Reviews for XML Schema: The W3C's Object-Oriented Descriptions for XML

1. Good reference

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, July 12th, 2005

   This book isn't really for a novice wanting to know about XML. It assumes you already have a passing aquaintance with XML and what it is. The book is a technical reference ideally suited to someone who wishes to apply W3C XML schemas or someone who is trying to understand the structure of a document produced to the W3C XML schema standard.

   Like all O'Reilly books the standard of writing is very high and the contents are well laid out.

   An excellent reference. Probably the only book you will need if you want to create or understand W3C XML.

   Only four star as it quickly throws you into the thick of it. A more indepth introduction for those wanting a better background to the topic would have been a welcome addition.

2. A very good book on a complex matter

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

   This is by far the best book about W3C schemas I have found.

   Let's face it - the original W3C schema standards are very tough reading - and although a lot of internet pages and forums are dedicated to discussing and explaining the standard and the way to use it, it is still very hard to get a good overview over the many aspects involved.

   This is where this book comes into the picture. It goes through the matters methodically and very thoroughly. After having read the book, I find that I have very few outstanding questions about the subject.

   The book is probably not relevant if you just want to be able to understand instances of schemas, but if you are going to create schemas - or create programs for schemageneration - you will find this a very good investment.

   The book contains a very good reference section, where all the different schema elements are listed with the rules for their content and place in the document sturcture. This is a very good thing to have when creating more complex schemas.