This book really centers on the technical and scientific fields, demonstrating the benefits XML offers those disciplines through established XML implementations. MathML--an XML dialect that displays mathematical equations--and the Chemical Markup Language (CML) are two examples of the languages presented in depth. Authors Simon St. Laurent and Robert Biggar begin the book by pointing out the huge strides XML makes to span the gap between the technology of the Web and the language of many technology fields.

An introduction to the fundamental structures and syntax of XML is presented, culminating in chapters that focus on document type definitions (DTDs)--the core of the book. Some readers may be surprised that the majority of the book is dedicated to existing XML applications, but if they read closely they'll glean much useful information. --Stephen W. Plain