IT programming books related reviews
Product: Book Paperback
Title: A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0
Publisher: Apress
Authors: W. Jason Gilmore
Rating: 5/5
Title: A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0
Publisher: Apress
Authors: W. Jason Gilmore
Rating: 5/5
As an owner of 4 other PHP books, I have no qualms in saying that this book is undoubtedly the best one of the bunch. Gilmore's book covers a vast assortment of topics important to every PHP programmer, and provides quite a few great examples. The great aspect of this book is that it serves as both a reference and a means for learning new PHP programming methodologies.If you're debating over which PHP book to buy, this is it.
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSE Training Kit : Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation (Exam 70-229)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Microsoft Corporation
Rating: 2/5
Title: MCSE Training Kit : Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation (Exam 70-229)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Microsoft Corporation
Rating: 2/5
This book is supposed to prepare you for the 70-229 exam. It fails on almost every level, the questions at the end of each chapter are nothing like test questions. You'd be infinately better prepared if you read the sql server books online. Not only are they free, but they include the information you'll need to pass the exam. If you want this book as resource to learn SQL Server 2000 i'd tell you to look elsewhere. SAMS 'Microsoft SQL Server 2000 unleashed' title is far more comprehensive. In summary, i'd avoid this book like the plague. I had to read it because my training school required me to and I regret the wasted time. My time would have been much better spent reading through the books online.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: iSeries and AS/400 SQL at Work
Publisher: Mc Pr Llc
Authors: Howard Arner
Rating: 5/5
Title: iSeries and AS/400 SQL at Work
Publisher: Mc Pr Llc
Authors: Howard Arner
Rating: 5/5
This book is the perfect book for you if you are writing SQL on the AS/400 or using a ODBC/JDBC to submit SQL to the AS/400. It contains all the little-used gems that make your job easier. In addition, it shows both the common and uncommon uses of SQL in clear, practical examples you can easily repeat.
It's organized so that a programmer under the gun can easily find what they need and get on with the project. In my opinion, it is "THE" essential reference for SQL on the AS/400.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP 5 Fast & Easy Web Development
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP 5 Fast & Easy Web Development
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 5/5
I have the original version of this book-I've been overdue in its deserved praise. At least I've bought another worthy title by the author, "Teach Yourself MySQL". This version adds sections on the burgeoning XML and MySQLite and some other stuff. My idea of programming is that you don't want to expend undue effort to understand a book about a programming language or even the language itself. Your energies are best applied to your actual task at hand. That's the beauty of this book(and of PHP!). The clear, staightforward and simple examples of how PHP actually works got me rolling and I've gone on to create some rich and feature packed dynamic websites. The reference sections are quite useful too, though they are not comprehensive- www.php.net fills in the holes.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: McSe Readiness Review Exam 70-028: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 (Mcse Readiness Review)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Jill Spealman
Rating: 3/5
Title: McSe Readiness Review Exam 70-028: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 (Mcse Readiness Review)
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Authors: Jill Spealman
Rating: 3/5
The book helps with the design of the real test but I did not feel the content of the book nor the practice exams were sufficient for passing.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 3/5
Title: The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 3/5
It was an ill-portent when the book opened with a quote on Occam's Razor - and it was misspelled. The author properly posits that good documentation is a requisite for good code yet populates the text with code samples that are repetitious and frequently too lengthy but seldom is suitably documented. The foreward indicates that this book is not for the novice. It expects an audience familiar with SQL, SQL Server, Transact-SQL, and the basics of HTML, whom it will then guide in the proper implementation of these concepts as Stored Procedures within queries as well as calls from within HTML and XML. However, it is inconsistent in it's treatment of SQL; sometimes it explains what should be obvious (to the professional) and at other times it plops in code that is non-standard or obscure without properly referencing it in the text. This defficiency of depth renders it of little use as a reference book.The natural progression from one concept to the next is scarce. Topics seem to arrive in quanta rather than through evolution. This leaves gaps that need filling as well as information accreted in unnatural blocks. It may be an inorganic subject but the objects - aspiring programmers - are organic. As for the code, much of it seems to be the product of a struggle with the concepts of logic and economicy of code. This indiscriminate seeding of the text combined with code that lacks proper documentation as well as good structure (within the context of the paradigm) makes it difficult to properly classify as a programming guide.So, it does not function well as a guidebook or as reference material. It does not appear to stem from a lack of understanding of the subject by Mr. Henderson. It seems that his capabilities with the code exceed his ability to communicate the concepts. A good argument could be made that the book suffers from editorial absence; some other editor may have been a better guide for the guru. Or, perhaps Mr. Henderson could use the help of a ghost writer, as so many tecnical professionals often lack the skill of vivid description. Either way, he seems much more suited to 'Guru' (existentially) than 'Guide' (expository).
Product: Book Hardcover
Title: MCSE Administering SQL Server 7 Exam Prep (Exam: 70-028)
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Brian Talbert
Rating: 4/5
Title: MCSE Administering SQL Server 7 Exam Prep (Exam: 70-028)
Publisher: Coriolis Group Books
Authors: Brian Talbert
Rating: 4/5
An excellent author, who ought to find another publisher! Lots of typo's, which make the book less than professional. Content very good and thorough, however - if Coriolis would only take advantage of some of the new, fancy word processors that make corrections! The exam questions are a disaster! Again, content is good, but obviously it was not proofread by anyone, and it contains some glaring errors. Considering what other texts are available, it is still one of the best - albeit sloppily done.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: PHP Essentials
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 5/5
Title: PHP Essentials
Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
Authors: Julie C. Meloni
Rating: 5/5
I was not experienced in PHP at all. This book is written verywell and the website helped a lot. The examples are good examples andwithin 1 day, I was able to convert my website, into a PHP website that is database driven by mySQL (no previous knowledge of that either). The information about mySQL int his book was enough for me to learn what I needed to know without having to spend another 30 to 50 bucks on a mySQL book. END
Product: Book Paperback
Title: The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 5/5
Title: The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Stored Procedures, XML, and HTML (With CD-ROM)
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Ken Henderson
Rating: 5/5
The book covers so many challenging subjects with such ease. It starts out with a primer on stored procedures. It devotes chapters to database design, triggers, views, UDF's, XML, and .NET, to list some of the topics. Once you read Mr. Henderson's book, you see there is so much to learn about SQL Server. I especially liked the chapter on UDF's. If you've ever searched for a better alternative to the builtin Soundex function, Mr. Henderson provides *the* best Soundex solution for SQL Server. In fact, that alone makes the book worthwhile. And let's not forget his listing and explanation of dozens of undocumented functions and features in SQL Server.
Product: Book Paperback
Title: Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Tobias Ratschiller, Till Gerken
Rating: 3/5
Title: Web Application Development with PHP 4.0 (with CD-ROM)
Publisher: Sams
Authors: Tobias Ratschiller, Till Gerken
Rating: 3/5
I've read *all* other PHP books and this is the best for more programmers with some experience. It is not only a reference but teaches alot about the programming principles such as style, debugging, version management. The coolest part is the one about extending PHP with C! I've already written a library for PHP using this book as reference and I'm soon going to contribute it to CVS!
