IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Database Implementation Training Kit (Training Kit)
Publisher: Microsoft Press Rating: 5/5
Title: Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Database Implementation Training Kit (Training Kit)
Publisher: Microsoft Press Rating: 5/5
I would consider this an essential if you're attempting to pass 70-29. Having vaguely only heard of SQL Server prior to 3 weeks ago, I was able to fall short of passing on my first attempt by 1 question, using this training material alone.
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
When I bought this book I was looking to create dynamic web pages, and had begun using Perl/CGI. I happened to come across the PHP manual on the net, and was amazed. I did not know much about PHP, and had never used mySQL so I wanted an entry-level book, and was lucky enough to purchase this one.
The authors did a wonderful job introducing me to both PHP and mySQL. The book takes you through building a members only site, and an e-commerce site. Unlike many books I have read all code is well commented, and uses only topics already introduced and explained, so it is never hard to follow.
I recommend reading the PHP chapter before the mySQL chapter, even though it comes after, then going back to the database chapter. Anyway you read it though it is a perfect starting point for learning the two. After reading this you will probably want to read a more advanced book on PHP, and maybe one on mySQL, as many of he less common features of both are left out. But thanks to this book you will feel after 1 week like you could build your own amazon.com.
Product: Book Textbook Binding
Title: SQL Server 7 Administration (The Fast Track Series)
Publisher: New Riders Publishing
Authors: Andy Ruth, Anil Desai
Rating: 5/5
Title: SQL Server 7 Administration (The Fast Track Series)
Publisher: New Riders Publishing
Authors: Andy Ruth, Anil Desai
Rating: 5/5
If you are familiar with database administration for SQL 6.5, then this book hits the facts hard and fast for passing the Exam for SQL 7.0 Administration. This is an extremely hard exam...even for Microsoft. This exam is not for the "faint of heart".The SQL 7.0 Administration exam is designed for individuals that have a lot of industry experience and a good working knowledge of the product. The book does an excellent job at preparing one for the exam.Some of the supposed errors that other people have "found" are in fact really not errors. One of the errors about hardware requirements was actually an oversight on Microsoft's part. I believe if you check their site, you will find that the requirements match up pretty well. Some of the other comments indicate that the readers are not overly familiar with SQL.Great book, two thumbs up for the authors for concisely presenting useful information for experienced users. New Riders has always been a favorite publisher of mine and I will continue to use them.Bob Collier MCSE + I, MCT, A+
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL Server 7: A Beginner's Guide
Publisher: Osborne Publishing
Authors: Dusan Petkovic
Rating: 5/5
Title: SQL Server 7: A Beginner's Guide
Publisher: Osborne Publishing
Authors: Dusan Petkovic
Rating: 5/5
Very easy reading and gets right to the point. Microsoft claims to have re-written the source code for SQL 7 as well as a great deal of the interface features, this book cuts to the chase. Our firm has been working with MS SQL Server since 4.2 and we consider this book to be a MUST READ for all of our serious clients. We have a roll-out of a new version of software later this year, for which the database is SQL Server 7.0 and definitly plan to include this book as part of the upgrade package.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Oracle SQL High-Performance Tuning (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Authors: Guy Harrison
Rating: 3/5
Title: Oracle SQL High-Performance Tuning (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Authors: Guy Harrison
Rating: 3/5
Of all the SQL tuning books available on the market, this one provides the most depth. It provides solid, easy to follow examples. The flaw in this book is that it just provides 'techniques' for improving performance. It's basically a book that is useful for trial and error SQL tuning. When tuning SQL you should think in terms of sets and essentially 'What can I do to make the optimizer do the least work?' This book does not teach you to do that. I've yet to see one book that does. It also only discusses response time. Response time is an ends and is not a means in SQL tuning. By reducing the amount of work Oracle has to do, you improve response time. There is one serious inaccuracy in this book. I emailed the author about this and he did not respond. The author states that you can improve response time of updates, by wrapping them inside of a PL/SQL cursor. This is not only inaccurate, it's not even close. Not only does it take twice as long in Oracle 8i(slightly less in 9i), but it also increases logical I/Os significantly. How something this inaccurate could be missed in a major publication astounds me. To be fair, the 8i version of Steven Fuersteins PL/SQL book has the same inaccuracy(I have not read the 9i version). The rest of the book seems accurate. I recommend it, but beware that inaccuracy. I have not tested everything the author has stated, but I have not found any other inaccuracies.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Michael K. Glass, Yann Le Scouarnec, Elizabeth Naramore, Gary Mailer, Jeremy Stolz, Jason Gerner
Rating: 5/5
Title: Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development
Publisher: Wrox
Authors: Michael K. Glass, Yann Le Scouarnec, Elizabeth Naramore, Gary Mailer, Jeremy Stolz, Jason Gerner
Rating: 5/5
I have about every book related to PHP, Apache, and MySQL out there--from beginning to advanced. This book has several things in it that are excellent, even to the professional.I have read some of the recent responses. I would hope these guys at least know what PHP is before buying a book. This is EXCELLENT for beginners. And quite honestly, what books don't have a few typos?The book requires you to have a working knowledge of these items.I would recommend this book to those that want to increase their knowledge beyond "Hello world".
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
SQL for Smarties is a book that yoo should own if you work with relational databases. It has good practical advice and good examples. It is useful both for improving your SQL skills and as a reference.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Beginning PHP 5 and MySQL: From Novice to Professional
Publisher: Apress
Authors: W. J. Gilmore
Rating: 5/5
Title: Beginning PHP 5 and MySQL: From Novice to Professional
Publisher: Apress
Authors: W. J. Gilmore
Rating: 5/5
In terms of explanation of the combination of PHP and MySQL, this book is definitely the best of what I could have my hand on so far. It is instrumental to all levels of readers, even to those who have faintest idea of what is computer programming, like me.
I sincerely urge Jason to continue his work in this area, but this time, I would hope that he would target more on practical applications and provide more visual assistance. I bet his next one will be a bestseller if he would!
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL/400 Developer's Guide
Publisher: 29th Street Press
Authors: Paul Conte, Mike Cravitz
Rating: 5/5
Title: SQL/400 Developer's Guide
Publisher: 29th Street Press
Authors: Paul Conte, Mike Cravitz
Rating: 5/5
I found this book to be an excellent resource to quickly ramp up on some SQL/400 (and generic SQL) issues that I'm a bit weak on, such as triggers and SQL/400 security. I also found the section on Database Modeling and Design especially useful, enabling me to review relational DB and ERD concepts. What I really like about this book is that it's organized in readable, comprehensible chunks. The chapters I've read so far have struck the right balance of completeness and length. As an added bonus, the book covers V4R5 of OS/400 and SQL/400.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: SQL Server 7: A Beginner's Guide
Publisher: Osborne Publishing
Authors: Dusan Petkovic
Rating: 1/5
Title: SQL Server 7: A Beginner's Guide
Publisher: Osborne Publishing
Authors: Dusan Petkovic
Rating: 1/5
This is the first book at Amazon I have ever taken the time and trouble to preview, but I want to prevent someone from making the same mistake I did based on this book's title. This is the last book I would ever give a beginner on Microsoft SQL Server 7.0. At times it bogs down to the point it is sheer will power to force oneself to continue on with it. This book is way too detailed in some places and in other places is way too shallow of its coverage of MS SQL. To get a person acquainted and familar with the MS SQL enviroment, this book is way too deep and gets too involved in the programming aspects of SQL. A far better read for the beginner would be the Dummies book, "Microsoft® SQL Server 7 For Dummies" or the Sams series, "Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Sql Server 7.0 in 21 Days". By the end of this book I was skimming through much of its content so I could finish the book and put it away. Maybe in a year, after I have worked more deeply with SQL Server I might come back to this book when I am at its more appropriate level, an intermediate. By the way, I am an MCSE with experience with Exchange, Internet Information Server, Proxy Server, and some prior working knowledge of MS SQL 7.0 before I ever came to this book.
