Fortunately, there s a solution: Erik T. Ray s Learning XML, Second Edition. This book presents an outstanding birds-eye view of the XML landscape. It s definitely not a programming book (though it does introduce some key XML programming issues). Rather, it s focused on key ideas you need to understand whatever you want to do with XML. That could be document management, web or print content delivery, application integration, B2B commerce, data storage, internationalization -- you name it.Ray s day job is software developer and XML specialist at O Reilly. There, he s helped to implement a complete publishing solution, using DocBook-XML and Perl to produce books in print, on CD-ROM, and for online delivery. So he understands XML from the real-world point of view of someone with a job to do. His first goal is to take on the big questions. First, What is XML? Ray attacks this question from multiple angles, introducing XML as a general-purpose information storage system, a markup language toolkit, and an open standard (or, increasingly, a collection of standards). What can (and can t) you do with XML? What s the history that led us here? And what tools do you need to get started? Next, he introduces the basic building blocks of XML markup and all XML-derived languages: stuff you ll need to know regardless of your goals. Through easy examples, you ll understand elements, attributes, entities, and processing instructions -- and how they fit together in a well-formed XML document. Then, it s on to representing information with XML -- in other words, understanding the nature and planning the structure of the documents you ll be using. Ray starts simply, then builds on his basic examples to discuss narrative documents with text flows, block and inline elements, and titled sections. Once you can handle those, he discusses more complex information modeling, as used in specialized markup languages such as VML. This edition contains an entirely new chapter on XML Schemas -- what he calls the shepherds that keep documents from straying outside of the herd and causing trouble. Schemas, of course, have become hugely important. This is one of the best plain-English introductions to the topic we ve seen. Ray then turns to presentation, introducing CSS stylesheets, basic usage, rule matching, properties, and more. A little later on, he returns to the subject -- this time with a complete introduction to XSL-FO that illuminates two powerful examples. The first is TEI-XML, a markup language for scholarly documents (Ray presents a Shakespearean sonnet, appropriately coded). The second is the immensely powerful DocBook -- which, as we ve observed, Ray knows inside and out. Learning XML is superbly written. Clear explanations. Simple examples. Great metaphors and analogies. And excellent introductions to nearly every topic that matters, from links to presentation, transformation to internationalization. If you re just starting out with XML, you re lucky to have it. Bill CamardaBill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.

    If the idea of a computer science book without computers upsets you, please close your eyes until you’ve finished reading the rest of this page.The truth is that computer science is not really about the computer. It is just a tool to help you see ideas more clearly. You can see the moon and stars without a telescope, smell the flowers without a fluoroscope, have fun without a funoscope, and be silly sans oscilloscope.You can also play with computer science without... you-know-what. Ideas are the real stuff of computer science. This book is about those ideas, and how to find them.

    With an almost unlimited range of input and output add-ons, sensors, indicators, displays, motors, and more, the Arduino offers you countless ways to create devices that interact with the world around you.In Arduino Workshop, you'll learn how these add-ons work and how to integrate them into your own projects. You'll start off with an overview of the Arduino system but quickly move on to coverage of various electronic components and concepts. Hands-on projects throughout the book reinforce what you've learned and show you how to apply that knowledge. As your understanding grows, the projects increase in complexity and sophistication.Among the book's 65 projects are useful devices like:A digital thermometer that charts temperature changes on an LCD A GPS logger that records data from your travels, which can be displayed on Google Maps A handy tester that lets you check the voltage of any single-cell battery A keypad-controlled lock that requires a secret code to open You'll also learn to build Arduino toys and games like:An electronic version of the classic six-sided die A binary quiz game that challenges your number conversion skills A motorized remote control tank with collision detection to keep it from crashingArduino Workshop will teach you the tricks and design principles of a master craftsman. Whatever your skill level, you'll have fun as you learn to harness the power of the Arduino for your own DIY projects.

    100 complete coverage of all official objectives for Exams EX200 and EX300 Exam Readiness Checklist-youre ready for the exam when all objectives on the list are checked off Inside the Exam sections in every chapter highlight key exam topics covered Two-Minute Drills for quick review 100 lab questions-two full lab-based RHCSA exams and two full lab-based RHCE exams-match the format, tone, topics, and difficulty of the real exam Covers all the exam topics, including Virtual Machines and Automated Installations Fundamental Command Line Skills RHCSA-Level Security Options The Boot Process Linux Filesystem Administration Package Management User Administration RHCSA-Level System Administration RHCE Security System Services and SELinux RHCE Administration Mail Servers Samba File Sharing DNS, FTP, and Logging CD-ROM includes Complete lab-based exam preparation, featuring Two full RHCSA practice exams Two full RHCE practice exams Lab-based chapter self tests In-depth answer explanations for all labs RHCSA and RHCE Glossary PDF copy of the book for studying on the go Michael Jang, RHCE, LPIC-2, UCP, LCP, MCP, is the author of three previous bestselling editions of RHCE Red Hat Certified Engineer Linux Study Guide and several other books on Linux and professional certification.