Welcome to the brave new world of XML (also known as eXtensible Markup Language), the next generation in creating interactive, cutting-edge Web pages. If you've ever tried to build complex Web pages that integrate multiple sources of data, you know just how limiting HTML can be. Although XML may be a little intimidating at first, you'll find yourself quickly up to speed with XML For Dummies, a plain-speaking, easy-to-understand reference book for all things XML. XML For Dummies takes you through a basic overview of XML -- its capabilities, syntax, and technologies -- before moving into useable information and step-by-step methods for designing, building, and using XML's extensible features. XML's special "dialects" support advanced tools for using push technology, building dynamic interfaces, and managing or transmitting data across the Web. And freeware and trial software versions of XML software packages, tips for finding online XML resources, a cross-linked glossary, code examples from the book, and other cool features are included on the bonus CD-ROM that comes with this indispensable guidebook.

Database management. It may sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be, even if you've never programmed before. SQL: Visual QuickStart Guide isn't an exhaustive guide to SQL written for aspiring programming experts. It's simply an invaluable resource for those who want a fast, easy way to harness information living in complex databases.
Because author Chris Fehily assumes no prior programming experience on your part (just a familiarity with your OS's file system), he spends the first few chapters laying out the basics, including clear explanations of the relational database model and SQL syntax. Then he jumps into step-by-step tasks designed to get you comfortable using SQL right away. You'll learn how to use SQL's most popular statements and commands to maintain, retrieve, and analyze database information, and to create and edit database objects. Each visually oriented task features the actual code and plenty of screenshots to keep you on track. Fehily takes a software-independent approach to teaching SQL, but includes tips for specific database software. You may not be a programming expert, but with SQL: VQS, who will be able to tell?

Thorough testing is the basis of good software. Whether we use an agile development methodology such as Extreme Programming, or a more traditional approach, we must test our software at the unit level and application level. The tests must run automatically and cover all aspects of the software.
In this book, the authors draw on more than 20 years of experience to show how automated testing can be applied to a real commercial product.
This book will teach you how to automatically test user interfaces (Swing GUIs), the help system, internationalization, log files, spreadsheets, email, and web services, how to perform tests involving multiple JVMs, and a host of other things. These tests are applied at the module level (unit tests) and at the application level (function tests).
The authors have developed the test processes in the broader context of an Extreme Programming (XP) methodology. However, the testing techniques are certainly not specific to XP, and may be applied within any given development methodology.

The standard platform for enterprise application development has been EJB but the difficulties of working with it caused it to become unpopular. They also gave rise to lightweight technologies such as Hibernate, Spring, JDO, iBATIS and others, all of which allow the developer to work directly with the simpler POJOs. Now EJB version 3 solves the problems that gave EJB 2 a black eye-it too works with POJOs. POJOs in Action describes the new, easier ways to develop enterprise Java applications. It describes how to make key design decisions when developing business logic using POJOs, including how to organize and encapsulate the business logic, access the database, manage transactions, and handle database concurrency. This book is a new-generation Java applications guide: it enables readers to successfully build lightweight applications that are easier to develop, test, and maintain.