Definitive XSLT and XPath

ISBN: 0-13-065196-6

Author: G. Ken Holman

G. Ken Holman is the founder and CTO of Crane Softwrights, Ltd., a consulting firm specializing in XSLT implementations. Holman is the chair for the OASIS XSLT Conformance Committee. He is also an invited expert to the W3C and was a member of the original group that developed the XML specification.

Pages:

360 pages

Publisher:

Prentice Hall PTR

Intended Audience:

XSLT, the W3C transformation language, has become a cornerstone for XML applications. With XSLT, application developers can transform, or convert, XML data into other forms for presentation or processing. This book is designed to enable developers and implementers to master transformations with XSLT and XPath. The initial chapter would also be appropriate for generalists.

Summary:

This book is designed to provide coverage of transformation and the transformation standards, XSLT and XPath, from the basic and conceptual to the advanced and practical. The first chapter of Definitive XSLT and XPath places the two transformation standards in context. The chapter begins with a brief overview of XML. This is not an XML book, so the reader should either have a background in XML already, or read a book that is specifically about XML before moving forward in this title. Chapter 1 introduces XPath, XSLT, XML Namespaces, and Stylesheet association. The chapter also investigates the XSL model for styling data. This styling model separates the structuring of the data for formatting (transformation) from the process of rendering the transformed data. Holman points out that this two phase styling process prevents the misdirected practice of structuring the information (in XML) according to the final output styling. This idea of separating the data input stream from the final output enables the powerful concept of the late-binding of data to the final output format.

In the second chapter of the book, the author gets started using XSLT and XPath with some simple examples. He then explores the syntax basics of stylesheets and provides approaches to stylesheet design.

The third chapter of Definitive XSLT and XPath provides extensive coverage of the XPath data model. In this chapter the reader is introduced to the components of the XPath data model including file abstractions and nodes such as element nodes, attribute nodes, text nodes, namespace nodes and the root node. XPath expressions and patterns are also introduced and examples of node-set and pattern expressions are provided.

Chapter 4 focuses on the other standard component of transformation, the XSLT processing model. In this chapter, the Holman focuses on the predictable behaviors of XSLT instructions. This chapter is designed to enable us to follow the step-by-step flow of the basic transformation process. Diagrams and code samples help us to understand the XSLT process from the source instance to the output result.

From Chapter 5 to Chapter 7, Holman focuses on the XSLT transformation environment. Such topics as the basics of stylesheet design, working with an XSLT processor, managing XSLT stylesheets (modularization), process control, and result tree instructions are covered in these chapters.

Chapter 8 presents the advanced topics. Here the reader can learn advanced techniques such as number, string, and boolean expression functions. Node and content referencing techniques as well as sorting and grouping functions are introduced in this chapter.

This book has a number of useful appendices. Included in the appendices include XML to HTML transformations, XSL formatting semantics , tools information, and a case study.

Recommendation:

Just as XSLT has become a cornerstone of XML application development, Definitive XSLT and XPath should become a cornerstone of your XML library. Ken Holman is one of the most knowledgeable experts on XSLT and certainly known as a leading XSLT instructor. Ken has taught his XSLT and XPath course around the world and routinely offers this course in conjunction with IDEAlliance conferences. This book provides you an alternative to take advantage of Holman's wealth of expertise and experience.

Dianne Kennedy, Editor XML Files