Product Description

This text 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. In its second edition it has added chapters on Advanced SAX and Advanced DOM, chapters on SOAP and data binding and examples throughout. A concise chapter on XML basics introduces concepts and the rest of the book focuses on using XML from 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 peer-to-peer movement, messaging, or Web services - should find the text useful. This text 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 DOM HTML module; 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; and building information channels with RSS and dynamic content with XSP. It includes a quick reference on SAX 2.0, DOM Level 2, and JDOM.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #205300 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 550 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Brett McLaughlin's Java and XML is a well-informed guide to the partnership between two key technologies. For this 2nd edition, the author has slimmed down the introductory material on XML, making room for expanded coverage of fast-moving topics such as JAXP, SOAP and Web Services. There is plenty of new material, so this is a book worth buying even if you have the earlier edition. The author is a co-founder of JDOM, an XML document API, and is a well-known contributor to various other open-source projects. It is no surprise to find a focus on open-source tools and resources in this book.

This title does not aim to teach either Java or XML from scratch, although the first two chapters do offer an XML crash course. The following chapters cover SAX 2.0, a standard API for parsing XML, and after that there is a detailed look at the DOM (Document Object Model). JDOM gets extensive coverage, as you would expect from the author's involvement, and there is a strong chapter on JAXP, the official API for XML parsing from Sun Microsystems, explaining why it is widely misunderstood and how it complements other standards such as SAX. The second half of the book offers a chapter each on more advanced topics. One covers Web publishing frameworks, with a particular focus on Apache Cocoon. After that the author covers XML-RPC, SOAP and Web services. A chapter on content syndication shows how to use XSL and RSS (Rich Site Summary) to publish and consume information. Next comes data binding using the Castor or Zeus frameworks, or Sun's official JAXB API. Finally there is a brief look at up-and-coming APIs, and a concise reference for SAX, DOM, JDOM and JAXP.

Practical, informative and well-written, this book is ideal for professionals who are either working with Java and XML, or considering doing so. --Tim Anderson

Review
'Was I impressed with this book? Indeed I was! The content is both timely and accurate, the reading is easy and enjoyable - a very rare achievement.' Java Desk, Israel (Java User Group)

Columbia Java User Group
This book contains an enormous wealth of info about Java's tying with essentials of XML. One book that your Java programming bookcase should not be without.

Customer Reviews

Concise and Flexible approach to XML and SGML derivatives.
I obtained a copy of this book in a pre-release, and after 20 mins of skimming throught the index I was captivated by the depth of information it contained. This book will be take great pride in any bookshelf as it undertakes valuable "hot" words such as XSLT and other like the differences between Schemas and DTD.

I have used this book as a reference guide to construct a simple base of transfering information from HTML through XSLT and then XML to JAVA and then to my DataBase. Invaluable. I can recommend this book to all that are looking to expand their knowledge.

In a negative light I can put forward that it's focus on the way that XHTML will be implemmented by the W3C is rather sketchy and should be used as a quick reference instead of a concise bible.

As I have had to return this book to its rightfull owner, I am most unhappy. Never mind, as I wil soon have it again...

Good overview, but do not buy for technical details
This book does not go into great depth for each of the techniques - SOAP, XML, XML-RPC, and so on - and it should not. This book is great if you want to get the helicopter view - how do these techniques fit together, so that you can build a whole application. The examples are short and succinct, and can be read while sitting / lying in your favourite reading place. If I have to name one bad thing, then it is that this book tries to take on a such a big area, that it misses on some smaller bits, for example Sun's Java XML pack, because that came out after this book was published.

Updated version of an excellent book
The first edition of this book was considered one of the best on the subject of Java and XML. This new edition has expanded to include the developments in Java and XML over the last year. The author gives a little less handholding on the basics of XML reducing a three chapter introduction in the first edition to a one chapter summary. SAX, DOM, and JDOM all are covered in detail with each topic getting an introduction and an advanced chapter. JAXP 1.1 is covered in sufficient detail. After the introduction to the basic Java/XML APIs, the author moves on to some other interesting topics.
The chapters on web publishing frameworks and XML-RPC haven't changed much since the first edition. New chapters on SOAP, Web Services, and content syndication are welcome additions. The book ends with a look at data binding and JAXB.

The examples in the book are extremely clear and concise, explaining each topic well without being overly simplistic. As with the first edition, the author assumes that you are familiar with Java but unlike the first edition he assumes you have a basic understanding of XML.

If you are a Java developer and you are going to be working with XML then this book is required reading. The coverage of the Java/XML APIs is excellent. As for the other topics, it is a good introduction but for anyone working with SOAP or Web Services, other books will probably be required.