The most comprehensive XML guide I have ever read, the "Professional
Java XML" covers the breadth of XML technologies. You've heard it a lot of times by now - the concept of "portable code and portable data" is no longer a hype. While XML itself has undergone many standardizations in the past three years, the possibilities of integrating XML in Java applications has grown leaps and bounds.
This is surely one of the best XML companions available today for Java developers. Beginning with a crisp introduction of XML basics, the book quickly moves into important aspects of XML support in Java such as parsers, DOM, SAX, JAXP, JDOM and XML transformations. The next group of chapters is dedicated to the charter of the book - effectively using XML in various Java application domains. Diverse scenarios are covered from simple things as Object persistence, socket I/O and configuration scripts to sophisticated uses such as XML Databases, Client and Server side HTTP and using XML as a message-ware. The concluding chapters cover a host of new and promising technologies like
SOAP, WebServices and XML for communication protocols.
With 22 chapters written by 15 subject experts, Wrox cannot go wrong. Since the book has been very recently published, it covers all the brand new standards and specifications from W3C. The book includes numerous case studies, readily usable real-life examples, tips and tricks (how to JAXP-enable any parser - Chapters 2 and 3 ) and even "under the hood" facts( Architecture of Xalan ).
Talking about the downside, with so many authors (15 of them!) involved in the project, consistency of tone and the level of technical presentation greatly varies from one chapter to another seriously affecting the readability of the book - its like a roller-coaster ride! When I finished reading the book, it felt more like a collection of articles from Dr.Dobbs journal.
Overall it is a great book that can be used both as a tutorial and a desktop reference. It is literally worth its weight in gold!
(Ajith Kallambella - Sheriff, August 2001)
More info at Amazon.com More info at Amazon.co.uk More info at FatBrain.com
I must learn to check the ISBN #
