DHTML Utopia Modern Web Design Using JavaScript & DOM

Ajax in Action

Bulletproof Web Design : Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS

The CSS Anthology : 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks

PHP 5 Objects, Patterns, and Practice

Xml

No Nonsense XML Web Development with PHP

Format: Paperback
Author: Thomas Myer
ReleaseDate: 01 June, 2005
Publisher: SitePoint
Rating:

Is XML as useful as claimed?
If I knew then what I know now I probably wouldn't bother learning about XML because I work with web design and nothing else. This book is helpful and easy to understand and follow, however, the more I read about XML the less useful it seems to be. I am familiar with PHP and MYSQL so I can't really find a purpose for XML at this time. The book is great but the technology is not as useful as I thought it would be.

I may change my mind in the future but for now XML is on the back burner and PHP/MYSQL is my current focus.

My point in this review is to let others know that if you already know PHP and MYSQL and only work on the web then you may find learning XML redundant or maybe even useless. I'm sure it would look great on a resume though. .

Ok but not great


The first review dated Feb 19 was just two stars, titled `Disjointed and Superficial', and read. This is my revised and rewritten review of this book.. .

I bought Myer's book to help me move from XHTML to XML and to handle data with PHP which does not fit well in a relational database / SQL. I am not interested in writing a CMS, and therefore tried to skim or skip those parts. Unfortunately, some key points are buried in the CMS discussion. Subjects (ie: Namespace) seem to be mentioned or touched on in several places without doing a thorough job at any one point or multiple points. The subjects which are discussed, are not discussed in depth. And why is Ralph Waldo Emmerson given ink on page 59, and then included in the index??? I found myself working a little too hard to just get the important points.

I know Myer tried very hard to write a good book, and it is not a 'really bad' book. On a positive note: The editing error rate seems to be low as compared to a lot of first edition, first printing computer books. There is some good material in it, but this book does not work well for me. I have at least temporarily given up on this book a little short of the half way point. Since finding a really good XML book seems harder than it should be, I may come back to this one, and if so, I'll update this opinion.

Warning: [3 opinions given here appear to be by paid reviewers. ie: 9/14/05, 10/7/05, and 11/8/05. I now suspect some of the others are personal friends of the author. Hint: Check out the person writing the review before actually reading it. Look for how many opinions he/she writes and how many stars. I distrust all high opinions in the first few months of publication, all high opinions by people who have only written a couple of opinions, and all high opinions from people who only write high opinions. Bottom Line: Distrust all high opinions except those from people who have established some evidence of independence by posting negative as well as positive opinions about other books. Thanks for the lack of honesty Tommy &/or Sitepoint &/or big A. I would have given 3 stars if there were not so many false ones posted here. (my opinion, 2 cma). ]

Now, having finished Myer's book (except for most of the CMS stuff), I have changed it to 3 stars and concluded . . . .

There are about an equal number of pros and cons. It is somewhat light and easy to read, and the editing error rate is good. It is kind of a quick survey of subjects which Myer thinks are important. I did like chapters 7 & 9 (Manipulating XML with PHP, & XML and Web Services).

On the con side: The Appendix listing of PHP functions / methods is not complete and no examples are given. Where he discusses ways to extract XML from a database, two different sources (tables) are used, so the results are not comparable. I wish he had spent more ink on handling XML with PHP and less on client side technologies which are not well supported yet. I found the example listings a little short and lacking some additional code which would have helped follow what was supposed to happen. More output/results listings would also have helped.

The book is not particularly complete, and could not be used as a reference, but it may be ok (not great) as an overview or introduction. A better intro book may be `Beginning XML, 3rd Edition' by David Hunter etc. , although that is a much bigger book.

Lastly, do not trust any high star rating review unless the source has proven his/her impartiality by posting positive as well as not so positive reviews of other books. Too many opinions of this book do not pass that simple test. The basic problem is determining who to believe and which postings to suspect are covertly trying to sell books because they have a vested interest or undisclosed motive.

Don't let the PHP in the title fool you.
It just happends to use PHP for the database access. This is a book about XML, all the power and flexability that the language gives you. Which means that no matter what language you use, this is a must have reference guide.

Thomas Myer has managed to put into writing one of the very best XML primers out there. It starts so gently, dealing with the familiar (HTML), and steps you through some basic examples. By the end of chapter 2 you are doing transforms. Before you close out Chapter 6 you will have worked with XPath Queries. These are no small concepts, but I never felt overwhelmed or lost. Mainly due to the precise and comprehensive writing, but the familiar examples (for web developers they are very familiar) helped keep me on some familiar ground.

If you are using XML over the web (in any language), I urge you to pick this one up. It wil be time very well spent.