What is this book about?
XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference, 3rd
Edition, is the authoritative reference guide to the
language. Without using the formal and inaccessible language of the
W3C specifications, it tells you exactly what every construct
in the language does, and how it is intended to be used. This book
is a reference rather than a tutorial; it is designed for the
professional programmer who is using the language every day. It is
the book that people quote when they claim that a particular
product is giving the wrong answer, and the book that implementers
of the language turn to when they want clarification of the
specifications.
At the same time, the book is readable. Reviews of the
previous editions of the XSLT Programmer’s Reference,
which this book grew from, show that readers appreciate
the background material on the design thinking behind the language,
the essay on functional programming, the occasional dry wit, the
gentle criticism of the language specification when appropriate,
and the fact that the examples stray into a diverse range of
interesting application areas.