Book Review

Profile

Authors: Stephen Spainhour & Robert Eckstein

Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.

Publication Date:Third Edition, December 2002

List Price: $34.95

Length: 561 pages

ISBN: 0-596-00357-9

Review Details

WebMaster in a Nutshell presents itself as a book that needs no introduction. Its subject, the Web, is widely known, and a quick three-page summary discusses essential concepts: clients and servers, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), Web content (including HTML, XML, CGI,  JavaScript, and PHP), the HTTP protocol, and Web servers.

The audience for this publication is as broad as the range of people who contribute to Web content. If you fall into one of these general groups, the book is intended for you:

• Content providers, who create or edit HTML documents, incorporate images and forms, and maintain links.
• Designers, who create images and define the look of a site.
• Programmers, who write CGI, Java, and JavaScript programs for the site.
• Administrators, who keep the server running properly and efficiently, sometimes establishing new content development areas and new scripts, and maintaining site security.

One thing these people have in common is that they know Web tools and technologies and need an occasional reference book. Another thing these people have in common is that they want answers fast. As the authors explain, "This is a book by impatient writers for impatient readers."

The book's contents are organized into eight parts:

• HTML, the markup language for web documents (v. 4.01)
• CSS, Cascading Style Sheets, for formatting with styles (full W3C standard)
• XML, a document-processing standard for dynamically generated content
• JavaScript, an object-based scripting language
• CGI and Perl, for interactive Web content
• PHP, a web scripting language
• HTTP, the language web clients and servers use to communicate with each other
• Server configuration, based on the Apache 2.0 server, and including performance tips

As this quick overview of contents shows -and as the authors state -the book is organized with the audience in mind, starting with the outermost layer, HTML, and ending with the innermost layer, which is the server itself. The most commonly used material is immediately accessible in the front, while the material of less general interest is in the back.

Each topic includes introductory information and a detailed reference section. A reader who does not work with scripting languages, HTTP, or servers may still benefit from the clearly written introductions, gaining a broader understanding of Web technology.

The layout conforms to the standards for the series of O'Reilly Nutshell books, and is easy to use for quick reference. Inline tabs make it easy to locate sections and page layouts make it easy to find topics.

WebMaster in a Nutshell doesn't try to teach newcomers how to work with the Web. The authors describe it as "a reference book for looking up things you already know." And in case there are still things you need to learn, there are recommended readings for content providers, designers, programmers, programmers and administrators involved with HTTP, and site administrators. Given the quality and coverage of O'Reilly publications, it is not surprising that there are O'Reilly books for each audience.