IT programming books related reviews
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
Although the book does not go into great detail about PL/SQL, it does give you a great understanding of SQL with quizzes at the end of each chapter. I would recommend this to everyone just starting to learn SQL.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0
Publisher: Apress
Authors: W. Jason Gilmore
Rating: 3/5
Title: A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0
Publisher: Apress
Authors: W. Jason Gilmore
Rating: 3/5
I admit I have learned new things from this book: for instance, the new block syntax/constructs, using "if (conditions):" and "endif;", instead of curly braces (and this also applies to for constructs). Also, the require_once and include_once functions, that seem pretty self-explanatory compared to require() and include().However the book misses a lot that is elementary to (web) application development. For instance, it does not discuss how to use define() to declare CONSTANTS, so that you can absolutely avoid over-writing some key information. And the book purports to discuss integrating Javascript into PHP/Web applications, and then spends only about 6 or 8 pages of uselessly vague information on this topic (instead, it might have been interesting to contrast the way the two languages implement regular expressions, so, for instance, you could sync up client side Javascript form validation code with server side PHP form validation code).Therefore, I would place this book at the beginning to intermediate level, rather than the intermediate to advanced level I was hoping for. I don't foresee using this book much now that I've bought it, but am glad I have a protege to whom I can pass it along.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Third Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Steven Feuerstein
Rating: 1/5
Title: Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Third Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Steven Feuerstein
Rating: 1/5
Yes this is the BIG name BUT unfortunately there are errors aplenty (the cursor for loop for example) & the EXAMPLES are worthless. Snippets of nonsense not good for really running code. The organization is poor. Buy the book from OraclePress or the 21 days to PL/SQL if a starter instead. Ignore this one. I wish I did.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: Ocp: Oracle8I Dba SQL and Pl/SQL Study Guide : Exam 1Z0-001 (OCP Study Guide)
Publisher: Sybex Inc
Authors: Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas
Rating: 4/5
Title: Ocp: Oracle8I Dba SQL and Pl/SQL Study Guide : Exam 1Z0-001 (OCP Study Guide)
Publisher: Sybex Inc
Authors: Chip Dawes, Biju Thomas
Rating: 4/5
I'm roughly half-way through this book so far and thought I'd share some observations and maybe follow-up once I finish the book and take the exam.
For one, this probably IS the best book out there that covers this exam. Unfortunately, there really isn't much to choose from.
This book has a mostly-clear and understandable writing style, although certain topics seem to get glossed over and not explained very well. I get the feeling that it is geared towards those with a solid foundation in Oracle 8i Server. For those like myself who are going through the certification path to learn from the ground up, it can be a bit frustrating. There are many chicken-and-egg areas where the authors rely on terms and concepts from future chapters to help explain topics at hand. This is probably unavoidable and I wouldn't fault the authors for it, but it IS worth noting.
If I had a say in how this book were put together, I would use more hands-on lab work throughout the book.
Through what I've read so far, there hasn't been one moment where the reader is encouraged to try out new skills on their test database - and the book comes with a copy of Oracle 8i Server for NT, so there's no excuse for it.
The authors should go through Sybex' CCNA Study Guide to see how hands-on labs should be laid out and encouraged.
For those examples where I can follow along with my test database, it's nice to reinforce what I've learned by trying it out. Unfortunately, many of the examples given do not mirror the test database that Oracle 8i Server comes with, and at this point I lack the skills to create such a database on my own. Sybex would do well to offer scripts on their website that recreates all the fictitious databases and tables used throughout the book.
Another thing I find lacking is that Exam tips are few and far between. Throughout the first 200 pages or so, I've counted 3-4, maybe 5 tips on what to look out for on the exam. I would expect more heads-up info on the exam from a study guide.
Still, as I said, this is probably the best book for the exam. For it's good points, the authors do have a good, comfortable writing style that doesn't get bogged down in industry jargon and I have learned a lot so far.
The book comes with a CD that includes Oracle 8i Server, a pdf file of the book (which requires the CD to be in the drive, sorry to say), and a few other odds and ends, including practice exams.
-Incidentally, my database would not install from the CD that came with the book. Lucky for me, I had bought the DBA Certification Kit that includes all the books for all 5 of the DBA exams. The disc from the 2nd book installed the database without a problem. Not sure if they had a defective run of CDs or if it was just mine.
I'd love to give this book a 3.5 because it truly is better than a 3 but for all the faults I've noted, I don't consider it a 4/5 book. Still, I'll give it the benefit of a 4 considering the lack of competition out there.*Update 12/10/2001
Well, I just passed the exam with a 45/57 (39 is req'd).
This book definitely played a major role in allowing me to pass this test. I would not rely on it completely and I would recommend Michael Ault's Exam Cram as a companion guide.
I still stand by my comments that I would like to have seen more interactive exercises encouraged, but the amount of exam tips did pick up in the latter chapters of the book and were quite helpful. I'll stick by my 4/5 rating for this book and reiterate - while it's not perfect, it's probably the best for this exam.
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 is the best beginning/intermediate Transact-SQL guide I've seen, and it even covers basic administration issues. I appreciated the hands-on interactive approach, allowing you to work through actual scenarios. Even if you are an advanced SQL user, there is much helpful material here, although I would also recommend Ken Henderson's book, The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL, in addition to this, if you really want to take your skills to the expert level.
Product: Book Unknown Binding
Title: Special Edition Using Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
Publisher: Que
Authors: Stephen Wynkoop
Rating: 1/5
Title: Special Edition Using Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
Publisher: Que
Authors: Stephen Wynkoop
Rating: 1/5
Having some previous SQL knowledge (Oracle) I find this book annoying, insulting and worthless. My head is full of questions as I learn this new database and this book answers none of them. For example, during the installation process, where you can set some database parameters which are very hard to change back, instead of giving you any information to help you make your choice, the book simply tells you to "Make sure you choose carefully". Thanks a ton.Additionally, the page layouts are quite bad and they don't use any subsections which makes skimming for information very difficult.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Programming PHP
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Rasmus Lerdorf, Kevin Tatroe
Rating: 2/5
Title: Programming PHP
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Rasmus Lerdorf, Kevin Tatroe
Rating: 2/5
I almost always turn to O'Reilly first when purchasing a new reference book, however this time I was disappointed. This book is fairly shallow in content and much of the information that you need is actually buried in the text instead of being presented as a topic unto itself.The thing that is the most bothersome, however, is the plethora of flat out errors. Many of the examples have typos, missing code, etc. Even as a PHP novice I was constantly spotting errors which is frustrating when you're trying to learn the language.On top of that, many of the examples exhibit just plain bad programming form (inefficient code, variables that are only used once, etc). It's the kind of thing that makes a seasoned programmer wince (and if I was reviewing the code I would send it back to the author with lots of red ink).
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 7 Administrator's Guide
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Ron Talmage
Rating: 1/5
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 7 Administrator's Guide
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Ron Talmage
Rating: 1/5
This is really just a BOL (Books Online) reprint. It's a clumsy tour through the GUI tools. It doesn't give you anything that isn't a already click of the mouse away anyway (in the BOL). I bought it with the following expectations:* Concise explanations of what to look out for when migrating 6.5 to 7.0* Caveats for beginners to look out for* Best practices when managing large DBs* Differences between 6.5 and 7.0 internals* A rundown of good 3rd-party admin toolsI got none of these. Instead, what we have is a dull treatise on the graphical tools. Even the BOL are more interesting than this knock-off.Shelly Sierra
Product: Book Textbook Binding
Title: McSe Testprep SQL Server 6.5 Administration (Mcse Testprep Series)
Publisher: Que
Authors: Sean Baird
Rating: 3/5
Title: McSe Testprep SQL Server 6.5 Administration (Mcse Testprep Series)
Publisher: Que
Authors: Sean Baird
Rating: 3/5
This book really missed the mark as a study guide. A good percentage of the information is inaccurate and conflicting. I found it next to impossible to navigate test questions for material not even covered. Once I encountered errors that just made it worse. I found myself double checking with the Microsoft's Books Online to resolve these issues. By the time I printed Books Online topics as a backup, I might as well have not had the book at all!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server 2000 in 21 Days (2nd Edition, Book Only)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Richard Waymire, Rick Sawtell
Rating: 5/5
Title: Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server 2000 in 21 Days (2nd Edition, Book Only)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Richard Waymire, Rick Sawtell
Rating: 5/5
This is a fantastic book for people who need a crash course in SQL Server 2K. The information is presented in a style that gives the reader the "bottom line" on how to perform a task, with enough information to explain what the reader is doing and why.The book is also well-written, so if the reader is learning SQL Server on one's own, the reader should struggle very little.This book also comes with a 120-day evaluation of SQL Server 2000, so the reader can easily perform the hands-on exercises in the book, as well as experiment on one's own.Will this book make you a maven of SQL Server 2K? No, but this book will give you the information that you need to be a SQL Server Database Administrator.
