I believe my newest book, XML From Scratch, is different from other primers on XML. Here's an excerpt adapted from the introduction which explains that difference:
All other programming books start by teaching you simple skills which build in difficulty, adding skill upon skill as you go. Once you've learned all the skills, the books then demonstrate what you can do: an example program.
This book does not start with programming technique: it starts with a project. We begin by analyzing and designing the project and then we implement that design. Programming skills are taught in the context of implementation; first you understand what you are trying to accomplish, and then you learn the skills needed to get the job done.
If I were going to teach you XML and we worked together, I would not hand you a book at all. I'd sit down with you and we'd write a program together. Along the way, I'd teach you what you need to know, occasionally giving you short pieces to read to flesh our your understanding.
That is exactly how this book works: we'll sit down together and write a program, and along the way we'll teach you what you need to know. From the very first page, we will focus on understanding the problem we are trying to solve, and designing a solution, rather than on the syntax of the language.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy this book.
