IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL Server Backup and Recovery: Tools and Techniques
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Authors: Frank McBath
Rating: 5/5
Title: SQL Server Backup and Recovery: Tools and Techniques
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Authors: Frank McBath
Rating: 5/5
If you do any SQL Server administration where your boss cares about the data contained therein, TRUST ME, READ THIS BOOK THOROUGHLY BEFORE you are in a position of responsibilty. Had I never read this book before I inherited my DBA responsibilities, I doubt I'd be employed right now. This book could not be easier to read, have better examples or provide better insights. Even though I went through a MOC training course and the teacher was great, one week isn't long enough for everything to sink in. Thank goodness there are guys like Mr. McBride to fill in the remaining gap.I could not say enough good things about this book...mainly becuase I still have a good job because of it.If your database is important to your boss, this book is a MUST!!!!
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Kalen Delaney
Rating: 2/5
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Kalen Delaney
Rating: 2/5
If you're looking to really understand the core engine of SQL Server and how to optimize your code, this is a really good book. If you're a database architect, this book may be a little too microscopic for you, lacking in design strategy. Surprisingly, I think this is actually a great book for the DBA - the discussions on the underlying mechanics are second to none.This book is named very appropriately. The author does an excellent job detailing what goes on under the hood of SQL Server. As an example, she exposes the details of the Bulk Change Map pages in database files and how they work in relationship with the Bulk Logged recovery mode, new to SQL Server 2000. It's one thing to read and memorize what can and can't be accomplished in Bulk Logged recovery mode, but it's a totally different feeling being enlightened on why it works the way it works. There are many core principles in how SQL Server operates that the author describes in detail.Here what I wished to have seen more coverage on: 1. Replication - this book does not cover replication. There are other books that show you how to point and click (I guess those point-and-click picture books will be called "Outside SQL Server 2000"), but none I've seen go into the "Inside" level. 2. Distributed Partitioned Views - This book shows how to create a distributed partitioned views, but it stops there. There are very important design considerations such as knowing where to place your data so as to minimize joins across the network. 3. Indexed Views - Same as distributed partitioned views - ends at the "how to create". I'd like to see how it works under the hood. 4. One way to classify this book is that it is very "server-centric". Many of us work on systems of database servers that work in concert under the application layer. I'd like to see more inter-server ("system-centric") insights.It really wouldn't be fair for me to ask for clustering or log shipping in this book - those really aren't developer issues. Clustering is much more of a Windows 2000 feature than a SQL Server feature. If you're interested in clustering or log shipping, check out the SQL Server 2000 Admin Companion and the SQL Server 2000 Resource Kit.Given the microscopic details packed into about 1000 pages, I found myself relying on Books Online for supplement. Many times, however, this book is actually more in depth than Books Online. I do agree with a few other reviewers that there's a lot of similarity with the version 7.0 of this book; however, there are many aspects of the products that are the same as well. If you really read the two books, though, you'll find that the 2000 version of the book is actually more in depth than the 7.0 version.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP and MySQL Web Development
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Luke Welling, Laura Thomson
Rating: 4/5
Title: PHP and MySQL Web Development
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Luke Welling, Laura Thomson
Rating: 4/5
Not the best for the beginner. Personally I hate it when incredibly advanced programmers write books. They use abbreviations for variables that I found hard to follow, tons of 'include' files, which if you aren't familar with programming is excellent real world practice, but, not the best way to do things when you're trying to learn and understand the language, or an example. This book has been used as an alternative reference when an example in my other books isn't exactly clear, as another perspective. Cutting corners with abreviations and include files is fine when you're doing a project for a client and time is of the essence, but not when you're trying to explain concepts to the learning masses!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional SQL Server 2000 DTS (Data Transformation Services)
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Mark Chaffin, Brian Knight, Todd Robinson
Rating: 5/5
Title: Professional SQL Server 2000 DTS (Data Transformation Services)
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Mark Chaffin, Brian Knight, Todd Robinson
Rating: 5/5
This is a brilliant book by Wrox. I have always wondered about DTS in the past and knew it had been expanded. And this book just develops so many great ideas using the new technology.I found several of the examples really good, and all were easy to follow. I loved the last example in Chapter 8, the Dynamic Configuration of Package Objects. Neat idea.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL Server 7 Data Warehousing
Publisher: Osborne Publishing
Authors: Michael J. Corey, Michael Abbey, Ian Abramson, Larry Barnes, Benjamin Taub, Rajan Venkitachalam
Rating: 1/5
Title: SQL Server 7 Data Warehousing
Publisher: Osborne Publishing
Authors: Michael J. Corey, Michael Abbey, Ian Abramson, Larry Barnes, Benjamin Taub, Rajan Venkitachalam
Rating: 1/5
VERY little substance. More of a marketing blurb than a technical book
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional SQL Server 7.0 Programming
Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: Rob Vieira
Rating: 5/5
Title: Professional SQL Server 7.0 Programming
Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: Rob Vieira
Rating: 5/5
This book is absolutely the best IT book I've ever read (out of over 100). It talks about everything about SQL Server 7 programming. Although it is in a quite deep, it is pretty easy to follow. Before I read it, I had no sense on SQL Server at all, but I knew almost inside out just after reading that. For SQL Server design, you also need something about file distribution (eg. RAID), which is not mentioned in this book at all.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Beginning Php 4 (Programmer to Programmer)
Publisher: Peer Information
Authors: Chris Lea, Allan Kent, Ganesh Prasad, Chris Ullman
Rating: 3/5
Title: Beginning Php 4 (Programmer to Programmer)
Publisher: Peer Information
Authors: Chris Lea, Allan Kent, Ganesh Prasad, Chris Ullman
Rating: 3/5
The title of this review says it all... if you are new to PHP, this is the first book you should get. There is indepth coverage of what PHP is, the "basics" as well as more advanced workings of the language.Every subject needs a primer, and PHP has its primer in this book.The samples are clear and concise, the writing style is easy to read... almost a personal mentoring style, and the authors show the reader that they know their subject backwards and forwards.I cannot think of anything else that would be a better introduction to the world of PHP programming/scripting.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 5/5
Just got the book and I already love it and have learned a lot. If your looking for lots of coding examples, independant chapters, not a lot of space wasting graphs and screenshots, and a solid T-SQL reference, then this is for you! Its exactly what I was looking for.
This book is easy reading. I think the biggest plus is the hefty amount of coding examples and using code to teach you code. He is very easy to follow and speaks common language - sounds like a normal guy - not a lecturing PHD professor like some other books. Buy it!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL Server 7 Backup & Recovery
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
Authors: Anil Desai
Rating: 1/5
Title: SQL Server 7 Backup & Recovery
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
Authors: Anil Desai
Rating: 1/5
While I would love to find a great book on advanced backup and recovery techniques for SQL Server 7, this is not the book. This book is far to general and full of fluff to provide the information you really need. It many ways, the book tries to cover a little of everything about being a SQL Server DBA, but it ends up doing a poor job of covering any topic.I was hoping to find advanced information on log shipping and clustering. While these topics are touched on, they don't provide you the information you really need.If you need a book on the basics of SQL Server 7 backup, most any book covering basic SQL Server 7 DBA responsibilities should fit the bill. This book is a waste of your time.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Php 4 Bible (Bible (Wiley))
Publisher: Hungry Minds
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 4/5
Title: Php 4 Bible (Bible (Wiley))
Publisher: Hungry Minds
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 4/5
This book tries its best to quickly cover every single subject about the new PHP4 to lure buyers. But regretfully fails to get into the matter deep enough to really understand what's going on. The examples that are given use huge letters and the lines wrap, which gives us some eye-shatteringly ugly code. Also, the two writers use a very different style, one uses very official language which is fine, but the other uses jokes and a more romantic kind of writingstyle, which confused me sometimes (what?? is this a joke or what??). Don't go for this one, opt for a more expensive but more valuable book if you want to get into PHP.
