Books for/about - xslt

Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Authors: Geoff Coffey Susan Prosser

ISBN: 0596005792
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Summary: VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Are you a programmer that has been working with FileMaker for a while? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Geoff Coffey and Susan Prosser, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that explores each feature in depth, offers shortcuts and workarounds, and explains the ramifications of options that a FileMaker Pro manual doesn't even mention.

Coffey and Prosser, begin by exploring FileMaker Pro's interface; and, show you how to perform basic tasks, like entering data and then sorting through it again. Then, the authors show you how to use layouts to make data entry easier and how to create layouts that list and summarize your data. They continue by showing you how to create, connect, and manage multiple tables and how to set up complex relationships that show you just the data you need to see. Next, the authors show you how to use FileMaker Pro's 200+ functions to do the math for you. Then, they show you how scripting works, and learn how to make scripts for people to use. Finally, the authors show you how to protect your database with a password and how to use privileges to determine what folks can do once they get into your database.

FileMaker Pro comes in several flavors, and this excellent book addresses them all. Each chapter contains live examples--step-by-step tutorials that help you learn how to build a database by actually doing it!

Summary: The only book you will need to learn FileMaker Pro!
I have developed many database applications in other software programs. FileMaker is quite different from the rest, so I had to learn "by the book" to understand many of Filemaker's unique features, so I purchased Filemaker Pro 7 Bible and Using Filemaker Pro 7. The Bible book was totally useless, giving you details for beginners and lots of useless text for someone who already understands database development. The Using books gives details, both not a straight forward approach to developing a database.
But once FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual came out (the first to cover version 8), I purchased it. To my surprise, it was so well written and loaded with practical advise, that I have read to book from end to end. It has excellent examples that I have used in the application I am developing for my company. I continually go back to the book for refreshers to concepts I learned in the book. The other two books hardly get touched!
If there is one book to buy to learn FileMaker Pro, this is it!

Summary: FileMaker Pro8
Touted as the "missing manual" I was expecting good guidance on concrete applications. I bought the software with the primary intent of converting various large Excel files into a database. The manual is large on theory and small on concrete help. My efforts to convert Excel files failed so often that I finally gave up trying. The book was of no help.

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XML in a Nutshell, Third Edition

Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Authors: Elliotte Rusty Harold W. Scott Means

ISBN: 0596007647
List Price: $39.95
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Summary: Strictly a Reference book only...
I took this book as it was a recommended book for one my courses.. i thought it would be same as other text books, where you actually LEARN THRU THE BOOK..

But this book is STRICTLY for a reference purpose.. I had to take another book to learn the basics of XML.. also, the net tutorials helped a lot..

Though, as a reference book, I'll give full points to it.. once you have the basic knowledge about XML, you can really use this book to its optimum level, and it really helps you to refer ALL the types in XML..

So if you are starting to learn XML, I would advise to take a simpler book, like "XML Applications" and go through the net too.. but once you are done with the basics, buy this book the very next day, and check out what all wonders you can do through XML!!!...

Summary: Not an introductory tutorial
I chose this book after reading the glowing reviews here at Amazon, hoping to use it as an introductory tutorial to XML. I was disappointed!

The writing style chosen by the author is terse, as if writing space is at a premium - and this for a book which is 600+ pages long. The examples are badly chosen in my opinion, and the explanation of basic concepts is presented in the style of a reference manual. Take for example the explanation of the NOTATION element attribute: "A notation type attribute contains the name of a notation declared in the document's DTD... In theory, it could be used to associate types with particular elements, as well as limiting the types associated with the elements".

At this stage, I gave up on this book and went instead to Hunter's "Beginning XML". Still, all wasn't lost: I read a colleague's copy, so at least I wasn't out of pocket.

Summary: XML in a Nutshell
The organization of the book is great. Very useful and well written. It provides quick-reference syntax rules and usage examples for the core XML technologies, including XML, DTDs, Xpath, XSLT, SAX, and DOM. Develop an understanding of well-formed XML, DTDs, namespaces, Unicode, and W3C XML Schema.

This new edition is the comprehensive XML reference. Serious users of XML will find coverage on just about everything they need, from fundamental syntax rules, to details of DTD and XML Schema creation, to XSLT transformations, to APIs used for processing XML documents.

The initial chapter on SAX along with the reference chapter would give me a solid foundational base from which to work. If you need explanation of how a technology works, or just need to quickly find the precise syntax for a particular piece, XML in a Nutshell puts the information at your fingertips. I would recommend this book to someone interested in its topic. This book has earned a valued place on my reference shelf.

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	XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer) Publisher: Wrox Authors: Michael Kay
ISBN: 0764569090 List Price: $39.99 Amazon Price: $26.39 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 4 Reviews: Summary: Undoubtedly Comprehensive I can truly understand the frustrations that I am reading in the reviews. At first I found the book hard to read because this subject area was new to me. You have to get into an XML mindset to understand what you're reading in this book. There appears to be an assumption that you're familiar with the subject matter and have some level of knowledge in XML and general knowledge of HTML. This is definitley not a first book to read if you're getting started in XML. Someone in one of the reviews said that you should supplement this book with other books and I have to agree. If you're planning on becoming heavy duty in XML then this book will probalby end up on your bookshelf. The book is a Programmer's Refrence and they aren't usually fun to read in the first place. For the most part I have to agree with everyone elses reviews. I will say the book becomes easier to read when you become more savy with XML. This review is not to place judgement on this book but to instruct people on the order of learning this information. On the back cover of this book, there is diagram that shows the order of books to read. The first book is "Beginning XML". I haven't read this book but an intro book on XML is good to have. I am rating this book as reference book for what it is. Summary: Mixed opinions on this book. This is a difficult book to review. It contains invaluable information and, with a lot of work, I was able to learn what I needed to learn about XSLT. On the other hand, it could have been written so much better. You can't plan on using it as your only source of XSLT information. Supplement it with other books and online resources and you will do fine. Summary: It better be on your shelf. If XSLT is considered part of the job and I've got a hand in interviewing, I ask what books they have on their shelf. I don't care if they own a library - everyone has priorities and don't like to read everything. But when it comes to XSLT, this book had better be on their shelf or it raises some serious questions in my mind regarding their XSLT background. You either need it (I do) or you're so good you could write your own XSLT book (in which case, I can test you for that as I used to work in computer book publishing and had to do all of the "hard books"). In May, 1992, Windows 3.1 programming came into vogue and everyone wanted to know "What's the best book I can buy for Windows programming?" (on usenet, they show their ignorance by asking the question asked thirty times yesterday and don't look to see what was said). The answer was [almost] always, "Petzold, and any one of the following: ...". In the world of XSLT, it's "Michael Kay and any one of the following...". It's that important. (and that good) Before they made the digital available, I pondered keeping a copy at home and another at work. I ended up keeping the 2nd edition at work, 1st edition at home. Something was better than nothing [at home]. And as disclaimer, I have nothing to do with any of the resources which stand to gain from my saying all of this. If you can't afford this book, the holidays are coming. If you've got a birthday coming up before it, use that birthday wish by using a hint. Otherwise, take advantage of sitting on Santa's lap and make it plain & clear you'd be happy if you got this book and nothing else. Summary:

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XSLT Cookbook, Second Edition (Cookbooks (O'Reilly))

Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Authors: Sal Mangano

ISBN: 0596009747
List Price: $49.95
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Summary: Recipes cover all levels of use and provide developers with plenty of real-world examples
Sal Mangano's XSLT Cookbook: Solutions And Examples For XML And XSLT Developers covers all the advanced features of the Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations, a tool for processing XML. It's a daunting tool even for developers, and XSLT Cookbook helps developers with a set of problems and answers which cover all kinds of performance issues, from the basics of creating charts, graphics and generating code to handling data, processing math, and designing. Recipes cover all levels of use and provide developers with plenty of real-world examples.

Summary: Outstanding Reference For Experienced XSLT Developers
XSLT is one of those technologies that has been around for awhile, but it feels like not enough great references are out there for developers. When this is the case for any technology, any new guide that comes out is a breath of fresh air, because it might be the right tool to turn a regular developer into a SUPER developer. With 'XSLT Cookbook' by Sal Mangano, XML and XSLT programmers finally have a guide that they can really sink their teeth into, with real solutions to everyday problems. Jam packed with over 700 pages of material, this book covers the major important topics that one would expect to read up on: string manipulation, math processing, date/time handling, XML conversions to plain text, querying XML documents with XSLT... the list goes on and on.

If you use XSLT on a regular basis or you have a project that is going to use XSLT and/or XML, you will be hard-pressed to find a better reference out there on the market today for your needs and this text will no doubt present either the solution you are exactly looking for, or provide a basis for achieving the desired solution you are aiming to find.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECCOMENDATION

Summary: Lots of "R&D" material here...
[Review of 2nd edition]

One of my favorite development methodologies is "R&D"... "Rob & Duplicate". And an important source of inspiration is often the O'Reilly Cookbook series. For XSLT, you now have an up-to-date wealth of samples to pull from... XSLT Cookbook (2nd Edition) by Sal Mangano.

Contents: XPath; Strings; Numbers and Math; Dates and Times; Selecting and Traversing; Exploiting XSLT 2.0; XML to Text; XML to XML; Querying XML; XML to HTML; XML to SVG; Code Generation; Vertical XSLT Application Recipes; Extending and Embedding XSLT; Testing and Debugging; Generic and Functional Programming; Index

If you've never seen an O'Reilly Cookbook, the concept is pretty simple. Each "recipe" consists of a problem description, a solution, and a discussion of how the solution addresses the issues, along with any observations that can shed light on the situation. These recipes are then grouped together by general problem types so that you can easily find an area that might offer up a quick answer to your particular problem. In this book, Mangano expands upon the 1st edition that covered XSLT 1.0. The 2nd edition now covers the updated XSLT 2.0 standard, and offers up both 1.0 and 2.0 solutions and discussions to many of the problems. As such, you will find value in the material regardless of your particular version usage. So for instance, let's say I have an XML file that needs to be reformatted into a second file to meet some formatting requirement. By checking into the XML to XML file, I'll find solutions on turning attributes into elements, elements to attributes, renaming elements and attributes, and so on. Tutorial books will teach you the syntax for doing stuff like this, but they can't anticipate real-world solutions. Cookbooks assume you already know what you're doing, and they go right to solutions.

Personally, I find a number of uses for books like this. There's the obvious, which is to find an exact (or nearly so) answer to your particular problem. But stepping away from the "immediate" need, there's always the opportunity to read through the recipes and see how others might code a solution. You can learn new coding techniques that way, as well as see features of the language that perhaps you never noticed before. Sort of like having a guru sitting next to you at work...

Assuming you're past the point of beginner, the XSLT Cookbook is probably the second XSLT book that you want to have on your bookshelf. If it helps you solve a couple of problems and save a handful of hours in the process, it'll more than pay for itself...

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Learning XSLT

Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Authors: Michael Fitzgerald

ISBN: 0596003277
List Price: $34.95
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Summary: A good introductory book on XSLT
Learning XSLT was a helpful introduction to XSLT and I really enjoyed my progress through the book. Mr. Fitzgerald doesn't spend too much time on lengthy explanations. Simple explanations are followed by illustrative examples that you should type and run yourself.

Summary: good and bad
I found Learning XSLT confusing from a beginner's point of view. It's poorly indexed, and Fitzgerald often uses XSLT vocabulary in examples long before he explains what they are. For example the "select" attribute first appears on page 105 in an example describing the lang() function, without any explanation of what it is or how it should be used. It's not listed at all in the index except in relation to the "for-each" and "sort" elements. He has a nice list of string functions but not much explanation of what kinds of contexts they can be used in, and few examples. He doesn't really explain how "match" and "select" are used together, or how processing works hierarchically by jumping between xsl snippets. Like a lot of O'Reilly books it presumes a pretty sophisticated programming vocabulary (like what does "normalize" mean anyway?).

Some sections are quite useful however, and the fact that there are lots of examples is very helpful.

Summary: Dissapointing presentation. Needs a rewrite
The information is presented very dryly. The tone of the book is very taxing on the readers attention span.

I find that one of the key tenets of these O'Reilly books is that they are usually very readable, and can be read front to back almost like a novel. I didn't find I was able to do this with Learning XSLT.

Maybe it's the subject matter or maybe its the authors inability to hook the reader. Either way, it didn't work for me.

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	Office 2003 XML Publisher: O'Reilly Media Authors: Simon St. Laurent Evan Lenz Mary Mc Rae
ISBN: 0596005385 List Price: $39.95 Amazon Price: $26.37 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 4 Reviews: Summary: Good concise introduction to Office XML and Smart Documents This book provides a good overview of Microsoft's Office XML formats. In addition to covering these formats, it also provides some useful material related to Microsoft Office smart documents, an extension mechanism for Microsoft Office applications. Note: Microsoft Office XML is completely distinct from the Open Office.org XML format (OASIS OpenDocument) which is not covered in this book. Summary: <w:t> Loved it! </w:t> Clear, concise, and packed with practical knowledge. I work with XML, XSLT, and C# for a living, and this book had me using XSLT to whip up WordprocessingML documents in no time. I especially appreciated learning how to turn off the default "Word" display of ML documents in Internet Explorer. I'm also using Evan's great XSLT that mimics Word's "data-only" output format-- as part of a process to validate foreign tag sets in WordML documents. Thank you! Summary: If you think you might need it - BUY IT This book answers a very specific need - you are working with the new Office xml formats. If you are directly reading or writing WordML, SpeeadsheetML, or the other xml formats - stop what you are doing, buy this book, and read it. It will put you miles ahead. Clear, concise, and about as complete as it can be with Microsoft's incomplete documentation to work from. I had it open on my desk next to me the whole time I was working with these file formats. It has some stuff for InfoPath and Office WebServices. I didn't read those part but the rest is so well written I would bet that part is indespensible too. Summary:

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Word 2003 Document Automation with VBA, XML, XSLT, and Smart Documents (Wordware Applications Library)

Publisher: Wordware Publishing, Inc.
Authors: Scott Driza

ISBN: 1556220863
List Price: $36.95
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Summary: It delivers on its promise!
Quite often you see book titles that unfortunately do not match the subject content. This one certainly does! The back cover states that it sets out to explain how to:

- Automate documents with a minimum of programming by using Word's native functionality
- Use VBA to create document automation solutions
- Record macros, create automated templates, format and manipulate files using Word and build documents dynamically
- Create, edit and format XML documets
- Develop smart documents solutions to guide users through a variety of repetitive tasks
- Transform XML using WordprocessingML, XSLT, XPath, smart documents and web services technologies

Ok, to be fair I didn't find anything on web services explicitly but it still gets us over 99% of the way through delivering on its expectations.

This book has hit a niche area for word users wanting to create smarter documents with no other book providing coverage of this subject matter as intimately or in a way as easy to follow as this book. It is perfect for people who routinely have to write legal contracts, functional specifications and general technical documentation as it allows you to fully leverage off Word's capabilities in letting you work smarter.

I did not own any other books by Wordware and this seemed to be a bit out there in their list of publications so I was initially a bit hesitant about buying this book. As it turns out I shouldn't have been! Scott Driza presents the subject matter well and in a very succint way - this book has just over 400 pages in which it manages to cover quite a lot of ground!

I bought this book primarily to concentrate on the XML, XSLT and Smart Documents features, but have found that I even picked up a trick or two in relation to VBA-based templates. For those who like using shortcut keys, Appendix A will be a God send as it has the most exhaustive list of Word commands and shortcut keys I have ever seen!

The book devotes approximately half of its pages to VBA and assumes no prior knowledge of VBA, XML, XSLT or Smart Documents. It doesn't cover all subject areas exhaustively but it gets you started and tells you where to get additional materials.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more detail on XML schemas although the the book does show you how to get Word to automatically generate an inferred schema based on XML mark-up. That is pretty much the only reason why I didn't give it a 5-star rating.

If you are an IT professional, engineer, lawyer, technical writer or any other type of knowledge worker; do yourself a favour - stop creating your documents the hard way and buy this book. It will more than pay for itself the first time you start applying the concepts, techniques and technologies it refers to.

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Sams Teach Yourself XSLT in 21 Days

Publisher: Sams
Authors: Michiel van Otegem

ISBN: 0672323184
List Price: $39.99
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Great Book for Beginners
If you know absolutely nothing about XSLT, this is the book for you. Very straightforward. I got through the first week (7 chapters) in about a day. You could easily read and understand most of the content in this book in less than a few days. Great for anyone wanting to pick up the language quickly. For advanced users, this is probably not your book.

Summary: Fantastic Examples
Some PROs and CONs...

Pros:
Topic flows very well. Author was able to explain each topic without asking reader to refer to upcoming forward chapters. Best part of this book are the examples. They are relevant and short and sweet enough to understand. Best of all, there are lots of examples. The author doesn't just slap them on the page and tell you to figure it out yourself. The author walks the reader thru them.

Cons:
Some areas reads like a technical manual.. causing me to reread sentences over and again. But that said, the book still comes across as tutorial friendly (You figure that out.).

Comparisons:
I rate the book 5 stars. I own Beginnning XSLT 2.0 by Tennison, XSLT 2.0 by Kay, and Mastering XSLT by White. My opinion is that XSLT in 21 days is the best book to get you to learn it the quickest because of the author's superb examples.

Summary: Excellent place to start
This book works. It does, however, assume that you have a meaningful level of computer proficiency. This is probably a safe assumption for anyone intending to go spelunking in XML files and performing transformations on same.

To complete the book's lessons, you'll need to download and install one of the free XSLT parsing engines listed in the book. Alternatively, I used the jEdit free text browser and its associated XSLT plugin to run the examples.

I don't believe in assigning five stars, or I would have for this book.

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