Reviews for HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (Definitive Guides)

1. The title couldn't be any more specific...

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, November 12st, 2009

   This is, definitely, a guide - it walks you through HTML and XHTML commands and tags and does it in a very clear, simple, way with good examples.
   
   It starts with references and what the book is (and what it is not) so even if you are a complete beginner, I'd say this is a good way to do things properly right from the start.
   
   If you have no idea about HTML code and never saw a tag, you might struggle a bit to understand a few concepts - but nothing that it isn't solved with a few bookmarks and turning a few pages back to keep on track. If you are no strange to code or scripting, then you'll find interesting the JavaScript and Applets part.
   
   What I enjoy most about the book it's the way it presents you all the tools and expects at the end that you be able to concatenate them together to serve your own needs. What I didn't like is the way some technical information is given, more specifically about how files are exchanged or how servers work - it's simple if you don't know much about it but too much simple if you do.
   
   Still, it is a pleasure to read. If you are a complete beginner with not much computer experience I would advise you to sit in front of the fireplace and read this page cover to cover. Then sit in front of the computer and read it again.

2. Ideal Refernce Manual

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, September 12th, 2009

   I am an occasional HTMLer so I find this book very useful as a reference manual and use it in conjunction with the JavaScript Definitive Guide by David Flanagan

3. A good reference let down by the index

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, April 12st, 2008

   This is an excellent introduction to HTML 4.01. However, the XHTML 1.0 elements are less well covered and XHTML 1.1 is mentioned only in a few paragraphs. Although, to be fair, the differences from XHTML 1.0 are slight and only of interest to a few.
   
   However, my main complaint is that the index is almost of no use for locating actual tags and their usage in the text. Additionally, the ordering of the topics means that this book should be seen more as a series of tutorials than as a reference from which information can be easily extracted.

4. A reference rather than a tutorial

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, November 12th, 2004

   If you need a handy HTML or XHTML reference, then this is the book for you. If you are a complete novice, then you need to read another book, such as 'Learning Web Design' by Jennifer Niederst (yet another O'Reilly book) first.

   Did I say this was just a reference? Well, this is untrue. If you have some experience this book cuts nicely through the jargon and dogma and explains how an HTML document is structured, and then describes in detail all the elements (tags) in the structure. The book is organised in such a way that the HTML Quick Reference at the back of the book is cross-referenced to the main text down to the exact page (as is the CSS Quick Reference).

   When it comes to the issues about standards and deprecated attributes and tags in the HTML 4.01 standard, Musciano and Kennedy are pragmatic and practical, rather than treating this as some form of religious debate. They are realistic enough to suggest that you should adhere to the standards wherever possible, but be prepared to make concessions where otherwise you would not be able to achieve what you want. There is also some good discussion on browser take up of CSS 1 and CSS 2.1.

   The only beef I have is that in Chapter 6, Links and Webs, the explanations of URLs and of TCP/IP port numbers are not as good as they could be. It seems the writers have sacrificed clarity for brevity. Be that as it may, I have found this book invaluable and use it on a daily basis.

5. The Bible for (real) web designers

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 2003

   I was completely new to HTML, XHTML and WYSIWYG editors, and this book was recommended to me as the best place to start. I took it on holiday to Greece - and read it from cover to cover in a week, while everyone else was on the beach! - and it gave me a superb grounding on which to build a web design career. So, read it now, and read it first.