOM Level 2, and JDOM.

Learning XML, 2nd Edition

£22.80

Erik T. Ray; ISBN: 0-596-00420-6

This new edition of the bestselling Learning XML provides web developers with a concise but grounded understanding of XML (the Extensible Markup Language) and its potential-- not just a whirlwind tour of XML.

The author explains the important and relevant XML technologies and their capabilities clearly and succinctly with plenty of real-life projects and useful examples. He outlines the elements of markup--demystifying concepts such as attributes, entities, and namespaces--and provides enough depth and examples to get started. Learning XML is a reliable source for anyone who needs to know XML, but doesn't want to waste time wading through hundreds of web sites or 800 pages of bloated text.

For writers producing XML documents, this book clarifies files and the process of creating them with the appropriate structure and format. Designers will learn what parts of XML are most helpful to their team and will get started on creating Document Type Definitions. For programmers, the book makes syntax and structures clear. Learning XML also discusses the stylesheets needed for viewing documents in the next generation of browsers, databases, and other devices.

Learning XML illustrates the core XML concepts and language syntax, in addition to important related tools such as the CSS and XSL styling languages and the XLink and XPointer specifications for creating rich link structures. It includes information about three schema languages for validation: W3C Schema, Schematron, and RELAX-NG, which are gaining widespread support from people who need to validate documents but aren't satisfied with DTDs. Also new in this edition is a chapter on XSL-FO, a powerful formatting language for XML. If you need to wade through the acronym soup of XML and start to really use this powerful tool, Learning XML, will give you the roadmap you need.

Learning XSLT

£19.96

Michael Fitzgerald; ISBN: 0-596-00327-7

XSLT is a powerful language for transforming XML documents into something else. That something else can be an HTML document, another XML document, a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file, a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) file, Java code, or a number of other things. You write an XSLT stylesheet to define the rules for transforming an XML document, and the XSLT processor does the work.

As useful as XSLT is, its peculiar characteristics make it a difficult language in which to get started. In fact, newcomers are often a little dazed on first contact. Learning XSLT offers a hands-on introduction to help them get up to speed with XSLT quickly. The book will help web developers and designers understand this powerful but often mystifying template-driven and functional-styled language, getting them over the many differences between XSLT and the more conventional programming languages.

Learning XSLT moves smoothly from the simple to complex, illustrating all aspects of XSLT 1.0 through step-by-step examples that you'll practice as you work through the book. Thorough in its coverage of the language, the book makes few assumptions about what you may already know. You'll learn about XSLT's template-based syntax, how XSLT templates work with each other, and gain an understanding of XSLT variables. Learning XSLT also explains how the XML Path Language (XPath) is used by XSLT and provides a glimpse of what the future holds for XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0.

The ability to transform one XML vocabulary to another is fundamental to exploiting the power of XML. Learning XSLT is a carefully paced, example-rich introduction to XSLT that will have you understanding and using XSLT on your own in no time.

Practical RDF

£22.80

Shelley Powers; ISBN: 0-596-00263-7

The Resource Description Framework (RDF) is a structure for describing and interchanging metadata on the Web--anything from library catalogs and worldwide directories to bioinformatics, Mozilla internal data structures, and knowledge bases for artificial intelligence projects. RDF provides a consistent framework and syntax for describing and querying data, making it possible to share website descriptions more easily. RDF's capabilities, however, have long been shrouded by its reputation for complexity and a difficult family of specifications. Practical RDF breaks through this reputation with immediate and solvable problems to help you understand, master, and implement RDF solutions.

Practical RDF explains RDF from the ground up, providing real-world examples and descriptions of how the technology is being used in applications like Mozilla, FOAF, and Chandler, as well as infrastructure you can use to build your own applications. This book cuts to the heart of the W3C's often obscure specifications, giving you tools to apply RDF successfully in your own projects.

The first part of the book focuses on the RDF specifications. After an introduction to RDF, the book covers the RDF specification documents themselves, including RDF Semantics and Concepts and Abstract Model specifications, RDF constructs, and the RDF Schema. The second section focuses on programming language support, and the tools and utilities that allow developers to review, edit, parse, store, and manipulate RDF/XML. Subsequent sections focus on RDF's data roots, programming and framework support, and practical implementation and use of RDF and RDF/XML.

If you want to know how to apply RDF to information processing, Practical RDF is for you. Whether your interests lie in large-scale information aggregation and analysis or in smaller-scale projects like weblog syndication, this book will provide you with a solid foundation for working with RDF.

Programming Web Services with SOAP

£19.96

James Snell,Doug Tidwell and Pavel Kulchenko; ISBN: 0-596-00095-2

The web services architecture provides a new way to think about and implement application-to-application integration and interoperability that makes the development platform irrelevant. Two applications, regardless of operating system, programming language, or any other technical implementation detail, communicate using XML messages over open Internet protocols such as HTTP or SMTP. The Simple Open Access Protocol (SOAP) is a specification that details how to encode that information and has become the messaging protocol of choice for Web services.

Programming Web Services with SOAP is a detailed guide to using SOAP and other leading web services standards--WSDL (Web Service Description Language), and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration protocol). You'll learn the concepts of the web services architecture and get practical advice on building and deploying web services in the enterprise.

This authoritative book decodes the standards, explaining the concepts and implementation in a clear, concise style. You'll also learn about the major toolkits for building and deploying web services. Examples in Java, Perl, C#, and Visual Basic illustrate the principles. Significant applications developed using Java and Perl on the Apache Tomcat web platform address real issues such as security, debugging, and interoperability.

Covered topic areas include:

• The Web Services Architecture
• SOAP envelopes, headers, and encodings
• WSDL and UDDI
• Writing web services with Apache SOAP and Java
• Writing web services with Perl's SOAP::Lite
• Peer-to-peer (P2P) web services
• Enterprise issues such as authentication, security, and identity
• Up-and-coming standards projects for web services

Programming Web Services with SOAP provides you with all the information on the standards, protocols, and toolkits you'll need to integrate information services with SOAP. You'll find a solid core of information that will help you develop individual Web services or discover new ways to integrate core business processes across an enterprise.

Programming Web Services with XML-RPC

£19.96

Simon St. Laurent,Joe Johnston,Edd Dumbill and Dave Winer; ISBN: 0-596-00119-3

Have you ever needed to share processing between two or more computers running programs written in different languages on different operating systems? Or have you ever wanted to publish information on the Web so that programs other than browsers could work with it? XML-RPC, a system for remote procedure calls built on XML and the ubiquitous HTTP protocol, is the solution you've been looking for.

Programming Web Services with XML-RPC introduces the simple but powerful capabilities of XML-RPC, which lets you connect programs running on different computers with a minimum of fuss, by wrapping procedure calls in XML and establishing simple pathways for calling functions. With XML-RPC, Java programs can talk to Perl scripts, which can talk to Python programs, ASP applications, and so on. You can provide access to procedure calls without having to worry about the system on the other end, so it's easy to create services that are available on the Web.

XML-RPC isn't the only solution for web services; the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is another much-hyped protocol for implementing web services. While XML-RPC provides fewer capabilities than SOAP, it also has far fewer interoperability problems and its capabilities and limitations are much better understood. XML-RPC is also stable, with over 30 implementations on a wide variety of platforms, so you can start doing real work with it immediately.

Programming Web Services with XML-RPC covers the details of five XML-RPC implementations, so you can get started developing distributed applications in Java, Perl, Python, ASP, or PHP. The chapters on these implementations contain code examples that you can use as the basis for your own work. This book also provides in-depth coverage of the XML-RPC specification, which is helpful for low-level debugging of XML-RPC clients and servers. And if you want to build your own XML-RPC implementation for another environment, the detailed explanations in this book will serve as a foundation for that work.

Python & XML

£22.80

Christopher A. Jones and Fred L. Drake, Jr.; ISBN: 0-596-00128-2

If you are a Python programmer who wants to incorporate XML into your skill set, this is the book for you. Python has attracted a wide variety of developers, who use it either as glue to connect critical programming tasks together, or as a complete cross-platform application development language. Yet, because it is object-oriented and has powerful text manipulation abilities, Python is an ideal language for manipulating XML.

Python & XML gives you a solid foundation for using these two languages together. Loaded with practical examples, this new volume highlights common application tasks, so that you can learn by doing. The book starts with the basics then quickly progresses to complex topics, like transforming XML with XSLT, querying XML with XPath, and working with XML dialects and validation. It also explores the more advanced issues: using Python with SOAP and distributed web services, and using Python to create scalable streams between distributed applications (like databases and web servers).

The book provides effective practical applications, while referencing many of the tools involved in XML processing and Python, and highlights cross-platform issues along with tasks relevant to enterprise computing. You will find ample coverage of XML flow analysis and details on ways in which you can transport XML through your network.

Whether you are using Python as an application language, or as an administrative or middleware scripting language, you are sure to benefit from this book. If you want to use Python to manipulate XML, this is your guide.

RELAX NG

£16.76

Eric van der Vlist; ISBN: 0-596-00421-4

As developers know, the beauty of XML is that it is extensible, even to the point that you can invent new elements and attributes as you write XML documents. Then, however, you need to define your changes so that applications will be able to make sense of them and this is where XML schema languages come into play. RELAX NG (pronounced relaxing), the Regular Language Description for XML Core--New Generation is quickly gaining momentum as an alternative to other schema languages. Designed to solve a variety of common problems raised in the creation and sharing of XML vocabularies, RELAX NG is less complex than The W3C's XML Schema Recommendation and much more powerful and flexible than DTDs.

RELAX NG is a grammar-based schema language that's both easy to learn for schema creators and easy to implement for software developers In RELAX NG, developers are introduced to this unique language and will learn a no-nonsense method for creating XML schemas. This book offers a clear-cut explanation of RELAX NG that enables intermediate and advanced XML developers to focus on XML document structures and content rather than battle the intricacies of yet another convoluted standard.

RELAX NG covers the following topics in depth:

• Introduction to RELAX NG
• Building RELAX NG schemas using XML syntax
• Building RELAX NG schemas using compact syntax, an alternative non-XML syntax
• Flattening schemas to limit depth and provide reusability
• Using external datatype libraries with RELAX NG
• W3C XML Schema regular expressions
• Writing extensible schemas
• Annotating schemas
• Generating schemas form different sources
• Determinism and datatype assignment

and much more.

If you're looking for a schema language that's easy to use and won't leave you in a labyrinth of obscure limitations, RELAX NG is the language you should be using. And only O'Reilly's RELAX NG gives you the straightforward information and everything else you'll need to take advantage of this powerful and intelligible language.

SAX2

£16.76

David Brownell; ISBN: 0-596-00237-8

This concise book gives you the information you need to effectively use the Simple API for XML (SAX2), the dominant API for efficient XML processing with Java. With the SAX2 API, developers have access to the information in XML documents as they are read, without imposing major memory constraints or a large code footprint. SAX2 is often used by other APIs "under the covers", and provides a foundation for processing and creating both XML and non-XML information.

While generally considered the most efficient approach to handling XML document parsing, SAX2 also carries a significant learning curve. In SAX2, author David Brownell explores the many details of managing XML parsers, filtering the information those parsers return, generating your own SAX2 events to convert non-XML information to an XML form, and developing strategies for using event-based parsing in a variety of application scenarios.

Created in a public process by the XML-Dev mailing list, the SAX2 API is compact and highly functional. SAX2 uses callbacks to report the information in an XML document as the document is read,allowing you to create your own program structures around the content of documents. No intermediary model of an entire XML document is necessary, and the mapping from XML structures to Java structures and back is straightforward.

Both developers learning about SAX2 for the first time and developers returning for reference and advanced material about SAX2 will find useful information in this book. Chapters provide detailed explanations and examples of many different aspects of SAX2 development, while appendices provide a reference to the API and an explanation of the relationships between the SAX2 API and the XML Information Set.

While the core of the API is quite approachable, many of its more advanced features are both obscure and powerful. You can use SAX2 to filter, modify, and restructure information in layers of processing which make it easy to reuse generic tools. SAX2 also has some significant limitations that applications need to address in their own ways. This new book gives you the detail and examples required to use SAX2 to its full potential, taking advantage of its power while avoiding its limitations.

SVG Essentials

£19.96

J. David Eisenberg; ISBN: 0-596-00223-8

Scalable Vector Graphics -- or SVG -- is the new XML-based graphics standard from the W3C that will enable Web documents to be smaller, faster and more interactive. J. David Eisenberg's insightful book takes you through the ins and outs of SVG, beginning with basics needed to create simple line drawings and then moving through more complicated features like filters, transformations, and integration with Java, Perl, and XSLT.

Unlike GIFs, JPEGs or PNGs (which are bitmapped), SVG images are both resolution- and device-independent, so that they can scale up or down to fit proportionally into any size display or any Internet device -- from PDAs to large office monitors and high-resolution printers. Smaller than bitmapped files and faster to download, SVG images can be rendered with different CSS styles for each environment. They work well across a range of available bandwidths.

SVG makes it possible for designers to escape the constant need to update graphics by hand or use custom code to generate bitmap images. And while SVG was created with the Web in mind, the language has a variety of other uses. SVG greatly simplifies tasks like:

Creating web sites whose graphics reflect the content of the page, changing automatically if the content changes Generating graphs and charts from information stored in a wide variety of sources Exchanging detailed drawings, from architectural plans to CAD layouts to project management diagrams Creating diagrams that users can explore by zooming in and panning around Generating bitmap images for use in older browsers using simple automatable templates Managing graphics that support multiple languages or translations Creating complex animation

By focusing sharply on the markup at the foundation of SVG, SVG Essentials gives you a solid base on which to create your own custom tools. Explanations of key technical tools -- like XML, matrix math, and scripting -- are included as appendices, along with a reference to the SVG vocabulary.

Whether you're a graphic designer in search of new tools or a programmer dealing with the complex task of creating and managing graphics, SVG Essentials provides you with the means to take advantage of SVG.

XForms Essentials

£16.76

Micah Dubinko; ISBN: 0-596-00369-2

The use of forms on the web is so commonplace that most user interactions involve some type of form. XForms--a combination of XML and forms--offers a powerful alternative to HTML-based forms. By providing excellent XML integration, including XML Schema, XForms allows developers to create flexible, web-based user-input forms for a wide variety of platforms, including desktop computers, handhelds, information appliances, and more.

XForms Essentials is an introduction and practical guide to the new XForms specification. Written by Micah Dubinko, a member of the W3C XForms working group and an editor of the specification, the book explains the how and why of XForms, showing readers how to take advantage of them without having to write their own code. You'll learn how to integrate XForms with both HTML and XML vocabularies, and how XForms can simplify the connection between client-based user input and server-based processing.

XForms Essentials begins with a general introduction to web forms, including information on history and basic construction of forms. The second part of the book serves as a reference manual to the XForms specification. The third section offers additional hints, guidelines, and techniques for working with XForms. Topics covered in the book include:

• creating XForms files in a text or XML editor
• converting existing forms (electronic or paper) to XForms
• collecting XML data from users in a user-friendly way
• reducing the amount of JavaScript needed within browser interfaces
• increasing the security and reliability of your current forms system by combining client-side and server-side checks into a common code base
• creating interactive websites using the latest standard technology

XForms Essentials focuses on the practical application of XForms technology. If you work with forms, HTML, or XML information, XForms Essentials will provide you with a much simpler route to more sophisticated interactions with users.

XML Hacks

£14.00

Michael Fitzgerald; ISBN: 0-596-00711-6

Developers and system administrators alike are uncovering the true power of XML, the Extensible Markup Language that enables data to be sent over the Internet from one computer platform to another or one application to another and retain its original format. Flexible enough to be customized for applications as diverse as web sites, electronic data interchange, voice mail systems, wireless devices, web services, and more, XML is quickly becoming ubiquitous.

XML Hacks is a roll-up-your-sleeves guide that distills years of ingenious XML hacking into a complete set of practical tips, tricks, and tools for the web developers, system administrators, and programmers who want to go far beyond basic tutorials to leverage the untapped power of XML.

With plenty of useful real-world projects that illustrate how to define, read, create, and manipulate XML documents, XML Hacks shows readers how to put XML's power to work on the Internet and within productivity applications. Each Hack in this book can be read easily in a few minutes, saving programmers and administrators countless hours of searching for the right answer. And this is an O'Reilly Hacks book, so it's not just practical, imminently useful, and time-saving. It's also fun.

From Anatomy of an XML Document to Exploring SOAP Messages XML Hacks shows you how to save time and accomplish more with fewer resources. If you want much more than the average XML user--to explore and experiment, do things you didn't know you could do with XML, discover clever shortcuts, and show off just a little--this invaluable book is a must-have.

XML Pocket Reference, 2nd Edition

£5.56

Robert Eckstein and Michel Casabianca; ISBN: 0-596-00133-9

XML, the Extensible Markup Language, is the next-generation markup language for the Web. It provides a more structured (and therefore more powerful) medium than HTML, allowing you to define new document types and stylesheets as needed. Although the generic tags of HTML are sufficient for everyday text, XML gives you a way to add rich, well-defined markup to electronic documents.

The XML Pocket Reference is both a handy introduction to XML terminology and syntax, and a quick reference to XML instructions, attributes, entities, and datatypes. Although XML itself is complex, its basic concepts are simple. This small book combines a perfect tutorial for learning the basics of XML with a reference to the XML and XSL specifications. The new edition introduces information on XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) and Xpath.

XML Publishing with AxKit

£16.76

Kip Hampton; ISBN: 0-596-00216-5

Web developers rely on XML to separate data from presentation and create a consistent templating system for a web site. Although limited XML-to-HTML conversion is possible within some browsers, web developers creating dynamic or complex sites will find server-side XML transformation a necessity. Unfortunately, until recently, there have been few XML tools available for server-side XML transformation or authoring.

AxKit, a mod_perl and Apache-based XML content delivery solution, was designed to meet that need with a cost-effective and efficient plugin architecture. AxKit allows the developer to quickly design modules to create faster web sites, and deliver them in a wide variety of media formats. AxKit also takes care of caching so the developer doesn't have to worry about it. AxKit meets the demands of the web developer nicely, but, as with any new toolkit, there is a learning curve.

For developers who want to flatten that learning curve and get right to work with AxKit, XML Publishing with AxKit provides detailed information on how to install, configure, and deploy AxKit effectively. The first book solely devoted to AxKit, XML Publishing with AxKit also offers a concise and focused look at how to create XSLT and XPathScript-based pipelines for XML data transfer.

This solidly useful new book presents web programmers with the hands-on knowledge they need to get really creative with AxKit. It features a thorough introduction to XSP (extensible Server Pages), which applies the concepts of Server Pages technologies (embedded code, tag libraries, etc) to the XML world, and covers integrating AxKit with other tools such as Template Toolkit, Apache:: Mason, Apache::ASP, and plain CGI. The book also includes invaluable reference sections on configuration directives, XPathScript, and XSP.

With XML Publishing with AxKit, web developers will have all the tools they need to deliver complex XML-based systems quickly, the power to develop their own systems for style sheet negotiation, and the flexibility to design completely new style sheet languages.

XML Publishing with AxKit gives those new to XML all the background and the courage they need to jump right in and deploy AxKit. And it gives XML-savvy professionals everything they need to hit the ground running.

XML Schema

£22.80

Eric van der Vlist; ISBN: 0-596-00252-1

If you need to create or use formal descriptions of XML vocabularies, the W3C's XML Schema offers a powerful set of tools for defining acceptable document structures and content. An alternative to DTDs as the way to describe and validate data in an XML environment, XML Schema enables developers to create precise descriptions with a richer set of datatypes?such as booleans, numbers, currencies, dates and times?that are essential for today?s applications.

Schemas are powerful, but that power comes with substantial complexity. This concise book explains the ins and outs of XML Schema, including design choices, best practices, and limitations. Particularly valuable are discussions of how the type structures fit with existing database and object-oriented program contexts. With XML Schema, you can define acceptable content models and annotate those models with additional type information, making them more readily bound to programs and objects. Schemas combine the easy interchange of text-based XML with the more stringent requirements of data exchange, and make it easier to validate documents based on namespaces.

You?ll find plenty of examples in this book that demonstrate the details necessary for precise vocabulary definitions. Topics include:

• Foundations of XML Schema syntax
• Flat, "russian-doll", and other schema approaches
• Working with simple and complex types in a variety of contexts
• The built-in datatypes provided by XML Schema
• Using facets to extend datatypes, including regular expression-based patterns
• Using keys and uniqueness rules to limit how and where information may appear
• Creating extensible schemas and managing extensibility
• Documenting schemas and extending XML Schema capabilities through annotations

In addition to the explanatory content, XML Schemaprovides a complete reference to all parts of both the XML Schema Structures and XML Schema Datatypes specifications, as well as a glossary. Appendices explore the relationships between XML Schema and other tools for describing document structures, including DTDs, RELAX NG, and Schematron, as well as work in progress at the W3C to more tightly integrate XML Schema with existing specifications.

No matter how you intend to use XML Schema - for data structures or document structures, for standalone documents or part of SOAP transactions, for documentation, validation, or data binding ? all the foundations you need are outlined in XML Schema.

XML in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

£22.80

Elliotte Rusty Harold and W. Scott Means; ISBN: 0-596-00764-7

If you're a developer working with XML, you know there's a lot to know about XML, and the XML space is evolving almost moment by moment. But you don't need to commit every XML syntax, API, or XSLT transformation to memory; you only need to know where to find it. And if it's a detail that has to do with XML or its companion standards, you'll find it--clear, concise, useful, and well-organized--in the updated third edition of XML in a Nutshell.

With XML in a Nutshell beside your keyboard, you'll be able to:

• Quick-reference syntax rules and usage examples for the core XML technologies, including XML, DTDs, Xpath, XSLT, SAX, and DOM

• Develop an understanding of well-formed XML, DTDs, namespaces, Unicode, and W3C XML Schema

• Gain a working knowledge of key technologies used for narrative XML documents such as web pages, books, and articles technologies like XSLT, Xpath, Xlink, Xpointer, CSS, and XSL-FO

• Build data-intensive XML applications

• Understand the tools and APIs necessary to build data-intensive XML applications and process XML documents, including the event-based Simple API for XML (SAX2) and the tree-oriented Document Object Model (DOM)

  This powerful new edition is the comprehensive XML reference. Serious users of XML will find coverage on just about everything they need, from fundamental syntax rules, to details of DTD and XML Schema creation, to XSLT transformations, to APIs used for processing XML documents. XML in a Nutshell also covers XML 1.1, as well as updates to SAX2 and DOM Level 3 coverage. If you need explanation of how a technology works, or just need to quickly find the precise syntax for a particular piece, XML in a Nutshell puts the information at your fingertips.

  Simply put, XML in a Nutshell is the critical, must-have reference for any XML developer.

XPath and XPointer

£14.00

John E. Simpson; ISBN: 0-596-00291-2

Referring to specific information inside an XML document is a little like finding a needle in a haystack: how do you differentiate the information you need from everything else? XPath and XPointer are two closely related languages that play a key role in XML processing by allowing developers to find these needles and manipulate embedded information. XPath describes a route for finding specific items by defining a path through the hierarchy of an XML document, abstracting only the information that's relevant for identifying the data. XPointer extends XPath to identify more complex parts of documents. The two technologies are critical for developers seeking needles in haystacks in various types of processing.

XPath and XPointer fills an essential need for XML developers by focusing directly on a critical topic that has been covered only briefly. Written by John Simpson, an author with considerable XML experience, the book offers practical knowledge of the two languages that underpin XML, XSLT and XLink. XPath and XPointer cuts through basic theory and provides real-world examples that you can use right away.

Written for XML and XSLT developers and anyone else who needs to address information in XML documents, the book assumes a working knowledge of XML and XSLT. It begins with an introduction to XPath basics. You'll learn about location steps and paths, XPath functions and numeric operators. Once you've covered XPath in depth, you'll move on to XPointer--its background, syntax, and forms of addressing. By the time you've finished the book, you'll know how to construct a full XPointer (one that uses an XPath location path to address document content) and completely understand both the XPath and XPointer features it uses.

XPath and XPointer contains material on the forthcoming XPath 2.0 spec and EXSLT extensions, as well as versions 1.0 of both XPath and XPointer. A succinct but thorough hands-on guide, no other book on the market provides comprehensive information on these two key XML technologies in one place.

XSL-FO

£19.96

Dave Pawson; ISBN: 0-596-00355-2

No matter how flexible and convenient digital information has become, we haven't done away with the need to see information in print. Extensible Style Language-Formatting Objects, or XSL-FO, is a set of tools developers and web designers use to describe page printouts of their XML (including XHTML) documents. If you need to produce high quality printed material from your XML documents, then XSL-FO provides the bridge.

XSL-FO is one of the few books to go beyond a basic introduction to the technology. While many books touch on XSL-FO in their treatment of XSLT, this book offers in-depth coverage of XSL-FO's features and strengths. Author Dave Pawson is well known in the XSLT and XSL-FO communities, and maintains the XSLT FAQ. An online version of this book has helped many developers master this technology. XSL-FO is the first time this reference is available in print.

The first part of the book provides an overview of the technology and introduces the XSL-FO vocabulary. The author discusses how to choose among today's implementations, explains how to describe pages, and shows you what is going on in the processor in terms of layout. You'll learn about the basics of formatting and layout as well as readability.

The second part focuses on smaller pieces: blocks, inline structures, graphics, color and character level formatting, concluding by showing how to integrate these parts into a coherent whole. XSL-FO also explores organizational aspects you'll need to consider, like how to design your stylesheets strategically rather than letting them evolve on their own.

XSL-FO is more than just a guide to the technology. The book teaches you how to think about the formatting of your documents and guides you through the questions you'll need to ask to ensure that your printed documents meet the same high standards as your computer-generated content. Written for experienced XML developers and web designers, no other book contains as much useful information on this practical technology.

XSLT

£22.80

Doug Tidwell; ISBN: 0-596-00053-7

XSLT

documents a core technology for processing XML. Originally created for page layout, XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Transformations) is now much more: a general-purpose translation tool, a system for reorganizing document content, and a way to generate multiple results-- such as HTML, WAP, and SVG--from the same content.

What sets XSLT apart from other books on this critical tool is the depth of detail and breadth of knowledge that Doug Tidwell, a developer with years of XSLT experience, brings to his concise treatment of the many talents of XSLT. He covers XSLT and XPath, a critical companion standard, and addresses topics ranging from basic transformations to complex sorting and linking. He explores extension functions on a variety of different XSLT processors and shows ways to combine multiple documents using XSLT. Code examples add a real-world dimension to each technique.

Useful as XSLT is, its peculiar characteristics make it difficult to get started in, and the ability to use advanced techniques depends on a clear and exact understanding of how XSLT templates work and interact. For instance, the understanding of "variables" in XSLT is deeply different from the understanding of "variables" in procedural languages. The author explains XSLT by building from the basics to its more complex and powerful possibilities, so that whether you're just starting out in XSLT or looking for advanced techniques, you'll find the level of information you need.

XSLT Cookbook

£22.80

Sal Mangano; ISBN: 0-596-00372-2

Critical for converting XML documents, and extremely versatile, the XSLT language nevertheless has complexities that can be daunting. The XSLT Cookbook is a collection of hundreds of solutions to problems that Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) developers regularly face. The recipes range from simple string-manipulation and mathematical processing to more complex topics like extending XSLT, testing and debugging XSLT stylesheets, and graphics creation with SVG. Recipes can be run directly or tweaked to fit your particular application's needs more precisely.

Each recipe walks through a problem and a solution, with explanations of the choices made and techniques used in creating that solution, and many recipes include alternate solutions and explore issues like convenience and performance. Topics covered include:

• String manipulation
• Mathematical processing
• Date and time handling
• Interactions between calendar systems
• Selecting content in source documents
• Efficient tree-manipulation
• Conversions from XML to plain text
• Tweaking XML documents with stylesheets
• Using XSLT to query XML documents
• Generating HTML with XSLT
• Creating charts and graphs with SVG and XSLT
• Generating C and XSLT code using XSLT
• Processing Visio documents in XSLT
• Working with XML Topic Maps (XTM)
• Using XSLT to create SOAP documentation from WSDL
• Extending XSLT with additional functions
• Embedding XSLT in other processing
• Testing and debugging XSLT stylesheets
• Creating generic XSLT processors which work on many XML vocabularies

The XSLT Cookbook provides an ideal companion both for developers still figuring out XSLT's template-based approach who want to learn by example, and for developers who know XSLT and want a collection of quickly reusable recipes. XSLT frequently offers a number of ways to perform a transformation, and the best solution may not always be the most straightforward. The recipes in this Cookbook demonstrate and explain XSLT's template-based logic, a frequent stumbling block for developers new to XSLT. Among the variety of XSLT books now available, none has the explicit solution-oriented approach of this Cookbook.