VRML

HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)

Average customer rating:

Verbose instructions, the format is irritating, I question the value of the CSS chapters in this book
A great book for everyone!
Solid guide
HTML, XHTML, & CSS
Fails to provide clear CSS examples.

HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)
Elizabeth Castro
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Castro, Elizabeth | Authors, A-Z | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

JavaScript for the World Wide Web, Fifth Edition (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (Head First)
PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide (2nd Edition) (Visual QuickPro Guide)
Creating a Web Page with HTML: Visual QuickProject Guide
XML for the World Wide Web (Visual QuickStart Guide)

ASIN: 0321430840

Amazon.com

It's important for anyone who creates Web sites--even those who rely on powerful editors like Dreamweaver or GoLive--to know HTML. The World Wide Web Consortium rewrote HTML as a subset of XML (dubbing it "XHTML 1.0") and the allowable code will eventually be stricter. Tags that are being phased out are labeled "deprecated"--current browsers can still handle them, but if you want your site to keep up with future browsers, not to mention conform to accessibility requirements, you will want to get on top of XHTML.

Of course, Elizabeth Castro manages to write books that not only speak to those who are already fluent in HTML, but are good for newbies too. She makes it a breeze to create sites that are visually stylish and technically sophisticated without the expense of buying an editor.

Among the topics covered in her new book, HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: using the (relatively newer) structural tags (like doctype and div); correctly using older tags (like p and img) that have been modified in XHTML; writing XHTML so that formatting is done by the style sheets; writing those style sheets (cascading style sheets, a.k.a. "CSS"); creating a variety of layouts; and dealing with tables, frames, forms, multimedia, a bit of JavaScript (including mouseovers), WML (for mobile device displays), debugging, publishing, and publicizing your site.

As with all Visual QuickStart Guides, this one features clear and concise instructions side by side with well-captioned illustrations and screen shots that show both the source code and the resulting effect on the Web page. The index is extremely detailed, making this a great reference.

Also great for reference are the outstanding appendices. The first is an extensive list of tags and attributes, indicating which are deprecated and/or proprietary and on which page they are discussed. A similar appendix shows CSS properties and values; given the future of Web coding, this chart alone is worth the price of the book. Other handy charts cover intrinsic events, symbols and character Unicodes, and an expanded color chart that goes way beyond the virtually archaic Web-safe palette. All of which makes this a definite must-have for every Web designer's bookshelf. --Angelynn Grant

Book Description

Need to learn HTML fast? This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with HTML in no time. In this completely updated edition of our best-selling guide to HTML, Web expert and best-selling author Elizabeth Castro uses crystal-clear instructions and friendly prose to introduce you to all of today's HTML and XHTML essentials. You’ll learn how to design, structure, and format your Web site. You'll create and use images, links, styles, lists, tables, frames, and forms, and you'll add sound and movies to your site. Finally, you will test and debug your site, and publish it to the Web. Along the way, you'll find extensive coverage of CSS techniques, current browsers (Opera, Safari, Firefox), creating pages for the mobile Web, and more.

Visual QuickStart Guide--the quick and easy way to learn!
<ul>

Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through HTML and show you what to do.</li>

Concise steps and explanations get you up and running in no time.</li>

Page for page, the best content and value around.</li>

Companion Web site at www.cookwood.com/html offers examples, a lively question-and-answer area, updates, and more.</li> </ul>

Customer Reviews:

Verbose instructions, the format is irritating, I question the value of the CSS chapters in this book.......2007-06-13

This was my first intro book to HTML and CSS. The writing by Elizabeth Castro is actually very clear and pleasant to read, but the style of writing is not conducive to learning the material in my opinion. Every page is like this: a brief intro paragraph at the top, then a list of steps for writing the HTML laid out in nauseating detail, then another list of "tips" that didn't fit anywhere else. The steps for writing the HTML are so wordy, it destroys your train of thought and makes me want to put the book away for another day. For example, and this is just a small example among countless others, she feels the need to write this, and I quote:

7. To add the final parentheses, type ")".

That's nothing. Unnecessary details and wordiness like this abound in this book. It is definitely clear enough, but it borders on sounding like it's written for the mentally challenged at times. Personally I would prefer well written paragraphs integrating any info from the "tips" sections, and to do away with the verbose steps, which probably take up half of the book's content.

To make matters worse, the format of the book, like all the Peachpit Quickstart books, breaks the page into two columns, one for text and the other for pictures. This is just poor typography in my opinion, with an average of 6-7 words / line, and it makes actually trying to read what is written very irritating, and it will try your patience. Maybe it's just me, but I really don't like the format of this book at all.

Now, for the actual content of the book. It advocates some things I find questionable in this day and age. For example, in the chapter on Tables, it actually advocates that you use tables for the structure of your website, and CSS for everything else, suggesting that this would be easier than jumping fully into CSS right off the bat. Tables are NOT easier to use than CSS, first of all. Personally, and I think most people would agree with me, tables are not the way to go at all for website structure these days. Yet she uses most of the chapter on tables to explain how to use them for exactly this purpose. Granted I'm sure this is just carried over from older editions of the book when CSS had not taken root yet. But for a 2007 edition book to continue down this path is just bad advice. This is but one example of several where the book advocates using outdated techniques in making websites.

As this book gave me my first formal intro to CSS, I think it actually does a disservice to those wishing to learn to use CSS effectively. It explains the basics such as selectors, properties, and values (although that takes only a page or two to cover). And it tells you how classes and ID's work at a basic level, which is simple. But it doesn't do nearly enough to show you how to write neat and concise markup, so that you don't find yourself adding extra div's, classes, and even style attributes in your markup.

HTML is incredibly simple, but this book treats writing it like a difficult proposition. How many times do you have to be told how to type an element and close it properly? Do we have to constantly be reminded that attributes should be in lower-case and be enclosed in quotations? An HTML book should serve as a reference of HTML elements and common attributes. But many CSS books already include that stuff!

So, what I'm saying is, if you want to learn CSS, just skip this book and get Simon Collison's "Beginning CSS Web Development: From Novice to Professional", an excellent intro to CSS, which I think includes enough HTML that you probably don't even need to get an HTML book. It will tell you everything you need to know about creating a great looking website that is easy to style using concise markup and CSS. That's my opinion. If you feel you need more grounding on some basic concepts of HTML, you can probably find what you're looking for on the web and save yourself the cost of this book.

I'm still giving this book a 3 out of 5 though, because I think it's well-written and does contain a lot of useful, factual information, and it can serve as a good reference. It's just not the best way to go if you really want to learn how to make great websites. If you get it, read the first six chapters, and bits and pieces of some of the others, and then go get a good CSS book!

A great book for everyone!.......2007-05-30

I chose several books on (x)html and css off the bookshelf, and this is the one I took home. Liz has a great writing style, and the visuals are extremely helpful. Lingo is not introduced without description, therefore you're never left scratching your head wondering what a term meant. There is a companion site where you can view the html and css from the book or download a .zip of the examples from each chapter. This book has made learning html and css alot easier for me. I am already pleased with the results I'm getting, and will probably get the VQS books on PHP and JavaScript!
Steve.

Solid guide.......2007-05-17

I'm sure much of this can be found online - but that having been said, this is far more convenient than finding disparate and incoherent guides on HTML, XHTML, and CSS, along with the reasoning behind many of the features as well.

HTML, XHTML, & CSS.......2007-05-15

Great reference book jam packed with all the information you will need to hand code a web page. This book should be in your library if you plan to hand code & create your own Web Page!

Fails to provide clear CSS examples........2007-05-09

HTML, XHTML are explained in a basic way. Fails to provide clear CSS examples.

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (Head First)

Average customer rating:

118th 5 star rating
I wish I could give this book 10 stars out of 5!!!
this is the way to learn
Very good work
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (Head First)
Eric Freeman , and Elisabeth Freeman
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Web Programming | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Web Authoring & Design | Web Development | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

Head Rush Ajax (Head First)
Head First Java, 2nd Edition
Head First Design Patterns (Head First)
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (SCWCD)

ASIN: 059610197X

Book Description

Tired of reading HTML books that only make sense after you're an expert? Then it's about time you picked up Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML and really learned HTML. You want to learn HTML so you can finally create those web pages you've always wanted, so you can communicate more effectively with friends, family, fans, and fanatic customers. You also want to do it right so you can actually maintain and expand your Web pages over time, and so your web pages work in all the browsers and mobile devices out there. Oh, and if you've never heard of CSS, that's okay - we won't tell anyone you're still partying like it's 1999 - but if you're going to create Web pages in the 21st century then you'll want to know and understand CSS.

Learn the real secrets of creating Web pages, and why everything your boss told you about HTML tables is probably wrong (and what to do instead). Most importantly, hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions how his HTML is now strict, and his CSS is in an external style sheet.

With Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, you'll avoid the embarrassment of thinking web-safe colors still matter, and the foolishness of slipping a font tag into your pages. Best of all, you'll learn HTML and CSS in a way that won't put you to sleep. If you've read a Head First book, you know what to expect: a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, this book will load HTML, CSS, and XHTML into your brain in a way that sticks.

So what are you waiting for? Leave those other dusty books behind and come join us in Webville. Your tour is about to begin.

"Elegant design is at the core of every chapter here, each concept conveyed with equal doses of pragmatism and wit." --Ken Goldstein, Executive Vice President, Disney Online

"This book is a thoroughly modern introduction to forward-looking practices in web page markup and presentation." --Danny Goodman, author of Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Guide

"What used to be a long trial and error learning process has now been reduced neatly into an engaging paperback." --Mike Davidson, CEO, Newsvine, Inc.

"I love Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML--it teaches you everything you need to learn in a 'fun coated' format!" --Sally Applin, UI Designer and Artist

"I haven't had as much fun reading a book (other than Harry Potter) in years. And your book finally helped me break out of my hapless so-last-century way of creating web pages." --Professor David M. Arnow, Department of Computer and Information Science, Brooklyn College

"If you've ever had a family member who wanted you to design a website for them, buy them Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML. If you've ever asked a family member to design you a web site, buy this book. If you've ever bought an HTML book and ended up using it to level your desk, or for kindling on a cold winter day, buy this book. This is the book you've been waiting for. This is the learning system you've been waiting for." --Warren Kelly, Blogcritics.org

Customer Reviews:

118th 5 star rating.......2007-06-03

Needless to say that 117 reviewers before me were not mistaken.

At first, I was surprised (and somewhat skeptical) with the number of great reviews that this book had received to date. However, as an Electrical Engineer adventuring into HTML/CSS I decided to give this *inexpensive* (specially for a college student's budget) book a try.

If any of you know an Electrical Engineer by now, you should realize that we are not the most avid readers; that is why I was *shocked* when I finished reading this book (638 pages) in three (3) days. It is *that good-of-a-reading*, and here is why:

1. As most people emphasize, the learning tools provided by the authors (casual tone, interactive exercises, lots of graphics, good sense of humor, etc, etc, etc...) make the reading quite interesting. Please note that I have read less than five books from start to finish, being this one my first *technical* one that I've read completely.

2. They cover all the ground from the basics of HTML, all the way up to XHTML (which is really not a long way up ;-) ), and of course, they explain in great level of detail the whole CSS ordeal. All concepts are explained in the most straight-forward manner, so they are easy to grasp on the first read.

3. I personally did not use the HTML/CSS files available on the website (read paragraph below for why I didn't do this) because I was able to visualize all the content just using the book, after all, every example is illustrated on the book's pages as it would look on the computer browser; however, it is quite nice for people who want to learn-by-doing to have this content readily available.

[...]
Way to go, Beth and Eric! Can't wait for you guy's PHP+MySQL book to come out.

Cheers,
Cisco

I wish I could give this book 10 stars out of 5!!!.......2007-06-01

This is the greatest book ever for people who want to learn how to make a website! It doesn't assume that you know anything. It starts from the basics. I am already a web designer but I got this book to learn more. I already knew most of the stuff from the first few chapters, but this book changed the way I work by making things a whole lot easier. There is some humor on almost every page, which keeps you interested. I can't recommend this book strongly enough.

this is the way to learn.......2007-05-30

Head First HTML is a great learning book. I enjoy "doing", what I am learning, as I go. The authors have a brilliant way of teaching. They combine "visualization" memory with fun "exercises" to help the learning process.
Being that I just started my own website, this book is answering exactly what I wanted to know.
note: this is a workbook, not a "reference" book.

Very good work.......2007-05-27

A great, comprehensive, introduction and tutorial. A bit too long, a bit too many exercises for my taste, but simple, good quality and original.
I would love to see more books like this, made by different teams.

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML.......2007-05-23

Highly recommended for starters and developers who didn't get updated since HTML 3.2. It's basic stuff but written in a way it sticks in your brain. Beside this book you will have to get some more advanced detailed reading to get the most out of it.

HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Yup, it's definitive (complete)
Just what's needed for those HTML questions you have...
Definitive Guide, Indeed
HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition)
Excellent reference

HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition)
Chuck Musciano , and Bill Kennedy
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
CSS: The Definitive Guide
Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference (Dynamic Html)
Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 Hands-On Training

ASIN: 0596527322

Amazon.com

In the most recent edition of this acclaimed HTML guide, Musciano and Kennedy look closely at every aspect of HTML and show how to use it wisely to create top-quality Web pages. The book is up-to-date, covering HTML 4, Netscape Navigator 4, Microsoft Internet Explorer 4, and the various extensions of each.

HTML: The Definitive Guide is aimed at beginners as well as those who have more practice in Web-page creation. The authors assume at least a basic knowledge of computers, including how to use a word processor or text editor and how to deal with files. They teach you that learning HTML is like learning any other language and that reading a book of rules can only take you so far. Readers begin writing what may be their first Web page just two pages into the book's second chapter. From there on, they provide a wide range of HTML coding to allow readers to learn from good examples. The book includes a handy "cheat sheet" of HTML codes for quick reference. --Elizabeth Lewis

Book Description

"...lucid, in-depth descriptions of the behavior of every HTML tag on every major browser and platform, plus enough dry humor to make the book a pleasure to read."
--Edward Mendelson, PC Magazine

"When they say 'definitive' they're not kidding."
--Linda Roeder, About.com

Put everthing you need to know about HTML & XHTML at your fingertips. For nearly a decade, hundreds of thousands of web developers have turned to HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide to master standards-based web development. Truly a definitive guide, the book combines a unique balance of tutorial material with a comprehensive reference that even the most experienced web professionals keep close at hand. From basic syntax and semantics to guidelines aimed at helping you develop your own distinctive style, this classic is all you need to become fluent in the language of web design.

The new sixth edition guides you through every element of HTML and XHTML in detail, explaining how each element works and how it interacts with other elements. You'll also find detailed discussions of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), which is intricately related to web page development. The most all-inclusive, up-to-date book on these languages available, this edition covers HTML 4.01, XHTML 1.0, and CSS2, with a preview of the upcoming XHTML2 and CSS3. Other topics include the newer initiatives in XHTML (XForms, XFrames, and modularization) and the essentials of XML for advanced readers. You'll learn how to:<ul>

Use style sheets to control your document's appearance</li>

Work with programmatically generated HTML</li>

Create tables, both simple and complex</li>

Use frames to coordinate sets of documents</li>

Design and build interactive forms and dynamic documents</li>

Insert images, sound files, video, Java applets, and JavaScript programs</li>

Create documents that look good on a variety of browsers</li></ul>

The authors apply a natural learning approach that uses straightforward language and plenty of examples. Throughout the book, they offer suggestions for style and composition to help you decide how to best use HTML and XHTML to accomplish a variety of tasks. You'll learn what works and what doesn't, and what makes sense to those who view your web pages and what might be confusing. Written for anyone who wants to learn the language of the Web--from casual users to the full-time design professionals--this is the single most important book on HTML and XHTML you can own.

Bill Kennedy is chief technical officer of MobileRobots, Inc. When not hacking new HTML pages or writing about them, "Dr. Bill" (Ph.D. in biophysics from Loyola University of Chicago) is out promoting the company's line of mobile, autonomous robots that can be used for artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic research, and education.

Chuck Musciano began his career as a compiler writer and crafter of tools at Harris Corporations' Advanced Technology Group and is now a manager of Unix Systems in Harris' Corporate Data Center.

Customer Reviews:

Yup, it's definitive (complete).......2007-06-08

I wanted a complete reference & guide to html/xhtml and that's what I got. I didn't want to be ignorant about any features. I didn't want to be left in the dark about anything. This book has all the info I wanted, and much more. In fact in a way it has too much info. It has info about tags, attributes, and other features that are obsolete, deprecated, or not supported by any browsers. You can skip over those rather than slogging your way through every word in the book. Maybe it's just me, but one downside to this book for me is that the writing style tends to be convoluted, verbose, and somewhat boring. I had some difficulty staying focused and concentrating on this book. But since it fulfilled the reason I got this book, I still give it 5 stars. So if you're looking for a complete book, don't worry, it's complete.

Just what's needed for those HTML questions you have..........2006-12-18

If you do web development, you should have one solid HTML/XHTML reference guide on your bookshelf. This one ranks up there... HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition) by Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy. Although the CSS and XML sections are a little light, the core HTML and XHTML information is all you could ask for.

Contents: HTML, XHTML, and the World Wide Web; Quick Start; Anatomy of an HTML Document; Text Basics; Rules, Images, and Multimedia; Links and Webs; Formatted Lists; Cascading Style Sheets; Forms; Tables; Frames; Executable Content; Dynamic Documents; Mobile Devices; XML; XHTML; Tips, Tricks, and Hacks; HTML Grammar; HTML/XHTML Tag Quick Reference; Cascading Style Sheet Properties Quick Reference; The HTML 4.01 DTD; The XHTML 1.0 DTD; Character Entities; Color Names and Values; Netscape Layout Extensions; Index

This book does a good job in blending a bit of tutorial information with a lot of reference material. All the HTML tags that exist are documented, along with whether it's an extension/deprecated/archaic, what type of browser support is involved in using the tag, and all the attributes and locations where it can be used. I found that I was catching some tags and nuances that I had overlooked in the past, even after having done web coding for many, many years. The book also has material on Cascading Style Sheets and XML, but I found that less useful than the HTML contents. The basics of those two technologies are covered, but not at the level I'd want in a definitive guide. While I think that you can't ignore CSS in an HTML book any more, I just wouldn't recommend this as an "all-in-one" book to cover both. But other than that, this is a book that I'll want to keep around for those strange times when my HTML tags just aren't working like they're supposed to...

Definitive Guide, Indeed.......2006-12-09

Calling this book "The Definitive Guide" is not a misnomer, for that's what it is. I guess you could learn HTML and XHTML from scratch with this book, but I wouldn't advise it. (If you are just beginning you should check out O'Reilly's "Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML.") Weighing in at over 600 pages means that if it ain't described in here you probably shouldn't be doin' it! And if it is described in here, it's described clearly and accurately.

HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition).......2006-11-28

When I opened this book I was a bit surprised, it wasn't quite what I expected. I have gotten use to O'Reilly books having lots of examples and codes snippets. And the first thing I noticed about this book was that it contains a lot more words than code. That said, this is my first "Definitive Guide" O'Reilly book, so this format may be the norm, I don't know.

This book does a thorough job of going over each of the HTML/XHTML tags and their attributes one at a time. The authors devote a couple of paragraphs to each tag describing its function and outlining its future in HTML/XHTML and once and awhile they throw in a line or two of code.

While the authors do devote most of the book to HTML / XHTML they take a brief look at cascading style sheets, executable content such as JavaScript, dynamic content, mobile devices and XML. While I would expect to find such information in a book like this, I would like to note that readers shouldn't expect to get more than a preface or introduction into those topics from this book. The book concludes by discussing XHTML and providing the reader with some useful tips.

Like many books the jewel is found at the end. This book includes eight appendices some of which I found quite interesting and useful. The appendices are as follows: A: HTML Grammar; B: HTML/XHTML Tag Quick Reference; C: Cascading Style Sheet Properties Quick Reference; D: The HTML 4.01 DTD; E: The XHTML 1.0 DTD; F: Character Entities; G: Color Names and Values; H: Netscape Layout Extensions. The DTD sections I found very interesting, it was neat to see the definition side of HTML & XHTML. And of course the quick references are always useful and usually the section of the book I turn to when I pull it off the shelf.

CONCLUSION
--
Like I mentioned at the beginning, I was surprised by the format of the book, however I do think it is a good resource for HTML/XHTML. While it is "The Definitive Guide" covering all of the markup tags and attributes it is definitely not a Cookbook or Nutshell book. I would recommend this book to those looking for a reference that is detailed and in a dictionary type format. If you are looking for lots of examples and recipes you will want to look at other books in the O'Reilly library. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because I think it is a good reference, but in my opinion I didn't find the format very appealing.

Excellent reference.......2006-11-03

This book is what one expects, a comprehensive coverage of HTML/XHTML. There are perhaps more easily digested books on the subject, but this is well structured and readily understood reference work. It is my primary source of accurate HTML information.

Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

A reference book, not a how-to
from Eric Myer (the man!) comes a must-have for anyone using CSS
was a great book a couple of years ago
Good, thorough step-by-step guide
Solid material but not easy to read

Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition
Eric A. Meyer
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Web Programming | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Web Authoring & Design | Web Development | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
CSS Cookbook, 2nd Edition
HTML: The Definitive Guide
JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook
Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference (Dynamic Html)

ASIN: 0596005253

Amazon.com

Cascading Style Sheets can put a great deal of control and flexibility into the hands of a Web designer--in theory. In reality, however, varying browser support for CSS1 and lack of CSS2 implementation makes CSS a very tricky topic. Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide is a comprehensive text that shows how to take advantage of the benefits of CSS while keeping compatibility issues in mind.

The book is very upfront about the spotty early browser support for CSS1 and the sluggish adoption of CSS2. However, enthusiasm for the technology spills out of the pages, making a strong case for even the most skeptical reader to give CSS a whirl and count on its future. The text covers CSS1 in impressive depth--not only the syntactical conventions but also more general concepts such as specificity and inheritance. Frequent warnings and tips alert the reader to browser-compatibility pitfalls.

Entire chapters are devoted to topics like units and values, visual formatting and positioning, and the usual text, fonts, and colors. This attention to both detail and architecture helps readers build a well-rounded knowledge of CSS and equips readers for a future of real-world debugging. Cascading Style Sheets honestly explains the reasons for avoiding an in-depth discussion of the still immature CSS2, but covers the general changes over CSS1 in a brief chapter near the end of the book.

When successfully implemented, Cascading Style Sheets result in much more elegant HTML that separates form from function. This fine guide delivers on its promise as an indispensable tool for CSS coders. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: <ul>

HTML with CSS

Selectors and structure

Units

Text manipulation

Colors and backgrounds

Boxes and borders

Visual formatting principles

Positioning

CSS2 preview

CSS case studies </ul>

Book Description

Simply put, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a way to separate a document's structure from its presentation. The benefits of this can be quite profound: CSS allows a much richer document appearance than HTML; CSS saves time--you can create or change the appearance of an entire document in just one place; and its compact file size makes web pages load quickly. Eric Meyer, a member of the CSS&FP Working Group and an internationally known expert on HTML and CSS, tackles the subject with passion and delivers a comprehensive and thorough update to his groundbreaking book. All readers will benefit from both the depth and breadth of his experience and his clear and honest style. Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is a thorough review of all aspects of CSS2.1 and a comprehensive guide to CSS implementation. The book includes new content on positioning, lists and generated content, table layout, user interface, paged media, and more. It explores in detail each individual CSS property and how it interacts with other properties, and shows how to avoid common mistakes in interpretation. If you're ready to take the next step with your HTML coding and incorporate CSS or are already a CSS code warrior, you'll find Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is the book you've been craving.

Customer Reviews:

A reference book, not a how-to.......2007-06-16

This book is not an explanation or tutorial of how to make beautiful pages with CSS. I think the people who give it below 3 stars may have been looking for that, and instead they should try CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions. This book IS, however, a complete reference to all CSS properties and values, and also contains some valuable tips on browser behavior and bugs. If I'm coding along and forget what all the possible values are for list-style-type, this is the book I reach for.

from Eric Myer (the man!) comes a must-have for anyone using CSS.......2007-03-30

This is the 'go-to' reference for me. The truly ultimate guide to CSS from one of the construct's primary innovators and authors. Mr. Meyer is the most knowledgeable person in the field of CSS, browser compatibility and all around HTML design.

was a great book a couple of years ago.......2007-01-17

Probably a bit out of date at this point. For me, this book wasn't that useful, since I generally refer to the W3C site for information about CSS. But it's a nice desk reference, and a standard tool for almost all CSS developers. There's probably a new version out by now to address all the developments that have happened in the past couple of years, I would look for that (or wait until one comes out, it won't be long).

Good, thorough step-by-step guide.......2007-01-07

I had done some work with style sheets, but was confused bythe terms and had no idea what they can do. This book completely changed what I can do when I design web sites. It'sa real eye-opener and a great reference.

Solid material but not easy to read.......2006-09-18

Cascading Style Sheets
Eric A. Meyer
ISBN: 0-596-00525-3

This book is packed full of information about CSS. There are chapters devoted to each general category of CSS such as fonts, text, blocks, borders, etc.

One item that could be improved is the chapter headings. Most O'Reilly books put the chapter at the top of each page, so at any time you can glance up to the top of the page you are reading and orient yourself. This book only lists the chapter title on the first page of the chapter and in the TOC. In a fiction tome, this probably would not be a big deal, but I rarely read reference books in an orderly fashion preferring to skim to the subject I need assistance on at the moment. Not having the chapter headings on each page makes this much more difficult.

The book does have a generous amount of info on CSS and nice appendices. Appendix A on properties is particularly useful.

CSS Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))

Average customer rating:

Indispensable Reference
Exactly what it is supposed to be ..
Works like expected.
Fits in your pocket - 2nd Edition
CSS Pocket Reference 2nd Ed. Does the job very well for me

CSS Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))
Eric Meyer
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Pocket | Series | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Web Programming | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Web Authoring & Design | Web Development | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Computers & Internet | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Networking | Computers & Internet | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

HTML and XHTML Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))
JavaScript Pocket Reference (2nd Edition)
HTML Pocket Reference (2nd Edition)
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (Head First)
Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

ASIN: 0596007779

Book Description

More proof that good things come in small--and sometimes even inexpensive--packages: the CSS Pocket Reference has been completely revised and updated to reflect the latest Cascading Style Sheet specifications, CSS2 and CSS2.1. An indispensable reference for web designers and developers, this slim little book covers the essential information needed to effectively implement CSS, with an introduction to the key concepts of CSS and a complete alphabetical reference to the CSS2 and CSS 2.1 properties. And since browser incompatibility is the biggest CSS headache for most developers, it also includes an invaluable chart displaying detailed information about CSS support for every style element across all browsers. For anyone who wants to correctly implement CSS, this book condenses all the details in its companion volume, Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, into one easy-to-use cheat-sheet. The CSS Pocket Reference delivers just the CSS details that you need to complete the task at hand. When you're stuck and want an answer quickly, the tiny CSS Pocket Reference is the book you'll want by your keyboard or in your back pocket. (Yes, it really does fit in a back pocket, but it's too useful to stay there long.)

Download Description

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the W3C-approved method for enriching the visual presentation of web pages. CSS allows web pages to become more structural, and at the same time promises that they can have a more sophisticated look than ever before. With good implementations in Internet Explorer 5.0 and Opera 3.6, and 100% CSS1 support expected in Netscapes's Mozilla browser, signs are that CSS is rapidly becoming a useful, reliable, and powerful tool for web authors.

The CSS Pocket Reference briefly introduces CSS and then lists all CSS1 properties, plus the CSS1 pseudo-elements and pseudo-classes. Since browser incompatibility is the biggest obstacle to CSS adoption, we've also included a comprehensive guide to how the browsers have implemented support for CSS1. For anyone who wants to correctly implement CSS, this is a handy condensed reference to all the details in the larger volume, Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide.

Customer Reviews:

Indispensable Reference.......2006-09-11

Large books, by their very nature, can have good points and bad points. After all, if you have a couple or several hundred pages worth of material, you are bound to get some things right and some things wrong.
But these pocket reference books from O'Reilly are great. They aren't for learning, rather they are what they say they are: a pocket reference. (Nice to see some truth in advertising for a change.)
If you buy this book you will use it. A lot. Period.

Exactly what it is supposed to be .........2006-08-30

Great little reference book. It is not intended to be a learning tool. If you want that, try the Head First book on HTML/XHTML/CSS that O'Reilly also publishes.

It's a super little time-saver, and also makes for a quick read when designing a new page or project, to see if something you haven't used previously could benefit your work.

Works like expected........2006-06-06

I've used this pocket reference for a long time now and I love it. It's a great way to refresh your memory when you can't seem to remember a property and/or its value.

Although I must say that I refer to it much less now than I did when I first got it. Mostly because I know most of the properties and values by heart at this point and so I can use IDEs "IntelliSense" features.

Consequently, I must add that this is not a teaching aid. You will not learn how to style with CSS from this book! There are much better books on the topic! (For example: "Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design")

Fits in your pocket - 2nd Edition.......2006-03-20

This small, handy book is packed with CSS references perfect for grabbing and flipping through when looking for that one piece of code to add to your site. It is not a book about learning CSS. This reference book is a alphabetical listing of CSS selectors and properties. As I was learning CSS I found this book very helpful in locating quickly the code I was looking for.

CSS Pocket Reference 2nd Ed. Does the job very well for me.......2005-10-04

As a Perl and PHP programmer who does a lot of web-based pages, I use this pocket reference very often when designing page styles. It helps immensely that I have syntax and samples in front of me for each of the items I expect to be able to use in today's modern browser. As the title indicates, it is a pocket reference and is not designed to teach people how to get started using CSS. There are plenty of good books out there to help users do that. My favorite is Elizabeth Castro's HTML For The World Wide Web (5th Ed.). Once users have a basic understanding of the rules for creating CSS, this book is an invaluable tool to jog the memory and sits next to my desk anytime I'm doing HTML or XML page layout. Because nearly all the properties covered in this book are supported by Internet Explorer, Mozilla and Firefox, I chose not to ding the book for failing to cover what features were not supported by the major browsers.

Target audience: Web site developers, HTML, XHTML, XML authors with a basic understanding of CSS

Hits: Excellent property reference, good examples, explanations. Well organized.
Misses: Could have done a better job explaining which items are supported in which (of the most popular) browsers.

Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference (Dynamic Html)

Average customer rating:

This book just keeps getting better
Excellent, Comprehensive Reference
Plenty of supplementary reference material suitable for the most sophisticated web page builds.
A true web designer/developer reference
Also useful as a doorstop

Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference (Dynamic Html)
Danny Goodman
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Web Programming | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook
Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition
CSS: The Definitive Guide
HTML: The Definitive Guide

ASIN: 0596527403

Amazon.com

Danny Goodman felt that he couldn't trust any of the documentation on Dynamic HTML (DHTML) that he read (too many contradictions), so he wrote this book as a reference for working with his own clients. After testing tags and techniques on multiple releases of the main browsers, Goodman came up with very practical information--some of which you may not find in any other resource.

Goodman assumes a solid foundation, if not expertise, in basic HTML and an understanding of what DHTML is all about. From those assumptions, he presents a meaty, information-dense volume. The first of the book's four sections discusses industry standards and how to apply the basic principles of DHTML. He emphasizes the differences in Web browsers and discusses how to build pages so that they work well in both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The second section is an extensive, quick reference of all the tags, objects, and properties of HTML, cascading style sheets, Document Object Model, and core JavaScript. A particularly handy cross-reference guide to this information follows, helping you locate it in alternate ways. The final section contains appendices, with useful tables of values and commands. --Elizabeth Lewis

Book Description

Packed with information on the latest web specifications and browser features, this new edition is your ultimate one-stop resource for HTML, XHTML, CSS, Document Object Model (DOM), and JavaScript development. Here is the comprehensive reference for designers of Rich Internet Applications who need to operate in all modern browsers, including Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, Safari, and Opera.

With this book, you can instantly see browser support for the latest standards-based technologies, including CSS Level 3, DOM Level 3, Web Forms 2.0, XMLHttpRequest for AJAX applications, JavaScript 1.7, and many more. This new edition: <ul>

Provides at-a-glance references for the tags, attributes, objects, properties, methods, and events of HTML, XHTML, CSS, DOM, and core JavaScript. You can quickly look up a particular feature or language term to see if it is available in desired browser brands and versions.</li>

Includes handy cross referencing that lets you look up an attribute (or object property, method, or event type) to find all the items that recognize it, including interrelated HTML tags, style properties, and document object model methods, properties, and events.</li>

Offers appendices where you can quickly locate values useful in HTML authoring and scripting. You'll find coverage of commands used across three browsers for user-editable content.</li>

Includes a glossary that gives you quick explanations of some of the new and potentially confusing terminology of DHTML.</li> </ul>

Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference speeds the way to adding sophisticated features to your web pages. Indispensable, complete, and succinct, this bestselling guide is the must-have compendium for all web developers involved in creating dynamic web content.

Download Description

If you are a Web content developer these days, you have a lot of information to keep track of. You need to stay current on the relevant Web specifications, like HTML, CSS, DOM, and ECMAScript. You also need to know how the latest Web browsers from Netscape and Microsoft actually implement these standards, since browser implementations of the standards are less than perfect. Right now, you're forced to keep multiple reference books open on your desk (or multiple browser windows open on your screen), just to develop a simple dynamic Web page that works properly under both Navigator and Internet Explorer. Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference changes all that. This book is an indispensable compendium for Web content developers. It contains everything you need to create functional cross-platform Web applications, including: o A complete reference for all of the HTML tags, CSS style attributes, browser document objects, and JavaScript objects supported by the various standards and the latest versions of Navigator and Internet Explorer. Browser compatibility is emphasized throughout; the reference pages clearly indicate browser support for every entity. o Handy cross-reference indexes that make it easy to find interrelated HTML tags, style attributes, and document objects. o An advanced introduction to creating dynamic Web content that addresses the cross-platform compromises inherent in Web page design today. If you have some experience with basic Web page creation, but are new to the world of dynamic content, Dynamic HTML : The Definitive Reference will jump-start your development efforts. If you are an experienced Web programmer, you'll find the browser-compatibility information invaluable. This book is the only DHTML reference that a Web developer needs.

Customer Reviews:

This book just keeps getting better.......2007-06-04

Each iteration of this book gets better and better. This third edition has been expanded with an amazing CSS reference, updates for AJAX, and now includes information on IE, Netscape, Mozilla (e.g. Firefox), Safari, Opera, and the HTML DOM. By far, this is the most comprehensive version of this book to date.

One of the biggest gripes I had with previous editions of this book was that it felt very IE-centric. In prior editions, the Mac was completely ignored as was Opera and pretty much anything other than IE and Netscape. This has all changed in this latest update.

If you have never seen a copy of this book before, it is divided into 9 sections: a standard HTML reference, an alphabetical HMTL reference, standard and alphabetical DOM references, a Javascript language and event reference, an outstanding CSS reference, and appendices. The book is designed in such a way so as to be easy to quickly find material on the HTML tag, CSS attribute, or Javascript method desired.

Of particular note in this edition is the update for AJAX. In the Javascript section, the reader will now find nearly 50 extra pages dedicated simply to handling and processing XML in Javascript.

Hands down, this was--and still is--the absolute best dynamic HTML reference available today. While each edition gets better and better, I think this edition in particular is a real standout. The expansion of the CSS reference section, the addition of documentation related to AJAX, and the expansion of the reference sections to cover Mozilla, Safari, and Opera make this book a must buy.

Excellent, Comprehensive Reference.......2007-04-24

Looking for a single reference for all your web development needs? Well, Dynamic HTML: the Definitive Reference isn't quite that, but it comes awfully close. It's not simply a DHTML reference; there's detailed reference info on XHTML, CSS, DOM, and Javascript -- all of which are necessary to create good DHTML.

Most of the book is divided into five sections, including the above mentioned references, as well as a section on Events. The references are easily navigated, clearly explained, and provide nice examples. The most valuable bits of information for many web developers are probably the compatibility info provided for each entry in the reference sections.

The remainder of the book offers handy cross-references and appendices. The cross references include: an HTML/XHTML Attribute Index, and DOM references by Property, Method, and Event. The appendices include info on colors, special characters, ASCII key codes, editable content commands, elements/attributes available in W3C standards, and the relationships between various Mozilla based browsers.

Of course, this is a reference book, so there's limited cohesion in the examples. There is no theme to follow and re-create a full-featured DHTML web site. But the book is intended to be a reference. There are other books for step-by-step DHTML development.

Likewise, this is a comprehensive reference, and therefore quite a thick book. There are separate CSS and JavaScript references available (also very handy), but this single volume packs a lot of punch.

Plenty of supplementary reference material suitable for the most sophisticated web page builds. .......2007-04-11

Danny Goodman's DYNAMIC HTML: THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE is likely to be the only in-depth reference you'll need for years down the line on the subject: web programmers working in Javascript and libraries strong in basic advanced computer references will find over 1,000 pages packed with details on the latest web specs and browser featured, covering HTML, XHTML, CSS and more. Handy cross-references allow for instant lookup of attributes and interrelated items, while appendixes offer plenty of supplementary reference material suitable for the most sophisticated web page builds.

A true web designer/developer reference.......2007-04-02

This is one book in my library that I turn to whenever I have an HTML/CSS/Javascript question. Anything you can possibly imagine having to ask is completely covered in this book. It's a shame that they took out the original "Part 1" which contained a discussion of the CSS box model, Javascript techniques, etc. It as been moved into a PDF which is available for free from O'Reilly's website.

Also useful as a doorstop.......2007-03-16

This book is a comprehensive, well organized, reference for the various technologies that make up Dynamic HTML. Its not for beginners -- it won't teach you how to use the technologies and its not a cookbook of step-by-step examples -- but it will tell you everything you want to know and a lot that you didn't know you needed to know. You probably won't need to refer to it all the time but you'll be very glad to have it around when you need it.

HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS

Average customer rating:

Great Beginner CSS Book
MUCH Better books available
A broad introduction to CSS for new users
UTOPIA! UTOPIA! UTOPIA!
Excellent book!

HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS
Rachel Andrew
Manufacturer: SitePoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

The CSS Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks, and Hacks
Build Your Own Website The Right Way Using HTML & CSS
The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
DHTML Utopia Modern Web Design Using JavaScript & DOM

ASIN: 0975240277

Book Description

HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS, 2nd Edition is for web developers looking to create websites using Cascading Style Sheets for layout, which allow for faster page downloads, easier maintenance, faster website redesigns, and better search engine optimization.

HTML Utopia covers all aspects of using Cascading Style Sheets in Web Development, and is a must-read for Web Developers designing new sites or upgrading existing ones to use CSS layouts.

This book includes one of the most comprehensive CSS2 references on the market. Jeffrey Zeldman, web design guru and co-founder of the Web Standards Project, says "After reading this book, you will not only understand how to use CSS to emulate old-school, table-driven web layouts, you will be creating websites that would be impossible to design using traditional methods".

The second edition of this popular book includes brand new coverage of Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 1.1, new CSS Solutions, and greatly expanded coverage of popular, cross-browser, CSS layout techniques.

Customer Reviews:

Great Beginner CSS Book.......2007-06-15

Web design has always been a hobby for me, so I spent a good part of my life in the dark about style sheets. They've really only surfaced as an essential skill in the past few years, and even today a large amount of sites don't utilize them. This book is an excellent introduction to CSS. It is written clearly, without superfluous language, and is accessible to beginners. After reading it, you will have a very good understanding of CSS and you will be able to build your own webpage using current web standards.

The book begins with a basic overview of CSS - it breaks down the syntax, talks about what CSS can do, and tells you why it is a better choice for design than standard HTML tables (CSS is faster and easier to maintain, and the book tells you why).

The next section is a case study. The authors walk you through the creation of a CSS-only page (no tables!), and it's pure magic for someone who's never used CSS before to see how everything comes together. A second case study follows, and the 2nd edition also includes a new case study on how to build a 3 column layout with a footer.

The book is over 500 pages long, but a good 40% of it is an appendix that lists every single CSS declaration and describes their proper syntaxes and when and how to use them. The appendix alone makes the book worth buying as a valuable reference.

A must buy for the beginning CSS developer.

MUCH Better books available.......2007-05-17

Most other books on CSS talk about styling tables. I found this book (for a newbie with CSS) pointless and confusing. Don't bother with it. Other books by O'Reilly can teach one enough about theory to make this book superfluous at best.

A broad introduction to CSS for new users.......2007-05-01

In a sea of books on CSS, this one stands out because of its title, which promises to reveal CSS's great layout powers. Unfortunately, that's as much marketing as truth.

The first third of the book is a very elementary primer on CSS which can be found in all other books and all over the web. The last third of the book is comprised entirely of appendixes, primarily dedicated to describing every CSS property available, and again is widely-available information.

The middle 150 pages does focus on layout, but again its information is fairly elementary and widely available. An experienced developer looking for the secrets of making very complex cross-browser layouts in CSS won't find a lot here. And like too many books, all of the information provided is bound up in a single end-to-end layout project, the creation of a fairly simple three-column layout. If looking for information on a certain feature or technique, the reader can't easily just read a few pages for the information. S/he must stumble around trying to understand the current state of development of this single project before s/he can glean much on the topic.

So, why am I giving it a 4-star rating? I've read at least a half-dozen books on CSS and this one is by a long shot the best introductory text I've seen. The writing is very clear and focused, the examples are well written and illustrated, the appendixes provide a thorough reference, and the book occasionally nods towards the complexities that cross-browser application of CSS can bring.

It just isn't the advanced Holy Grail of complex layouts that I was hoping it would be.

UTOPIA! UTOPIA! UTOPIA!.......2007-02-23

Are you a web designer who is curious about how CSS can help you become a more effective designer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Rachel Andrew and Daniel Shafer, have done an outstanding job of writing a cool book that focuses on the question of how to use CSS to accomplish some of the successes that web designers have spent a significant amounts of time and energy to create using nested tables.

Andrew and Shafer, begin with a brief introduction to CSS and the main concepts. Then, the authors show you how to use CSS in practical ways. Next, the authors show you how CSS works. They also show you how to validate your documents and stylesheets to ensure that they comply with the published specifications. The authors continue by looking closely at the ways in which colors can be applied to text and other objects; as well as, to page backgrounds. Then, they examine the question of how fonts can be used properly in CSS-based web design. Next, the authors show you how to create a simple two-column layout. They then show you how to add a third column to the layout you created. Finally, the authors show you how to create a fixed-width layout that's centered in the user's browser window.

This most excellent book begins by looking at how CSS should influence the overall design of a site. Perhaps more importantly, the book shows you how to put the CSS framework in place before you begin to deal with individual HTML elements and their styling!

Excellent book!.......2007-02-12

I'm recommend this book. It's a excellent resource. All people who want to learn to design websites without table, must read this book.

Cascading Style Sheets: Designing for the Web (3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Brilliant for IT people wanting to get into CSS
Good Choice for the CSS beginner and up
Good book but irritating typos
Great resouce for new to css
Speaks with an authority as no other

Cascading Style Sheets: Designing for the Web (3rd Edition)
Hakon Wium Lie , and Bert Bos
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web (Voices That Matter)
Cascading Style Sheets: Separating Content from Presentation, Second Edition
DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
Bulletproof Web Design: Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS

ASIN: 0321193121

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant for IT people wanting to get into CSS.......2007-05-12

If you are an IT person, or someone with an IT mindset, and you want to get into CSS, this book is for you. This is the best for you. This book does presume knowledge of markup (HTML/XHTML).

However, this book does not cover advanced layout, which was never really included in CSS (there is hope in CSS3). Discussions of layout will need to be found in other resources.

On the other hand, if you are an artsy person who likes to learn by doing, this book is not for you. It would be better if you searched for Eric Meyer on CSS, which takes you through implementing CSS on a project like basis. Eric Meyer on CSS does presume knowledge of markup (HTML/XHTML) however.

Good Choice for the CSS beginner and up.......2006-05-24

This book is a well written introduction into the world of css and pinpoints key concepts of css. It's by far one of the most readable texts that I have picked up out of all the technical books I've read in my few years of being alive. The book lacks a little in having some references to an example on a previous page while the reference to it is one to pages after the example. This discrepency is understood though since it is hard to keep everything together and not spill out onto other pages when planning the layout of a book. Overall this is a good book on css, and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to start into css.

Good book but irritating typos.......2006-05-04

I would have given this book atleast 4 stars if it weren't for the misleading typos! here's a few - Chapter 6 Pg 127 refers to Figure 6.2 (which doesn't exist!) instead of Figure 6.3; Chatper 10 Pg 228 the example "H1 {color: #ff000 }" is plain wrong (needs a extra zero at the end) and will not work.

Otherwise, it is a very good book. I especially like Chapter 4 - describes CSS selectors in great detail.

Great resouce for new to css.......2006-03-06

ritten by the authors of CSS, at first I found it a bit heavy in dialogue and backgrounds. Not until you open the book to the index does one actually realize the wealth of information in the book. Do not expect this book to show examples of the next great page, but as a resource in trouble shooting it helped explain alot of questions I either was too lazy to look up in Dreamweaver Help or couldnt find the right type of answer elsewhere. My level is pretty much entry intermediate, but with this book, it took me a bit higher. I am getting rid of my introductory CSS books and using this one as my main go to guide.

CSS is covered in detail (20 pages on CSS colour alone) and the explainations are straight forward. The most valuable chapter is "Spaces around boxes". Running over 30 pages, this is a well thumbed section that explained to me where I was going wrong with a layout CSS I was doggedly trying to force to do what I wanted. Once I went through this section, it became clear my folly.

This book now has an honour of being well coffee stained and front and center on my resource shelf.

Speaks with an authority as no other.......2005-11-19

I have gotten each edition of this book as it came out -- giving the still valuable previous edition to the most worthy co-worker. This book (whatever edition!) is rightly regarded as one that belongs by the desk of the astute and experienced Web worker.

When the first edition came out, I rejected it for another book on CSS. I figured that a book explaining CSS by the W3C alpha geeks who *created* the CSS recommendation would be too technical and unreadable. I learned how wrong I was. Lie and Bos's classic book turns out to be one of the most readable and clear treatments of CSS you can obtain.

I can agree that if you have a previous edition, there probably is no compelling reason to update. Some explanations have been elaborated and browser compatibility is updated for Firefox. The core value remains the same: simple enough for novices, detailed enough for experts.

Given the relation of the authors to the official work of the W3C, the book speaks with an authority as no other.

Average customer rating:

Clear and useful
Great Reference Book
A Useful companion to the official standard
My Schema Reference Book
Awful as reference

Definitive XML Schema
Priscilla Walmsley
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

Essential XML Quick Reference: A Programmer's Reference to XML, XPath, XSLT, XML Schema, SOAP, and More
XSLT Cookbook, Second Edition (Cookbooks (O'Reilly))
Effective XML: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your XML
XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)
XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)

ASIN: 0130655678

Customer Reviews:

Clear and useful.......2007-03-24

XML Schema can be really confusing but this book has made it much more clear to me. In particular, I muddled through my project never really understanding things like namespaces and elementFormDefault and weirdnesses like why complex types can have simple content, until I decided to sit down and read this book. Now I feel like I've got a handle on how these things work, plus it made me realize that XML Schema has a lot more features I didn't even know about. The chapter on extensibility was a bonus because it compared and contrasted some of these advanced features and gave me a better idea when to use them. The index is good, too - which makes it easy to use as a reference.

Great Reference Book.......2007-03-22

This book was very helpful in getting me up to speed with XML Schema. It was written well and I have provided the added detail I needed to go above and beyond up at work. Priscilla's Walmsley's extensive experience is conveyed well in the book and has proven to be a great resource.

A Useful companion to the official standard.......2007-01-26

Imagine yourself sitting in front of the formal w3c standard(s) and trying to read it cover to cover...

I tried that and it is very hard, boring, and very unproductive.

Now, try to read it with this book as a companion -- you will find yourself understanding everything on the spot.

There are a lot of useful examples and explanations which are (in my opinion) missing from the standard's text. This is what makes this book so useful.

Also, the organization of the book makes it very easy to locate information you need and to use it as a reference book.

Trying to understand the fine details of the XML Schema standard and the capabilities of XML Schema? Trying to implement an XML parser or an XML validator? If so -- you will probably appreciate this book and will probably use it a lot!

Even now, several years later, I sill find it useful and revealing.

My Schema Reference Book.......2006-06-09

Walmsley's book is the one I go to as the reference for W3C Schema. It is clear and very accurate and reliable. I find the examples relevant and helpful.

I had to chuckle at a previous review that couldn't understand why something was found in multiple places. Well perhaps it is used in several places. I would be happy that the index was thorough. Schema is a somewhat complicated language but Walmsley provides transparency and order.

I recommend this book to my clients and in classes I teach on XML and Schema regulalrly.

Awful as reference.......2006-06-08

Since all other reviews are very positive, I'm here to offer a different opinion.

I've had this book for over a year now, and I barely use it. Each time I attempt to find something useful in it, the information is scattered over the entire book making it extremely difficult to understand.

For example, right now I'm looking up the "ref" attribute, and according to the index, it appears on 7 different locations throughout the book, each portion shorter than 1 page. Also, I have seen many tables scattered throughout with exact same information, or one or two differing field values, making it very confusing to understand which table is doing what.

And at over 500 pages long, there is a large amount of filler information in this book.

Is this book "definitive"? It looks like it is. Is this book usable? Absolutely not. This is one of the worst investments I've made in computer books.

And there is a place about strings in the book where it differs from the official W3C specs.

Average customer rating:

Not a complimentary book to E-business and E-commerce
Solid XML Book
Not suitable for self-teaching, barely good for classroom
Very clear, good learning book - not perfect though.
GET THIS BOOK! Wonderful format, etc

XML How to Program (1st Edition)
Harvey M. Deitel , Paul J. Deitel , T. R. Nieto , Ted Lin , and Praveen Sadhu
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

The Deitels | Authors, A-Z | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books

General | Software Books | Custom Stores | Stores | Software
Similar Items:

e-Business and e-Commerce How to Program (1st Edition)
Python How to Program Part A and Part B (With CD-ROM)
Web Services: A Technical Introduction
C++ How to Program (3rd Edition)
Java How to Program, Fifth Edition

ASIN: 0130284173

Customer Reviews:

Not a complimentary book to E-business and E-commerce.......2005-10-16

I bought this text thinking it would compliment the E-business and E-commerce How to Program text (it was recommended that way). However, it is really just a reconstituted version of the other text, which also falls short of its advertised use. Don't waste your money!

Solid XML Book.......2004-08-09

I read some of the other reviewer's comments on the book and I agree with some and disagree with others. In comparison to other popular XML books it's not perfect but it's solid. If you are like me, a beginning XML programmer then you need to learn XML hands on and the book gives just that. Giving you examples and problems to apply what you just read is the best way to learn and thats what this book does. I read the "XML by Example" by Marchal and although that was a solid book also, it doesnt give you the material or examples for YOU to practice. Marchal doesnt offer the code samples for download either. One reviewer said that in order to complete this book's self review exercises you have to use outside sources. This is true but think about it...what better way to learn than by being challenged?

I also read some of Erik T. Wray's (O'reilly series) XML book. That book is the better of all 3 books in my opinion but again it doesnt offer you that hands on material that I need. Love or hate the Deitel's books, the bottom line is that until these other authors challenge the enthusiast on whatever topic they are writing about people will always turn to these books. Yes the line by line styles are annoying but you know exactly what functions, (tags in this case) the author is referencing. Theory is great but the only way you will truly know any language you learn is by doing it! Last but not least I DO NOT WORK FOR THE COMPANY!!!!!!

Not suitable for self-teaching, barely good for classroom.......2003-08-04

I recently took an XML class at my university, and Deitel's "XML How to Program" was our textbook.

I have to say, it's one of my least-favorite XML books--nay, one of my least-favorite *computer* books overall.

Sure, it's thick and heavy, something many geeks like in a book (myself included). But within the covers are sometimes rambling discussions about a particular topic that leave you still wondering what you were supposed to learn, while other sections get cut short just when things are getting interesting.

My biggest beef: You won't be able to complete some of the exercises without the use of outside resources. Of course, multiple sources are great for any project, but you should certainly be able to answer a book's exercises with just that book! (Specifically, one exercise was within the XSLT chapter, and deals with a number-type element.)

When I was assigned to write an essay on a topic, XML Topic Maps, I first consulted the book. Only a couple of paragraphs as I recall. RDF, an up-and-coming XML technology, gets nary a page.

Mind you, there is a bit of good in the book, mainly with the introductory material. It's a bit Java-centric, but that's to be expected, and there is a decent Java primer in the back of the book. I also appreciate the code samples on both the CD-ROM and Deitel's Web site.

I wanted to like the book, but I found it useless for most of the projects I was working on. In a different class, we used Marchal's "XML by Example, 2/e", and I vastly prefer that book over this one. Especially with the price of the Deitel book, I can't recommend this one to anyone.

Very clear, good learning book - not perfect though........2002-05-15

I much enjoyed this book as the presentation of complex topics is made very clear. I feel that this book helped me to understand several topics that I never fully understood before (for instance XLink).

Generally the approach in this book is to give a clear and concise coverage of each important topics. This is the best approach to learn but reader should be aware that the coverage is not exhaustive enough for the book to serve as reference. In fact I would have prefered that the author added complete reference on several topics (XML DOM, XPath, XSLT, XSLFO) instead of the 'bonus programming chapter'.

The book is catered for programmers. As a result the table of content will satisfy programmers (unlike many beginning XML books it gives ample coverage of XML APIs) but examples are sometimes non-trivial and written in high-level programming languages. Although generally, it must be said that effort has been made to use various programming languages (i.e. Perl, Java, ASP, etc) so that everybody should find some useful examples.

I would have prefered additional coverage of XML services, SOAP, etc. Also, I found that several chapters (Programming java, programming Perl, etc.), while not useless, were clearly off topic and added to fill-in pages. Only other criticism is that the book is really quite expensive. However, it is one of the best book to LEARN xml (even though you may require additional reference to use it).

One last thing: do not buy the CD ROM training kit of the book. The CD ROM included is very disappointing.

Edit: I wrote this review a while back. Since then, I revisited the book and I must say that it does appear dated. In particular the coverage of schema (an important topic) fails to suitably cover the W3C Schema recommendation and focusses mostly on Microsoft's version of schema which are now hardly used. For this reason, I would recommend another book instead (for instance, Beginning XML from Wrox) until the publisher comes with an updated edition.

GET THIS BOOK! Wonderful format, etc.......2002-03-08

This book was written in easily understood jargon that helped take the mystery out of XML programming for me. Additionally, the links to actual working code allowed me the opportunity to watch it work. The self review and tests at the end of each chapter really ensures that you get everything out of the chapter that you need to continue on. Loved it. You will, too.

Programming Book:

Programming Book

Programming Book