Part 2: Top 6 books for people starting XML/SGML publishing projects

This is part two of a four-part series.

I have never found the one book that describes how to put it all together. These are the top 5 books, I'd recommend to anyone starting a single-sourcing project. They're a selection of books from both sides of the issue: the writing side and the programming side. Together, they begin to bring any project into focus.

1. The XML Handbook (2nd Edition) - Charles Goldfarb & Paul Prescod (Prentice Hall:2000) (ISBN: 0130147141)
   
   All about XML.
   


2. Definitive XSLT and XPath - G. Ken Holman (Prentice Hall:2002) (ISBN: 0130651966)
   
   This is the ultimate xlst & xpath book.
   


3. Definitive XSL-FO (Charles F. Goldfarb Definitive XML Series) - G. Ken Holman (Pearson Education:2003) (ISBN: 0131403745)
   
   The authority for learning XSL-FO
   


4. Developing SGML DTDs: From Text to Model to Markup - Eve Maler & Jeanne El Andaloussi (Prentice Hall PTR:1996) (ISBN: 0133098818)
   
   Although this book is written about SGML, the basics for data modeling are all here and apply to XML projects as much as to SGML projects. This is a great basic data modeling beginner's book.
   


5. Single Sourcing: Building Modular Documentation - Kurt Ament (Noyes Data Corporation/Noyes Publications:2002) (ISBN: 0815514913)
   
   An excellent book for people staring single-sourcing projects. How to plan and implement as well as how to handle the inevitable staff issues.
   


6. Introduction to DITA: A User Guide to the Darwin Information Typing Architecture Arbortext Edition - JoAnn Hackos
   
   Procedures and Examples in this book use Arbortext Editor.
   

Read the complete series:

1. Part 1: Resources for folks doing single-sourcing projects


2. Part 2: Top 6 book choices


3. Part 3: Top 12 online topic-specific resources


4. Part 4: Top 4 resources for Arbortext users.