IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft(r) SQL Server(tm) 2000 Analysis Services Step by Step
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: OLAP Train, Reed Jacobson
Rating: 5/5
Title: Microsoft(r) SQL Server(tm) 2000 Analysis Services Step by Step
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: OLAP Train, Reed Jacobson
Rating: 5/5
Not only is this book useful, it has the added advantage of being well written. I picked it up after spending a few days wandering around in Books On Line and reading Erik Thomsen's book for some theoretical background. This book was a great help to bringing all the various aspect of OLAP objects together in the specific context of MS Analysis Services.After I purchased the book I noticed the one-star reviews given by two readers. They did not do anyone any favors with those reviews. One reviewer admits he did not read beyond the first chapter, and the other complains that custom rollups and unary operators are never mentioned in the book. Apparently he never got to page 105, where both are discussed. I think you are safe to ignore those jokers.Enjoy 'Step by Step' for what it is. If you want more on MDX, be prepared to buy another book - I recommend Spofford.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Core PHP Programming: Using PHP to Build Dynamic Web Sites (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Pearson Education
Authors: Leon Atkinson
Rating: 1/5
Title: Core PHP Programming: Using PHP to Build Dynamic Web Sites (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Pearson Education
Authors: Leon Atkinson
Rating: 1/5
This is weak. I'm sending it back. Examples don't even work. Lot's of fluff like huge screen shots to help take up space and make it look like you are actually getting something. The book is mostly just a reprint of the online documentation though, with minimal supplementation. And to all of those (1) who provided the glowing reviews; shame on you. If you're totally clueless about programming and PHP, and/or desparate to have a book on PHP decorating your shelf, then this may be of some service to you. You're not going to learn much about PHP from it though.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Tobias Ratschiller, Till Gerken
Rating: 2/5
Title: Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Tobias Ratschiller, Till Gerken
Rating: 2/5
I had such high hopes after I'd picked up David Beazley's excellent Python reference in the same series. Unfortunately, the writing is just awful and apparently unedited.There's no cohesion, no real goals apparent in the prose. The first chapter is a rambling discussion of why you should use good descriptive variable names.Later on, personal anecdotes about the history of the web world dot the pages, as if they added something. Editors! Editors! We need more editors! See also "Professional PHP Programming" for another book badly in need of an editor.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Foundation PHP for Flash
Publisher: Friends of Ed
Authors: Steve Webster
Rating: 5/5
Title: Foundation PHP for Flash
Publisher: Friends of Ed
Authors: Steve Webster
Rating: 5/5
Foundation PHP for Flash is one of Friends of ED's finest releases yet! Steve Webster has done an incredible job on teaching how to use both Flash and PHP together efficiently. A great read for a Flash Developer :-)
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Ron Soukup, Kalen Delaney
Rating: 5/5
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Ron Soukup, Kalen Delaney
Rating: 5/5
This is a great book for giving a novice SQL 7 user a detailed understanding of how SQL 7 really works. While not billed as an exam prep guide, this text was absolutely key to getting me past 70-29. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs to learn SQL or wants to attain their MCDBA.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP and MySQL Web Development
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Luke Welling, Laura Thomson
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP and MySQL Web Development
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Luke Welling, Laura Thomson
Rating: 5/5
This book is God. I've ordered a lot of books from Amazon over years about everything from Flash animation to Unix system administration and this book is seriously fantastic. It starts off with some theory explaining PHP and MySQL basics (all brand new for me), then gets right into hands on tutorials with PHP for about 100 pages, followed by about 50 pages of SQL tutorials, then puts them together with excellent tutorials for the next 500 pages or so. I feel like someone should give me a diploma, or a really high paying job. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who wants to jump in the deep end with database driven web application programming. I wish more computer books were organized this way.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Larry Ullman
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Larry Ullman
Rating: 5/5
Very clear and consise and great examples that you can easily translate to work you're doing. I already have half a dozen ideas for some sites I'm working on now. One minor (actually major) quibble. Could we have at least used current HTML standards in the examples in the book? I mean tables have been depreciated for at least a couple of years now...
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSD: SQL Server 6.5 Database Design Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex Inc
Authors: Kevin Hough
Rating: 2/5
Title: MCSD: SQL Server 6.5 Database Design Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex Inc
Authors: Kevin Hough
Rating: 2/5
This book is very confusing, because there are a lot of technical errors, such as mislabeled diagrams, and blatantly incorrect information. NOT only that, but if you have Visual Basic 5 installed on your system, the practice tests on the CD crash due to DLL conflicts. This book is not worth the hassle of double checking information against other books, and having to search for testing material to practice on. I'm sorry I bought this book.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant (It-Administrator's Pocket Consultant)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: William R. Stanek
Rating: 3/5
Title: Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant (It-Administrator's Pocket Consultant)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: William R. Stanek
Rating: 3/5
This book makes a good administrative tool, particularly for people for whom SQL admin is one of many responsibilities and who therefore can't spend the time for in-depth training. One main flaw in this book is that it pretty much ignores the design aspect of setting up a new database and/or server. For example, the book lacks any information on best practices for the physical layout (files, drives, RAID, etc) or security. It assumes someone (a consultant?) knew what they were doing and set up the server and databases. Personally, I see this as part of the administrator's role. Another major shortfall of this book is that it excludes clustering completely, and as databases are more and more critical to companies, clustering is gaining in popularity.This book is designed as a reference book and it does a decent job as that. The layout, contents, and index make finding what you need very easy. If, however, you want a book to read cover-to-cover in order to learn SQL administration, this is not it.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle SQL & PL/SQL Annotated Archives
Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill
Authors: Kevin Loney, Rachel Carmichael
Rating: 5/5
Title: Oracle SQL & PL/SQL Annotated Archives
Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill
Authors: Kevin Loney, Rachel Carmichael
Rating: 5/5
I received my copy of this book today and have already located scripts to begin using. This book will be instrumental in setting up our "DBA" processes and procedures. I especially like how each script is documented as to what it is doing and why and when you would want to use it. This book will save me many hours in script-writing. Thanks Kevin and Rachel.
