IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Robert Vieira
Rating: 5/5
Title: Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Robert Vieira
Rating: 5/5
This is a very good book for sql server programmers. Not like the other books where you find lots of cut and paste from BOL. I feel every sql server programmer should reed this book. Lots of insight and very good information on sql server. Only a person who loves sql server can write a book like this. A must read!!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP Essentials
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 4/5
Title: PHP Essentials
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 4/5
This book is a geat intro to PHP. It was even fun to read and work through. It was written before PHP4 so it does not deal with PHP4 at all. It also focuses on MySQL connections and using PHP to manipulate a database. If this is what you are looking for, then this IS the book for you.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Transact-SQL Programming
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Lee Gould, Andrew Zanevsky, Kevin Kline
Rating: 1/5
Title: Transact-SQL Programming
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Lee Gould, Andrew Zanevsky, Kevin Kline
Rating: 1/5
After all the ballyhoo on this book, I went and bought it. Frankly, I'm disappointed. Were there pages missing or did old Kevin forget about T-SQL error handling? With SQL Server 2000 on the street much of what you see here is old hat. Current books cover SQL 2000. This one doesn't. For a guy that apparently spends more times in newsgroups than he does with the product, the self-important style is inappropriate. Go and earn your stripes, Kevin.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD, MCAD Training Guide (70-229): SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation
Publisher: Que
Authors: Thomas Moore, Ed Tittel
Rating: 4/5
Title: MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD, MCAD Training Guide (70-229): SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation
Publisher: Que
Authors: Thomas Moore, Ed Tittel
Rating: 4/5
Not bad! Has a good study outline and organisation with all required objectives of the test. Pretty good detailed examples in chapters, Review exercies a little weak, but review questions are good. Using this book, the Books On Line from the product and all the 70-299 example tests i could find on line, I past 70-229 test comfortably....
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Admin911: SQL Server 2000
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
Authors: Brian Knight
Rating: 5/5
Title: Admin911: SQL Server 2000
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
Authors: Brian Knight
Rating: 5/5
This is one of those most have books for any SQL Server DBAs reference library. Brian Knight covers a LOT of different items and goes into sufficient detail on all topics. Probably the best real world book on SQL Server administration out there. I've worked with SQL Server for over 5 years and have been a senior DBA over a large enterprise SQL Server farm but I still learned a great deal from this book.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP Bible, 2nd Edition
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 4/5
Title: PHP Bible, 2nd Edition
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 4/5
I bought this book because I needed a good PHP reference, and I don't regret it. It is current through PHP 4.2 and it describes many features that are available in Zend Engine 2 (ZE2 wasn't released yet at time of publication).It is an easy read (an important element often overlooked in technical references), without leaving out any of the requisite technical 'goodies', but I would have liked a little more in-depth advanced information. While technically correct, several 'advanced' topics only received the most superficial of explanations, and in one case, a common (and beguiling) misconception involving Object Oriented Programming techniques was explained away as "Obscure". There are plenty of excellent discussions about the most awkward aspects of PHP development, and it is obvious that the authors are experienced web developers. I learned much that I didn't know, and I enjoyed the authors' candor when, in several instances, they admit that they were confused or stumped at first by one feature or another.I think most beginning to intermediate web developers, whether independent or as part of a team, will find this book very useful and full of good information; but if you need a truly advanced understanding of PHP, you'd better look elsewhere.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Apache Pocket Ref
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Andrew Ford
Rating: 5/5
Title: Apache Pocket Ref
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Andrew Ford
Rating: 5/5
A large system of configuration commands and syntax is a useful and powerful tool for allowing people to easily control complex pieces of computer software.Large configuration files have one major problem; you tend not to look at them often enough to get the language and syntax down pat. You find yourself making too many tiny errors in command name or syntax and struggle with one window editing the file and one or more windows open displaying the documentation. With Apache I have this problem in spades. The configuration system may be well designed and the syntax as easy as possible, but most people will still struggle to keep every detail in their head. I know what I need to do, have a fair idea how to do it, but the details elude me.That's where this little volume comes in immensely handy. I have several of O'Reilly's pocket references and find the PHP, Apache and Perl ones never stray far from my computer. This one provides a wealth of reference information packed into a small, inexpensive little volume. It has enough information about the exact name and sytax of the Apache configuration directives that I don?t need to go to a larger book or delve into the manual.Oh, and for those that want this volume to lay flat. I ran my copy through a paper cutter and trimmed the spine off. After punching holes in the pages I then had a loose leaf version that allowed me to add my own pages of notes in various spots and lays perfectly flat. It only took a few minutes. Sorry, O'Reilly - but it is more useful if it can lay flat and being able to add notes is great.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Google : Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks
Publisher: Visual
Authors: Joe Kraynak
Rating: 5/5
Title: Google : Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks
Publisher: Visual
Authors: Joe Kraynak
Rating: 5/5
The "Read less-Learn More" Visual series from Wiley Publishing suits this reviewer just fine. These books, usually priced under $20, are chock full of great information presented in two-page spreads featuring full-color screen shots. Google: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks is the latest in the "Read Less-Learn More Visual" line and it is a keeper. The concise, step-by-step tips and tricks, are on side columns and connect to the screen shots with arrows. It is very easy to follow. Each tip features a meter showing the difficulty level. Almost all the tips introduce a new skills or task or combines multiple skills requiring in-depth knowledge; 2 and 3 respectively on a 4-point scale. At the bottom right of each spread are tips and trivia such as: "Try This", "Did You Know?", and "More Options!". The author, Joe Kraynak, writes in an easy-to-read style and he often provides examples which you can follow through the screen shots and accompanying tips. The screen shots are from Microsoft Internet Explorer's browser and only the toolbar differs from those of other browsers (I use Mozilla) but don't let that bother you.
Google: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks is organized into ten chapters each of which contains ten tips or tricks (Kraynak keeps it simple). The chapters are: 1) Maximize Google Search Options; 2) Search for Images, Video Clips, and Other File Types; 3) Tap the Power of Google's Reference Tools; 4) Enhance Your Browser with Google Tools; 5) Get Your News Through Google News; 6) Explore the Local Scene with Google; 7) Save Money with Google's Froogle; 8) Read and Post Messages in Discussion Forums; 9) Create and Maintain Your Blog; 10) Explore the Power of Google Labs Tools. One chapter that I found intriguing was on creating one's own Blog. I had no idea that creating a blog was relatively easy and there are helpful tips on how to keep it current and attract readers.
Those of us who are Google afficionados will appreciate Google: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks as it will help you be more efficient and productive. I found some of the tips to be quite elementary but there is good information for any level Google user. My copy has sticky tabs sticking out the side to mark helpful tips. Computer books can be pricey but this full color, well designed and produced book is a real value at less than $20.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Mastering Oracle SQL
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Sanjay Mishra, Alan Beaulieu
Rating: 4/5
Title: Mastering Oracle SQL
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Sanjay Mishra, Alan Beaulieu
Rating: 4/5
seems pretty good so far very helpful if youve just started out in oracle sql ...
Product: Book
Title: PHP and MySQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Publisher:
Authors: Janet Valade
Rating: 1/5
Title: PHP and MySQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Publisher:
Authors: Janet Valade
Rating: 1/5
I was a complete novice to PHP and MySQL before buying this book, and after purchasing it, found it to be worthless. The installation instructions did not work, so I ended up having to install from downloaded sources. Only a few of the test scripts worked, which was rather annoying as I couldn't tell if the installs were successful. I can write my own and they work, but if I copy one from the CD, and change the log-in info for MySQL to the pertinent information, the scripts fail to do anything. Instead of choosing to show MySQL account info during the installation, it is covered three chapters later (chapter 5 versus 2) for some odd reason... This made for lots of confusion as i was trying to establish and limit accounts right after installation, not two chapters later after the databases were created. She should have kept all of the relevant information together.
One fine example of this book's shortcomings... the author seems to assume that you will be creating a database every time you log into MySQL. Therefore, she makes no mention of the 'USE database' command, which will let you view/add/or edit tables in a particular database. Without using this command, you cannot 'USE' or view a database, you get a 'no database selected' error.
Between these things and the non-working scripts, this book is garbage. You have someone that knows the material, but since they know it so well, they don't know how to lay it out for a newbie. Sam's Teach Yourself in 24 Hours books are the way to go if you actually want to be productive and have a working knowledge of the subject. I had to do that and I will never look back.
