IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Rational Guide to: SQL Server Reporting Services (Rational Guides)
Publisher: Rational Press
Authors: Anthony T. Mann
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Rational Guide to: SQL Server Reporting Services (Rational Guides)
Publisher: Rational Press
Authors: Anthony T. Mann
Rating: 5/5
The Rationale Guide to SQL Server Reporting Services is the perfect place to start learning about Microsoft's latest piece of SQL Server technology. I was able to get up to speed immediately and began to dig into the technology with a reasonable level of comfort. All of the information is well presented and easy to reference when needed in the future. Get your copy now and be the reporting hero at your organization. Good luck!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP for the World Wide Web : Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition) (Visual Quickstart Guides)
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Larry Ullman
Rating: 3/5
Title: PHP for the World Wide Web : Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition) (Visual Quickstart Guides)
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Larry Ullman
Rating: 3/5
I just purchased this book and although it says it covers PHP3 & 4, it managed to leave out one minor detail which took me about 2 hours to figure out. Chapter 2 covers variables. While I have some programming background in ASP and JavaScript, I am new to PHP. I am aware of how variables work. This book referenced variables as $variable which isn't a problem for PHP4. However I am using PHP4.3.2 which defaults register_globals=Off. Variables cannot be reference in this manner. It took me a couple of hours surfing php.net and other resources to figure this out. One I made the change to register_globals=ON, the code in the book worked just fine with no errors. Needless to say, it has slowed my progress down a bit, but I am still pluggin my way through. I have one other PHP book, but it is geared toward Dreamweaver MX and requires almost no hand coding. In order to learn the language, I felt the need to learn to hand code first. So far this book lays it all out nicely. The tips are worth reading a second time. I just wish they had mentioned the register_globals bit. It would have saved me a few hours and got me to bed at a decent hour.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 (Microsoft Programming Series)
Publisher: Microsoft Pr
Authors: Ron Soukup
Rating: 5/5
Title: Inside Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 (Microsoft Programming Series)
Publisher: Microsoft Pr
Authors: Ron Soukup
Rating: 5/5
This book was very helpful for preping for the test, as was the MS training books I also bought. The difference was that Soukup's book was interesting to read.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP Bible, 2nd Edition
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 4/5
Title: PHP Bible, 2nd Edition
Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Tim Converse, Joyce Park
Rating: 4/5
This book has a wealth of information, even though its organization of the subjects leaves something to be desired. Some reviewers state it is good for beginners, I refute it. Except for a few chapters, the book is definitely not for beginners. There is so much information on so many pages that important concepts get lost amongst those which are less important. Possibly, the connotation of calling the book a Bible inspired the extensive subject coverage.
Reading this book, I often had the impression that examples had some details lacking, when partial scripts were given. It was impossible not to compare this book to Larry Ullman's PHP for the World Wide Web, which had its examples presented in the clearest possible way.
In spite of some comments detracting from the value of the book, it is comprehensive, and covers more subject areas than other PHP books. Between this book and the PHP Manual a student can make up his or her own examples, and learn that way. If I had more ambition I would, with the author's and the publisher's blessing, write an adjunct book with detailed and tested examples to complement this Bible. I find it difficult to decide whether I should rate it three or four stars. Knowing the monumental work it had taken to write this book, I give it four stars.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Practical SQL Handbook: Using Structured Query Language (3rd Edition)
Publisher: Pearson Education
Authors: Judith S. Bowman, Sandra L. Emerson, Marcy Darnovsky
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Practical SQL Handbook: Using Structured Query Language (3rd Edition)
Publisher: Pearson Education
Authors: Judith S. Bowman, Sandra L. Emerson, Marcy Darnovsky
Rating: 5/5
It reminds and convinces you why you are reading this book in the first place. It sets out to give you a framework of thinking interms of database management and how SQL fits in. It builds on how to implement the language by unleashing what the syntax means in 'straight -plain English'. It gives you many shortcuts and makes you feel an expert in using them through well crafted tutorials. To underlie all this: It uses a language that shouts simplicity and readibility! ...Go figure. This is a book to die for!!A few experiences will ever be sweeter in life.University of Minnesota
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP3: Programming Browser-Based Applications with PHP
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
Authors: Dave Medinets
Rating: 4/5
Title: PHP3: Programming Browser-Based Applications with PHP
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
Authors: Dave Medinets
Rating: 4/5
This was the first book I bought on php. Medinets explains things very well, and it's clear he knows a lot of tricks for installing and making things work. The advantage of this book is its simplicity and attention to detail. Most of the steps worked in the installation, and he explains why he does things the way he does. The stuff on XML and SQL is pretty cursory, but it's enough to make you aware of how it works and how php could help with that kind of data. He is clearly geared toward writing a tutorial and not a reference book. At one point, we're supposed to be establishing a mysql connection and after going through the steps, he says, "well, this doesn't work because..." (and then he explains what was missing). I appreciate this sort of method, but it might be confusing for some readers. This book is to be a quick breezy read and intended for people who want to get their feet wet before getting seriously into the subject. I would mention that Professional PhP is an excellent book, much more comprehensive than this one and just as readable. Readers might seriously consider bypassing this book and reading the Wrox Professional PHp book. The Wrox book has excellent examples and gives switches and api's when trying to connect to other databases beside mysql. In summary: an excellent straightforward introduction, but many readers might prefer to read a more comprehensive book like Professional PHP (by Wrox)
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP for the World Wide Web : Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition) (Visual Quickstart Guides)
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Larry Ullman
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP for the World Wide Web : Visual QuickStart Guide (2nd Edition) (Visual Quickstart Guides)
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Larry Ullman
Rating: 5/5
As much as I'd like to give credit to the author, you have to recognize the beauty and simplicity of PHP, without which such an excellent book could not be written. As another reviewer noted, don't compare this book to the VQS JavaScript book. Just keep in mind that JavaScript is confusing and extremely difficult to learn. I can't, however, imagine someone having a problem with how the VQS books are laid out. Also unlike the JavaScript book, you actually *learn* PHP with this book.This book will teach you how to create forms and handle user input in a variety of ways with simple files as well as mySQL databases and, use cookies, and to a limited extent, encrypt data. Like every other "programming" book, it touches on control structures (loops, conditionals, etc.). What it doesn't cover, it gives a brief explanation of with a list of valuable resources. With half a brain and a basic knowledge of HTML, you will without a doubt be able to create a web site with a password protected login, personalized settings and a searchable database.While this is currently the first PHP book I've read, it's the *only* book I've ever read that truly got me up and running in a few days. If you have any interest whatsoever in PHP, BUY THIS BOOK FIRST. I just ordered the Advanced book and I can't wait to get it!
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
If you love mathematics or statistics, you will find this book a wonderful companion for learning advanced Transact-SQL. Just about everything you can do with the language is shown here, with detailed examples and tutorial for each language feature. Henderson successfully shows how to use Transact-SQL as an advanced set algebra language along the lines of pure mathematics languages. You learn to code up statistical functions that are not only accurate and functional, but also fast. Henderson shows how to turn SQL Server into a data-enabled statistical computation engine, something I've not seen anyone else do.Some of the code presented will cause you to bend your mind a bit as you begin to view Transact-SQL in a different light. But it's worth the struggle because, when you're finished, you'll be a guru yourself.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Advanced Transact-SQL for SQL Server 2000
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Itzik Ben-Gan, Tom Moreau
Rating: 5/5
Title: Advanced Transact-SQL for SQL Server 2000
Publisher: Apress
Authors: Itzik Ben-Gan, Tom Moreau
Rating: 5/5
I have followed Itzik Ben-Gan's columns in SQL Server Magazine and I found his articles addressing some of the trickier problems frequently faced by SQL developers. The solutions presented have almost always been very elegant and changed one's perspective of looking at a whole class of problems.
This book is distilled from a lot of those very clever articles from SQL Server Magazine [and then some] and I heartily recommend this book to tickle your SQL senses. [I am very surprised with the number of negative reviews for this book, believe me, it does not deserve it].
Product: Book
Title: PHP and MySQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Publisher:
Authors: Janet Valade
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP and MySQL For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Publisher:
Authors: Janet Valade
Rating: 5/5
This book was simple enough to understand that I've been able to create a database for my company with over 500 products in an easily viewable format. I saw a bigger, fatter book for PHP4 but they really lose you fast. Plus, I didn't have that much time to read. These dummies books are always my solution.
