Definitive XML Schema

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource! A must-have guide to XML Schema
Review: As a professional application developer I don't have the luxury of time to read through massive "door-stops" to get up and running with a new topic. I'm sure many other programmers out there share the same constraint. I normally will not give a computer reference book, or any book for that matter, a chance if it isn't clear, concise and well organized. In short, if it cannot explain a concept clearly in the first few pages or if I find myself reading a chapter over and over again, it isn't worth the little time I do have.

After reading the positive reviews on Amazon I decided to take a chance and purchase it. Even after I received the book I approached it with the same air of skepticism as any other book I pick up and I must say that I was "hooked" the moment I started to read it. I found Priscilla's writing style to be effortless and fluid, clearly explaining the topic with plenty of examples to illustrate each concept. The topics are presented in logical order, but the book is approachable from any starting point within it. A fantastic read and an invaluable reference for anyone seriously involved with XML Schema. I place this book within quick reach in my library.

When learning to apply a new technology such as XML Schema, XSLT, XPath, etc, I will sometimes approach it with a misconception of overcomplication, thinking that the topic will be so difficult to understand that it will take months to grasp. Picking the right book can make all the difference. Some books only aim to exhaustively detail the mechanics and spew theories without any consideration for the practical application of the technology. And that type of book may be for some, but when you're under the constraint of time, there is little use for theory for the rest of us who need to have a product done by yesterday! This book is immediately practical and approachable from page 1! XML Schema is very easy to understand when it is explained by a professional who can effectively communicate. If you want this in a book, then Priscilla Walmsley is the person that delivers. If you are looking for the best guide to XML Schema on the planet, your journey has come to and end; look no further.

"Definitive XML Schema" is excellent and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn more about this technology!!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for those new to XML Schemas
Review: As a professional application developer I don't have the luxury of time to read through massive "door-stops" to get up and running with a new topic. I'm sure many other programmers out there share the same constraint. I normally will not give a computer reference book, or any book for that matter, a chance if it isn't clear, concise and well organized. In short, if it cannot explain a concept clearly in the first few pages or if I find myself reading a chapter over and over again, it isn't worth the little time I do have.

After reading the positive reviews on Amazon I decided to take a chance and purchase it. Even after I received the book I approached it with the same air of skepticism as any other book I pick up and I must say that I was "hooked" the moment I started to read it. I found Priscilla's writing style to be effortless and fluid, clearly explaining the topic with plenty of examples to illustrate each concept. The topics are presented in logical order, but the book is approachable from any starting point within it. A fantastic read and an invaluable reference for anyone seriously involved with XML Schema. I place this book within quick reach in my library.

When learning to apply a new technology such as XML Schema, XSLT, XPath, etc, I will sometimes approach it with a misconception of overcomplication, thinking that the topic will be so difficult to understand that it will take months to grasp. Picking the right book can make all the difference. Some books only aim to exhaustively detail the mechanics and spew theories without any consideration for the practical application of the technology. And that type of book may be for some, but when you're under the constraint of time, there is little use for theory for the rest of us who need to have a product done by yesterday! This book is immediately practical and approachable from page 1! XML Schema is very easy to understand when it is explained by a professional who can effectively communicate. If you want this in a book, then Priscilla Walmsley is the person that delivers. If you are looking for the best guide to XML Schema on the planet, your journey has come to and end; look no further.

"Definitive XML Schema" is excellent and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn more about this technology!!

Rating:
Summary: As good as technical writing gets
Review: I bought this book primarily because of reader reviews. I would like to personally thank each reviewer who used words like "superb" or "excellent", but this will have to do. I struggled with the baffling, cryptic XML Schema spec for years and would not have supposed this subject could be discussed with such clarity. I give it the highest compliment I can pay a technical book: it seems so simple.

Rating:
Summary: Best XML Schema book from a member of the W3C 's Schema WG
Review: I have a standing order with Amazon for any XML Schema related books and to date this is the best I have read. I have chosen to use this book as the text for an upcoming University level XML Schema Course I am designing. The author has a very understandable writing style and presents the complicated materials in a clear and concise manner.

The author is an active member of the W3C's XML Schema Working Group and is very active on both the XML-DEV and SCHEMA-DEV mailing lists. She has taken time to answer many questions from Schema Designers and Implementers and I don't know many people who can match her knowledge in the subject area.

If you are looking for a book that is understandable and has many legal and illegal example to learn from this is the book for you. The author has also provided some online augmentation to the book that I find very useful. You are also going to get information from one of the designers of the XML Schema Recommendations. You can't ask for more

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for those new to XML Schemas
Review: I would definately recommend this book to someone new to XML Schemas. It is not particularly wordy, but I feel that is a good thing - it is clear and to the point, with many simple examples. It should serve you both as a good overview and a reference that will be handy when you need to get to some particular concept quickly. I was pleased to see it has a chapter on Naming Considerations - something that has sparked much debate where I work. As noted by others, this material all can be found in one form or another on the web, but I went that route at first and found it a bit frustrating. It was much more efficient to sit down with a well written book like Definitive XML Schema.

Rating:
Summary: Great, clear coverage of XML Schema
Review: I'm new to XML, Schemas, etc. This is my first book regarding XML, and I feel like I came away with a lot of knowledge from it. I'm sure you can get the table of contents from other reviews and from Amazon's "sneak peeks", so I'll forego that and get on with personal opinion. Walmsley has a nice, clear writing style that only requires one read to grasp her points. Yes, I understand that most (if not all) of this material is living for free on one or more web sites, but I prefer to have it all in one well-written book. This was definitely worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: excellent explanations along with equally good examples
Review: I've had many questions about particular aspects of XML Schema. This book has never failed to answer my questions in an easy to understand style. Also, the examples provided for each topic are excellent!

Rating:
Summary: excellent explanations along with equally good examples
Review: I've had many questions about particular aspects of XML Schema. This book has never failed to answer my questions in an easy to understand style. Also, the examples provided for each topic are excellent!

Rating:
Summary: A superb book.
Review: Priscilla seems to know when to reinforce a point. She points out many pitfalls that schema authors can fall in into. This book was well worth the money. I will be redesigning more than one of my schemas based on this technical information.

Rating:
Summary: good introduction, good reference
Review: The first two chapters of "Definitive XML Schema" provide a good overview of W3C Schema, and show that this spec is not as complicated as many people seem to think. The rest of the book is an excellent reference that (especially with its extensive index) has so far made it easy to find more detailed answers to any questions that I had.