IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The SQL Server 2000 Book
Publisher: Paraglyph
Authors: Anthony Sequeira, Brian Alderman
Rating: 5/5
Title: The SQL Server 2000 Book
Publisher: Paraglyph
Authors: Anthony Sequeira, Brian Alderman
Rating: 5/5
This book is great if you need to start administering SQL Server 2000 right away. Simple, plain language and great examples and walk-throughs make this book the way to go. You also do not need to wade through hundreds of pages of "fluff" like you do with other SQL Server texts.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional PHP Programming
Publisher:
Authors: Jesus Castagnetto, Sascha Schumann, Harish Rawat, Chris Scollo, Deepak T. Veliath
Rating: 2/5
Title: Professional PHP Programming
Publisher:
Authors: Jesus Castagnetto, Sascha Schumann, Harish Rawat, Chris Scollo, Deepak T. Veliath
Rating: 2/5
While some of this book was helpful as a tutorial for someone new to PHP, there are far too many holes in the book and it is lousy as a reference manual. The index is terrible. To me a book like this must have a strong index or else it is useless. For example, I am working on a project that needs to determine the current date - a fairly common requirement. However, there is no entry in the index for dates or the PHP function getdate! I found the answer at the PHP website but that is what I bought this book for. This is just one example of the poor documentation in this book. There must be better ones.
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
We have been looking for over a year for a textbook for our SQL Server DBMS classes. At long last, we finally found one. I'm an assistant prof. here and teach most of the third and fourth year database classes. This book is the first one I've found that I'd consider college-level material. Written in clear, understandable terms, this is the first SQL Server book I've seen that successfully balances the practical with the theoretical. Most technical books go too far to one side or the other, especially non-academic books. Not this one, though. It informs and educates, trains and teaches, all at once. If you want to understand how an industry-leading DBMS like SQL Server *really* works, get this book.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Transact-SQL
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: William C. Amo
Rating: 1/5
Title: Transact-SQL
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: William C. Amo
Rating: 1/5
This book is supposed to cover Transact-SQL, an advanced topic. But it uses a database which you must type in! Although it includes a CD-ROM, the database is not on it. If I want a typing exercise, I'd buy Mavis Beacon's. Most of the first portion of the book covers basic SQL tools. A complete waste of time in an advanced text. Also, much of the text and many of the illustrations are based on a beta version of SQL 7, so they don't even apply to the version you'll see (for example, see pg. 40, which tells how to create a Database Diagram, and is COMPLETELY WRONG). The writing style is also unclear and difficult to follow. The only benefit I got from the book is the author's name - I've used it to start a list of authors I'll avoid at all cost in the future.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP and PostgreSQL Advanced Web Programming
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Ewald Geschwinde, Hans-Juergen Schoenig
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP and PostgreSQL Advanced Web Programming
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Ewald Geschwinde, Hans-Juergen Schoenig
Rating: 5/5
I'm still in the process of reading this book and I have to say that I enjoy it very much. I have learned alot already. And what is really great is it focuses on PHP and PostgreSQL as a perfect team. The book does not divert my attention to MySQL which many other books do to much. I feel the book was well thought out and progresses me smoothly forward. Thank god for this book. I don't know what I would do without it.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours (3rd Edition)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Ryan Stephens, Ron Plew
Rating: 4/5
Title: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours (3rd Edition)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Ryan Stephens, Ron Plew
Rating: 4/5
The best book I have found to explain SQL to someone with no experience.It is very easy to grasp SQL using this book. Plus the format allows one to invest a little bit of time each day and make recognizable progress. In addition, if you don't have access to database software, you can still do the exercises and check your results.
Product: Book Unknown Binding
Title: Apache Server Unleashed
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Richard Bowen, Matthew Marlowe, Ken Coar, Patrik Grip-Jansson, Mohan Chinnappan
Rating: 5/5
Title: Apache Server Unleashed
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Richard Bowen, Matthew Marlowe, Ken Coar, Patrik Grip-Jansson, Mohan Chinnappan
Rating: 5/5
Just a note of clarification: I suspect that that K. Limberg was thinking of a different book when writing the last review. There are at least two books that might have prompted it: one is essentially a copy of the source code ('Apache Server Commentary'), and the other is a copy of the documentation on the Web site (I have a copy, but can't remember the title). I can assure you that 'Apache Server Unleashed' is neither of these; it contains hundreds of pages of technical custom-written text that appear nowhere else. I know, because I wrote a bunch of it. :-)BTW, the 5-star rating I've given is because I have to give *some* rating, and to offset the single star from what I sincerely believe is a mistaken review.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Data Transformation Services DTS
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Timothy Peterson
Rating: 4/5
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Data Transformation Services DTS
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Timothy Peterson
Rating: 4/5
SQL Server 2000 DTS by Peterson.As much as DTS is used in the thousands of SQL Server (7 & 2000) implementations out there, for tasks as simple as copying or moving tables from one database to another, there is VERY little documentation on the product... that is, documentation that explores and explains the details and myriad of options available for use within the tool. I am a strong believer that because of this lack of documentation this wonderful tool is underutilized and regarded as a mystery to many.Here comes Mr. Peterson and gives us this great resource to help us better understand the intricacies of the tool, in a very logical and organized manner with the respect and level of content that a professional (such as is the target audience for this book) needs and appreciates.Chapters are specific, to the point and generally develop some sort of simple scenario that puts the theory into practice. The author constantly points out the areas where the 2000 version of the tool is enhanced over the previous version shipped with SQL Server 7. I also like the plethora of code samples and the side-by-side solution alternative presented with each code snippet vs. its UI counterpart implementation.The first two chapters alone are enough to get you started and excited about using the tool and it could stand on it own as a great article!, whereas the rest of the book presents a more detailed view of all the additional features as well as a very complete tutorial on coding DTS solutions.The book is a great sole reference and guide for DTS, partially because of the lack of "competition" but mostly because its content is valuable, complete and easy to follow. This text has been with me for almost 2 years and to this day it still helps me out when I'm in need.Granted it lacks some creativity when it comes to the content of such examples and resorts to using the over referenced Northwind and Pubs databases... I see a trend nowadays with several publications coming up with their own theoretical applications for equally fictional businesses but that add so much to the value of a book aimed at helping the real world professional and broadens horizons of creativity and knowledge. For this I give the text one star less than perfect and hope that newer editions incorporate more lively examples and spark some much needed creativity.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: E. Encyclopedia Science (DK Google E.Encyclopedias)
Publisher: DK Publishing
Authors: Richard Williams
Rating: 5/5
Title: E. Encyclopedia Science (DK Google E.Encyclopedias)
Publisher: DK Publishing
Authors: Richard Williams
Rating: 5/5
I bought this Science Encyclopedia along with their basic Encyclopedia and I truly love it. My kids are always reading it whenever they get the chance. I have a 5 minute session after lunch before my class leaves to go to "specials." During that 5 minute teaching period I have been letting them pick out one subject area from one of the encyclopedias and then we review how to read nonfiction while looking over that subject briefly. I am amazed to see the sparks that start flying and how interested in all of the subjects the students have been. The pictures are wonderful and help students to connect with the information they are reading. I will buy more sets for my classroom because they are always in use!!!!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL, 2nd Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Hugh E. Williams
Rating: 5/5
Title: Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL, 2nd Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
Authors: Hugh E. Williams
Rating: 5/5
For anyone first learning how to write database-backed Web applications, this is an excellent introductory self-contained text. The selection and organisation of topics, style of presentation, emphasis and writing are all excellent. The main topic lacking from its online shopping example is the issue of online payment, and hopefully this will be included in a second edition. Despite being an introduction the text goes far enough to allow readers to implement serious applications.It would make a very suitable text for an undergraduate course, though, as it lacks exercises, instructors need to invent their own application development assignments. Also, for a class inexperienced in data modelling, it would be useful to supplement the text with a wider range of examples, such as those in Wellings and Thomson, PHP and MySQL Web Development (SAMS, 2001). One reviewer here criticised the text for not going far enough, but this is unfair as it's only intended as an introduction; experienced developers would certainly need to access more advanced material. This does not detract from the value of this text to its intended readers.
