Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!sics.se!ifi!enag From: enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) Newsgroups: comp.text.sgml Subject: Re: SGML Book? Message-ID: Date: 9 Apr 91 21:25:39 GMT References: <348@salt.bellcore.com> <1991Apr8.165150.10496@sq.sq.com> Sender: enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) Organization: Naggum Software, Oslo, Norway Lines: 37 In-Reply-To: dns@sq.sq.com's message of 8 Apr 91 16: 51:50 GMT I would like to second the recommendation of the Technical Report (ISO/IEC 9573, be sure not to forget the number! :-). The next version of it will cover a wider area and be much improved. I have no firm date for its release, but it can't be far away. If you're reading this, Anders, thanks for the first TR, and keep up the good work! On the other hand, I'm not happy to voice my negative concerns about Eric van Herwijnen's book. Mostly, this is because I think we all need a good introductory book to SGML, and that this book is not it. I read it not long ago, despite my general rule not to pick up books with "practical" anywhere on the title page. My feelings with it were expressed very well by Deborah A. Lapeyre in her review, published in issue 16 (October 1990). (Subscriptions and back-issues handled by Patty Hill at the Graphic Communication Assocation (703 519 8160).) Deborah Lepeyre's review is concise and addresses all the points that I found valuable and important, even some that I didn't think were important until she put them in context. Her review is well balanced, highlighting strengths and discussing "nits and picks". In her view, the book is technically accurate, but I don't quite agree with that: it tends to understate many important aspects of the language that readers will want to know about. To quote from the summary: This is not the general SGML introduction that explains everything that all SGML users are still looking for. This book is a very personal volume, sort of "Travels Through the Land of SGML Software and What I Found There". ... This book packs a lot of SGML application experience into one volume. Along the way ... [it] provides a good programmer-oriented introduction to SGML. I recommend reading the review before you spend time on the book. -- [Erik Naggum] Naggum Software, Oslo, Norway