Editorial Review:Product Description:A text and multimedia package for learning to use XML, in display case. Features a 900-page guide to XML, as well as a specially-designed CD-ROM and bonus CD-ROM with links to XML Web resources. Also features tools such as Amaya, Cocoon, and Jakarta Tomcat. System requirements: Windows 95+, up to 120MB hard disk space, and 64MB RAM, 8xCD-ROM drive and sound card.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Great book - multimedia material a joke
I much enjoyed the book that is part of the package. As usual with the authors, I found that the book was concise, to the point, very pedogical and clear. I liked the self-review exercises at the end of each chapter as well.
I also enjoyed the table of content of the book that was obviously designed for programmer (so many introduction xml book avoid all useful topics - DOM, SAX etc). The "bonus" chapters (server-side programming with Java etc) while not useless, sounded a bit like they were there only to fill the book but never mind.
I was very disappointed on the other hand by the CD ROM that came with the book. It only features the text of the book in unattractive format and offer only scant interactive or multimedia material (ok there is an interactive quizz). Reading the publisher description, I had come to expect an actually interactive CD ROM. For this reason, while I would warmly recommend the book as an introduction to XML (one of the best around, with Beginning XML from WROX) I would advice for buying the book alone, not the course package.
Rating: 
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Wrong concept, Good Book
This is a worst concept. The book is good. That's why 2 stars. For the book, alone, I would have given 4 stars. I wouldn't waste my money for any item in this series. Just buy the book.
Rating: 
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Enables Learning XML Fast
The book/CD is very nice for learning XML fast, you can run many of the examples as you go through the material when using the CD, which enables you to learn it faster. The book and CD are not bogged down with useless detail (like the Wrox "Professional XML" book is). It's pretty straight to the point, but sometimes you need to go to other sources to fully understand or get more details.
My only complaint is from description, I expected video presentations and great multimedia capabilities. The multimedia is mostly just explanations of sample code line by line and it is all audio, no video. Really you pay alot of extra money for a CD that has the same exact information as the book, so you may want to save some money and just by the book.