IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Internet Series)
Publisher: Delmar Thomson Learning
Authors: Jeanine Meyer
Rating: 5/5
Title: Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Internet Series)
Publisher: Delmar Thomson Learning
Authors: Jeanine Meyer
Rating: 5/5
I have created a couple of websites and know HTML pretty well. This book assumes you know ASP inside and out, and if you don't, this is not the right book for you. Even if you do, the book does not explain enough for you to actually create a database. I would recommend the Active Server Pages 3.0 book published by Wrox. I haven't tried their ASP.Net 1.0, but they are good about explaining everything to Newbies and being detailed orientated for programmers with more skill and knowledge. The Active Server Pages 3.0 book has three chapters dedicated to getting your database up and running, in addition to having a sample application that can be run on your own web server using windows 2000.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Special Edition Using SQL (SE Using)
Publisher: Que
Authors: Rafe Colburn
Rating: 1/5
Title: Special Edition Using SQL (SE Using)
Publisher: Que
Authors: Rafe Colburn
Rating: 1/5
And just read the SQL reference in whatever DB product you have (Oracle, SQL Server, Informix, etc). Nothing new here except added verbiage which just takes longer to sift through.
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
As many others have pointed out, this book lacks any real SQL 7.0 coverage. Consequently, many of the examples are obsolete (using bcp.exe instead of BULK INSERT to load ASCII data, for example) and some don't even work anymore. But the real problem with this book is that it's not written very well. A few others have mentioned this and I'd like to elaborate a bit on it. Good technical books do not have to be dry as a bone. They don't have to be completely lacking in spirit. They can be interesting, even funny, while at the same time giving you the info you crave and which caused you to buy the book. This book, however, is insipidly dull. There's no wit here. There's no personality. This book is the Al Gore of the T-SQL books market. Contrast this with Ken Henderson's book, The Guru's Guide to Transact-SQL. Henderson's book is deep, thorough, modern (covers SQL 7 and the latest enhancements to Transact-SQL), witty, and engaging. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Transact-SQL Programming pales in comparison to Henderson's book, and I can't imagine how anyone who'd read both couldn't agree.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSE: SQL Server 7 Administration Study Guide
Publisher:
Authors: Lance Mortensen, Rick Sawtell
Rating: 4/5
Title: MCSE: SQL Server 7 Administration Study Guide
Publisher:
Authors: Lance Mortensen, Rick Sawtell
Rating: 4/5
I have read this book from cover to cover and performed all the exercises in it. Found the usual amount of errors: exercises that fail, wrong figures, etc. It is still better than most. You will learn a great deal about SQL Server 7. The one error most annoying is the fact the authors wrote the book with SQL installed on a domain controller, not on a member server per Microsoft's installation instructions/recommendations. Once I figured out what they had done then Chapter 5 and parts of Chapter 8 worked since my install was on a member server. Remember the SAM on the member server never receives a copy of the SAM on the PDC so you have to tell the member server about domain accounts by logging onto the member server itself and placing them there via user manager. However this book does not do much for the test. I have taken both the Beta Exam and the Live Exam and passed. The chapter review questions are extremely easy. Compared to the real exam this book lacks the scenario type questions you will see that are given to you from the perspective of "you're the consultant on site. How would you do this...". While this book did cover traces and replaying them it was a very light run. It did not cover how to modify them and then replay them. Also not covered were issues with NT that could cause SQL to halt/fail.If you plan on taking the test I recommend the following strategy:Use this book Use Transcender (I was a Beta tester and it is excellent)Use Books Online or better yet buy the actual documentation set.Good LuckSteven C. Grigsby, MCSE, MCT, MCP+I
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Professional PHP Programming
Publisher:
Authors: Jesus Castagnetto, Sascha Schumann, Harish Rawat, Chris Scollo, Deepak T. Veliath
Rating: 1/5
Title: Professional PHP Programming
Publisher:
Authors: Jesus Castagnetto, Sascha Schumann, Harish Rawat, Chris Scollo, Deepak T. Veliath
Rating: 1/5
This book was just what I was looking for to launch a new dynamic website I am building. Clear concise writing and good examples make this book an invaluable reference.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Tobias Ratschiller, Till Gerken
Rating: 2/5
Title: Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Tobias Ratschiller, Till Gerken
Rating: 2/5
I have many years experience programming and have been doing PHP for awhile. This book has lots of philosophy and not many concrete examples of advanced PHP technique.The section on objects is especially poor. It reads as if the authors don't understand OOP and the examples are extremely poor. (I have over ten years OOP analysis, design, and programming in numerous OO languages, so, I should know)I found myself wasting a lot of time playing with sample code that didn't work, was poorly written, and certainly didn't illustrate what was being discussed.The book is so poor, I wonder if those who wrote the good reviews actually read and used the book or just looked through 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
A great book that took me from a beginner to an advanced coder literally overnite. Worth every penny.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes, Third Edition
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Ben Forta
Rating: 5/5
Title: Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes, Third Edition
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Ben Forta
Rating: 5/5
This book is a gem for those who want to use SQL for reading, writing, and otherwise working with data. The author himself points out that there are many good books on relational database design, database administration, etc., and sets his sights on explaining the fundamental but very frequently used syntax of working with records. The book is concise and lucid with many brief, helpful examples. I have to admit that I tend to "cheat" in writing SQL: I use the design view in Access first and edit the SQL from there. The problem was that I never really got a good active understanding of SQL and was too passively dependent on Access. Before reading this book, I had only a vague notion of the difference between "group by" and "where" and when to use them. This is one topic among many that he explains well. For a book of this brevity and level, there is a lot of good information.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Beginning SQL Programming (Programmer to Programmer)
Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: John Kauffman, Brian Matsik, Kevin Spencer, Ian Herbert, Sakhr Youness, Julian Skinner
Rating: 4/5
Title: Beginning SQL Programming (Programmer to Programmer)
Publisher: Wrox Press
Authors: John Kauffman, Brian Matsik, Kevin Spencer, Ian Herbert, Sakhr Youness, Julian Skinner
Rating: 4/5
This book is abt 700+ pages, not 450 pages as mentioned here. I verified this with a physical book. After comparing with "SQL the Complete Reference", I decide to get this book. U should look at the physical book to see if the contents match your interests.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Programming Microsoft SQL Server 2000 with XML, Second Edition
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Graeme Malcolm
Rating: 1/5
Title: Programming Microsoft SQL Server 2000 with XML, Second Edition
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Graeme Malcolm
Rating: 1/5
There is little here beyond what is in the Microsoft documentation. And $60 for less than 300 pages? Even with the big price and the scanty page count, they still find it necessary to refer you to the CD to see the code. The Wrox press SQL Server XML book is much meatier, more up to date, and ten bucks less.
