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XSLT: Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer) 2nd Edition

by Michael Kay (Author)
What is this book about?

This compact, relevant, updated version reflects recent changes in the XSLT specification and developments in XSLT parsers. The material on tools and implementations has been revised; so too have all the examples. It also includes a new chapter on writing extension functions.

XML has firmly established itself as the universal standard for managing data for the web and is now being implemented on a wide scale.

XSL (eXtensible Stylesheet Language), a vital companion to XML, is used for two main purposes: to format or style XML data so that it can be displayed in a browser and to transform XML data (XSLT). When you transform an XML document, you manipulate the data into a new structure, for example, re-ordering the data. This enables the same data store to be used in an unlimited number of ways. XSLT is a flexible, customizable, and cross-platform language.

XSLT is a notoriously difficult language to understand, but this book, while being a complete reference to the recommendation, will also give code examples showing how it all ties together and can be effectively employed in a real-world development scenario.

What does this book cover?

In this book, you'll find the following topics covered:

  • The rationale behind XSLT: What is it for?
  • The XSLT processing model
  • Design patterns and stylesheet structure
  • A full reference to the XPath and XSLT languages
  • The use of XSLT with worked examplesCurrently available XSLT processors - updated to reflect recent advances in XSLT parser technology
  • Coverage of proposed specification enhancements

Who is this book for?

This book is for programmers already using XML to organize their data in applications and for those who want to use the power and compatibility of XSLT to improve the display of their data. The book is in three parts: a detailed introduction to the concepts of the language, a reference section giving comprehensive specifications and working examples of every feature, and an exploitation guide giving advice and case studies for the advanced user.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0764543814
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0764543814
  3. Edition
    2nd
  4. Publisher
    Wrox
  5. Publication date
    May 3, 2001
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.04 x 2.01 x 9.02 inches
  8. Print length
    1008 pages
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There is a newer edition of this item:

XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference
XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference
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Only 2 left in stock (more on the way).

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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Who is this book for?

This book is for programmers who want to learn how to use the XSLT language for developing web applications. The book is in four parts: a detailed introduction to the concepts of the language, a reference section giving comprehensive specifications and working examples of every feature, a development guide giving design advice and case studies for the advanced user, and a product reference detailing the features and usage of the latest versions of Microsoft MSXML, Apache Xalan, Oracle XML, open source Saxon, the TRAX API and other processors and tools.

What does this book cover?

  • Explains the rationale behind XSLT: what is it for?
  • Describes the XSLT processing model
  • Explores design patterns and stylesheet structure
  • Provides a full reference to the XPath and XSLT languages
  • Demonstrates the use of XSLT with worked examples
  • Describes currently available XSLT processors – updated to reflect recent advances in XSLT parser technology
  • Includes coverage of proposed specification enhancements

As an experienced developer, you need to get the facts on a new technology fast. Without the marketing hype, without the trivial introduction. That’s what Wrox Programmer’s References deliver. Hard facts on the newest technologies with practical examples of how to apply new tools to your development projects today.

About the Author

Michael Kay has spent most of his career as a software designer and systems architect, and has recently moved to Software AG, where he is specialising in XML database and transformation technology.  He also represents Software AG on the W3C XSL Working Group.  Previously he worked on a number of electronic commerce and publishing projects with ICL, the IT services supplier.  His background is in database technology: he has worked on the design of network, relational, and object-oriented database software products as well as a text search engine. In the XML world he is known as the developer of the open source Saxon product.
Michael lives in Reading, Berkshire with his wife and daughter. His hobbies, as you might guess from the examples in this book, include genealogy and choral singing.

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
75 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this XSLT reference book comprehensive, with simple examples for each described item. Moreover, the writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it's clearly written and critical for writing good XSLT. However, the language and ease of use receive mixed reactions, with one customer finding it hard to understand.

Select to learn more

Content depthEmphasesComprehensionWriting qualityEase of useLanguage
7 customers mention "Content depth"5 positive2 negative

Customers find the book comprehensive, with one mentioning it covers innumerable details about various arcana.

"This is a great book. It's loaded with examples, it is comprehensive in its coverage, and it conveys both the practical and philosophical aspects of..." Read more

"...Reference is organized well, lots of simple, quick examples, and good overviews. I use this book as a standard text for XSLT classes that I teach...." Read more

"...As other reviews have correctly stated, this is neither a tutorial nor an introductory text...." Read more

"It's rare that a technical reference book is clearly written, comprehensive, and painstakingly accurate and precise, but Michael Kay has managed to..." Read more

5 customers mention "Emphases"4 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's emphasis on providing simple examples for each described item.

"This is a great book. It's loaded with examples, it is comprehensive in its coverage, and it conveys both the practical and philosophical aspects of..." Read more

"...(probably help you organize your XSL code more functionally), Worked Examples (not enough books have these contained within!),..." Read more

"...XSLT Programmers Reference is organized well, lots of simple, quick examples, and good overviews...." Read more

"...It does not show complex examples so if you are stuck with some XSLT issue its better to look online for the answer." Read more

4 customers mention "Comprehension"3 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's comprehensiveness, with one mentioning its thorough understanding of the subject and another noting its well-explained content.

"...each example here (and there are LOTS of them) is well-crafted, well-explained, and relevant to a real-world task...." Read more

"...This was the first book I read on XSLT, it gave me a very thorough understanding of the subject and even though I have bought other books to cover..." Read more

"...Similarly, XPATH takes some time to understand. You will not be able to sit down and read this book like a Harry Potter novel...." Read more

"...XSLT I find myself coming back to this book for reference and deeper understanding...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, with one noting it is clearly written and another describing it as a technical reference book.

"It's rare that a technical reference book is clearly written, comprehensive, and painstakingly accurate and precise, but Michael Kay has managed to..." Read more

"...world's foremost experts in XSLT (obviously), but he's a crackerjack technical writer too. I can't praise the book enough...." Read more

"...The coverage of XPath, which is critical for writing good XSLT, is concise and excellent." Read more

3 customers mention "Ease of use"2 positive1 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's ease of use, with some finding it simple while another customer notes it's not suitable for beginners.

"Very simple book. Dont be fooled by the volume of the book. As it says its only a reference and it has simple examples for each described item...." Read more

"...This is not a beginner's book, but for intermediate XML/XSL programmers...." Read more

"...XSLT Programmers Reference is organized well, lots of simple, quick examples, and good overviews...." Read more

3 customers mention "Language"2 positive1 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the language of the book, with some finding it precise and concise, while others find it difficult to understand.

"...His language is precise, yet easy to read. Most commendable are his examples...." Read more

"...There are some caveats. XSLT is a hard language to wrap your brain around, particularly if you're coming from a traditional imperative programming..." Read more

"...The coverage of XPath, which is critical for writing good XSLT, is concise and excellent." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Patrick Goetz
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best, most comprehensive, and clearest XSLT reference
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    It's rare that a technical reference book is clearly written, comprehensive, and painstakingly accurate and precise, but Michael Kay has managed to pull it off with this book. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that he was developing his own XML processing library at the time that the XSLT language was being formalized, or perhaps it's just because he's an extremely smart guy. I've read or skimmed virtually every book on XSLT written in the English language, and find myself always coming back to Kay for the definitive (and definitively clear) explanation of how things work. There are some caveats. XSLT is a hard language to wrap your brain around, particularly if you're coming from a traditional imperative programming background. For example, XSLT is designed to be side-effect free, so the values of variables are immutable once defined. Similarly, XPATH takes some time to understand. You will not be able to sit down and read this book like a Harry Potter novel. The first time I tried reading it, I found it nearly impenetrable; but again, this is not Michael Kay's fault, but rather a function of the cognitive complexity of the language for traditional programmers. Nevertheless, every time I work with XSLT I find myself coming back to this book for reference and deeper understanding. A question pops up, and the answer is right there, clearly spelled out: I just didn't get it on first (or second reading). Highly recommended. I'm writing this review long after the 4th edition has come out. Kay is now chair of the XSLT standards committee, and the 4th edition of the book covers XSLT/XPATH v. 2.0. If you're just starting out, I recommend starting with this book first, as XSLT/XPATH 2.0 just added additional features and complexity to the language. The 4th edition is of course also a 5-star achievement, but you might find it a bit easier to start out with the details of the 1.0 specification. Kay includes features from the abandoned XSLT 1.1 spec, but these are noted and easily ignored.
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  • S. Tang
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wealth of information obscured by the editing, writing, and organization
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2007
    Format: Paperback
    This review is for "XSLT: Programmer's Reference 2nd Edition." The book covers XSLT 1.0 and XPath 1.0. Although these are "old" technologies, they are still heavily used in software in many industries. While there are newer books covering XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0, those technologies have not achieved widespread support, so you will want to rely on this book for the next few years.

    Michael Kay is one of the leading authorities on XSLT, XML, and XPath, and it clearly shows in the content of this book. There is a lot of detail to his explanations, and the topics he covers are comprehensive, including little-discussed items that other books fail to cover. There is a wealth of information in this book. Mind you, this is a reference book, and it's not conducive to being read front-to-back. You do need some knowledge of the subject to be able to find what you need.

    Unfortunately, the organization, editing, writing is not as good as the technical information itself. The writing style is similar to writing found in a technical paper, so it is somewhat hard reading. At times, the author repeats himself over several paragraphs as if he didn't know he already stated the information previously. The page headings don't have chapter designations, so when the author refers to a chapter (without a page number), you can't find the chapter without going back to the table of contents and finding the page number. The index is also a little disorganized as some keywords aren't always where one might think. Overall, it looked like there was so much information that the editors could not figure out how to organize it effectively.

    Despite these serious flaws in organization, editing, and writing, the coverage of the subject matter is the most comprehensive I have found thus far. I've spent money to buy other books, including O'Reilly ones, and I still refer to this book, even though I know this book is not the best read. That is why I have to give it 4 stars rather than 3 stars; the information is too good to pass up.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mike Kraley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2000
    Verified Purchase
    This is a truly outstanding book. Of the very many computer books I have read, this is one of the top 5.
    As other reviews have correctly stated, this is neither a tutorial nor an introductory text. But if you have been working with XML/XSL for even a little while, the dearth of complete and accurate documentation becomes onerous. I have spent untold hours experimenting with variations of syntax to get the desired results, never really understanding what I was doing. After reading this book, so many of the mysteries and black magic incantations I had built developed now become clear.
    This is a deeply detailed reference book, and it is very much written from the perspective of an author of an XSLT parser. You get innumerable details about all sorts of arcana. But once you get beyond some very simple stylesheets, I have found that you often need this kind of detail to help you understand exactly what is going on.
    The heavy slogging thru the material is greatly aided by Mr. Kay's refreshing writing style. He completely avoids the fluff, illiteracy, or arrogance so common in technical writing. His language is precise, yet easy to read. Most commendable are his examples. Rather than the trivial, artificial or non-sensical example we often see, each example here (and there are LOTS of them) is well-crafted, well-explained, and relevant to a real-world task.
    Another astounding fact is the relative sparseness of typos and errors. As an author myself, I know that computer publishers rush to print with all sorts of egregious errors that are very disruptive. Although I did encounter a very few errors in this book, Mr. Kay and Wrox are to be commended highly for a very professional first edition.
    A monumental writing job, excellently done. This belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who is seriously involved in XSL work.
    25 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • J. Ellis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly the book I was looking for
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2000
    Verified Purchase
    I am involved in a project that needs some fairly deep XSLT, and whilst things were going OK, I felt sure that the knowledge I had gained from the web and a couple of XML books was not complete. You know, when you get something to work, but you are not quite sure how that one little bit actually does the right thing...?
    Michael Kay really presents everything in such a complete way that those subtly incorrect mental models that one might be using are corrected. The result is a clear vision of what's happening in ALL your XSLT. He also knows how programmers' minds work and he points out all the potential pitfalls and also the common mistakes we are all likely to make.
    I cannot believe you would need another book on the subject. It's even pleasantly readable...
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  • Jean-philippe Martin
    4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat useful for day to day usage
    Reviewed in Canada on December 17, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book is not intended to be used has a cookbook, this is a reference and you should buy it only if you want to understand the intricacies of the language.
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  • Charlie Halford
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great summary and deep dive into the features of XSLT 1
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A well written guide on how to develop with XSLT 1. The book is more reference than tutorial (as stated on the cover). The only thing I could fault it on would be some of it's examples, which can leave you needing a little bit more to complete your understanding.
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