5 comments about 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security (Security One-off).

1. The authors take an even handed look across several major languages and point out pitfalls in each. Probably, for you as a programmer, you have met many of these ideas before. But maybe in the context of a given language. This book lets you take a metalanguage view.
   
   Consider integer overflows. C# and Visual Basic guard against these. But not Java, C or C++. There are also commonsense recommendations like using unsigned integers when describing things that are intrinsically non-negative, like memory addresses or sizes of memory allocations. Alas, Java does not support unsigned integers.
   
   Cross site scripting gets a chapter of its own. A dangerous phenomenon of the web. Where a web page gets user input from the user's browser. The application does not check this input for malicious content, and it proceeds to send it to a web page. The text might have scripting commands which are then run by the user's browser. These might mess up the browser or even the user's computer. Worth checking out.



2. Too often, software security is overlooked in the info security infrastructure of most organizations as we focus on network, computer, data, and physical security. That is a luxury organizations can no longer afford. The book gives a great overview of software security issues yet at the same time provides granular examples and solutions that can be readily implemented. Would serve as a great source for training of programmers in code security.



3. If George Santayana were to recommend a security book, it would certainly be 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security. Santayana is the poet-philosopher widely known for saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." For far too long, software developers have been making the same mistakes in programming as if they were incapable of remembering their past errors.
   
   Poorly written software lies behind nearly every computer security vulnerability. Amit Yoran, former director of the National Cyber Security Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is quoted as saying that "95 percent of software bugs are caused by the same 19 programming flaws." These flaws are the so-called "deadly sins" of the title.
   
   The book covers these 19 programming flaws, which include the most devastating types of coding and architectural errors, such as buffer overflows, format string problems, cross-site scripting, and insufficient encryption. Each flaw gets its own chapter, which features a brief introduction to the problem, sample code depicting each "sin," ways to detect the problem during code review, a description of tools and techniques to test for the defect, and defensive measures that make it more difficult for someone to exploit the weakness.
   
   None of the text is extraneous, as it economically addresses a wealth of the most popular platforms and languages. These include Windows, Linux, UNIX, C/C++, C#, Java, PERL, and more.
   
   Software applications developers, irrespective of which platform or language they use to write code, should consider this book required reading. Were he a techie, Santayana might have said that those who have written insecure code in the past are condemned to continue to write insecure code in the future. Programmers need only read this book to help put an end to that vicious cycle.



4. If you are serious about eradicating software security bugs, you should buy this book. Keeping an eagel eye on the bug parade is a critical activity in software security. (Just don't forget about design flaws while you're at it.)
   
   Mike Howard, David LeBlanc, and John Viega are all top notch software security experts. Listen carefully. Be the bug.
   
   The software security touchpoints help address problems like these every day.



5. I read six books on software security recently, namely "Writing Secure Code, 2nd Ed" by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc; "19 Deadly Sins of Software Security" by Michael Howard, David LeBlanc, and John Viega; "Software Security" by Gary McGraw; "The Security Development Lifecycle" by Michael Howard and Steve Lipner; "High-Assurance Design" by Cliff Berg; and "Security Patterns" by Markus Schumacher, et al. Each book takes a different approach to the software security problem, although the first two focus on coding bugs and flaws; the second two examine development processes; and the last two discuss practices or patterns for improved design and implementation. My favorite of the six is Gary McGraw's, thanks to his clear thinking and logical analysis. The other five are still noteworthy books. All six will contribute to the
   production of more security software.
   
   The main reason to read 19DS is to quickly become acquainted with various security problems facing software developers. At less than 300 pages, it's not a thick tome like WSC2E. 19DS also is not afraid to mix bugs (coding errors, like buffer overflow conditions) with flaws (design problems, like "failing to protect network traffic.") This sort of lax categorization bothers me (and Gary McGraw, as noted in his book "Software Security"), but it shouldn't interfere with the quality content of 19DS.
   
   Probably the most interesting aspect (to me) of 19DS was sin 10, which discussed problems with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The chapter didn't describe algorithmic or protocol problems. Instead, it explained how programmers make poor assumptions about the features provided by their language of choice with respect to SSL. For example, many SSL libraries do not properly validate certificates. Without this functionality, the authors argue that SSL is almost worthless. While I don't necessarily agree with this statement, I really like reading this sort of criticism. I'd like to note that p 134 berates Python's ssl() but ignores pyOpenSSL, which probably provides the features the authors would want.
   
   Other "sins" take slightly different looks at security issues. Sin 17, for example, explains the importance of key exchange AND authentication. These are the sorts of problems I imagine are only discovered by examining multiple real-world implementations, and I value the authors sharing their experiences.
   
   I subtracted one star because the quality of the "sins" isn't even. Some don't adequately explain the problem at hand (e.g., integer overflows). If the authors assume the reader knows the problem well enough to not introduce it properly, then why discuss it at all?
   
   Overall, however, 19DS is a great book to get to your developers. It's short enough that they might actually read it, and the content is presented in a convincing enough manner to perhaps influence their coding choices.

2 comments about Professional ASP.NET 2.0 Design: CSS, Themes, and Master Pages (Programmer to Programmer).

1. Let me get the bad out of the way first, so I can tell you why I think you should still consider buying this book.
   
   1. Spends a bit of time on superfluous issues. For some of you, this might be a godsend, however, as development is often more than just coding these days.
   
   2. Some fairly long code samples that fluff up the book without adding a huge amount. One illustration of CSS versus tables would be sufficient.
   
   3. Not a lot of highlighting in code to point you to the points that have changed.
   
   4. Some of the explanations are thin for those without a lot of experience in this particular topic.
   
   Now that I got that out of the way, let's look at why this book should be a welcome addition to your shelf.
   
   Reason 1 is it is the only book that focuses on this particular topic. Reason 2 is this topic is extremely important, although more often overlooked.
   
   If you have an ugly, unusable personal site, it is not a big deal, as your mom will still visit. But, with business, it can be devastating. And, now, with accessibility lawsuits, it can be costly, as well.
   
   Let's start from the beginning (a very good place to start, I hear).
   
   The first few chapters are a bit of overview and express the importance of things like CSS, accessibility and good web design. None of these will make you an expert, but they will likely push those of you still in table design over to the dark side (CSS). The arguments for accessibility, including information about recent legal actions against websites, may be the kicker. Chapter 3 also focuses on using PhotoShop for designing a nice looking site. Some of the techniques will not apply to other image manipulation tools, but the basic ideas are useful for all.
   
   Chapters 4 and 5 focus on CSS. In particular, chapter 4 talks about setting up a site that appears "tabled" in CSS and chapter 5 gives you a great overview, and some practical advise, about the CSS Friendly ASP.NET controls.
   
   Chapter 6 talks about navigation and gives great practial advise on the web.sitemap file. This chapter was a godsend to me, as it finally gave me an epiphany on why roles were not working. This was actually a portion that fit #4 on my bad list, but sometimes seeing an example is enough to clue you in. :-)
   
   Chapter 7 is focused on master pages. One of the biggest aids here will be the bits on design. The pages on passing information from master to child is also very useful.
   
   Chapters 8 and 9 focus on themes. If you have a site that can be "skinned" different ways (by user or "site"), these chapters may well be worth the price of admission.
   
   Finally, chapter 10. This is one of the best chapters in the book, as it brings all of what you have learned together. It shows how to use a single code base to work with a wide variety of browser targets, including mobile devices. And, unlike many books, it does it in a very practical, real world way.
   
   There are also bonus appendices on Orcas (Visual Studio 2008) and Silverlight.
   
   Summary: Overall, this is an average book. As the only book on the topic, however, it gets a slightly higher nod. As this is a topic I have tried to drill into people's heads (i.e., building a site is as much about user experience as making things work), I would like to see as many people pick up this book as possible. Someone might come out with a better one at some time, but learning this material is a wise thing.



2. I am a hardcore .net developer. But, site design has been kind of my downside. Came across this book and had a glance at the book contents. It looked impressive and bought it. Actually, after reading it, I am glad I bought it. It covers everything that you need to consider when building a website. Not just "How" to do it, but also the "Why" of doing it. It also covers the nitty questions which you have been thinking about how they do it in the site. Explains in a simple and direct way. Jacob Sanford has done a real good job in his first book. If you are a .Net developer and would like to sharpen your design skills, this is the book to buy. It's worth it.

5 comments about Foundation PHP for Dreamweaver 8.

1. This is a good book. It teaches many useful techniques and how lots of "how to" ideas. However, the faux site that is created isn't goal oriented which left me feeling like the book was just a collection of random things to do. It seemed disorganized at times when you would or wouldn't create another page from scratch vs. revamping one you had already made. It was not always clear why you would be better to take one approach vs. the other. Setting up the localhost environment was somewhat confusing, though not too bad.
   
   I will definitely use it frequently. Good information, good book, good deal.



2. This man makes a promise of a written format that can be followed. The writtng is NOT CLEAR and leaves much to the readers imagination of to what exactly the format should be. There is no CD so that you can see how the step by step process works. He names his files but does not show the real differences between how he is set up and how you can set up to fit your needs. I waisted my money. He claims in the book there is support which at best is terrible.
   
   The worst book I have ever bought on coding. If I were you try another writter.



3. This is a very good book for learning PHP, and surprisingly, most of the examples work right out of the book as he's written them, which seems rare for a programming book these days. The projects that he has you complete are highly relevant to what you'd actually be doing with PHP, and that makes it even better.
   
   The only trouble I had with this book was that he sure packed a lot of information into each chapter, and he didn't use the sidebars as much as I would have hoped. It's easy enough to follow along with the examples the first time, but if you want to go back again and figure out how he programmed a small detail, you'll never find it unless you reread the whole chapter again. All it would have taken was a few little bullets here and there in the margins to point out some of the off-topic stuff that was going on in the examples, and the book would be much more functional as a reference. As it stands, I probably will have to get a whole new book for that purpose.
   
   Also, the support on this book is phenomenal. I missed a small detail in Chapter 6 that caused my script to fail, and when I posted on the book's message board, I had a reply from the author in less than a day. That's a really cool added bonus.



4. I am a frontpage user that has set up static pages in a web site. I needed to move from static pages to dynamic pages using a database. I couldn't use PHP with FrontPage so I switched to Dreamweaver and needed a book that covered both dynamic pages and Dreamwaver. This book walked me through setting up the environment to have Dreamweaver work with Apache, PHP, MySQL and phpMyAdmin. I am completely non-technical so these areas were beyond my comfort zone but the book walked me through it very successfully. It then took me through CSS styles, setting up an online feedback form, setting up my first database and tying it into Dreamweaver. It also showed how to insert, delete and maintain records in order to keep the database up to date. This was an excellent book for a non-techie as it didn't take any knowledge for granted.



5. This book is written very clearly and is really easy to follow. I've learned a lot of other really useful stuff than just the PHP content, things that I now realise I should have been taught by the official Dreamweaver 8 book, but weren't. The PHP content for which I bought this book is fantastic - much better than another generic PHP/MySQL I have read, as this is tailored to the Dreamweaver 8 environment which takes a lot of the guessing out of the equation. This book is written by and for people who use Dreamweaver 8 in a practical situation. I'm still less than half way through my book and already feel like I've learned much more than I expected. Highly recommended. I'll be checking out Mr Powers' other books when I finish this one. Thanks David Powers, you're a genius!

5 comments about OpenOffice.org for Dummies.

1. The book covers the major aspects of the software suite, but it really doesn't get into the details of the programs. For that, I recommend a Dummies book on the Microsoft version, since they don't have an in-depth book on the OpenOffice.org version of the software applications. For what it is, an overview of the suite, it is very good. I highly recommend it as a fantastic starting point. I paid a paltry $7 for the book, delivered. How can you go wrong with a price like that? Truth be told, I believe it would have been worth the cover price of $24.99. It is an excellent book to start with, but you'll want to dig deeper after you make it through this book. I hope the authors will consider making full-blown Dummies books for Impress/Presentation, and Calc/Spreadsheet, and the Writer/Text Document applications, too.
   
   I highly recommend OpenOffice.org to all non-profit organizations, as well as for-profit companies: save yourselves $200-$500, per computer, along with the upgrade/compatibility issues, and dump Microsoft. You will be glad you did. Cheers!



2. Pretty much of a getting started but does talk about many important points.
   Though I am very skilled in Excel, Open office is still irritating.
   I would buy it again.



3. All supplied material for review of this book said it was new and up to date but did not give the version number of Open Office that was covered. When I received the book I was frustrated and well into it when I found it was for version 1.1. The Open Office I have is 2.2. The data base portion is not even mentioned in this book. I found that I wasted a lot of time. If any of these books do not show the version number of the program they are working with I would not buy them!



4. Best book on the subject but spends a lot of time on stuff 90% of us will never use.



5. Should be more in depth....and along with another reviewer I would like to see more in depth books covering the individual applications...such as the spreadsheet and presentation applications....
   
   Have not had much time to read the whole book but I was not very impressed with the spreadsheet section.....although it is helpfull....I was hoping for more detailed and in depth help....

3 comments about InDesign CS2 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. This book sits next to me all day. I read it front to back and am now using it as a reference during my projects. This book is worth it if you have or plan to purchase CS2.



2. While this book has helped me to get up and running in Adobe InDesign, I am not overwhelmed by it as a resource. For one thing, it needs more screen pictures and clearer screen pictures. I also found several instances where knowlege was assumed - the editors has skipped to the conclusion of a task, without really explaining it. I guess that they assume most layout designers will know how, but for those more familiar with Microsoft products, that is not the case. Finally, the index at the back of the book is sorely lacking. I could not find many basic elements of the program listed there, so the index is not always much of a resource for jumping right to the area you need.



3. I started a new job in January and wasn't told that part of it would involve working with InDesign. Knowing nothing about that program, I immediately ordered my trusty "Dummies series" book - it's taught me everything from raising a Golden Retriever to Tarot Cards! Needless to say, the InDesign book didn't fail me. All the basics were there. The only problem was that sometimes I didn't know what to look up in the index because I wasn't sure what the process was called. Other than that, it was and continues to be a great resource!

5 comments about 1 Hour Web Site: 120 Professional Templates and Skins (Bible).

1. Creating a good web site requires both computer/technical and graphic design/artistic skills. If you have the technical background but are lacking in artistic talent, then templates will provide the "design" elements you are lacking.
   
   The book advertises 120 templates on the accompanying CD, but that is really 40 different templates, each one provided in 3 color schemes for you to choose from. They provide a "home" page and 1 or more "subpage" styles for each template. There is a brief, simple explanation at the beginning of the book about types of designs and which type to use for what purpose. The designs are adequate for informational sites; they are not sufficient if you need interactive forms, shopping carts, flash, animation etc.
   
   The other advantage of using a template is you do not have to learn any other software. The book explains how to open the files in an editor like Notepad, and simply find/replace their content with your content. The files have been set up with easy-to-identify "tokens" to find and replace. This saved me a lot of time because I didn't want to learn any other software. (Of course you can always open these files in your favorite program and edit them that way)
   
   However, it is unlikely that any of the provided templates will suit your needs exactly - so it helps if you know enough html to be able to modify the html code - it will help to understand tables and cascading style sheets. If you use their templates "as is" and just replace content "tokens", you could likely create a home page in an hour.
   
   If you have sufficient computer expertise and just need to get a simple, well designed web site up quickly, this book could be the answer. However, you must be flexible enough to either use one of the templates "as is" or modify the html code to suit your needs. So read the table of contents and check out the template categories, and make sure your website falls within at least one of those categories.
   
   I was able to find a template that was close to my needs, and edit the html to modify it enough to suit my purpose. Since the template was created by a graphic designer, the site looks "professional". So this book suited my needs exactly.



2. My husband and I used this book to create a web site for our new business. And it really works!
   
   There is a great selection of home page and sub page template styles (on the enclosed disk) to match your kind of business. There are also templates for personal and family web sites.
   
   I must say that it took more than 1 hour. But you have to consider your content - that takes time to create. Plus, once you get inside the web page templates you may be tempted, as we were, to cut and paste button links. One thing leads to another...
   
   To get the web site done, you only need to read the first three chapters plus the chapter that relates to your template.
   
   There are areas for improvement - mostly in the area of adding things to your web site. But then, this is a get-it-done-fast book.
   
   Overall, the book is astonishingly good value.
   
   Jane
   Your Story Here
   Video Biography Orange County



3. Great! After reading the easy instructions, I was able to set up a web site in a very short time. The templates and skins are great.



4. I have not been able to get the flash templates to work on any of my three computers even after contacting the publisher for help.
   
   They claimed I had an old copy of Flash installed even though I had the same version they were saying was required.
   
   I even upgraded all my Flash players to the newest version from the vendor, and a version considerably newer than recommended, and they still don't work.
   
   Please note. These same computer play flash from other sites all day long.
   
   Kerry



5. As someone else stated, this book, or rather the CD, contains 40 templates not 120. (If you count color variations on a theme, then you have 120 templates.) Deceptive, I think.
   
   The chapters give line by line instructions on how to change the tokens so that you can personalize the templates for your specific needs; however, each chapter gives the same line-by-line instructions. It's basically a cut and paste to make the book have more chapters and pages. It's like trying to use a bigger font on a term paper to make the paper be the required amount of pages and think that the professor won't see that you used a 14 pt. font instead of a standard 12 pt. font.
   
   Errata! Of course out of all the templates in the book, I chose template 920 for which the errata has not been corrected on the publisher's Website. I chose this particular one for the tabs. The publisher's errata corrects the tab error for template 1120. I tried applying some of the corrected tab techniques that I was able to discern from the corrections they gave for tab errors in template 1120 to template 920. I never achieved success! Needless to say, my Web page does not look anything at all like the template in the book. Tsk. Tsk.
   
   Also, the Flash files do not work. I read another reviewer's statement concerning same and decided not to go through what he did since the Flash problems were never resolved.
   
   Moreover, if you truly want to personalize the templates for your needs, you do need to have some knowledge of HTML and CSS. I am using Jennifer Robbins' book "Learning Web Design" alongside "1 Hour" which is helpful.
   
   Let's just say, since I picked a template that doesn't have all the mark up and correct CSS layout, I still haven't finished my Website and I've worked on it for 15 hours thus far. Maybe if you're lucky and pick a template that has everything you need and looks like the example in the book, then you can be up and running in an hour.
   
   Another astonishing fact is that the book is not in color. Another cost-cutting technique in addition to cutting and pasting. Color is a major cornerstone of Web design. At least give us color so we don't have to click on each template on the CD to see what the template actually looks like with color.
   
   Succinctly: The authors and publisher cheated by cutting and pasting the machinations it takes to customize the templates and have not corrected major errata.

5 comments about Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0.

1. I have been jumping around this book for the last month or so and have found this book extremely useful. It does an excellent job at breaking up the OOP pieces into chunks that as a semi experienced programmer are very beneficial. If you have little to know OOP experience the first few sections of the book do a good job at bringing you quickly up to speed on the basics of OOP such as Encapsulation, Classes, and Abstraction. From there the book moves onto the pieces that allow you to build an OOP project. These pieces look at how best to develop and design the most commons pieces used when creating and building applications with AS3, such as how best to handle animations and effects. This was extremely helpful for me. I mostly use Adobe Flex to develop and design my applications and I was looking for a book that would help me to get a better understanding of the work flow and design patterns required to start building solid OOP applications in Flex. The section on animation and effects was extremely useful as I find myself wanting to reuse these bits of code most often.
   
   I would highly recommend this book for any programmer who wants to get into AS3 with Flex or for a Flash developer who is looking to take their skill set to the next level with OOP programmer.



2. I expected to see more coding techniques aside from just learning the newly structured AS 3.0. Much of the way Actionscript is coded is still done in the same way nestled in newly structured class files. And here is the new structure: package { import your library(s) class { some code } } all wrapped up in its own .as file. The SWF remains completely empty except for your class path hidden in the publish settings. And I'm still discovering this isn't the only way to organize your class files and paths. Just when I start to get comfortable with AS 2.0 and they go off and do something like this, and totally redeem themselves.
   
   Some new concepts I noticed involve Manager Classes and Interfaces. I'll be sure to master those when I start my Ph.D.
   
   The book had plenty of code to comb through which was great , moreover, it discussed a good number of practical examples. I liked that it focused on important topics and not just the title OOP AS 3.0. The book covers hot topics like Flex, XML frameworks, and web services. We all know when you mix AJAX and SOAP you don't get a good cleaning, instead you equip yourself with the coolest, latest, and greatest web thingy.
   
   I felt like some of these AS files were rather bloated compared to what I'm used to seeing in AS 2.0. If you don't have your foundation of class file after class file established, then you won't be seeing any fast implementation any time soon. You sacrifice time for decoupled, yet less simple, reusable, and robust code that makes more efficient use of processing power - cuz, users pay attention to that kind of stuff. For instance, I thought I would incorporate the source files included with the book in developing a solution for displaying video on the website here at work. After an hour or so looking at the files and testing the result in the browser, there was no evidence of button control functionality. So, I went back to my AS 2.0 help and copied code for a video object, found the corresponding methods I needed under the netstream class, and a few moments later I had a streaming video player with complete functionality. Note to self, for small fast implementation projects refer back to AS 2.0 and for large scale multi-coder headaches apply AS 3.0.
   
   Getting good exposure to AS 3.0 in prime examples really helped me transition to using it where I can find place. And what's great is that you get to see all of the code, not just a snippet shrouded by the author for his own purposes. Take a long peek at the gravity class. Admit it, you know it's what still makes Flash cool.
   
   This book definitely isn't for someone wanting to learn "programming". You should have a good foundation in basic programming concepts - method, property, constructor, function, modifier, object, etc. If you've done any JAVA programming all you need is the API documentation and you're off and running in AS 3.0. The way books are written these days you can't find a "has everything" book, so you're definitely left wanting a little more. The book totals some 597 pages but if you take out the code and empty pages you're left with maybe 200 pages of explanation. As the number of books out there continues to climb, you may question the authority and quality of each volume.
   
   This book is great for those who want to go to the next level of web programming - which is web application programming. You'll learn to program apps like Buzzword at Buzzword.com.



3. this book will help you to code more properly in actionscript,
   to get the maximum of this book you must know actionscript 3 and basic object-oriented programming.
   it is not an easy book, but if you will grasp all the concepts and implement them then you will be the perfect as3 programmer



4. Title: Object-Oriented Actionscript 3.0
   Authors: Peter Elst, Sas Jacobs, and Todd Yard
   Publisher: Friends of ED (July 23rd, 2007)
   ISBN: 1590598458
   [...]
   I figured this book would be next logical step in learning actionscript. I will state this book is not for those who are just beginning actionscript as the depth will make your head spin. If you are just beginning AS I suggest you pick up the Foundation Actionscript for Flash 8 by Friend of Ed or head over LearnFlash to check out their Introduction to Actionscript 3.0 videos. The thing that I looked forward to most about this book is the OOP discussions. As a developer, I am always looking for a better explanation of a very important aspect of development.
   The book is divided into five sections. The first section deals with OOP and Actionscript. It throws in a basic programming concepts and an introduction to Actionscript. Part two deals Flash OOP guidelines. It contains chapters dealing with best practices, planning, and project workflow. They decided to stick a Flex chapter in this section which seemed odd to me. Part three deals with the core OOP concepts such as encapsulation, classes, inheritance, Polymorphism, interfaces, and a section on design patterns. Part four deals with building and extending dynamic frameworks. They talk about manager classes, UI widgets, and OOP animation/effects. The final part deals with data integration. The authors provide details on exchanging data between components, communication with the browser, and various forms of server communication (XML and web Services. The book concludes with an example of a slideshow engine.
   The layout is very reminiscent of other books in this series. I wish they would have found a better way to make the code examples stand out from the other text a little better. It would have broken up the monotony. I think the book could have used more color.
   What I liked about the book
   I thought the authors did a great job of covering OOP concepts. Part three really provides a terrific explanation of the foundation and core fundamentals. I recommend reading part three if you need a refresher on the topic. If you don't get lost in the rhetoric then the case studies are excellent. The Slideshow engine in the final part really brings together the concepts discussed throughout the whole book. I enjoyed the coverage of Flex 2 and its capabilities.
   What I didn't like about the book
   I did not care for the way the code examples were presented at all. In most cases, it made the book hard to follow and many times I would have to reread the paragraph before the code just to make sense of what they were trying to relay to the reader. I think some of the chapters were very confusing and fuzzy on the topic at hand. I am sure the manager classes discussed in part four are integral part of AS 3.0, but I felt like I was running up hill in quicksand. There are several topics in the book that would have been clearer if they had their own chapter. This being said it would have helped me master the codes examples a bit better if the explanation was a bit clearer. The examples would be easier to follow if they built upon each other as well. I enjoyed the Flex coverage, but it would have been great to have more material relating to Flash.
   Conclusion
   I don't think this is a horrible book by any means and if were organized clearly it would be a must read. I am hoping they come out with a foundation book on AS 3.0 which will benefit beginners and intermediates as well. If you are well schooled in AS than I imagine you will find this book helpful if you are not then you will be left scratching your head. Personally, I think it time back track and pick up on some things that I must have missed.
   
   {[Jeff Smith]}



5. The intended audience is for readers who "...have some previous experience developing in Actionscript...", and that "Some familiarity with the Flash or Flex authoring environments...".
   SO - why do we get a whole chapter dedicated to a section on using Flex, but assumes that the reader already knows the Flash IDE?
   Furthermore, why is there a whole chapter on coding standards and practices?
   These are just two of the wastes of paper, therefore MY MONEY before getting down to the OOP concepts.
   If you do buy, watch out for the errata, and the publishers (Friends of Ed) have errors on their reporting page, which is, possibly, the reason there is no corrections sheet for this book
   
   Once we get to the OOP stage, there is a major dearth of answers to the question WHY? I'm a newcomer to true OOP, so this book is not a good way to delve into OOP.

No comments about MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-238): Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

5 comments about Rails Cookbook (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)).

1. Web programmers and practicing developers working with Rails will want this solution-oriented guide to building web 2.0 applications - a guide packed with recipes for success from the basics of installing and using Rails to the latest applications. Learn how to work with an application's logic, how to test and debit a Rails application, and use Rails plug-ins with RAILS COOKBOOK: APPLICATIONS FOR RAPID WEB DEVELOPMENT WITH RUBY, which covers version 1.2 and will reach both programmers and serious programming libraries.



2. Probably my most worn RoR book. It doesn't teach you Ruby or Rails since it's really a how-to book. I learned Ruby and Rails from other books but once I set out to build an app, I often thought to myself "now I remember reading about this somewhere, I just can't remember the syntax." Instead of digging through my other books, I thumbed through the TOC and quickly found a refresher. Well worth your money and saves you a lot of time spent on google or searching for solutions in other books.



3. Now that I've encountered a few recipies books, I have to admit I'm in love with the format. I proves very practical and much easier to use.



4. The "Rails Cookbook" is a very useful book for the working programmer.
   
   Programming is all about solving problems, and that is exactly what this book is about. Each "Recipe" contains the problem, the solution and a discussion about the solution. They are concise without being too vague to be useful.
   
   The book contains almost 200 of these problems / solutions.
   
   This probably wouldn't be a good introduction to the language or the framework, but if you already are familiar with both - this book is a very valuable tool to help you get your work done.



5. I used this book for a grad class project that had to do with building multimedia database system with Ruby on Rails framework. This is the first of the "cookbook" series I ever purchased, so I was a bit skeptical in the beginning. I am very pleased with this book. It has detailed solutions for several of the common problems. I had successfully built a nice multimedia database driven application in a single weekend with this book. Code examples are well presented and it's easy to incorporate it into your application. This is not a beginner's book. If you know nothing about Ruby or Rails, you should get a beginner's book first - I used "Build Your Own Ruby On Rails" by Patrick Lenz [note that this book is available for free download on the web - search for it on Google]. I am very highly pleased with this purchase and I will recommend it highly especially to those who want to get up and running quickly.

5 comments about Murach's ASP.NET 2.0 Web Programming with C# 2005.

1. This is a great book that'll help you hit the ground running. Sort of falls short on really specific things when it comes to writing code for maintaining a database. Gives the reader a quick overview of the key parts of the language, but not much else.
   
   It helps to have a few years experience of Visual Studio under the belt. I don't think I'd recommend this for beginners. It mainly deals with 4 languages at once. Html, ASP, C# and SQL. I've had experience with SQL, HTML, and C# previously. And PHP which is almost the same as ASP.
   
   Perfect for refreshing after you know about the language/programming style already. Excellent reference book, with code examples and explanation of the code side by side.



2. I had recently checked this book out of the corporate Library where I work. There are about 60 copies avaiable for checkout, and I was #37 on the waiting list. I had to keep checking it out in order to keep reading it. This bacame an inefficient way to read the book so I purchased my own copy, and I am glad I did.
   
   This book is a fantastic learning tool as well as an excellent referrence book. I am currently taking an ASP.NET class and I have found that the book is actually in parallel with the class, making the class more effective.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone trying to learn ASP.NET Web Programming with C# 2005. I also recommend the Murach book "C# 2005" as a companion book. And along with those two, their Murach's SQL Server 2005 for Developers is also a great companion book since most ASP.NET web application are data driven one way or another. With these three books you will be on the fast track to becoming a solid web developer in no time.
   
   This book is great for the novice as well as the seasoned professional. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn ASP.NET 2.0



3. As a self-taught developer, I rely on programming texts to not only provide the syntax and rules of a language, but also to provide real-world examples and problems that reinforce the material. Because the move from the living room desktop to a professional cubicle is daunting, practical tutorials are an absolute necessity. And the Murach team's offerings never disappoint.
   
   Murach's C# 2005 and ASP.NET 2.0 Web Programming With C# are a two volume set that will take a disciplined beginner from "Hello World" to professional junior-level projects. The C# 2005 title takes you in a logical, orderly manner thru practically every aspect of the language, with accompanying tutorials (as already mentioned) to help the information 'stick'. Then the ASP.NET 2.0 with C# text shows you how to put all that newly-acquired C# knowledge to work on the web. All the basics of the IDE, all the new .NET tools, and ASP.NET using C# are covered. The two books together are still a tad light on detailed subjects like Web Services, network programming, etc., but there are plenty of more narrowly focused books out there to fill in those gaps.
   
   If you work thru the examples, and if you work the end-of-chapter problems, and if you really strive to understand how and why things are done a certain way, this pair of Murach manuals along with their SQL Server 2005 for Developers - and a good bit of HTML/CSS knowledge - will put you well on your way to that first Web Development job.



4. I like this book. It is a fast read. It is written so that someone fairly new to programming can create a website in c#. Even though I am experienced programmer in VB, there were many tidbits of information that I got from this book. The fact that is such an easy read makes it all that much better.
   
   I have read some other harsh reviews. In all fairness, this book is geared toward someone new to web application development. Murach tries to encompass what would take about 4 books and much development time if one were to become an expert in web application development.
   
   If you are interested in learning the basics of web app development, this is good place to start. If you are more experienced at programming, then there are many things you can take away from this book(especially from the later chapters).



5. Murach's C# 2005 and Murach's ASP.NET 2.0 with C# 2005 are plainly excellent books.
   They are organized and presented in such a way that the reader can learn very fast and acquire a very complete knowledge about C# and ASP.NET.
   These books go directly to the point, in a practical way, presenting examples that can be applied to real programs. The way they are organized makes them useful for learning and for reference.