IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL Server Query Performance Tuning Distilled, Second Edition
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Sajal Dam
Rating: 5/5
Title: SQL Server Query Performance Tuning Distilled, Second Edition
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Sajal Dam
Rating: 5/5
This book is primarily focused on getting the most performance out of SQL servers. Overall the book is well written and very well illustrated. There are some weakpoints where code samples are overused, but those are few and far between. The standout chapters, like the one fragmentation analysis are worth the price of admission for people looking to use SQL server in large performance critical deployments.
This book should be compared with O'Reilly's equally excellent "SQL Tuning" book (0596005733). That book is more theoretical in nature, often using equations and graph theory to demonstrate how get the fastest queries. This book is much more practical in nature, often showing screen shots and pointing out directly what is most critical.
It's in the understanding of the reader where this book excels. All too often authors understand the topic but do not understand how to present it. Sajal obviously understands the fine points of the technology, but also understands how to pass on that experience effectively.
I highly recommend this book for anyone working in an environment where high performance database work is required, and where the database is SQL Server.
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 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
This book is an excellent textbook/reference for beginning and expert SQL programmers. The examples are absolutely wonderful - especially the ones in CASE, CUBE and ROLLUP. THe writing style is clear, cohesive, and logical. The explanations are excellent! One of the best programming books that I have read. Well worth the money!I
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: OCA/OCP: Introduction to Oracle9i SQL Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas, Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas
Rating: 3/5
Title: OCA/OCP: Introduction to Oracle9i SQL Study Guide
Publisher: Sybex
Authors: Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas, Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas
Rating: 3/5
The book cover all the Oracle objectives exam, but it does not dig into the interesting/hard topics. Too many pages are dedicated to references stuff like single row and group functions which are not so deeply asked in the real exam. The exams included in the CDrom are not to tide to the Books material and go beyond exam objectives, watch out because these questions can mislead you on how well you are prepared for the exam.
I recommend using Self Test Software as well with this book and the one from Oracle Press.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: MySQL/PHP Database Applications
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Jay Greenspan, Brad Bulger
Rating: 1/5
Title: MySQL/PHP Database Applications
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Jay Greenspan, Brad Bulger
Rating: 1/5
When I began reading this book I was excited because I like the way it explains things. My excitement dwindled when I attempted to install the scripts. I'm no pro when it comes to PHP or MySQL but I do have about 50 other scripts running that use them so I was surprised when I could not get a single script from the CD to work. Every one produces "Fatal error: Call to undefined function:..."The site that is allegedly associated with the book was of no help. Emails to both authors went without response. The errors could have to do with configuration of the server (or the php.ini file on the server) I am using to test the scripts on...that's just a guess given that some reviewers of this book seem to have had no problem. I wish I had spent the money I wasted on this book on chocolate. It would have taken less time to work off the calories than I expended trying to get these scripts to run.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
Authors: Joe Celko
Rating: 5/5
Title: Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
Authors: Joe Celko
Rating: 5/5
I bought this book because Henderson "TSQL for gurus" mentioned it, actually I bought all Celkos books, they are great and even if you think you can outsmart the book and the writer you wont get far. It takes time to be good in SQL since it is totaly different from standard procedural language. This books shows you lots of things you may ask why the heck do I need this? abd many would say well the SQL I used has this feature and I dont need that Ansi stuff, but the point is the book makes you think SQL and that is what its goal was not compare or choose a particular SQL implementation, I myself am attached to T-SQL so i tried to do things MS way.I recomend it and if you really want to pushed the way you think SQL forward buy some miles buy it..Sure anybody can write a query .....but how many ways can you do it?
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache in 24 Hours
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 4/5
Title: Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache in 24 Hours
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 4/5
Before reading this book I had plenty of experience with HTML and had studied SQL and C in school (but hadn't used it for ages). I found this book gave me everything I needed to get started. I did find some mistakes in the examples but they were minor and obvious. If you have any prior experience with programming you should be fine going through this book. If you already know PHP but want to know more about Apache or MySQL there are probably better books out there. I also had a little bit of difficulty getting the installation right but once i had it right I was away and now I am programming database driven sites with ease. All thanks to SAMS.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Web Development with Apache and Perl
Publisher: Manning Publications
Authors: Theo Petersen
Rating: 4/5
Title: Web Development with Apache and Perl
Publisher: Manning Publications
Authors: Theo Petersen
Rating: 4/5
In a classic example of perfect timing, this book came to me at a time when I've been approached to implement a Linux/Apache/MySQL/Perl solution to replace a broken, proprietary based application at a local Ivy League University. So the obvious question on my mind was, would this book be helpful or just a waste of my valuable time?As it turns out Web Development with Apache and Perl is a sort of "glue" book that is designed to help meld what the reader already knows using things that they might not have. For some more advanced readers, much of the information in the book is mostly review, but this volume still serves as an excellent reference to the plethora of choices available to us.Thankfully, the book doesn't even feign to be introductory, which is a very good thing. Most Perl programmers already have a sizable enough library and the last thing we need is yet another book that is half filled with the basics of the language.That's not to say that if you are a beginner you won't be able to garner a wealth of information because the first part of the book will ease you into web site basics by presenting you with some very useful information on configuring the Apache server and giving a walk through in CGI scripting.Be forewarned though, Theo's obvious bias towards Open Source clouds many of the pages in the first section. To his credit, he does leave the door open to the possibility that the reader might choose (or be stuck with) a commercial OS, but unfortunately he goes on to insist that the user re-evaluate their choice, and if they went with a commercial OS in their first round of evaluations that they should consider Linux or one of the BSDs.Don't' get me wrong, Linux or one of the BSDs is the obvious best choice for a web server, but I think that prodding the reader like this is a bit insulting. And with a title like Web Development with Apache and Perl and the sub-title "How to build powerful web sites with Open Source tools", there's a 99.99% probability that he's preaching to the converted.In the second part of the book, popular tools used for web applications are discussed including MySQL basics, DBI, SSI and HTML::Mason. It's also where you can find an excellent chapter on better ways to script using FastCGI or mod_perl. Not to mention the all-important chapter on security that covers SSL and HTTP authentication.For the third part of the book, Theo discusses some example sites for virtual communities, intranet applications and a web storefront. Of course, he doesn't forget to mention Slash since one of the best and easiest ways to start a virtual community is to use the code that drives the ever-popular Slashdot community website.Oh, and speaking of Slashdot, if your site happens to become anywhere near as popular, the fourth and final part of the book will help you with content and performance management.So, if you can forgive a little soapbox preaching, you'll find Web Development with Apache and Perl is a very useful book for your web development needs. If you're fairly new to using Apache and Perl this is a must have addition to your growing library.
Product: Book
Title: Getting The Search Engine Ranking Your Website Deserves: : META Tags Yield To Google's PageRank As Search Engine Standard
Publisher:
Authors: John Henderson
Rating: 5/5
Title: Getting The Search Engine Ranking Your Website Deserves: : META Tags Yield To Google's PageRank As Search Engine Standard
Publisher:
Authors: John Henderson
Rating: 5/5
Refreshing, clear, concise advice on how to make your website work for you. No gimmicks! No tricks! Just the facts, man! Mr. Henderson has it right. Even dummies and hacks can learn a thing or two from this author/webmaster.
Product: Book Textbook Binding
Title: MCSE : SQL Server 7 Administration: Training Guide : Exam : 70-028 (MCSE
Publisher: New Riders Publishing
Authors: Christoph Wille, Damir Bersinic, Tim Crothers, Brad McGehee, Rob Scrimger
Rating: 4/5
Title: MCSE : SQL Server 7 Administration: Training Guide : Exam : 70-028 (MCSE
Publisher: New Riders Publishing
Authors: Christoph Wille, Damir Bersinic, Tim Crothers, Brad McGehee, Rob Scrimger
Rating: 4/5
This book is good for learning the product, but not good enough to pass the exam. I have use other New Riders' MCSE book to pass MCSE exams. But you can't simply rely on this book only, in order to write exam 70-028. However I like all the Step-to-step guide.
