Java, XML, and the JAXP

I found the book to be written and organized quite well, but the depth of the content and sample programs were disappointing. It is an excellent source of elementary information on XML, DTD, JAXP SAX and DOM; strangely missing is any mention of XML Schema. Also, the chapter on the Apache "Ant" project seems completely misplaced from another text. I buy a book looking for the author's interpretation of the "spec" and their wisdom. I expect to leverage the author's experience and learn best practices; otherwise I would just read the "spec" and save my money. I'm giving this book a higher recommendation than it may deserve, but 3.5 stars isn't a reviewer's option. If you're looking for an in depth book based on experience rather than summarization then this is not the book for you. Overall I can summarize the book as a handy reference that conveniently gathers the basic information on these subjects that is otherwise freely available on the W3C and Javasoft web sites. An overwhelming amount of information about XML exists in books and magazines, on the Internet, at conferences and seminars, and even in mass mailings that can send the most technologically savvy person whirling. You could find yourself hard-pressed to find a resource that contains a concise breakdown of all that data, filtered and distilled to its bare bones -- until now. Arthur Griffith realizes that other books on the topic are often expansive tutorials that force the reader to wade through all the material before finding the critical information needed. With Java, XML, and JAXP, he provides you with instant access to critical, drill-down information on Sun's Java XML API and the foundation for you to proceed into any region of XML usage and technology and have secure knowledge of the basics.Geared toward developers and IT professionals with an understanding of the fundamentals of Java, HTML, and URLs, this book is filled with examples that describe and demonstrate API's specific features and capabilities. Griffith uses his vast experience as a systems veteran to explain the two distinct ways of using Sun's Java XML API. He explores one option of placing the XML data in an internal tree-like structure and the alternative of streaming the XML data through a filter. A nuts-and-bolts guide focusing exclusively on Sun's Java XML API The sole purpose of Sun Microsystem's Java XML API is to write programs that generate XML data for transmission and programs that decipher incoming XML data. While there are many references on the market offering exhaustive coverage of Java, XML, and the JAXP, until now there were none dedicated to providing developers and IT professionals with instant access to critical, drill-down information on how to use the Java XML API to transmit, receive, create, load, and modify XML documents. Arthur Griffith offers clear and concise coverage of the underlying theory involved and uses numerous examples to demonstrate the API's various features and capabilities.
Companion Web site includes all examples from the book along with a valuable resource listing. This chapter is an overview of some of the basic things you will need to know before you can understand the processing of XML documents using Java's Java API for XML Processing (JAXP).