| XML and its associated technologies have been around for many years. Although some support has been available, it has not always been easy to work with XML using PHP. This all changed with the release of PHP 5. The inclusion of a variety of XML processors provides a developer with an arsenal of tools to tackle virtually any type of challenge involving XML. PHP 5 also went the extra step with the creation of the SOAP extension, providing native SOAP client and server support and allowing a developer to quickly and easily consume or create Web services.
With all these tools now available, PHP has become a more viable solution to implement applications that involve XML and Web services. The problem is that it is often difficult for a developer to understand how to begin using any of these tools. Not only do you need to understand the APIs of these extensions, but you also need to know which extension to use. On top of all this, you also need to understand the specifications for the different XML technologies.
This book takes a different approach than most on this subject. Pro PHP XML and Web Services provides an in-depth and comprehensive look at not only the tools available with PHP but also the specifications for a variety of XML-based tools. An understanding of the specifications is often critical when developing an XML-based application. After all, a tool is only good as your understanding of what you can do with it. However, the problem with the specifications is that they tend to be overly complex. For this reason, I will explain them in easy-to-understand language and include complete examples. Specifically, I take the concepts from the technical specifications and show how to adapt them to real-world use in PHP by covering the APIs and areas of functionality and showing examples of their usage.
Regardless of whether you are a novice or a more advanced developer in the area of XML, the material presented in this book will get you developing XML-based applications in PHP faster, and it will demonstrate how to maximize your usage of the XML tools now supported in PHP. |
