IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Robert Vieira
Rating: 5/5
Title: Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Robert Vieira
Rating: 5/5
This is a good book on many different aspects of SQL Server. It covers the basics of Creating Databases, Tables, Stored Procedures, Triggers, etc. It also talks a little about administration. It touches enough on every area to get you up and running with SQL Server 2000. This book is a sufficient resource for 80% of the developers out there who are also DBAs.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: Data Mining with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Technical Reference
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Claude Seidman
Rating: 4/5
Title: Data Mining with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Technical Reference
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Claude Seidman
Rating: 4/5
I have to agree with one of the previous reviewers when he said that given the absence of practically *ANY* documentation provided by Microsoft, this book is your only real source of information about Microsoft's data mining product.I'm a big fan of OLAP amd data mining which made me better appreciate the time the author took to lay the groundwork for the discipline of data mining. Unlike a previous reviewer, I think that the author shares lots of real-world evperience which you can see by the way he bring up problems (which I have encountered myself) that occur when moving from raw data to a data mining model. He also catches some glitches and unreported features in the product for you and shows you how to work around them. The book is actually very complete considering that the data mining product put out by Microsoft is promising, but extremely rudimentary. It provides only two basic data mining algorithms and gives a very clumsy way to try to add other algorithms. Thankfully, the author discusses techniques and pitfalls of mining numerical data and even shows you how to use SQL Server 2000 to perform a regression analysis for that purpose.I would have given this book five stars except for two points :1: The mushroom database is a good illustration of the use of the decision tree algorithm, but I think it may have been good to include a more business-oriented example that would bring data mining closer to it's intended purpose. 2: I was a little disappointed not to see any explanation as to how to add your own algorithms to the data mining product. Even if doing so requires C++ experience, it would have been perfectly fine to include it in a separate chapter or in an appendix. I don't know why the author chose not to include it.Byond that, I would definitely recommend this book if you need to use MS data mining. The book is well written, and considering the infancy of the product, it's also very complete. Besides, you have no other real resource out there!
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
Since the book says it was published in 1999, I don't understand why it doesn't cover SQL Server 7.0 better. It should not have been published w/out decent 7.0 coverage. Worse, the cover claims it covers 7.0, but the only real 7.0 coverage is in a single appendix. This borders on false advertising. Had I known this when I first looked at it, I would not have bought it.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Advanced Transact-SQL for SQL Server 2000
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Itzik Ben-Gan, Tom Moreau
Rating: 2/5
Title: Advanced Transact-SQL for SQL Server 2000
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Itzik Ben-Gan, Tom Moreau
Rating: 2/5
I had a pretty bad experience with this book. There are numerous errors and typos in the book. I wrote the authors about these but have yet to receive a reply. Several of the example queries simply don't work. I also didn't think the book was written very well. Overly long sentences and $50 words seem to be a favorite of the authors. For example, I came across one doozie that was four and a half lines long. That's way too long for a single sentence. The book looks as though it hasn't yet been edited. Wouldn't waste my money if I were you...
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Practical Microsoft SQL Server 7
Publisher: Que
Authors: Rob Kraft
Rating: 4/5
Title: Practical Microsoft SQL Server 7
Publisher: Que
Authors: Rob Kraft
Rating: 4/5
This is my first book on Microsoft SQL servers and I read half of the book in two days. The book is well written with clear explanations. The discussion in Chapter 3 on Planning a SQL Server Installation is very helpful. While some readers may find this book elementary, I would recommend the book to anyone new to the subject of database servers as the issues raised are applicable to other database servers. The book would have been more useful if it had included some application examples of using SQL 7 server. Will the authors be coming out a sequel on development using SQL 7 server as there are very few application books available? Or, will we get one on Microsoft SQL Server 2000? I am looking forward to reading both.I only wish someone will write books on other database products in similar easy to understand manner.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional Apache (Professional)
Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: Peter Wainwright
Rating: 5/5
Title: Professional Apache (Professional)
Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: Peter Wainwright
Rating: 5/5
I have been trying to figure out virtual hosting for weeks now and read the chapter on setting up multiple hosts on a single Web server. All I can say it "wow". I look forward to seeing what other titles this author releases.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PC Annoyances, Second Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Steve Bass
Rating: 5/5
Title: PC Annoyances, Second Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Steve Bass
Rating: 5/5
Anyone dealing with email, the web or Microsoft will find a wealth of useful info in PC Annoyances II.
I have gotten more ways to tweak and twist Microsoft XP to be able to use it to its fullest potential than I ever got from trying to decipher the XP manual.
Whether you think you know it all or are a newbie to the wonderful world of computing, you need this book.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle Database 10g XML & SQL: Design, Build, & Manage XML Applications in Java, C, C++, & PL/SQL (Osborne ORACLE Press Series)
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Authors: Mark Scardina, Ben Chang
Rating: 1/5
Title: Oracle Database 10g XML & SQL: Design, Build, & Manage XML Applications in Java, C, C++, & PL/SQL (Osborne ORACLE Press Series)
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Authors: Mark Scardina, Ben Chang
Rating: 1/5
This book does not do a good job of getting the small experiments running. And w/o that, it is difficult to get any handle over the big picture. If you haven't done XML and Oracle integration before, this book definitely is not what you are looking for.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Google for Dummies
Publisher: For Dummies
Authors: Brad Hill
Rating: 5/5
Title: Google for Dummies
Publisher: For Dummies
Authors: Brad Hill
Rating: 5/5
When I first saw "Google for Dummies," I thought, "A whole book about Google? How much can you say about an online search engine?" I browsed the table of contents and discovered how misinformed I was. After reading the book, I can say that author Brad Hill has done an excellent job of presenting how Google goes far beyond simply spitting out search results and swanky holiday logos."Google for Dummies" goes over all the functions, features, and fun tricks associated with the phenomenon that is now part of daily language. To "google" something is synonymous to finding information, and "googling" has become an indispensable research tool for knowledge. However, quickly spinning off from its primary purpose of trolling the 'Net for information on specific words and phrases, Google is now also into news, shopping, dictionary assistance, ad words, games, online journaling, and marketing. Brad Hill talks about all these in attention-grabbing detail.And true to Dummies tradition, the language of the book is straightforward, simple, and brilliantly humorous. Editors' notes ("While our backs were turned, Brad Hill snuck some chocolate-covered espresso beans. We are now feeding him through a tube."), cartoon quips (I love The 5th Wave!), and the "Remember," "Tip," and "Warning" icons enhance the book's appeal to both the Google beginner (if there is still such a creature) and the googling geek. I especially appreciate the hundreds of screen shots that help me visualize what the author is trying to explain. And many thanks to Brad Hill for confirming that Google does not plant spy ware, and Dr. Mellifluous Boolean did not prophesy the Internet.In short, if you want step-by-step instructions on how to optimize your Google search, how to use the Google Toolbar to enhance your browsing experience, or how to tap Google's functionalities to fire up your site's popularity, "Google for Dummies" has it all -- and much more, actually (heard of Boogle.com?). - Ruby Bayan (www.OurSimpleJoys.com)
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle SQL and PL/SQL Handbook: A Guide for Data Administrators, Developers, and Business Analysts
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: John Adolph Palinski
Rating: 5/5
Title: Oracle SQL and PL/SQL Handbook: A Guide for Data Administrators, Developers, and Business Analysts
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: John Adolph Palinski
Rating: 5/5
The review by the reviewer from Lincoln does not pertain to this book. The book pertains to my book "Oracle Database Construction Kit" that was written in 1997 and is out of date even though the publisher continues to market it. At the time "Oracle Database" was published Forms Builder 4.5 was the current product and Oracle8 was just released. Oracle8i was still several years away. Please disregard his comments concerning this book since they do not pertain. In fact, this book does not even cover the Oracle development tools.
