For Immediate Release
September 24, 2001
For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with
the author, contact:
Kathryn Barrett (707) 829-0515 ext 387 or kathrynb@oreilly.com 


O'REILLY AUTHOR APPLIES JAVA AND XSLT TO REAL-WORLD SCENARIOS


Sebastopol, CA--HTML has been the workhorse of the Internet for so
long, performing all kinds of roles that it was never meant to play,
that we almost expect every new technology that bursts on the scene to
do the same. The reality is that there are many powerful technologies
that excel in doing just what they were meant to do. For example, Java
gives us platform-independent code; XML gives us platform-independent
data. They are two very different technologies that complement one
another, rather than compete. "One weakness of Java is in its ability
to process text," explains Eric M. Burke, author of "Java and XSLT"
(O'Reilly, US $39.95). "For instance, Java may not be the best
technology for merely converting XML files into another format, such as
XHTML or Wireless Markup Language (WML). Using Java for such a task
requires skilled programmers who understand APIs such as DOM, SAX, or
JDOM." This is where Java and XSLT enter the picture.

XSLT, or Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations, transforms XML
data into some other form, usually HTML, XHTML, or another XML format.
As Burke explains, XSLT makes it possible to define clearly the roles
of Java, XML, XSLT, and HTML. "Java is used for business logic,
database queries and updates, and for creating XML data," says Burke.
"The XML is responsible for raw data, while XSLT transforms the XML
into HTML for viewing by a browser. A key advantage of this approach is
the clean separation between the XML data and the HTML views."

"Java and XSLT" shows programmers how to effectively use XSLT in Java
programs. The heart of the book demonstrates how to put XSLT to work
programmatically--how to develop and debug applications that make use
of transformations, how to optimize the performance of applications by
using caching and compiled stylesheets, how to use XSLT and Java
together to implement complex interactive web sites and wireless
services, and many other useful techniques.

"Web applications are increasingly sophisticated, requiring more
attention to quality application design rather than simply putting
together HTML views," says Burke. "Particularly for larger development
teams, XML, XSLT, and Java offer a good solution because of the
separation between presentation, data, and behavior. A recurring theme
throughout the book is the ability to modularize an application,
assigning different pieces of the implementation to different
developers."


Burke adds, "XSLT is not wildly popular right now because of
performance concerns, and because the language is unfamiliar, but XSLT
is important because it is the dominant transformation language for
converting XML into other formats. It will become increasingly
important as browsers begin to support XSLT, better XSLT editors
appear, such as the newest version of XML Spy, and as more people learn
XML and XSLT."

"Java and XSLT" was written for Java developers who are interested in
practical solutions to problems. Although it includes a brief tutorial
on XSLT, its primary focus is on the practical use of transformations
in Java programs, ranging from standalone applications to servlets,
rather than on learning XSLT or developing stylesheets. Readers will
learn how to apply XSLT to develop a discussion forum, transform
documents from one form into another, generate content for wireless
devices, and a number of other situations. The book also covers several
common XSLT processors and the TRAX API, and pays special attention to
performance issues.

Brett McLaughlin, publisher of newInstance.com and author of "Java &
XML" (O'Reilly, Second Edition, August 2001), says of "Java and XSLT,"
"In the last few years, I've seen several books that talk about Java,
and talk about XSLT. I'm thrilled that there is finally a book, 'Java
and XSLT,' that covers these technologies, and does so in a way that
will make even hard-core developers happy. I found everything from
wireless to XHTML to EJBs; it never made it on my bookshelf, because I
kept using the darned thing!"

An article by the author, "Top Ten Java and XSLT Tips," can be found
at:  http://java.oreilly.com/news/javaxslt_0801.html

Chapter 5, "XSLT Processing with Java," is available free online at:
http://oreilly.com/catalog/javaxslt/chapter/ch05.html

For more information about the book, including Table of Contents,
index, author bio, and samples, see:
http://oreilly.com/catalog/javaxslt/index.html

For a cover graphic in jpeg format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/0596001436.jpg 

Java and XSLT
By Eric M. Burke
September 2001
ISBN 0-596-00143-6, 510 pages, $39.95 (US)
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
http://www.oreilly.com

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