Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

The Visual QuickStart Guide series from Peachpit Press is known for boiling topics down to the essentials and presenting them in an engaging, efficient way to get the reader up to speed quickly. In applying this model to XML, author Elizabeth Castro had her work cut out for her.

Fortunately for her readers, Castro has successfully identified the core components of XML and presented them in a streamlined way. XML for the World Wide Web doesn't tackle any of the advanced elements of XML technology, such as SOAP, SAX or integration with the Document Object Model (DOM). Instead, it focuses on teaching the basic nuts and bolts of creating XML documents, styling them and defining their structure.

This book moves at a fast pace. Document Type Definitions (DTD), for instance, get only 30 pages of coverage. This tight format is composed of simple examples that illustrate commands and concepts instead of pages of text. The pages are presented in a two-column format so that code fragments can be wisely placed alongside the step-by-step explanatory text. Each topic example is supplemented with one or more useful implementation tips.

For a true grasp on XML and all of its potential, you will need to follow up this introductory tutorial with more reading on the applications of the technology and case studies. But this little book is a great way to learn the basics of XML in a weekend. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• XML documents
• Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
• Schemas
• Namespaces
• XSLT and XPath
• Cascading style sheets (CSS)
• XLink
• XPointer

Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

Fine as far as it goes., 27 Nov 2003
A good introduction to XML and some associated technologies such as DTDs, schemas, XSLT and CSS, and a pleasant change from all those books whose authors think they won't be taken seriously unless they fill at least 750 pages.
The publisher claims that this guide "uses pictures rather than lengthy explanations", but most of the pictures are simple screendumps of text in an editor. The pictures are more useful in the CSS layout section; however, there are better books on CSS than this, for example by Eric Meyer. (Most are based on HTML rather than XML, but the principles are the same.)
Nicely laid out and printed,and no significant errors or typos. Just a reminder: this book does not cover the DOM, SAX, SOAP or XML-RPC, so you will need to look elsewhere if that's what you need.

Elegant and concise, 14 May 2001
This is a great book.

After two years of searching for a decent book on XML, I was surprised to find what exactly I needed in such a small volume. It seems to say very little, but says everything you need to know. Other writers must grind their teeth in frustration, wishing that they could do what Castro has done here.

I agree with another reviewer here who says that it maybe isn't for the absolute beginner to XML, but if you have read a good introductory article on XML somewhere, then it's perfect. Everyone else is providing either discursive introductions about the idea of XML, or over-detailed, confusing examples. This book hits the sweet spot in between. I'll keep it handy.

Concise, but confusing for true beginners, 17 Apr 2001
If you purchase this book with the intention of writing XML within an hour or so, beware: Although all the information is there, it is difficult to follow a single thread that leads to a working example.

I am sure this will be a useful book, but it is not a quick start to xml. For the price, it is justified. Otherwise there are better step-by-step tutorials online.

The book's "real world" approach is quite good, balancing the various approaches to xml within just a few pages

This is a book that needs to be followed carefully to get the value it contains. Not everyone will be suited to its concise style.

Excellent book, 31 Jan 2001
An Excellent book with good resources and very easy to follow. The book contains links to the source code and other websites that have downloadable files. The book itself is easy to follow, and quick to be learned. the examples are well explained and easy to follow. With this book you can be writing XML within the hour.Belive me this is not rubbish it is true. Well worth buying

An excellent introduction to XML. Clear and concise., 29 Nov 2000
The layout of the book makes it easy to follow, with very clear examples, tips and reminders. The explanations and descriptions are straight to the point.

Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

Fine as far as it goes., 27 Nov 2003
A good introduction to XML and some associated technologies such as DTDs, schemas, XSLT and CSS, and a pleasant change from all those books whose authors think they won't be taken seriously unless they fill at least 750 pages.
The publisher claims that this guide "uses pictures rather than lengthy explanations", but most of the pictures are simple screendumps of text in an editor. The pictures are more useful in the CSS layout section; however, there are better books on CSS than this, for example by Eric Meyer. (Most are based on HTML rather than XML, but the principles are the same.)
Nicely laid out and printed,and no significant errors or typos. Just a reminder: this book does not cover the DOM, SAX, SOAP or XML-RPC, so you will need to look elsewhere if that's what you need.

Elegant and concise, 14 May 2001
This is a great book.

After two years of searching for a decent book on XML, I was surprised to find what exactly I needed in such a small volume. It seems to say very little, but says everything you need to know. Other writers must grind their teeth in frustration, wishing that they could do what Castro has done here.

I agree with another reviewer here who says that it maybe isn't for the absolute beginner to XML, but if you have read a good introductory article on XML somewhere, then it's perfect. Everyone else is providing either discursive introductions about the idea of XML, or over-detailed, confusing examples. This book hits the sweet spot in between. I'll keep it handy.

Concise, but confusing for true beginners, 17 Apr 2001
If you purchase this book with the intention of writing XML within an hour or so, beware: Although all the information is there, it is difficult to follow a single thread that leads to a working example.

I am sure this will be a useful book, but it is not a quick start to xml. For the price, it is justified. Otherwise there are better step-by-step tutorials online.

The book's "real world" approach is quite good, balancing the various approaches to xml within just a few pages

This is a book that needs to be followed carefully to get the value it contains. Not everyone will be suited to its concise style.

Excellent book, 31 Jan 2001
An Excellent book with good resources and very easy to follow. The book contains links to the source code and other websites that have downloadable files. The book itself is easy to follow, and quick to be learned. the examples are well explained and easy to follow. With this book you can be writing XML within the hour.Belive me this is not rubbish it is true. Well worth buying

An excellent introduction to XML. Clear and concise., 29 Nov 2000
The layout of the book makes it easy to follow, with very clear examples, tips and reminders. The explanations and descriptions are straight to the point.

Unstructured and ill thought out, 20 Jul 2008
This is the first review I have ever written so I apologies if it seems a little short and not very well written, but I thought it was necessary in this case. I am an efficient ActionScript2 coder, with little knowledge of xml and bought this book to learn how to create dynamic websites using xml as a data source. Pretty much from the very beginning I found the book jumps around and does not make it clear what you are supposed to do and when. It leaves out basic instruction for example having to save class files with the same name as the class and it also lacks basic step by step instruction that are essential when trying to learn a new skills. It leaves you scratching your head and resorting to dissecting the resource files supplied on the CD.

If you are interested in learning how to use xml with flash I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.


I found the tag line of build on basic actionscript syntax a little misleading, 17 Feb 2008
The book primarily relies heavily on developing a real estate web site to introduce the various elements central to xml and databases, and while this grounds the process in a workable real world example it shouldn't be confused with a reference book.

I found the pace of this book to be a little too frantic for my skill level, too many processes are introduced in each section in quick succession, with constant references to 'we will return to this or that later', where a more measured and structured introduction to each section would have been more helpful.

Part of the difficulty I believe stems from the incorporation of AS3 and the implications this has for developing in AS2 (my current environment), which turns this book into a how to develop in xml and learn AS3 at the same time, it may be correct but the explanation of why it works better and why you should code a certain way just comes across as slightly confusing, AS3 developers may fare better having been through that learning process already.

If your comfortable using this book to the full you possibly don't need it.

Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

Fine as far as it goes., 27 Nov 2003
A good introduction to XML and some associated technologies such as DTDs, schemas, XSLT and CSS, and a pleasant change from all those books whose authors think they won't be taken seriously unless they fill at least 750 pages.
The publisher claims that this guide "uses pictures rather than lengthy explanations", but most of the pictures are simple screendumps of text in an editor. The pictures are more useful in the CSS layout section; however, there are better books on CSS than this, for example by Eric Meyer. (Most are based on HTML rather than XML, but the principles are the same.)
Nicely laid out and printed,and no significant errors or typos. Just a reminder: this book does not cover the DOM, SAX, SOAP or XML-RPC, so you will need to look elsewhere if that's what you need.

Elegant and concise, 14 May 2001
This is a great book.

After two years of searching for a decent book on XML, I was surprised to find what exactly I needed in such a small volume. It seems to say very little, but says everything you need to know. Other writers must grind their teeth in frustration, wishing that they could do what Castro has done here.

I agree with another reviewer here who says that it maybe isn't for the absolute beginner to XML, but if you have read a good introductory article on XML somewhere, then it's perfect. Everyone else is providing either discursive introductions about the idea of XML, or over-detailed, confusing examples. This book hits the sweet spot in between. I'll keep it handy.

Concise, but confusing for true beginners, 17 Apr 2001
If you purchase this book with the intention of writing XML within an hour or so, beware: Although all the information is there, it is difficult to follow a single thread that leads to a working example.

I am sure this will be a useful book, but it is not a quick start to xml. For the price, it is justified. Otherwise there are better step-by-step tutorials online.

The book's "real world" approach is quite good, balancing the various approaches to xml within just a few pages

This is a book that needs to be followed carefully to get the value it contains. Not everyone will be suited to its concise style.

Excellent book, 31 Jan 2001
An Excellent book with good resources and very easy to follow. The book contains links to the source code and other websites that have downloadable files. The book itself is easy to follow, and quick to be learned. the examples are well explained and easy to follow. With this book you can be writing XML within the hour.Belive me this is not rubbish it is true. Well worth buying

An excellent introduction to XML. Clear and concise., 29 Nov 2000
The layout of the book makes it easy to follow, with very clear examples, tips and reminders. The explanations and descriptions are straight to the point.

Unstructured and ill thought out, 20 Jul 2008
This is the first review I have ever written so I apologies if it seems a little short and not very well written, but I thought it was necessary in this case. I am an efficient ActionScript2 coder, with little knowledge of xml and bought this book to learn how to create dynamic websites using xml as a data source. Pretty much from the very beginning I found the book jumps around and does not make it clear what you are supposed to do and when. It leaves out basic instruction for example having to save class files with the same name as the class and it also lacks basic step by step instruction that are essential when trying to learn a new skills. It leaves you scratching your head and resorting to dissecting the resource files supplied on the CD.

If you are interested in learning how to use xml with flash I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.


I found the tag line of build on basic actionscript syntax a little misleading, 17 Feb 2008
The book primarily relies heavily on developing a real estate web site to introduce the various elements central to xml and databases, and while this grounds the process in a workable real world example it shouldn't be confused with a reference book.

I found the pace of this book to be a little too frantic for my skill level, too many processes are introduced in each section in quick succession, with constant references to 'we will return to this or that later', where a more measured and structured introduction to each section would have been more helpful.

Part of the difficulty I believe stems from the incorporation of AS3 and the implications this has for developing in AS2 (my current environment), which turns this book into a how to develop in xml and learn AS3 at the same time, it may be correct but the explanation of why it works better and why you should code a certain way just comes across as slightly confusing, AS3 developers may fare better having been through that learning process already.

If your comfortable using this book to the full you possibly don't need it.

Examples need a bit more thought..., 25 Jan 2007
This is a useful introduction to XML databases. However I found that the book tried to cover subject matter that a reader would probably already know if they were looking into storing XML in a database for example there are overviews on XML, XSLT, SQL and relational database tables.

I would have liked to have seen more detail on the Oracle and SQL Server utilites. The worst thing about this book is the examples. There is one example where the table is named "XML" and the column is also named "XML" so its difficult to determine when the code is referring to the table or the column. Its a good starting point, but I wish I'd bought a more detailed book.

For those using Microsoft tools ASP, ADO and XML Complete covers just about everything you need to create a dynamic Web site: server software, VBScript scripting, ActiveX Data Objects and the data metalanguage XML. Along the way you'll also learn about JScript, the basics of SQL, using VB to access databases, client-side scripting and a little about actually building a real world e-commerce site.

Considering how ASP, ADO and XML Complete has been created it all works surprisingly well. What Sybex has done is create a Franken-book from the salvaged parts of 10 or so existing titles. This helps to keep the price down, as does printing the book on cheaper, acid paper. Unfortunately, it also ensures the information in ASP, ADO and XML Complete is a little dated and despite the efforts of the editors you can all too often see the joins. Nevertheless, you will learn how to script ASP, how to design a suitable relational database structure to support your site and how to make it all work with ADO and SQL Server.

ASP, ADO and XML Complete is a good, information-rich and practically oriented introduction to building e-commerce and other dynamic sites with Microsoft tools. And, as most companies are reluctant to live on the bleeding edge of software technology, it could well be all you'll need. --Steve Patient

Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

Fine as far as it goes., 27 Nov 2003
A good introduction to XML and some associated technologies such as DTDs, schemas, XSLT and CSS, and a pleasant change from all those books whose authors think they won't be taken seriously unless they fill at least 750 pages.
The publisher claims that this guide "uses pictures rather than lengthy explanations", but most of the pictures are simple screendumps of text in an editor. The pictures are more useful in the CSS layout section; however, there are better books on CSS than this, for example by Eric Meyer. (Most are based on HTML rather than XML, but the principles are the same.)
Nicely laid out and printed,and no significant errors or typos. Just a reminder: this book does not cover the DOM, SAX, SOAP or XML-RPC, so you will need to look elsewhere if that's what you need.

Elegant and concise, 14 May 2001
This is a great book.

After two years of searching for a decent book on XML, I was surprised to find what exactly I needed in such a small volume. It seems to say very little, but says everything you need to know. Other writers must grind their teeth in frustration, wishing that they could do what Castro has done here.

I agree with another reviewer here who says that it maybe isn't for the absolute beginner to XML, but if you have read a good introductory article on XML somewhere, then it's perfect. Everyone else is providing either discursive introductions about the idea of XML, or over-detailed, confusing examples. This book hits the sweet spot in between. I'll keep it handy.

Concise, but confusing for true beginners, 17 Apr 2001
If you purchase this book with the intention of writing XML within an hour or so, beware: Although all the information is there, it is difficult to follow a single thread that leads to a working example.

I am sure this will be a useful book, but it is not a quick start to xml. For the price, it is justified. Otherwise there are better step-by-step tutorials online.

The book's "real world" approach is quite good, balancing the various approaches to xml within just a few pages

This is a book that needs to be followed carefully to get the value it contains. Not everyone will be suited to its concise style.

Excellent book, 31 Jan 2001
An Excellent book with good resources and very easy to follow. The book contains links to the source code and other websites that have downloadable files. The book itself is easy to follow, and quick to be learned. the examples are well explained and easy to follow. With this book you can be writing XML within the hour.Belive me this is not rubbish it is true. Well worth buying

An excellent introduction to XML. Clear and concise., 29 Nov 2000
The layout of the book makes it easy to follow, with very clear examples, tips and reminders. The explanations and descriptions are straight to the point.

Unstructured and ill thought out, 20 Jul 2008
This is the first review I have ever written so I apologies if it seems a little short and not very well written, but I thought it was necessary in this case. I am an efficient ActionScript2 coder, with little knowledge of xml and bought this book to learn how to create dynamic websites using xml as a data source. Pretty much from the very beginning I found the book jumps around and does not make it clear what you are supposed to do and when. It leaves out basic instruction for example having to save class files with the same name as the class and it also lacks basic step by step instruction that are essential when trying to learn a new skills. It leaves you scratching your head and resorting to dissecting the resource files supplied on the CD.

If you are interested in learning how to use xml with flash I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.


I found the tag line of build on basic actionscript syntax a little misleading, 17 Feb 2008
The book primarily relies heavily on developing a real estate web site to introduce the various elements central to xml and databases, and while this grounds the process in a workable real world example it shouldn't be confused with a reference book.

I found the pace of this book to be a little too frantic for my skill level, too many processes are introduced in each section in quick succession, with constant references to 'we will return to this or that later', where a more measured and structured introduction to each section would have been more helpful.

Part of the difficulty I believe stems from the incorporation of AS3 and the implications this has for developing in AS2 (my current environment), which turns this book into a how to develop in xml and learn AS3 at the same time, it may be correct but the explanation of why it works better and why you should code a certain way just comes across as slightly confusing, AS3 developers may fare better having been through that learning process already.

If your comfortable using this book to the full you possibly don't need it.

Examples need a bit more thought..., 25 Jan 2007
This is a useful introduction to XML databases. However I found that the book tried to cover subject matter that a reader would probably already know if they were looking into storing XML in a database for example there are overviews on XML, XSLT, SQL and relational database tables.

I would have liked to have seen more detail on the Oracle and SQL Server utilites. The worst thing about this book is the examples. There is one example where the table is named "XML" and the column is also named "XML" so its difficult to determine when the code is referring to the table or the column. Its a good starting point, but I wish I'd bought a more detailed book.

A Great Reference for Intermediate/Advanced ASP Developers, 15 Sep 2003
ASP, ADO and XML Complete is what it says on the cover, a fantastic resource covering all the properties and methods of ADO. The XML section is espeically useful as every other book on XML, generally uses some form of JAVA as it's programming language, which is no use if you are a ASP Developer! Exceptional value for money, a must for any ASP developer looking to move into XML development.

Immense and disjointed, 06 Dec 2001
This is not a book for beginners, in fact it can really put beginners off learning ASP, ADO and XML because the structure is confusing, a mountain of finely-detailed and disjointed information. At the same time the dated nature of some of the content means that it is of little value to experienced programmers. Sorry.

This book covers a lot of ground, 23 Aug 2001
Wow ! This book covers an amazing amount of ground. This series of books has often been criticised for being sparsely informative or a blatant rehash of freely available information. This book however runs all the way from an introduction to VBScript & Java Script, through ADO, ASP, XML ( hence the title ! lol ! ) and brings it all neatly together in a mini-application that covers all the essential information without unnecessary duplication...

Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

Fine as far as it goes., 27 Nov 2003
A good introduction to XML and some associated technologies such as DTDs, schemas, XSLT and CSS, and a pleasant change from all those books whose authors think they won't be taken seriously unless they fill at least 750 pages.
The publisher claims that this guide "uses pictures rather than lengthy explanations", but most of the pictures are simple screendumps of text in an editor. The pictures are more useful in the CSS layout section; however, there are better books on CSS than this, for example by Eric Meyer. (Most are based on HTML rather than XML, but the principles are the same.)
Nicely laid out and printed,and no significant errors or typos. Just a reminder: this book does not cover the DOM, SAX, SOAP or XML-RPC, so you will need to look elsewhere if that's what you need.

Elegant and concise, 14 May 2001
This is a great book.

After two years of searching for a decent book on XML, I was surprised to find what exactly I needed in such a small volume. It seems to say very little, but says everything you need to know. Other writers must grind their teeth in frustration, wishing that they could do what Castro has done here.

I agree with another reviewer here who says that it maybe isn't for the absolute beginner to XML, but if you have read a good introductory article on XML somewhere, then it's perfect. Everyone else is providing either discursive introductions about the idea of XML, or over-detailed, confusing examples. This book hits the sweet spot in between. I'll keep it handy.

Concise, but confusing for true beginners, 17 Apr 2001
If you purchase this book with the intention of writing XML within an hour or so, beware: Although all the information is there, it is difficult to follow a single thread that leads to a working example.

I am sure this will be a useful book, but it is not a quick start to xml. For the price, it is justified. Otherwise there are better step-by-step tutorials online.

The book's "real world" approach is quite good, balancing the various approaches to xml within just a few pages

This is a book that needs to be followed carefully to get the value it contains. Not everyone will be suited to its concise style.

Excellent book, 31 Jan 2001
An Excellent book with good resources and very easy to follow. The book contains links to the source code and other websites that have downloadable files. The book itself is easy to follow, and quick to be learned. the examples are well explained and easy to follow. With this book you can be writing XML within the hour.Belive me this is not rubbish it is true. Well worth buying

An excellent introduction to XML. Clear and concise., 29 Nov 2000
The layout of the book makes it easy to follow, with very clear examples, tips and reminders. The explanations and descriptions are straight to the point.

Unstructured and ill thought out, 20 Jul 2008
This is the first review I have ever written so I apologies if it seems a little short and not very well written, but I thought it was necessary in this case. I am an efficient ActionScript2 coder, with little knowledge of xml and bought this book to learn how to create dynamic websites using xml as a data source. Pretty much from the very beginning I found the book jumps around and does not make it clear what you are supposed to do and when. It leaves out basic instruction for example having to save class files with the same name as the class and it also lacks basic step by step instruction that are essential when trying to learn a new skills. It leaves you scratching your head and resorting to dissecting the resource files supplied on the CD.

If you are interested in learning how to use xml with flash I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.


I found the tag line of build on basic actionscript syntax a little misleading, 17 Feb 2008
The book primarily relies heavily on developing a real estate web site to introduce the various elements central to xml and databases, and while this grounds the process in a workable real world example it shouldn't be confused with a reference book.

I found the pace of this book to be a little too frantic for my skill level, too many processes are introduced in each section in quick succession, with constant references to 'we will return to this or that later', where a more measured and structured introduction to each section would have been more helpful.

Part of the difficulty I believe stems from the incorporation of AS3 and the implications this has for developing in AS2 (my current environment), which turns this book into a how to develop in xml and learn AS3 at the same time, it may be correct but the explanation of why it works better and why you should code a certain way just comes across as slightly confusing, AS3 developers may fare better having been through that learning process already.

If your comfortable using this book to the full you possibly don't need it.

Examples need a bit more thought..., 25 Jan 2007
This is a useful introduction to XML databases. However I found that the book tried to cover subject matter that a reader would probably already know if they were looking into storing XML in a database for example there are overviews on XML, XSLT, SQL and relational database tables.

I would have liked to have seen more detail on the Oracle and SQL Server utilites. The worst thing about this book is the examples. There is one example where the table is named "XML" and the column is also named "XML" so its difficult to determine when the code is referring to the table or the column. Its a good starting point, but I wish I'd bought a more detailed book.

A Great Reference for Intermediate/Advanced ASP Developers, 15 Sep 2003
ASP, ADO and XML Complete is what it says on the cover, a fantastic resource covering all the properties and methods of ADO. The XML section is espeically useful as every other book on XML, generally uses some form of JAVA as it's programming language, which is no use if you are a ASP Developer! Exceptional value for money, a must for any ASP developer looking to move into XML development.

Immense and disjointed, 06 Dec 2001
This is not a book for beginners, in fact it can really put beginners off learning ASP, ADO and XML because the structure is confusing, a mountain of finely-detailed and disjointed information. At the same time the dated nature of some of the content means that it is of little value to experienced programmers. Sorry.

This book covers a lot of ground, 23 Aug 2001
Wow ! This book covers an amazing amount of ground. This series of books has often been criticised for being sparsely informative or a blatant rehash of freely available information. This book however runs all the way from an introduction to VBScript & Java Script, through ADO, ASP, XML ( hence the title ! lol ! ) and brings it all neatly together in a mini-application that covers all the essential information without unnecessary duplication...

Good reference, poor tutor, 13 Jan 2006
One of the few text books on this new subject and written by someone very involved in the definition process. I was looking for a tutor to help me learn what XSL-FO could do as well as a reference book for when I became more familiar. In the latter capacity this book is excellent but do not expect it to help you to pick up XSL-FO initially. For instance, examples are very fragmented and rarely accompanied by the rendered result but when you need to know the properties for a given object it is the book you need.

Good reference, 27 Jul 2005
This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

A very good book on a complex matter, 09 Jul 2004
This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.

Fine as far as it goes., 27 Nov 2003
A good introduction to XML and some associated technologies such as DTDs, schemas, XSLT and CSS, and a pleasant change from all those books whose authors think they won't be taken seriously unless they fill at least 750 pages.
The publisher claims that this guide "uses pictures rather than lengthy explanations", but most of the pictures are simple screendumps of text in an editor. The pictures are more useful in the CSS layout section; however, there are better books on CSS than this, for example by Eric Meyer. (Most are based on HTML rather than XML, but the principles are the same.)
Nicely laid out and printed,and no significant errors or typos. Just a reminder: this book does not cover the DOM, SAX, SOAP or XML-RPC, so you will need to look elsewhere if that's what you need.

Elegant and concise, 14 May 2001
This is a great book.

After two years of searching for a decent book on XML, I was surprised to find what exactly I needed in such a small volume. It seems to say very little, but says everything you need to know. Other writers must grind their teeth in frustration, wishing that they could do what Castro has done here.

I agree with another reviewer here who says that it maybe isn't for the absolute beginner to XML, but if you have read a good introductory article on XML somewhere, then it's perfect. Everyone else is providing either discursive introductions about the idea of XML, or over-detailed, confusing examples. This book hits the sweet spot in between. I'll keep it handy.

Concise, but confusing for true beginners, 17 Apr 2001
If you purchase this book with the intention of writing XML within an hour or so, beware: Although all the information is there, it is difficult to follow a single thread that leads to a working example.

I am sure this will be a useful book, but it is not a quick start to xml. For the price, it is justified. Otherwise there are better step-by-step tutorials online.

The book's "real world" approach is quite good, balancing the various approaches to xml within just a few pages

This is a book that needs to be followed carefully to get the value it contains. Not everyone will be suited to its concise style.

Excellent book, 31 Jan 2001
An Excellent book with good resources and very easy to follow. The book contains links to the source code and other websites that have downloadable files. The book itself is easy to follow, and quick to be learned. the examples are well explained and easy to follow. With this book you can be writing XML within the hour.Belive me this is not rubbish it is true. Well worth buying

An excellent introduction to XML. Clear and concise., 29 Nov 2000
The layout of the book makes it easy to follow, with very clear examples, tips and reminders. The explanations and descriptions are straight to the point.

Unstructured and ill thought out, 20 Jul 2008
This is the first review I have ever written so I apologies if it seems a little short and not very well written, but I thought it was necessary in this case. I am an efficient ActionScript2 coder, with little knowledge of xml and bought this book to learn how to create dynamic websites using xml as a data source. Pretty much from the very beginning I found the book jumps around and does not make it clear what you are supposed to do and when. It leaves out basic instruction for example having to save class files with the same name as the class and it also lacks basic step by step instruction that are essential when trying to learn a new skills. It leaves you scratching your head and resorting to dissecting the resource files supplied on the CD.

If you are interested in learning how to use xml with flash I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.


I found the tag line of build on basic actionscript syntax a little misleading, 17 Feb 2008
The book primarily relies heavily on developing a real estate web site to introduce the various elements central to xml and databases, and while this grounds the process in a workable real world example it shouldn't be confused with a reference book.

I found the pace of this book to be a little too frantic for my skill level, too many processes are introduced in each section in quick succession, with constant references to 'we will return to this or that later', where a more measured and structured introduction to each section would have been more helpful.

Part of the difficulty I believe stems from the incorporation of AS3 and the implications this has for developing in AS2 (my current environment), which turns this book into a how to develop in xml and learn AS3 at the same time, it may be correct but the explanation of why it works better and why you should code a certain way just comes across as slightly confusing, AS3 developers may fare better having been through that learning process already.

If your comfortable using this book to the full you possibly don't need it.

Examples need a bit more thought..., 25 Jan 2007
This is a useful introduction to XML databases. However I found that the book tried to cover subject matter that a reader would probably already know if they were looking into storing XML in a database for example there are overviews on XML, XSLT, SQL and relational database tables.

I would have liked to have seen more detail on the Oracle and SQL Server utilites. The worst thing about this book is the examples. There is one example where the table is named "XML" and the column is also named "XML" so its difficult to determine when the code is referring to the table or the column. Its a good starting point, but I wish I'd bought a more detailed book.

A Great Reference for Intermediate/Advanced ASP Developers, 15 Sep 2003
ASP, ADO and XML Complete is what it says on the cover, a fantastic resource covering all the properties and methods of ADO. The XML section is espeically useful as every other book on XML, generally uses some form of JAVA as it's programming language, which is no use if you are a ASP Developer! Exceptional value for money, a must for any ASP developer looking to move into XML development.

Immense and disjointed, 06 Dec 2001
This is not a book for beginners, in fact it can really put beginners off learning ASP, ADO and XML because the structure is confusing, a mountain of finely-detailed and disjointed information. At the same time the dated nature of some of the content means that it is of little value to experienced programmers. Sorry.

This book covers a lot of ground, 23 Aug 2001
Wow ! This book covers an amazing amount of ground. This series of books has often been criticised for being sparsely informative or a blatant rehash of freely available information. This book however runs all the way from an introduction to VBScript & Java Script, through ADO, ASP, XML ( hence the title ! lol ! ) and brings it all neatly together in a mini-application that covers all the essential information without unnecessary duplication...

Good reference, poor tutor, 13 Jan 2006
One of the few text books on this new subject and written by someone very involved in the definition process. I was looking for a tutor to help me learn what XSL-FO could do as well as a reference book for when I became more familiar. In the latter capacity this book is excellent but do not expect it to help you to pick up XSL-FO initially. For instance, examples are very fragmented and rarely accompanied by the rendered result but when you need to know the properties for a given object it is the book you need.

Coverage the way it should be, 13 Jun 2001
This book contains excellent information about XML. Chapter 3 is the ultimate introduction to XML, DTDs and XLink among others. XSL is covered in chapter 5. The way XML is connected to the world of data manipulation is brilliant. Even though some information and syntax may be considered out-of-date now, I cannot help giving a 5 stars rating for the clarity, simplicity and completeness of the way material is presented. The excellent presentation is accompanied by solid examples. There are two ways of getting the notion of XML. One is putting pieces from different sources together and try to get the whole picture. The second is reading this book.