IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Advanced PHP Programming
Publisher: Sams
Authors: George Schlossnagle
Rating: 5/5
Title: Advanced PHP Programming
Publisher: Sams
Authors: George Schlossnagle
Rating: 5/5
This book introduces and elaborates on very good programming practices that not many self-made programmers are aware of. I've had contact with some 5 or 6 other programming languages at university and I've had my share of contact with good programming practices, but they were never presented to me so clear-cut and in a so motivating way as in this book. That, alongside with the fact that I just love PHP, makes this the absolutely most important book I would recommend to any fellow programmer.This book doesn't teach PHP, it teaches efficiency, maintainability and some really good programming notions. The fact that it uses PHP as a vehicle is just the icing on the cake. The source code used is manytimes from real open source projects, a nice effort from the author.
Oh, and I would also like to mention the author's style of writing: he comes across as a very open-minded individual who routinely recognises his own errors and isn't in any way superior to the rest of us not-so-enlightned programmers.
On a final note, let me just say I wish my copy of this book would magically turn into a spell-checked hardcover edition :)
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft(r) SQL Server(tm) 2000 Analysis Services Step by Step
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: OLAP Train, Reed Jacobson
Rating: 3/5
Title: Microsoft(r) SQL Server(tm) 2000 Analysis Services Step by Step
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: OLAP Train, Reed Jacobson
Rating: 3/5
I was trying to sum it up for myself. I am in agreement with other reviewers, and borrow some of their words.This book is very basic, and functions as a complete beginner's introduction. It is easy to read, the examples on the cd work fine, and the tutorials provide a good overview of how to create your own cubes. Then again, so do the product tutorials.It's pretty thin and after reading through the first few chapters I found myself putting it down. I already had dealt with the first version of the product, maybe that makes me not a good reviewer. But I don't think it will make a beginner more than a well-informed beginner. If you read it once or twice, you may never read it again.It is not a good reference book. In fact, it occasionally presents simplifications that are inaccurate.MDX is VERY thin, and since you can teach the basics to yourself, a reference/primer book on MDX may suit you better.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Hitchhiker's Guide to Visual Basic and SQL Server
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: William R. Vaughn
Rating: 1/5
Title: Hitchhiker's Guide to Visual Basic and SQL Server
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: William R. Vaughn
Rating: 1/5
I was deeply disappointed by Mr. Vaughn's "updated" version of the landmark 5th Edition. Almost half of the 6Th edition is a rehash of the prior release. The author even includes verbatim excerpts from ed 5. I'm sorry to say that like so many fine technical texts, they become archaic before the end of their year of publishing. And so is the swansong of this 1998 "latest" which discusses far too much RDO and only a cursory overview of ADO. It is the price of technical progress that the computer applications field has rendered obsolete bound publications featuring advanced techniques so quickly. Paper is nice, and it feels good to caress at the end of a day filled with nothing but looking at a high resolution TV, but I'm afraid really useful and timely information comes in the form of electrons. -Bill McNamee
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 4/5
Title: The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 4/5
Whether you are learning for the first time or need a good reference, this book does the trick. Easy to understand with good examples.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Sams Teach Yourself Transact-SQL in 21 Days (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Lowell Mauer
Rating: 4/5
Title: Sams Teach Yourself Transact-SQL in 21 Days (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Lowell Mauer
Rating: 4/5
This is an excellent beginner level book for anyone new to SQL Server or anyone who has a need to learn Transact SQL. The examples where very helpful and easy to understand.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP Essentials
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 3/5
Title: PHP Essentials
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 3/5
Very basic but well written. Not many other alternatives out there yet. Was it worth the money - yes, I guess so but it leaves a lot to learn.Also, I'm not a SQL Server fan, but the Author makes the silly claim that MySQL is more powerful than SQLServer.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Optimizing Transact-SQL : Advanced Programming Techniques
Publisher: SQL Forum Press
Authors: David Rozenshtein, Anatoly Abramovich, Eugene Birger
Rating: 1/5
Title: Optimizing Transact-SQL : Advanced Programming Techniques
Publisher: SQL Forum Press
Authors: David Rozenshtein, Anatoly Abramovich, Eugene Birger
Rating: 1/5
This book shows how to build better SQL. I find the info useful in building higher performance SQL statements.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Weekend Crash Course
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Alex Kriegel
Rating: 4/5
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Weekend Crash Course
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Alex Kriegel
Rating: 4/5
This book ideal for:
1) Those who do not know SQL at all.
2) Those who knows SQL little but want to learn more but quick and easy way.
3) Those who do want to know what SQL can do can not do.
This book is highly recommended. It teaches you quickly and easily. This book do not claim that they will make you mater in two days but they do teach you everything they can and quick and easy way. This book does provide some good references and covers all the quick points about SQL. I have really read this book in weekend and I learn myself from the point where this books ends.
Pinal Dave (Macromedia Certified Advanced ColdFusion MX Developer)
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSE Administering SQL Server 7 Exam Prep (Exam: 70-028)
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Brian Talbert
Rating: 2/5
Title: MCSE Administering SQL Server 7 Exam Prep (Exam: 70-028)
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Brian Talbert
Rating: 2/5
Even more than the book for the Database design test, this will help you narrow down the material needed for the exam. If it's in this book, it's likely to be on this test. Not to be confused with a book for learning to be a DBA (an absolutely huge area of study), it is targeted for the exam. To pass the test, it should be read in conjunction with other more comprehensive books. Having passed the SQL 6.5 exam, I didn't bother with this book... and failed. I had studied the wrong things. 2 weeks reviewing on only the subjects in this book, and I passed easily.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle 9I: SQL With an Introduction to Pl/SQL
Publisher: Course Technology
Authors: Lannes L., Ph.D. Morris-Murphy
Rating: 5/5
Title: Oracle 9I: SQL With an Introduction to Pl/SQL
Publisher: Course Technology
Authors: Lannes L., Ph.D. Morris-Murphy
Rating: 5/5
I had almost given up hope that I would never learn SQL until I bought this book. It is the first non-study guide I have come across on Oracle SQL. It actually has exercises for you to do so you can see if you really understand what you are doing. Although the Bijou Thomas Study Guide is good, you really need a textbook. And this is it. I really understood joins for first time! Surprised more people don't know about this book. It is superb!
