Essential XML Quick Reference: A Programmer's Reference to XML, XPath, XSLT, XML Schema, SOAP, and More

XSLT Cookbook

Service-Oriented Architecture : A Field Guide to Integrating XML and Web Services

XML Schema

Xml

Definitive XML Schema

Format: Paperback
Author: Priscilla Walmsley
ReleaseDate: 07 December, 2001
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Rating:

My Schema Reference Book
It is clear and very accurate and reliable. Walmsley's book is the one I go to as the reference for W3C Schema. I find the examples relevant and helpful.

I had to chuckle at a previous review that couldn't understand why something was found in multiple places. Well perhaps it is used in several places. I would be happy that the index was thorough. Schema is a somewhat complicated language but Walmsley provides transparency and order.

I recommend this book to my clients and in classes I teach on XML and Schema regulalrly.

Awful as reference


I've had this book for over a year now, and I barely use it. Since all other reviews are very positive, I'm here to offer a different opinion. Each time I attempt to find something useful in it, the information is scattered over the entire book making it extremely difficult to understand.

For example, right now I'm looking up the "ref" attribute, and according to the index, it appears on 7 different locations throughout the book, each portion shorter than 1 page. Also, I have seen many tables scattered throughout with exact same information, or one or two differing field values, making it very confusing to understand which table is doing what.

And at over 500 pages long, there is a large amount of filler information in this book.

Is this book "definitive"? It looks like it is. Is this book usable? Absolutely not. This is one of the worst investments I've made in computer books.

And there is a place about strings in the book where it differs from the official W3C specs.

Clear and comprehensive--the only book you'll need
I remember thinking how nice it was to just plug into a book, read through it effortlessly (and quickly), and come out the other end with a pretty complete understanding of the subject. I first read through this book about four years ago. Kind of the Holy Grail of technical writing :-)

This book is a clear and comprehensive introduction to W3C XML Schemas, and an excellent reference to boot.