XPath is to XML as SQL is to databases: XML applications need XPath to locate specific data within an XML document for further processing with other XML applications such as XSLT, XQuery, XPointer, XLink and DOM level 3. With XPath, these applications offer developers a full toolkit for transforming, linking, and searching XML data. Developers need to understand XPath to fully exploit XML in their applications, and they have few resources beyond the W3C specification. XPath Kick Start will examine every aspect of XPath in detail, including its influence on and use with these other XML standards. With each technique illustrated with real-world examples, the book starts with coverage of the essentials of XPath, including nodes, expressions, functions and operators. The second half of the book details XPath in practice - from manipulating XML data to transforming, linking and querying XML documents.

Sams Teach Yourself XML in 21 Days, written by expert author Steve Holzner, offers hundreds of real-world examples demonstrating the uses of XML and the newest tools developers need to make the most of it. In Week One, he starts from basic syntax, and discusses XML document structure, document types, and the benefits of XML Schema. Week Two covers formatting using either CSS or the Extensible Sytlesheet Language, and working with XHTML and other tools for presenting XML data on the Web, or in multimedia applications. The final chapter of week two discusses XForms, the newest way to process forms in XML applications. Week Three applies XML to programming with Java, .NET or JavaScript, and building XML into database or Web Service applications with SOAP. Along the way, Steve shows readers the results of every lesson and provides both the "how" and "why" of the inner working of XML technologies.

Steven Holzner's friendly, easy-to-read style has turned this book (formerly known as Inside XML) into the leading reference on XML. Unlike other XML books, this one is packed with hundreds of real-world examples, fully tested and ready to use! Holzner teaches you XML like no other author can, covering every major XML topic today and detailing the ways XML is used now--connecting XML to databases (both locally and on web servers), stying XML for viewing in today's web browsers, reading and parsing XML documents in browsers, writing and using XML schemas, creating graphical XML browsers, working with the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and a great deal more. Real World XML is designed to be the standard in XML coverage--more complete, and more accessible, than any other. "The author's approach is definitely bottom up, written in a highly personable tone. He makes efficient use of example code, which sets this book apart from many I have read in the past. His examples bring to life the code without overwhelming the reader, and he does not present any examples for which the reader has not been prepared. In addition, no prior knowledge of XML is assumed. As such, this is an excellent book for both beginners and intermediate level web designers and programmers. Experts, too, will find this book of value, due to its emphasis on real world applicability. Overall, this book will benefit all web developers and programmers, with a special emphasis on beginner and intermediate developers."--Donna A. Dulo, MS, MA, Senior Systems Engineer, U.S. Department of Defense "This book will provide a brilliant basis for anyone wishing to keep up to speed with the new XML developments."--Mr. Andrew Madden, Department of Computer Science, University of Wales "I found this book's strengths to be: its exhaustive specification reference for the conscientious developer; access to the official specs, which is key; the wide variety of choices provided for all aspects of XML; several alternatives provided for each editor, browser, parser, stylesheet transform engine, and programming language; and working examples that show the power of the tools used."--Jaime Ryan, Software Developer/Documentation Manager, Blue Titan Software

Inside XSLT is designed to be a companion guide to Inside XML. This example oriented book covers XML to HTML, XML to Music, XML with Java, style sheet creation and usage, nodes and attributes, sorting data, creating Xpath expressions, using Xpath and XSLT functions, namespaces, names templates, name variables, designing style sheets and using XSLT processor API's, the 56 XSL formatting objects, the XSLT DTD, and much much more.

The XML explosion hardly needs any introduction-it's everywhere and there just seems to be no end to what can be done with XML. While writing to the W3C standards, and keeping up with the pace for corporate implementation, you, the programmer or web developer, will need a comprehensive guide to get you started and show you what XML and its related technologies can do. A thorough guide is imperative to success because you will need to know and understand the full scope of XML from day one in order to work with it successfully. With your time constraints and impossible project schedules, you need a comprehensive guide that fulfills your needs in one complete book. Inside XML is an anchor book that covers both the Microsoft and non-Microsoft approach to XML programming. It covers in detail the hot aspects of XML; such as, DTD's vs. XML Schemas, CSS, XSL, XSLT, Xlinks, Xpointers, XHTML, RDF, CDF, parsing XML in Perl and Java, and much more.