5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Programming with C.

1. I am a student writing a paper which I plan to hand in, the end of this month i.e. October 2002. I noticed that Dr. P. Sellapan's book, P. Sellapan, 1999, "Object-Oriented Programming Using Visual C++ Through Examples", First Edition, Federal Publications Sdn. Bhd., Selangor, page 6-9 - ISBN 983-58-0451-6 and his other book, P. Sellapan, 2001, "C++ Through Examples Include Object-Oriented Programming", Eight Edition, Federal Publications Sdn. Bhd., Selangor, page 177-178 - ISBN 967-914-746-0 have the same diagrams as Dr. Byron's book entitiled, "Schaum's Outlines - Programming With C", 1996, Second Edition on page 371-372. So can somebody tell me, which of the authors should I reference to? I am a bit confused as to whom I should reference to!



2. Do not buy this book if you are just learning C. The way in which the information is organised in this book assumes that you have a knowledge of the topic and that you only need a refresher. There is information in this book but if you want to learn C without swallowing boulders, you should look elsewhere.



3. This is one of the excellent books in programming. I have come to master C programming in less than two months by following this book page by page. Chapters are organized in an excellent way that goes systematically with programming skills development. I highly recommend it.



4. C is not a large language, there's not a lot to remember a far as conditionals, types, etc... but there is much to learn. This book gives only the facts and not dogma or methodologies, and the examples are to the point as they should be. This book really should be hardbound and sitting next to your copy of The C Programming language by DR and BK. This manila tome is truly one of the hidden gems you can get for 15 bucks. Use it until the pages fall apart, by then you will have assimulated it's worthwhile knowledge.
   
   You really have to enjoy this book for it's straightforwardness. If you like the "Dummies" series, this book will progress a bit too fast for you, for it is rather complete in it's description of the language features. But if you read and digest technical matters in one or two (or three) gulps, you'll benefit from this book.



5. I have been teaching introduction to programming with C for almost two decades and over that time many students have asked me for a source for additional programming problems. My answer has always been the latest edition of Schaum's outline in Programming in C. The problems are sound and challenging and working through the solutions is great practice in the art of paper debugging. While interactive buggers are a godsend, performing critical visual reviews of code is a skill that is still essential for the good programmer.
   While this outline is somewhat dated, having been published in 1990, the base language of C is still the same. I still recommend it to students who need more practice in visual debugging skills.

5 comments about WebLogic: The Definitive Guide.

1. In chapter 8 author wrote a note: Even with container managed transaction in MDBs there may be message redelivery .The Cause - was pointed out as possible server crash. But why was important point that onMessage exceeding transaction-timeout also causes message redelivery left out?? Topics lack depth.. Things like what happens when is exceeded in MDB, stateless EJB etc is not written crisp and straight.. Didn't like anything much including clustering, JVM tuning etc.. What I expect is - that which is not there in weblogic documentations.. Something extra is needed based on extensive author experience.
   Go for book like "BEA Weblogic Server 7.0 deployment and Administration"- Aaron Mulder- Wrox.



2. Tons of typos and technically inaccurate in many places - according to me.



3. Hi,
   Though a good book but it is simplly a cut and paste of online weblogic documents.
   if you want to carry all the online doc in one book then buy this book.
   But still, I would recommend this book to all interested in weblogic admin.
   
   
   Thanks
   
   deepak



4. I just got this book about 2 weeks ago. I followed the link in the book where it said that I could download the examples code. I found the book, but not the examples code. Without the example code, I can not really follow the book. Can someone send me the link to the examples source code in the book or post the link on this review.



5. Don't be fooled by the bad reviews here...if you need to learn WebLogic in "21 days" or want a "kick start", then perhaps this book is not for you. But if you are an experienced developer that needs information one notch better than the BEA docs, then this book should be on your bookshelf. Mine stays at work, dog-eared and always ready to explain some detail to help solve a problem. Node Manager? Clustering? Domains configuration? SSL? It's all covered, in depth. Note that this book covers BEA WebLogic Server 8.1, not Portal, Integration, or WorkShop.

5 comments about Adaptive Filter Theory (4th Edition).

1. I have always wondered why many people have negative opinions about books by Simon Haykin, whether it is 'Communication Systems' or 'Adaptive Filter Theory'. Particularly, this book 'Adaptive Filter Theory', in my opinion, is one of the bestbooks on this subject. As Julius Kusuma correctly mentioned, this book is indeed an "adventure ride" into the field of Adaptive Filter Theory.

   I discovered this book when I was doing a class project on Self-Orthogonalizing algorithms for Adaptive Beamforming and I felt that all the relevant information that I needed was present in this book. I did'nt really feel the neccesity to refer anything outside this book.

   Apart from that, this book contains everything that a graduate student needs to know about this exciting field of adaptive filters. The author assumes some background on Random Signal Theory... I'd suggest to look up Sam Shanmugan et al's, "Random Signals: Detection, Estimation and Data Analysis" before beginning to read (enjoy) this "adventure ride" on Adaptive Filters.




2. This book looks very impressive, but if you try to understand it you'll find it very mechanical. There is not much motivation behind the many pages of formulas and derivations. I'm not even sure how many people actually read those derivations becuase even in its 4th edition the book and its solution manual both have many typos (see, for example, equations 8.11 and 12.5). Even the problems are more focused on derivations than on numerical examples. This is a good cookbook if you just want to implement an algorithm or find some pointers to the original research papers. Like many other reviewers, I beleive that engineering textbooks are losing their depth and becoming more and more like instruction manuals.



3. I was introduced to this text in a graduate course. I was not too thrilled about learning from another Haykin book due to a previous experience with his Communication Systems text in an undergraduate course (Horribly confusing... Proakis's text is infinitely better). To my surprise, the book was very detailed and easy to read. The math is very clear and detailed (great for the self learner). Also, the second chapter, which serves as a review of stationary processes and properties, was written much better than most random process textbooks (I applaud Haykin for this given the section was only a review). In chapter 3 or 4, he shows the derivation of the Levison-Durbin Algorithm step-by-step. I strongly disagree with some of the other reviews stating this text is just the typical engineering manual or cookbook with no explainations.
   
   However, this is either a love or hate text. If you are looking for a text about practical linear predictive filter design, this is NOT the book for you. This text is heavily geared towards understanding the theory behind the design... hence the title Adaptive Filter THEORY. However, it can make a great reference to engineers in the field of DSP.



4. The book is sound, but I have to agree with others here. Formulas, procedures are presented without an intuitive sense of why things turn out the way they are, or even from the beginning of derivations. Good to implement mechanically all those algorithms without proper understanding.
   
   As it is usually the case, in this very important subject, one has to learn from many sources.



5. I ordered this book twice from Amazon (new and used)! I did not received this book yet?
   Why?
   Maybe is something wrong written in this book!
   
   Please, pay attention:
   
   Product Description
   Represents the most comprehensive treatment available of neural networks from an engineering perspective. Examines all the important aspects of this emerging technology. DLC: Adaptive filters.
   --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

1 comments about Foundation Website Creation with CSS, XHTML, and JavaScript (Foundation).

1. I purchase most CSS books that appear to have a different slant on the use of CSS. This book, although well written and authoritative, was less than I anticipated. It is, however, an excellent resource for those just now learning (X)HTML and CSS, et al. My complaint is simply that I overestimated its content. The writing style is clear and easily understandable and should be so to beginners as well. If considering a first book to learn these disciplines, this book is a good choice.

1 comments about Visual Basic Express in Easy Steps (In Easy Steps).

1. Used to do VB in the past but got away from it. This is a great book to get back into the swing of things. Good examples and clear.

5 comments about XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer).

1. I would not think this book is a "start learning xslt book". It is not meant to be start of with. It is a definately a great reference book for xslt 1.0 and updates for xslt 2.0. This is a kind of book in which you work your way from the index at the back of the book to the desired topic.



2. From the book's introduction: "In previous editions, XSLT and XPath were covered in a single volume. This time, they have been divided into two separate books: this one covers XSLT 2.0, while the companion book 'XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference" describes XPath." ... "This book is intended to be used alongside the companion volume ... Since XSLT 2.0 has such a strong dependence on XPath 2.0, you really need both books."
   
   It turns out, most of the questions I needed answered aren't even covered in this book. That was frustrating for me.
   
   I later purchased the companion XPath 2.0 book. In their favor, I will say that I have never had a question about XSLT or XPath that wasn't answered by these books.
   
   However, both books are perhaps the worst-formatted reference books I have ever seen. Much of the book consists of an alphabetical reference of XML elements or XPath functions. Unfortunately, the page headers and footers only contain page numbers and chapter titles. They do not contain the name of the element or function that is described on that page. So you can't just riff through the pages watching for your function to appear in the footer.
   
   There is a heading for each element or function name, but the font used for the sub-headings are as large as (if not larger than) the major headings. There are no page breaks between functions or elements. So you can't even visually scan the pages looking for your functions.
   
   Finally, the table of contents consists largely of function or element names on the left, with page numbers on the right, separated by about five inches. But there are no dot leaders between them. So, even when you resort to using the table of contents to find the section you need, you have to use a ruler to find the page number.



3. In addition to his obvious authority on the subject of XSLT Michael Kay is one of the best writers out there. This book gives a thorough explication of the history and concepts behind XSLT that is valuable for newcomers and informative for more experienced hands. It is written for those with experience with programming languages but new to XSLT or new to XSLT 2.0. It presents thorough documentation for elements and functions, with examples of their use.



4. This is exactly what I want from a technical book on a tricky, subtle topic: it is *serious* and does not kid around. If you're new to programming, XML, declarative languages, or regular expressions: this is not the book for you. If you're familar with all those things and want to put a new tool in your toolbelt, this is the book. It explains the semantics and the processing model thoroughly, instead of just describing the syntax. It also serves as a reference for XSLT 1.0, because the author carefully indicates what features are available in which version.
   I recommend getting the companion XPath book XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer) at the same time; the XSLT book doesn't cover XPath, but you really need solid XPath skills to accomplish anything with XSLT.
   Just one problem: the diagrams are really ugly. They weren't designed for print; they're jaggy and blurry. I've seen the same diagrams in other materials though; I think it's part of the XSLT spec.



5. I purchased this book primarily as a reference when I need a little more detail on a tag or function. The author has done what seems to be an entirely thorough job documenting each tag and function in a consistent and useful manner. Once I find it, the content is all I need. I have yet to read through the other chapters; I have a feeling they will provide useful insights.
   
   Unfortunately, it is all but impossible to thumb through the book to find a specific tag. Because the tags and function names are all lowercase, they appear almost identical to the next-level headings which are mixed case. A rule under the paragraph or something would have helped a lot (I have been marking each with a highlighter). I'm not sure why they didn't maintain the boldface from the TOC (see below); that would have helped.
   
   The headers and footers display nothing more than the chapter name/number and page number-- contrast this with a typical O'Reilly design (JavaScript 5th Edition) where the page headers in the Core JS Reference chapter show the first and last entries on the spread just like a (good) dictionary.
   
   So, you can expect to have to refer to the Table of Contents often. Unfortunately, there is typically 4"+ (10-12cm) of blank space between an entry and its page number in the table of contents. This would be another usability disaster except that they at least boldface the tag and function names along with their page numbers. (Hint to designer: dot leaders have been around for a while now...)
   
   I will avoid purchasing reference works from Wrox/Wiley in the future.

No comments about Apple Training Series: AppleScript 1-2-3.

1 comments about C++ Programming: Program Design Including Data Structures, Fourth Edition: Program Design Including Data Structures, Fourth Edition.

1. This book was assigned as my text for a college-freshman-level introductory programming class. While I suspect I'll hold onto this book, and refer back to it many times over the coming years, it makes a horrible textbook. This is not the book that will teach non-programmers to write useful programs in C++. This is the book that they can use later when they need to know a certain function's name, purpose, and parameters.
   
   Early in the text, the author provides an analogy: learning to program is like learning to cook. Books like *C++ Without Fear* by Brian Overland and *Beginning C++ Through Game Programming* by Michael Dawson start by teaching a simple recipe, like toast. Then they build on that recipe to make French toast, then pancakes, and so forth into more complicated fare. Malik's book, however, provides in-depth information on a single topic, grouping statements by purpose rather than trying to build a useful program. Getting back to our analogy, Malik provides fifteen pages on eggs: where they come from, government grading standards, whether white and brown eggs are really that different... it's useful information, but it's a long journey for somebody who just wants to boil an egg.
   
   Though it can't replace classics like Bjarne Stroustrup's *The C++ Programming Language*, this is certainly a useful and accessible reference for programmers who've already devoted some time to learning the basics of C++.

3 comments about Using MPI - 2nd Edition: Portable Parallel Programming with the Message Passing Interface (Scientific and Engineering Computation).

1. I liked the reference as an introduction to MPI, but it switched between fortran and C so often that I spent a fair amount of my time just trying to interpret the code samples and synchronize to the syntax of the language they were using. You shouldnt have that problem if you have used Fortran in the last ten years but i havnt touched it since college. You have to be able to work with both languages though because many of the key concepts are only demonstrated in one language. Also the examples were usaully spread out into mini snipets as opposed to a larger block that might show a more complete picture.



2. This book is an excellent introduction to programming with the MPI. It gradually introduces concepts from the simple to the complex. This is done with examples that illustrate the use of different techniques. The examples include the code to implement them. The programming examples alternate between Fortran 90, C, and C++. However, after giving the example in one language, the bindings for the MPI functions in the other two languages are presented. In addition, the programming examples in either language are easily understood. Although my first choice of programming language is Fortran (and I have very basic knowledge or C), I was able to follow the examples in C and C++ and to write their equivalents in Fortran so I could test them on our computers.



3. I bought this book for a course on Parallel Computing for which we did some basic MPI programming. This book was useful to a great extent in describing the syntax of the MPI routines as well as in providing ample examples. To my knowledge, it doesn't contain advanced MPI concepts but it is good in explaining the basics of MPI if you are a beginner.

5 comments about 101 Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET Applications.

1. Jerry Bucknoff wrote a review where he says skip the book because you can just download the code. I don't get this. I buy a book for more than just the CD stuffed in the back. This book has 500+ pages that taught me how to do in VB.NET, the things I knew how to do in VB6. Maybe if you're a rocket scientist, you can just stare at the code and learn everything, but those 500 pages really got me up to speed on .NET.



2. I bought this book just a few weeks ago, and WOW. Thre is such a range of information here! This book is especially targeted at programmers that aren't particularly familiar with what all VB.NET can offer.
   Granted, this product does not cover any of the topic very extensivly, but that's not what it was written for. 90% of the topics covered in the book are explained in more detail in the MSDN library.
   All in all, this book is one of the best ways to find great ideas to improve functionality in all your VB.NET projects.



3. 101 Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Applications
   It is a good book with a lot examples to learn from.
   But examples require some extra work if you use .NET 2005



4. Good, simple components that can be used as a part of larger applications.
   Good explanations.
   The only negative thing that I can see is that I wish it was available in C#. But then again, it provides a new challenge to translate it without having the C# code right there in front of me.



5. This is a very good book. If you like to learn by example, this book has very good useful examples to get your project "up in the air" very quickly.
   
   This book is an ideal supplement to a reference manual and really accelerates the learning process. I got a very good price on Amazon, but this book is worth full-bang retail price in terms of pure value. I would highly recommend this book, even if someone only found 5 examples out of the 101 examples, but depending on your project, nearly every example could be applied in some way to your project(s).