IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSE Administering SQL Server 7 Exam Prep (Exam: 70-028)
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Brian Talbert
Rating: 5/5
Title: MCSE Administering SQL Server 7 Exam Prep (Exam: 70-028)
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Brian Talbert
Rating: 5/5
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: Professional PHP Programming
Publisher:
Authors: Jesus Castagnetto, Sascha Schumann, Harish Rawat, Chris Scollo, Deepak T. Veliath
Rating: 4/5
Title: Professional PHP Programming
Publisher:
Authors: Jesus Castagnetto, Sascha Schumann, Harish Rawat, Chris Scollo, Deepak T. Veliath
Rating: 4/5
The book is good but the first example i wanted to try out... i decided to download it from their site and when i tried to run the code it wont work. I had to change couple of lines and other things to make it work. It would be nice if they fix that code, at least on the site. I am using PHP 3.x.x on Apache. Otherwise its good, worth to buy.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: McSe: SQL Server 6.5 Administration Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex Inc
Authors: Lance Mortensen, Rick Sawtell, Michael Lee, Sawtell, M. Lee
Rating: 1/5
Title: McSe: SQL Server 6.5 Administration Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex Inc
Authors: Lance Mortensen, Rick Sawtell, Michael Lee, Sawtell, M. Lee
Rating: 1/5
I found the book useful as a beginning introduction to SQL admin. However, the questions and exercises did not prepare me for the exam. (Having passed all my Novell tests and the first four MS test the first time,I was surprised not to pass this one the first time, even after much effort.) They were far easier than the actual exam. This might be useful if one were to combine it with the SQL books online as well as another training source.
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
I disagree with the reviews that say this book is only for beginners. I am a PHP newbie, but code ASP for my day job, so I understand the basic concept. But since I am a visual learner, I find step-by-step examples much more helpful than a big paragraph going over the theory behind something. PHP Essentials is great for me in that respect. Yes, some of the html stuff is pretty basic, but it doesn't take up the bulk of the book! Besides, you can just skim those parts. The only reason I don't give the book five stars is that I have yet to find the be-all, end-all tech book that warrants it. It's very rare to find books that are timely, comprehensive, and useful day-to-day. But PHP Essentials isn't supposed to be the grand bible of PHP either.I've also read some of the Wrox Professional books, but find them less useful because of the reason I stated before. Lots of text, few examples, so that I have to look elsewhere anyway just to find something specific. For me, it's usually a waste of [money]. The nice thing about PHP is that it's very well documented, which is to everyone's advantage. For [this purchase price] and a few hundred pages, PHP Essentials shows you just enough to get your feet wet. Most books, including some Wrox books, are one-thousand-page doorstops with information that becomes obsolete rather quickly.If you're new to PHP but not new to the web, and you learn by example, PHP Essentials can be a very helpful intro. But if you prefer more text in your tech book, then by all means drop your money elsewhere. I think it's nice to have the choice.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle PL/SQL 101
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Authors: Christopher Allen
Rating: 5/5
Title: Oracle PL/SQL 101
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Authors: Christopher Allen
Rating: 5/5
This book gives a fine intro to database concepts, the SQL language, and PL/SQL programming. Best learning investment I've made in a long time.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Pro SQL Server Reporting Services
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Rodney Landrum, Walter J. Voytek II
Rating: 4/5
Title: Pro SQL Server Reporting Services
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Rodney Landrum, Walter J. Voytek II
Rating: 4/5
I was tasked with getting up to speed as quickly as possible with SQL Server Reporting Services (SRS). I pulled out my Pro SQL Server Reporting Services book and started working through it.
Chapter 1 was on SRS Architecture. There was good information on how to install and configure SRS and it included a sample application.
Chapter 2 was on Designing Efficient Queries. Personally I just skimmed this chapter and I already know how to write queries. This came back to haunt me as I needed those queries later on.
Chapter 3 gets you started on the Report Designer. This chapter had great content. Unfortunately, there were lots of mistakes. I was actually building the reports as I worked through the chapter. It was frustrating but I figured it out.
Chapter 4 goes deeper into building Reports. It starts out with the report wizard which is a no brainer. Then it shows you how to build the reports from scratch. Good content but again, there were mistakes.
Chapter 5 shows you how to use custom .NET code with SRS. You can embed code in your reports or you can use external assemblies. There was good content here and by this time I gave up on following along with the examples. And if you download the source, there is nothing in the Chapter 5 folder.
Chapter 6 is about rendering reports from .NET application. If you want to access your reports from your application then this chapter will show you how to do it.
Chapter 7 shows you how to deploy your reports. You have to deploy them so you need to read this chapter. After this chapter, the reports I had created from Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 were now deployed to my server.
Chapter 8 is discusses report management. There is really good content is this chapter. You learn about shared schedule, creating snapshots, caching, and subscriptions. Then it goes into auditing and performance analysis.
Chapter 9 is about securing reports. Personally, I think they went into too much detail to show us network monitoring. We all know that if we don't use encryption everything will be in plain text. But they show us how to use the network monitoring utility. You have to read this chapter though get learn how to fully secure your reports so just skim the pages on network monitoring.
Chapter 10 talks about Business Intelligence and SRS. This is a good chapter if you want to see the different ways SRS can be used. It's good content.
Chapter 11 tells us what changes are in store for SRS when "Yukon" comes out. SRS will be fully integrated with SQL Server 2005. You will no longer generate your report in Visual Studio. Since I'm just learning SRS, it was good to know what will be changing.
Overall the book was good. The big disappointment for me was that following the examples was so difficult. This is the first time I've seen this with an APRESS book.
The big question is, do I feel I'm ready to use SRS at a client site. Yes I do!
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: OCA/OCP: Introduction to Oracle9i SQL Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas, Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas
Rating: 4/5
Title: OCA/OCP: Introduction to Oracle9i SQL Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas, Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas
Rating: 4/5
I used this book to pass the Introduction to Oracle 9i: Sql 1z0-007 certification test. The fundamentals presented in this book were instrumental in getting me through (49/52).The tests and the flashcards on the cd were very helpful.
Having said that...
1. There are a few errors in the book ...nothing serious but go through the errata on the book site before you start studying.
2. This book should be supplemented by a reference book and/or self test software to better benefit from it.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to pass 1z0-007 and then some.
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: 2/5
Title: MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD, MCAD Training Guide (70-229): SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation
Publisher: Que
Authors: Thomas Moore, Ed Tittel
Rating: 2/5
In the past, I used the QUE books by Kalani and the Transcender practice tests to gain my MCAD. I bought this book to help prepare for my next test (70-229) on the MCSD track, and I have been disappointed.
I come from a programming background, not a SQL Server Admin background. This book is light on the kind of detail that Microsoft tests for in their exams. I am extremely displeased with the sections on replication, SQL Server Profiler, database security and performance tuning.
Other sections such as the writing queries and stored procedure I found to be OK. But then again, most of my Sql Server experience has been in writing queries and stored procedures.
Maybe this would be a good study guide for experienced SQL Admins. I can't answer that question. I do feel that us programmers would be better served by not using this book as a preparation guide.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL : 1999 - Understanding Relational Language Components (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
Authors: Jim Melton, Alan R. Simon
Rating: 5/5
Title: SQL : 1999 - Understanding Relational Language Components (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
Authors: Jim Melton, Alan R. Simon
Rating: 5/5
The SQL:1999 standard was not written to teach people how to use the language. It is written in a precise, formal manner that is very useful for implementors, but makes it difficult for most people to read, and assumes extensive knowledge of many concepts. (I am an editor of several W3C XQuery specifications - you can't write a specification as a tutorial, that's not what it is for.) Jim is the editor of SQL:1999, but in this book he provides the concepts and the examples that users need to understand the standard. Unlike many books on SQL, Jim describes the SQL standard, rather than the proprietary dialect of a given vendor. This book is readable and interesting, explaining not only what the standard says, but how the standard thinks. I work for a company that makes JDBC and ODBC drivers, and this is the book that our development manager recommended to me when I was looking for this kind of information.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle Pl/SQL Programming (Oracle Series)
Publisher: Oracle Pr
Authors: Scott Urman, Tim Smith
Rating: 5/5
Title: Oracle Pl/SQL Programming (Oracle Series)
Publisher: Oracle Pr
Authors: Scott Urman, Tim Smith
Rating: 5/5
This book is excellent. The topics have discussed in detail and are made very easy even for a beginner.The book should come in a hard cover as it is one of those books that you would not like to give as a loaner to anyone.
