5 comments about Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 with ASP, ColdFusion, and PHP: Training from the Source.

1. Nice book for beginners. However, not a book for programmers. What little code view you can see is constantly cut off so you cannot see the complete code. A lot of guess work is involved. Also, the code that is spelled out within the text does not stand out so it tends to blend into the text a little too easily. On a positive note, this book does give you a good overview of the basics of dynamic web programming.



2. This book is excellent! We highly recommend it. Jeffery Bardzell handles the matter of building a dynamic website with exact step by step examples and builds the sample Newland Tours website. This book is identical to Macromedia's "Dreamweaver MX Dynamic Applications" training from the source, except that this book has PHP references in it as well. Therefore if you have that book, you don't need this one and visa versa.



3. I can't recommend this book highly enough! I'd worked with static sites for years and was learning to hosh-posh sites together with some dynamic content. Many pieces are coming together now in my head thanks to this book. It offers great examples and the 'why' behind what you're doing. I wish Jeffrey Bardzell wrote a book on Flash...



4. The more I got into the web site design that I bought this book to help with, the more useless this book became. If you want to build a toy web site, this book *may* help. If you want to build a professional looking web site, this book is useless.



5. Excellent book to teach you fundamentals of working these three techologies into your web site. I would, however, recommend that you pick one and run through the whole course instead of trying to learn all three at one time.
   
   A little more hand coding than I would prefer for this. I would like more emphasis on the panel features built into Dreamweaver. This is not a book for code warriors, it is good for people who want to make the transition from static web sites to dynamic content.

2 comments about PHP: The Complete Reference.

1. As a software developer, I primarily work with the ASP.NET technology and have been learning to apply Ajax to my work. A small segment of my work is with PHP/MySQL. I picked-up this book at Barnes & Noble (my Sunday library and Starbucks experience) and found the subject of Ajax to be very well explained.
   
   I purchased this book solely for the Chapters 12 and 13 coverage of Ajax and have found it to be worth the purchase price alone. I look forward to reading the rest of the book as a refresher for my PHP development.



2. This book is okay as a beginning reference. The title may give the impression that it's a book you'll want to keep on your shelf and return to frequently for years to come. That probably won't be the case for most readers who go on to write a lot of PHP, so a better title might have been "Getting Started with PHP", or something like that. The banner on the back of the book, which says "Your One-Stop Guide to Web Development with PHP", is a lot more predictive of the book's contents.
   
   It contains a lot of fluff that fills way more pages than are justified for the amount of information given, such as examples built-up in stages, leading to a lot of needlessly redundant example code. This might make sense for complex examples, but the examples in this book are all very simple, so the extra use of paper is wasteful.
   
   Personally, I don't like the author's tendency to follow his own explanations with expressions like "Not bad!", "Nice!", and "Pretty good!". I appreciate when authors use a conversational tone to some extent (Scott Meyers is the best at this, I think), but doing this constantly throughout the book goes too far for my taste. Others might enjoy this style of writing though.
   
   I would say this book seems to be targeted toward readers who are absolutely new to programming. If you're coming from any kind of programming background at all, or like to be challenged, then you might not be very satisfied with this book. One good thing is that it's so simple and the examples take up so much space, you can read the whole thing in just a few hours.
   
   I've also noticed quite a few typos, even in the example code (e.g. "close" where they meant "clone"), but I don't see an erratum posted on the McGraw-Hill website yet. I'm sure that's because the book was published only recently. The source code is all there though, as advertised. Still, it would have been nice if they'd done a better job of editing the text.
   
   Maybe the overall nature of this book is consistent with "The Complete Reference" series by McGraw-Hill. This was the first title I'd read in that series, so I had no certain expectations. In the future, I'll know better what to expect from "The Complete Reference" books.

5 comments about Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development.

1. Worst book of all time, sorry guys and gals but whoever wrote and edited this book should buy a book themselves "Learn to Write and Edit by DUMMIES". To many typo's and script errors which did not work!
   
   Actually I would give the book a 5 star rating if they changed the name to Trouble Shooting Script Errors, Test Your Skills!



2. I used this book as a tutorial on the subject with graduate students who had only basic programming experience and we all agreed that it was a great way to get started with database-backed PHP work.



3. This book is really quite good. It's very interesting & definitely very readable. When I read it, I got straight down to business, so to speak. It gives very practical examples starting you off with making a movie review site which was very interesting! All in all, an excellent book to give you a working knowledge of PHP & MySQL.
   
   That said, there are some shortcomings.
   
   -Significant amount of typos in the code
   -Some minor parts of the code requires redoing (which I found out through a forum dedicated for the book)
   -For those of you with absolutely no experience in programming, you might find some concepts aren't covered enough in detail
   
   As I said before, overall, great book.
   
   -ive 1 star for the shortcomings.
   
   Richard



4. The authors are great PHP programmers, I have no doubt, but terrible writers. I do not recommend this book. Like most bad technical writers, they make a big production about trivial concepts, then gloss over difficult concepts without explaining them in detail.



5. Well its been on my shelf for a couple years and how I've opened it. I am on page 165 and back to Amazon to search for a book to replace it.
   The book is outdated. The forum for the book is not well visited. The support code for the book is failing images and some files. The code is written inconsistantly, different authors, and there is no mention of this or proper coding examples. Variables are created on the fly and creates some error messages with uptodate PHP. The explanations of certain things requires several readings sometimes to fill in blanks that a beginner should have explained. The use of CSS is not even mentioned so far and the html does not meet Xhtml standards. We must not forget the book was copyrighted in 2004.
   
   I have purchased "Beginning PHP and MySQL 5" by Jason Gilmore and it seems to be a resonable book but leans more towards a reference text. The search continues...
   
   Namaste,
   
   Kevin Tough

5 comments about Smarty PHP Template Programming And Applications.

1. Smarty. The title is just as short and simple as the book itself. The first few chapters cover why you would want to use Smarty. This has always been the biggest slowdown of Smarty adoption: why use a template language? Isn't PHP already a template language? Isn't Smarty slow? What does the workflow look like? All of these questions are covered in these first few chapters. (The speed of Smarty is covered at the end in more detail, too.)
   
   After that, the rest of the book covers the actual Smarty template language. There are two main sections that teach the reader: one section for template designers and one for programmers -- just like how the Smarty homepage is set up. Basically, each section covers the exact same material that's on the Smarty homepage, only in a more logical progression. Rather than a standard reference-manual format, these sections are laid out with several real-word projects and examples.
   
   If you're new to Smarty, or have thought about learning it, I would definitely buy this book. However, if you're already familiar with the language, you really won't gain anything new here -- except printed documentation, which is always nice. Overall, Smarty is a great book for beginners.



2. If you're looking for a good book on Smarty, this one should definitely be on your list. This book takes you through every feature that Smarty offers in an easy-to-understand and practical way, with plenty of clear and concise examples to make it even easier to understand.
   
   It doesn't matter if you're a developer who wants to start using Smarty or if you're a designer who has to start working with Smarty, this book is a great resource for both and thanks to a clear division in the book it's easy to learn about Smarty as a developer or designer.
   
   There aren't many negative things to say about this book, but it isn't perfect either. Sometimes things are explained multiple times, with might cause some slight annoyance, and in some cases parts of an example aren't explained at all, which leaves you wondering what something is used for.
   
   To sum it all up, this book is certainly worth the money, and I can definitely recommend it if you're looking to get started with Smarty.



3. No need to hide it, "Smarty PHP Template Programming and Application" is an excellent book!
   
   Whether you are graphic designer or developer, this book is for you, thanks to a clear separation of the needs.
   Every step is exposed in details : installation, utility and the way to work with Smarty is clearly explained.
   You can add to this a detailed explanation of the various built-in variables and methods, differents way for managing the cache, filters and plugins,... all this makes this book a very good one, covering from he most basic to the most advanced methods.
   
   Moreover, there's a complete chapter on "website internationalization" with Smarty.
   
   To summarize, and I guess you already understood, this is an excellent book that any developer/designer who works with Smarty must read.



4. You are looking for a simple solution to separate your PHP code from the graphics of your website? You work in a team composed of coders and graphists? Then you have already thought about templating!
   
   Without a doubt, Smarty currently is the best templating engine available on the market. It is not famous for its simplicity but for its completeness.
   
   This book is on the same page as the others I had the chance to read from the same editor (Packt Publishing). It was written for a wide public (from beginners to advanced) and it covers most of the subject. Thanks to this book, you will have the ability to quickly master Smarty and to use it during all your projects without many problems.
   
   The introduction does not only handle Smarty, but rather the templating philosophy. You will also find installation walkthroughs, structural and logical Smarty internal processes.
   The main part of the book is divided into two parts. The first is directed towards designers with, for the most part, creation of Template files and usage of Smarty functions. A whole chapter is dedicated to application debugging.
   The other section is aimed at programmers, with details and explanation on each variable or method used in Smarty. This section is really useful on the long term, since you can come back to it any time.
   
   You now have all the knowledge to start templating on your own, and you won't forget the experience you gained through explanations, step by step, as well as sources illustrating these pages.
   
   You can now go further using Smarty's power by reading the following chapters about caching, plugins usage, filters and internationalization of your website.
   
   To sum up, this is a very good book for those who are interested in Smarty and very useful for those who are already using it. But watch out: Smarty is not to be used in every website. I would like to highlight, however, that its use is far too complex to be used in a static website: you will need some dynamic components to notice any improvement. Actually, Smarty needs you to learn a new language: what you know how to do in PHP most probably has a Smarty equivalent, so that you will need a transition time.
   
   [...]



5. I found this book to be a good reference if you are not already familiar with Smarty. It gives you the basics but doesn't get too involved.
   I would recommend having some PHP experience first before you buy it.
   I bought it to be used as an additional programming help guide to work with X-Cart. It's been good for that.
   Overall, it's worth the price.

2 comments about PHP 5 Unleashed.

1. After reading a PHP5 book in the past I was happy with it. However it was for beginers. I searched for something more advanced. This was it. PHP5 Unleashed goes over several advanced topics. In example there is Regular Expressions (aka. Regex), Advanced MySQL techniches, accessing the OS's programs (Like dd, cp, etc) and more. One thing I should note as that there are some parts that can't be done on Windows. To get the most of this book you need Linux. ( If you want Linux download the ISO image of Fedora Core 4 at fedora.redhat.com. It is great for beginers to Linux. You can also use Mandrakelinux ([...]) but it isn't as simple to use.) Also note that this book has a section for new users but it is small and you should buy a book for beginers first. Might I recommend "PHP5 Fast & Easy Web Development" for novices.
   
   A little disappointment is that this book shows you only how to INSTALL PEAR. It doesn't show you how to use it at all.



2. I have another "unleashed" book and was very happy with it, so immediately picked up this book when needing to work with PHP. What I needed to learn about was session usage.
   
   Unfortunately, this book is not very good for that, for a novice learning to use sessions. The reason why is not because it is too advanced--I'm adept at reading computer textbooks and parsing the info--the problem is that it is a best practice in terms of security to turn register_globals off in PHP, that is the standard config for PHP after 4.1, and yet they provide all of their examples with this being enabled.
   
   They even mention that it isn't best practice, but they go ahead and do it anyway with an occasional caveat here and there for those who are not using it. What that means is that somebody in my position is not only trying to understand the code, but also accound for everything that doesn't apply to me. I have to translate, then interpret. Why should I have to do all that for basic "best practice" functionality?!
   
   I've since picked up other books (PHP 5 recipes, Wicked cool PHP) that are much better. I gave this book the stars it has because it is very informative and useful. In the case of sessions, it is just very confusing.

No comments about Beginning PHP and Oracle: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice).

5 comments about The Web Developer's Guide To Amazon E-Commerce Service: Developing Web Applications Using Amazon Web Services And PHP.

1. I just got done reading and hacking the book and have found many new ways in which to interface with amazon.com web services. The book delivers on its title and does so to a broad audience in a clean style. You will need to understand XML technologies at a beginner's level and be proficient in PHP in order to fully utilize this book. Novices can also learn from this book.
   Thanks Jason Levitt



2. I am relative novice when it comes to using web services but I have some experience with PHP. I found the examples in this book very useful for illustrating how to get up and running quickly while giving a good foundation for more experimentation. The Author does not give away all of the answers to building a complete Amazon app which I found to be be nice because it made me think of other more imaginative ways to use them.



3. The info doesn't do a very good job explaining bits of the code. They just give you a few pages of code at a time and then shows you what the end result looks like. I would have preferred it covering less topics and explaining them better. This book is good if you already have a high traffic site and want to add another feature. Amazon web services may not be the best place if you are wanting to make some income from selling their stuff. The book says it is better if you have something to sell through amazon web services. I also couldn't get one example to work so I emailed the author but didn't get any reply.



4. Some of the reviewers seem to be wishing for a "..for Dummies" book. This aint it. What this book is is an excellent overview of the entire Amazon e-commerce platform from the perspective of a web developer. It is written by a web developer for web developers, full stop. And as far as that statement is true, this is an excellent (and inexpensive 8-) resource.
   
   That said, there is most certainly an opportunity for some author out there to write a down and dirty guide to Amazon e-commerce for folks with mom'n'pop websites. Indeed, how about a down'n'dirty guide to amazon/ebay/google/yahoo services..as well as RSS..you name it? A gaping hole in the market IMHO.
   
   Well, I digress: the current book is excellent and heartily recommended to developers and tech-savvy website managers who don't mind skipping some gory details to read a very good overview of what Amazon has on offer.



5. I think this book is great, first time I have seen it advertized I thought: "I have to get this". Have not finished reading it yet, I am about one third through, but I think one of the big flaws (if not indeed the author meant it that way) is that it dives into XML / WSDL / SOAP too soon or too sudden... at least for me. By the time I have started understanting how everything is organized in the scheme of things, it was all about that, and I personally don't have experience --- a lot with these things.
   
   Another thing I don't particularly enjoy is the presentation is intertwined -- PHP 4 and PHP 5. At times this is confusing and if you just browse trough trying to find something randomly, you always have to read back a little bit to find out whether it's about PHP 4 or 5.
   
   Otherwise, I am pretty happy with it and can't wait to actually start implementing some things I heave learned in this book in my own applications.

5 comments about The PHP Anthology: Object Oriented PHP Solution, Volume 1.

1. I have been reading alot of books on PHP 5's new object features. I picked up this book hoping it would meet somewhere between "Object-Oriented PHP" by Peter Lavin and "PHP Objects, Patterns, and Practices". The next day I ended up giving the book to my co-worker. I started reading it on the train and was completely disappointed! The entire object oriented chapter is written for PHP 4 besides one blurb that mentions refrences won't be needed in PHP 5. This book is in serious need of a new edition!
   
   If you are beginning PHP programming this book is just one of the hundreds of books that cover the same common issues. If you are looking for the latest PHP has to offer, this isn't your book.



2. Having built Object Oriented solutions for over nine years in C++ and Delphi, PHP had me confused by the nature of its object system. I was unable to find suitable information on the web on such issues as the PHP object lifecycle, applicability of patterns (entire section on patterns), how to handle the looser typing mechanism (automated tests), and how to optimize for performance. This book solved ALL of my problems!!!
   
   The text is simple and exceedingly practical but far from boring! In fact, I was so excited by how clearly the information was conveyed that I did in fact read both volumes I and II cover to cover - TWICE (though you can use them as reference works). Not only that but the texts significantly increased my respect for PHP; from gruding acceptance of its use to having some genuine affection for the language and appreciation for its power.
   
   If you are completely new to development these books (I and II) are for. If you are an advanced developer with years of OO experience and are just getting started in PHP then you will be relieved by what you find here.
   
   All of that aside, I will say that there were a few instances where the author kludged the definition of an OO concept to make it fit within the PHP framework. There are some substantial ways in which PHP 4 just does not hold up as an OO language (PHP 5 fixes them). However, the author really had no choice in the matter because if he had tried to explain the formal OO concept, then PHP 4's interpretation of that concept and how to implement he would have lost 90% of his audience. So even this one complaint ends with praise - the author skillfully sacrifices detail only where necessary to increase the palatibility of the materal.
   
   Great job! Great book!
   
   Once again, regardless of your skill level if you are going to be doing any halfway serious PHP work you NEED this series.



3. I use a lot of includes in php and wondered if I could more fruitfully use OOP. My conclusion was that includes can do just about everything OOP can do. The book's page-appearance is poor, huge blank rectangles with just a couple of tiny words on them take up two thirds of a page, there's gray tint over just the part of the code you most want to read, the type's too big, the code is clumsily commented so active code lines are hard to pick out. Altogether not a pleasant reading experience. And the instruction is not inspired. I never did get the point of OOP in PHP.



4. I liked this book because of its simplicity. Well written, easy to follow, and with a lot of practical examples.
   
   I was surprised when I received because I found it 'thin' (~400 pages but font is relatively big), but, as everything is explained to the point, It has the right number of pages for the right content.
   
   The book is focused in how to make objects work for you, it does not explore unnecessarily in detail how the objects presented get the work done. You can download the code, so you can take a look inside by yourself.
   
   Also, this book cover the basics of PHP PEAR.



5. the book is not a guide to learn PHP from scrath, but it is very good for new & old programmers.
   it's chapters includes all major aspects of the language & a lot of common problems, & that is very useful.

5 comments about Apache, MySQL, and PHP Weekend Crash Course.

1. Has the author actually tried to do a PHP/Apache installation on Windows2000? Strange he didn't come up against any of the same errors I got when I followed his instructions (several attempts)



2. I had no problems following any of the author's steps in the book for Windows and I'm sure anyone who's competent with Windows can do the same. I didn't actually spend a whole weekend with the book as the title suggests, but each lesson takes about the amount of time prescribed and getting through the book in several evenings over the course of a week or two is pretty easy. be sure of course to get the right versions of MySQL, Apache, and PHP. The combination of the 3 can lead to problems if you don't use the exact versions with all the right patches applied as the author suggests. I had tinkered with IIS some in the past but never before had I done anything more complicated than HTML web pages. From the examples in this book, I was able to set up my own web site with a database.



3. Attempting to install Apache following the authors' instructions will not amount to getting started anytime soon. However once you get past these issues, you will find he has done a decent job of providing an entry level for the complete newbie.

   Mind you, if you have any previous experience coding PHP or SQL the provided examples are not for you: buy a different book.




4. Today: December 13th, 2006.
   This 2004 book is great....for older versions of PHP and mySQL. It took me a long time to figure out how to install PHP correctly...and the mySQL screenshots and setup instructions are outdated too.
   
   If this book were up to date with the current versions of the software, I'd be giving it a rave review and 5 stars.
   
   The current versions of the software are:
   Apache 2.2.3
   PHP 5.2.0
   mySQL 5.0.27
   
   I had no problem installing Apache & running it (this is on Windows, btw). However, the others took some web searches to figure out.
   If you do intend to buy this book, here are 2 revisions:
   Page 26: you can skip step 2.
   Page 28: LoadModule php5_module c:\php\php5apache2_2.dll



5. I am giving this 4 stars because I am still near the front of this book. From the other reviews I've seen here, most people are giving bad reviews because they are having trouble just setting up Apache, PHP and MySQL. Let me tell you, I have zero experience with any of those technologies, but I have the drive to figure things out. The versions of all three programs listed in the book are older than what is available now, but anyone worth their weight in scripting tags will be able to figure out how to install the newer versions. If you can't get past that part, then developing dynamic web content is not for you. In any case, it's not the book's fault if the programs have changed layouts and added new features that make the reader dig a little deeper to figure out how to implement the code. As for the code itself, the mySQL code I've worked with so far is spot on. It remains to be seen how the PHP coding turns out, but I have high hopes for this book

5 comments about PHPEclipse: A User Guide.

1. I don't know how I ever wrote php code without Eclipse! And this book makes it easy and FUN to use Eclipse. Shu Chow is a master at explaining the concepts involved as well as the functionality of the tool.



2. I have struggled with PHP, always wishing I could just find a plain-language guide. This book not only makes the material clear, it is actually fun to read!
   
   Having finished the book, I am now writing codes and deploying sites with greater ease than I ever thought possible. If you are ready to make a big leap with your command of PHP, this book is all you need.



3. When you are first learning a new computer language such as PHP, you will want to complete each line of code and each phase of the program by hand and without using any shortcuts. This is the best way to learn. But as we all know, in the real world, we are all pressed for time. Many programmers turn to an IDE (integrated development environment) to keep them organized and to streamline the workflow. This book by Shu-Wai Chow will show you how to install, setup and use PHPEclipse which is a popular open source IDE for PHP programmers.
   
   The author begins with an introduction to IDE's covering their main features and the pros and cons of using them. Following this, is an introduction to PHPEclipse, its history and architecture. Then the fun begins. Chow's tutorial-styled narrative walks you through each step as you install the main software; Apache, PHP, Java, Eclipse and PHPEclipse. I especially liked that he used the free, open source distribution/installation software called XAMPP which automates the installation of Apache, MySQL, PHP and Perl. He covers the installation for Windows, Mac and Linux. At this point you also install Java and PHPEclipse. Finally, he thoroughly discusses the user interface, the views (palettes) and dialog boxes and how you might want to customize these.
   
   Once you have these installed, you begin to work on a real PHP application project which is a database driven website for an animal shelter. You learn how to set up this project's files and folders within PHPEclipse. Then you begin building the PHP code and supporting HTML, JavaScript and CSS files for the website. You also begin to work on the database, program objects and classes. Chow introduces some helpful tools at this point including WTP (Web Tools Platform project), HTML Tidy, Eclipse Tidy and phpDocumentor. I especially liked the phpDocumentor feature that builds the documentation for your application from your source code comments.
   
   Debugging is the next topic and after an introduction to terms and concepts, Chow shows how to install and setup the DBG debugger. With this feature, you can use more sophisticated debugging practices than the basic echo ( ) function we all know so well. Chow walks you through a complete debugging session and discusses common strategies.
   
   The next step is to turn PHPEclipse into a database client by the addition of the Quantum DB plug-in. Chow demonstrates how to use this with a relational database and how to perform common tasks such as writing SQL statements and manipulating tables.
   
   Depending on your projects, you may or may not feel that you need the help of version control software to keep track of the changes made to your application. However, you will be surprised at how helpful this software is with even the simplest project. Chow helps you install, setup and use the CVS version control software with PHPEclipse and also discusses some common terms and concepts along the way. Lastly, Chow covers how to setup PHPEclipse to work with FTP, Secure FTP, WebDAV and Ant for publishing your new site.
   
   As you can see, this book is more than just instructions on how to install these programs. It also gives you hands-on practice using them. You can download the complete application and sample files from the supporting website. Shu-Wai Chow has been working in the programming field for over eight years and is proficient in Java, JSP, PHP, ColdFusion, ASP, LDAP, XSLT and XSL-FO.



4. I'm a long-time PHP developer but a relative newcomer to Eclipse (love it).
   
   This is a fair guide to PHPEclipse. I don't think there's anything about PHPEclipse I'd want to know that I couldn't find in this book, particularly about adding debugging and phpdoc, which don't come bundled with PHPEclipse.
   
   On the other hand - for what you pay, this is a really, really short book. If they needed some filler space to justify the cost, more information on Eclipse in general would have come in handy for a noob like me, or some basics on PHP (the book assumes a fairly high level of PHP knowledge, as it goes right in to OOP in its examples). Some of the graphics work and text layout leaves a bit to be desired, which surprised me, as I've had good luck with this publisher.
   
   If I had it to do over again, I probably would have skipped this book and toughed it out, but overall it isn't a bad book and it did help some. If you are a PHP ninja but you don't know anything about PHP in Eclipse (and you have some cash to kill), it isn't a bad pickup. I give it an "eh" rating.



5. PHPEclipse: A User Guide is a quick read. Having already worked with Eclipse for PHP development the book didn't present any drastic or life changing additions to my technique with Eclipse.
   
   The book is greatly geared toward the newest of PHP programmers, ones still looking to make a mark in the world, or those who are looking to escape the claws of another IDE and want to know what Eclipse and PHPEclipse are all about. Shu-Wai does and excellent job of explaining what Perspectives and Views are and how they work together to make up the meat of PHPEclipse.
   
   Each chapter is full of quick information about how to setup a specific aspect of Eclipse to better work with PHP development. Chapters 3 and 4 explain how the IDE displays information about your application to you, and where to look for more information. Chapters 5 through 8 explain different plug-ins (CVS, Debug, Deploying code) and explain how they work integrated with Eclipse. The best part of each of these latter chapters is they explain in detail how to get the particular plugin installed and configured. It was a fresh and welcome look at plugins and how they work.
   
   What peaked my interest in the book were two things. The first was Appendix A which explains more about where to get more plugins and information about the plugins. The second was the overview of Eclipse. A short history and explanation of how Eclipse came to be what it is today. I was particularly interested in the plugin development, which is built right into Eclipse.
   
   Although the book is short, and a quick read, if you are thinking about picking up Eclipse and using it, you should get this book and read through it while you are in the process.