IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 7 DBA Survival Guide
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Orryn Sledge
Rating: 5/5
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 7 DBA Survival Guide
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Orryn Sledge
Rating: 5/5
Unfortunately I cannot share excitement of those who gave this book 4,5 or 5 stars. This book is good but still contains some mixture of old and new information. For example on page 259 authors claim that "incomplete transactions that occur after database process is started are NOT backed up", this is not true. In SQL 7.0 manual stated "Extents containing data are written to the backup set without regard to synchronizing pages being modified by users during the backup". They don't even mention new "Fuzzy backup" technology (see "Fuzzy Backup and Restore Operations" in BOL). On page 260 Authors claim that "performing full database backup does not clear inactive part of transaction log" this is also not true. Page 272 "The database log must reside on separate device from database": first there is no such thing as "device" in SQL 7.0, second there is no way to put database and log on the same file. Looks like they didn't cleaned up 6.5 manuscript properly.So, if you find something that does not supported by your practical experience, very likely you and not the authors are right.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSE: SQL Server 7 Administration Study Guide
Publisher:
Authors: Lance Mortensen, Rick Sawtell
Rating: 3/5
Title: MCSE: SQL Server 7 Administration Study Guide
Publisher:
Authors: Lance Mortensen, Rick Sawtell
Rating: 3/5
I recently took and passed the SQL Server 7 administration test (70-028). I used this book as a reference. As a study guide for this test, I found this book to be the best available. That is still not saying much. My first gripe about Sybex study guides in general, is that Microsoft sets up their exam objectives in 5 or 6 sections, in this case 6. This book is laid out in twelve chapters. If you are trying to write an outline to answer Microsoft's exam objectives from this book you have to jump around a lot. Some of the other Sybex study guides have a cross reference sheet, this one does not.My second gripe is that the review questions are almost worthless. The questions are to short. The text itself is good at explaining administration ideas but has to many screen shots. It is much easier to study for the test from Sybex's Exam Notes. For review questions I would recommend Trancender. For a more in depth book, although this one is geared more for the 70-029 test and for programmers, I would recommend Inside Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 from Microsoft Press.Ramsay Sinclair MCSE+I, MCP+I, CNA
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
This is the definitive work on T-sql. If you encounter tough problems in T-sql (and you will if you build systems based on it of any complexity) this book will get you through them.The two things I like best are the teaching technique and the undocumented things. Henderson tells it like it is, and his writing is smoother and easier to read than anyone I've ever read.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: A Guide to SQL Server 2000 Transactional and Snapshot Replication
Publisher: Not While the Surf's Up Press
Authors: Hilary Cotter
Rating: 5/5
Title: A Guide to SQL Server 2000 Transactional and Snapshot Replication
Publisher: Not While the Surf's Up Press
Authors: Hilary Cotter
Rating: 5/5
Hilary has at last provided those of us using Replication in SQL Server with a book explaining how to go about it properly. He has a no-nonsense approach to writing and is obviously enthusiastic about what he does. The book is beefy but don't let that put you off, the information within is well worth the read.
Excellent.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP Bible, 2nd Edition
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP Bible, 2nd Edition
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 5/5
I'm a PHP beginner-intermediate, and I use this book on an open source project called mod_pubsub as my primary PHP reference for PHP through 4.2. The authors have an easy-to-read style, and they are very honest when it comes to what PHP can and cannot do. I definitely recommend this book for other PHP beginners and intermediates.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional SQL Server Development with Access 2000
Publisher: Peer Information Inc.
Authors: Rick Dobson
Rating: 5/5
Title: Professional SQL Server Development with Access 2000
Publisher: Peer Information Inc.
Authors: Rick Dobson
Rating: 5/5
This book is aimed at the professional Access developer who wants to learn how to tap into the power of SQL Server, or for the professional SQL Server developer who wants to make use of the excellent front-end and reporting capabilities of Access. I found this book helpful and I don't fit either of the above categories!Rick Dobson explains in a clear and easy-to-understand manner everything that we need to get started... and then some! Everything from installing the database engines to publishing Data Access Pages on the Internet is covered. Provided that you have some experience with database development and/or programming, you will find this book to be one of the most valuable in your collection.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: OCP Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL Exam Guide
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Authors: Jason Couchman
Rating: 3/5
Title: OCP Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL Exam Guide
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Authors: Jason Couchman
Rating: 3/5
I am a relative new DBA having self-taught just about everything via books or online resources. And of course, I want to get a bigger paycheck by being an OCP -- so Intro to SQL is test#1 on the path.Prior to Oracle, I have worked exclusively in Open-source DB such as PostgreSQL and MySQL as well as the occational side-gigs using MS SQL server. As you know, since Oracle implements many non-ANSI standard SQL syntax, I knew I needed help to pass the test. Although this book is a good reference to build baseline knowledge, it alone will not be enough. For example, syntax such as "where x = ANY|ALL (subquery)" or INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH were not even mentioned. And, the exam prep CD is totally inadequate. To make a long story short, this is good for baseline knowledge, but if you seriously want to pass the test, consider investing in test prep software from company such as selftestsoftware.com after reading through this book. The self test software are a bit pricy, but it worth every penny. After the multiple practice test and learning mode, I passed with an 85%. Yahoooo!!! ;) Good luck!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Third Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Steven Feuerstein
Rating: 4/5
Title: Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Third Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Steven Feuerstein
Rating: 4/5
The book is really a reference manual. You'll certainly learn a lot by reading the book from cover to cover, but you'll probably get more out of it by just having it handy by your computer. Each chapter contains clear explanations on the specific subject, a function reference (if applicable), and troubleshooting. The book has been updated for Oracle 9i, which is nice, however, the book is still a great reference even if you're not using 9i. Certain sections of the previous edition were condensed or removed for this edition, however, those sections are available in their entirety on O'Reilly's web site. This extra information may be useful to readers running older versions of Oracle (like me). All the examples used in this book can also be downloaded from the web.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Visual Developer SQL Database Programming with Java: Creating Fast, Efficient Database Applications for the Web
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Bill McCarty, Bill McCarthy
Rating: 3/5
Title: Visual Developer SQL Database Programming with Java: Creating Fast, Efficient Database Applications for the Web
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Bill McCarty, Bill McCarthy
Rating: 3/5
I have found this book to be a good starting place for anyone that would like to write database apps in java. Yes you to can build a database application for the web in no time.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Kalen Delaney
Rating: 1/5
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Kalen Delaney
Rating: 1/5
One thing is very clear to me after reading this book. Delaney is not a practicing DBA. He spends far too much time on things DBAs couldn't care less about and far too little on the real important stuff. The worst part of it is the book is loaded with errors. Lots and lots of them. There are three errors in the discussion of RAID that any practicing DBA worth his money should be able to get right. There are numerous errors in the discussion of the query optimizer. I feel sorry for him that he doesn't know the technology any better than this. On top of all this, this is some of the dullest writing I've ever read. I liked the 6.5 book, but this one bores me to tears.
