XML Processing with Perl, Python, and PHP: Also Covers Tel, Rebol, Ruby, and AppleScript

by Martin C. Brown

XML is an elegant solution to the problem of data portability. Like all breakthroughs, however, it gives rise to new challenges. With XML, you can store and structure data for seamless, cross-platform exchangewhich is especially crucial in today's e-commerce environments. But XML does no processing itself. To leverage XML data, you need to use a programming language. XML Programming with Perl, Python, and PHP teaches you to reap the special advantage of processing your XML with these and four other scripting languages, whichas you'll seetrump C, C++, and Java in a variety of ways. Along this path lie shorter development times and lower costs. At its end lie performance benefits such as superior text processing, memory management, and data modeling capabilities, as well as strategic benefits such as greater longevity and broader compatibility. Choose the language that makes the most sense for you and move ahead. With this book's help you'll master the execution of remote procedures, the internal modeling of XML data, the exporting of internal data into XML, and the conversion of XML to formats as varied as SQL, HTML, and proprietary configuration schemes. Application-specific examples keep you focused on the real world; at the same time, the scripting techniques you'll learn all rise above specific applications. Like XML data, they're flexible, and they'll serve you well in whatever context you're working.

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jami · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this book in my library search results, I couldn't hit "reserve" fast enough. I want more experience with all four languages in the title.

I'm not very far into this book yet. So far, I'm not enthusiastic. The book seems more interested in teaching us XML jargon than how to use XML. And it bandies the jargon around for several pages before giving a clear explanation of it. I've been writing HTML for ten years, and I was really baffled by the phrase "character entities", which the book threw around for several pages before it became clear that they were just talking about special characters like ampersands that can give you programming trouble. Grr.

I thought the age of the book might mean it would be easier, that everything in there would be extra-standard. But I think it means that standards, and even the language, hadn't quite been settled yet.

On a positive note, I like that at the end of Chapter 1, they tell you which chapters to focus on given your experience with XML and the other languages. I'm hoping there are more examples in the PHP chapters and less (outdated?) jargon.