"Dan's book provides something that the formal standards and development manuals sorely lack: a context that helps developers understand how to use XML in their own projects."
--Tim Kientzle, Independent Software Consultant XML and SQL: Developing Web Applications is a guide for Web developers and database programmers interested in building robust XML applications backed by SQL databases. It makes it easier than ever for Web developers to create and manage scalable database applications optimized for the Internet. The author offers an understanding of the many advantages of both XML and SQL and provides practical information and techniques for utilizing the best of both systems. The book explores the stages of application development step by step, featuring a real-world perspective and many examples of when and how each technology is most effective. Specific topics covered include:

• Project definition for a data-oriented application

• Creating a bullet-proof data model

• DTDs (document type definitions) and the design of XML documents

• When to use XML, and what parts of your data should remain purely relational

• Related standards, such as XSLT and XML Schema

• How to use the XML support incorporated into Microsoft's SQL Server™ 2000

• The XML-specific features of J2EE™ (Java™ 2 Enterprise Edition)

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 1 Ratings

Good on XML, short on SQL - 2002-06-10
Reviewer Rating:
I have mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand, it is easy to read, with a strong sense of humour throughout and a crisp layout.

Yet, on the other, it falls short, I believe, of its presumed goal of being a practical and invaluable reference for Web developers wanting to enhance sites with back-end databases.

The book kicks off with a detailed overview and explanation of XML, moving on through discussions of project management, data modelling, XML design, XML stylesheets, and developing database schemas. These chapters are easily accessible, largely due to the author's humour.

Yet, two concluding chapters are where, I feel, the book falls down - integrating XML with SQL Server 2000, and integrating XML with Java.

The depth of these chapters is visibly lacking, especially when contrasted to the earlier coverage of just what XML is. Indeed, these chapters weigh in at 29 and 19 pages respectively - rather puny when one considers that the title of the book is "XML and SQL".

I wouldn't want to make any unfair assumptions, but it seems to me the author is far more of an "XML guy" than, say, a "database guy" or a "programming guy". Indeed, the back cover credits say he is active on the Advisory Committee of the W3C, and it is clear from the text that he is knowledgeable about XML down to the fine detail of its mandated implementation.

However, there is nothing to give confidence that he is equally a master of SQL and the book is definitely unbalanced in its coverage.

Ultimately, I believe "XML and SQL" holds value as a good-humoured guide to XML and its implementation. It would even serve well as an academic textbook, if supplemented with practical exercises.

Unfortunately, though, I do not believe it serves professional programmers well.

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