Amazon.co.uk
This latest marvel, hot from the Wrox Press, is an example of how all technical manuals should be written. The book covers all the new additions to the Microsoft DHTML model including the latest CSS 2 implementation, native support for direct browsing of XML and XSL files as well as a feature which allows developers to define the methods, properties and events of page elements. Enigmatically called "behaviours", they are the latest brainchild of the Seattle super-giant, and effectively explained in this title.
A concise expositionary style is employed throughout the first half of the text as the authors explain the new technologies, whilst, like the O'Reilly definitive guide series, the second half of the book is a series of appendices. Unlike its competition, this book takes a very practical approach to the subject at hand--without delving excessively into the minutiae of the issues discussed, or causing the sort of coma of disinterest which such thoroughness can engender. The writing may be perfunctory, but it certainly isn't pedantic.
Although it is interesting to read about the new features of Internet Explorer 5, it is unlikely that most Web developers will be using them as core elements within the sites they design, whilst the user base of the browser remains at a comparatively low level. It is also worth remembering that many of the technologies implemented in this latest incarnation are not approved by the W3C, so therefore the standards described in this title may change within the next year; however, for the moment, this book seems to depict the future of the World Wide Web--a crystal ball that few webmasters can do without. - -Josh Smith
Amazon.com
A combination primer and reference manual specific to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5,
IE5 Dynamic HTML Programmer's Reference is a very useful companion for Web coders. The first half of this title presents dynamic HTML (DHTML) rapidly yet thoroughly. The rear of the book comprises a series of reference tables and listings that form a quite comprehensive repository of coding information.
The book begins with an overview of DHTML, followed by a look at how style sheets let you assert much greater control over your pages than plain HTML. The authors then explain the Dynamic HTML Browser Object Model and the Dynamic HTML Document Object in depth, pointing out along the way how each provides control over page and element levels. With this background covered, the book then moves into dynamic techniques such as event handling, scripting, and manipulating page elements. The first part concludes with a useful discussion of data binding and a quick introduction to Extensible Markup Language (XML).
The reference portion of the book includes a formal specification for the Browser Object Model, as well as DHTML properties, methods, and events. Next comes a full listing of DHTML tags with syntax specifications and code examples. This section doesn't stop with DHTML, however. It also includes tutorials for VBScript, JScript, and special character tables, making this book a well-rounded tool. --Stephen W Plain
