Two hot topics come together in this developer\'s guide from Brett McLaughlin, Java and XML. Both Java and XML are cross-platform technologies; by using Java for code and XML for transporting data, you can build truly portable applications. This title is aimed at intermediate to advanced programmers; while XML topics are explained more or less from scratch, readers will need prior knowledge of Java. The book begins with an overview of XML and its uses, and goes on to explain how to parse XML by using the Simple API for XML (SAX 2). Next, there is coverage of how XML is validated by using Document Type Definitions (DTDs) and XML Schema, and transformed by using eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL). Brief coverage of Sun\'s Java API for XML is followed by a detailed look at the Java Document Object Model (JDOM), a new API devised by the author in association with O\'Reilly, the publisher. The last part of the book is more advanced, and covers applications of XML and Java. There are chapters on Web-publishing frameworks, XML Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs), using XML to read and write configuration data, and generating XML with Java. There is also a short business-to-business example. Appendices provide an API reference to the various specifications discussed in the book. The strengths of Java and XML include the author\'s deep knowledge of his subject, and a writing style that is both clear and enthusiastic. If you happen to know a lot about Java and not much about XML, this is the ideal title. Readers who already have a good grasp of XML basics might be frustrated by the amount of introductory material. --Tim Anderson From Book News, Inc. A guide for Java programmers, showing how to build real-world applications with XML featuring portable code and data. Early chapters focus on getting grounded in XML and core Java APIs for handling XML, and include coverage of the latest API, JDOM 1.0. Later chapters focus on specific XML topics such as Web publishing frameworks, XML for configurations, and XML schema. Includes a case study of creating inter- and intra-business communication channels using XML as a portable data format.