5 comments about Programming Microsoft® Visual C#® 2005: The Language (Pro Developer).

1. Like many other reviewers, I purchased this book alongside the MS Press 70-536 Training Kit. This book really can only be useful for an experienced C# developer who is looking to fill in any knowledge gaps concerning the language itself. Such a person would be able to spot the numerous errors and move past them without harm done. However, I could not, in good conscience, recommend this to anyone actually seeking to learn the language.
   
   As an example, on page 21, the unary operators are described with examples for each. However, the postfix increment "++" and postfix decrement "--" operators have their examples swapped. Once again, someone already in the know wouldn't be too bothered by this and would figure it out immediately, but for others, it could result in quite a bit of confusion.



2. As an MCAD, I think this book provides excellent coverage of C#, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a reference for the language.
   
   I think some reviews on this book were looking for more of an introductory step-by-step sample format, which this is not. This is most appropriate for those with some programming background, who want to add C# to their list of languages.



3. Not only is this book a complete reference, it has relevant examples. This author seems to have years of real experience and it shows. The sections are logically ordered so that everything i'm looking for is in easy reach. This book has saved me a lot of time.



4. WAY TOO MUCH FLUFF. Buried in all of this filler text are obfuscated details of the language. There are no real examples that can be followed. I wish I could get a refund because I really feel like I wasted my money.



5. I ordered this product coz in Mexico i just couldn't find it... It seems that the best titles are only in the US and it's a good thing that we can make international orders for them.
   
   This little piece of art it's one of the bests i've had. It's very well explained and also serves as reference for specific methods.
   
   highly recommended
   
   Carlos Silva

5 comments about Web Project Management: Delivering Successful Commercial Web Sites.

1. Talks WAY too much in generalities and jargon, with almost no specifics. The website for the book says they can't give more specifics about, for example, project specification documents, because of confidentiality. That's a really lame excuse for not coming up with a sample, detailed project spec.



2. The Web Design department of the career college I am an instructor and program coordinator at have used this text for several years now as the primary text for a web project management class. The problem with this book is that it sets the bar too high from the beginning and only applies if one finds themseleves a project manager handling huge corporate website accounts. It is impossible to scale the tone of the book down to explain the process when dealing with individuals and small businesses when the book has you only "wearing one hat" when sometimes you have to wear them all. It's also terribly boring to read, which makes it impossible to gain any understanding from it.This is an old book, in great need of an update. There are much more current and interesting books out there now that handle the same topic, and do it well. This may have been the first book of its kind, but it's certainly not the greatest.



3. This is a great book. It's making my life a lot easier. It presents sound methodology if you are going to develop and build a commercial Web site. I am using it in school right now. It really defines terms in such a way that they are not just words that you toss around. By defining, describing and giving examples the terms become second nature and you actually understand in a logical fashion the integrated elements of designing and maintaining a commercial Web site.



4. Not for the newbie producer, but a wealth of knowledge contained in this book. I have been a producer for a number of years now and when making the move to full-size websites, I needed to get more information on documentation and process. In researching I came across this book and very glad I did. From research and scoping to execution and maintenance this book covers all the pitfalls, documentation, and questions you need to plan for when building an Enterprise site. A great book that will stay in my library forever.



5. This book was a pioneer in esatblishging the scope of web project management - especially bringing together the creative and engineering sides to the project. It is applicable to dynamic and interactive websites such as found in online media and corporate websites.
   
   The project management techniques are crude and the appreciation of the software engineering issues are simplistic: but the approcah used is still applicable to the majority of contemporary websites.
   
   This is a sound starting point for people starting to engage with managing the design, development and maintenance of complex websites. It should not be taken as the current state of the art.

4 comments about Web Design: Studios 2 (Icons).

1. Great catalog of the best web studios in the world. Very usefull as a benchmarking guide in webdesign area. Could have more examples of work. But you can check this out in the studio's websites.



2. While the book is not going to give you any great insight to what makes a site tick, it does exactly what it intends to and that is inspire through lots of screenshots of amazing websites.
   
   Don't listen to other reviewers who say that the book is in the wrong language. It's just written in three languages and sometimes it looks like English is omitted, but it's still there, probably just on the next page.
   
   Another complaint by other reviews has been a lack of Flash sites. Well, if you want Flash sites, buy Taschen's book full of Flash pages. It's as simple as that.
   
   Overall this book is a very nice addition to the ICONS series.



3. if you're interested in web 2.0 you will enjoy this book. a great resource packed with lots of web design ideas and executions.



4. This is one of the best web site example books I've seen in a while. I found many sources of inspiration throughout.

5 comments about SCJD Exam with J2SE 5, Second Edition (Expert's Voice in Java).

1. Most of the time people who are preparing for SCJD will buy this book but it is good beyond that. Second edition give you practical example on actual project. It is kind of parallel to what you are doing in SCJD. Author is active member on javaranch and gives very useful tips to all post in SCJD forum. I think people who want to improve Java skills on application side should look into this book as well.
   
   I am using it for SCJD exam. Good luck to all.



2. It is one of the best books on latest version of SCJD J2SE5. It gives you insight of project and way to complete your SCJD project with confidence. You should buy if you are preparing for SCJD like me.



3. This book gives you all information you are serching for to start your project. This is one of the best book available right now for Developer exam



4. The SCJD assignments are somewhat vague and misleading. While part of the exercise is to work through imperfect requirements (as those you will find in the real world), a good set of 'must' requirements needs to be met. The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 5 book fills in the gaps for common questions a SCJD candidate may have on areas such as packaging, logging and Javadoc. More importantly, the authors walk through a sample project detailing key areas of importance to your SCJD assignment; including RMI, Sockets, serialization, Swing, threads, design patterns, value/transfer objects and more.
   
   If you are going to do the SCJD assignment, you should purchase this book. You will find yourself developing the assignment the 'right' way and you will also find yourself working many of the author's suggestions into your workplace.
   
   The code for the sample project is provided online for reference purposes.



5. Even if you decide not to seek Java Developer Certification you owe it to yourself to read this one. You won't find any better coverage of threads and RMI anywhere.

5 comments about Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Version 2003 (Pro Developer).

1. This was the first .NET book I purchased, and in many ways if I hadn't bought any others it would have been sufficient. It has thorough coverage of the .NET environment, with lucid code examples in VB.NET. I found the chapters on ADO.NET and the framework internals to be most useful to my job as an ASP.NET developer, but the coverage is deep enough that a person with very little programming experience could read this book and come away as a well-rounded .NET programmer. Even if you're writing in C#, as I am, the book is worth the money. I would also recommend Dino Esposito's Programming Microsoft ASP.NET for more depth if you're a web developer.



2. I bought this book few years. It is an excelent source of information and writers style is very clear. I just came back to see if Balena has book for C# 2005. Looks like I found something. I am going get that one. However, present book is quite good, check if there is a newer release you may want to get that one.



3. Fast service, great quality... What more can you ask for. I recommend this seller.



4. There is a lot of information in this book, covering a broad range of subjects. It is well laid out and easy to reference. The CD comes with the current version of the book as well as the author's previous book on VB6. Not really a beginner's book as there are more intermediate and advanced topics. I had not used .NET and hadn't touched VB6 in a couple of years. I needed a resource to help jump from rusty VB6 skills to .NET - this book did it perfectly. It is also filled with advanced topics that I am not currently using but now know where to go when the need arrives.



5. I am an experienced developer but fairly new to VB.NET. This book is not for beginners but it is great for someone like myself who knows what they want to do and just wants some good examples and tips. It's a great reference book and a good alterative to Google. The English is clear and to the point. The book is a sturdy hardback and the pages are well laid out. It's easy to read afters hous of staring at a screen. To sum up, I'm glad that I brought it. It has saved me time and money and you can't ask for much more than that :-)

No comments about SAP FI/CO Questions & Answers (with CD-ROM)(Computer Science) (Business) (Computer Science).

No comments about Excel Pivot Tables Recipe Book: A Problem-Solution Approach.

No comments about Head First PHP & MySQL.

5 comments about Programming Logic and Design, Comprehensive, Fourth Edition.

1. I was delightfully surprised at the level of detail used in this book. As a working professional, student, and busy mom I have never taken the time to review an item on Amazon.com's website - and I have quite a substantial library of technical books acquired over the past 13 years, many items purchased through Amazon.com. However, I had to take a moment to review THIS BOOK.
   
   As a self taught programmer, I found mastering the syntax of a language very simple. Naturally, I initially thought understanding the semantics of a language would be enough to succeed in it professionally. I worked in an IT department as an analyst and found coding in this home-grown system to be quite rewarding.
   
   However, I found myself transitioning to another company after my department was relocated to a different state and quickly realized that understanding a language is not enough, as a specific language such as C, Perl, C++, or Java is simply a tool - to a programmer used to solve a given problem at hand.
   
   I pursued formal education as ran across the second edition of this book a few years ago as the required text for a Logic/Design class. As a professional programmer, lifetime learner, and student who is passionate about the "art" of programming I can tell you the 3rd edition is a wonderful book (a complete revision of the 2nd edition with insight into OOP, which unlike many other logic/design books walks you through the analysis, design, and development of complete programs - including array manipulation, sequential file manipulation, data dictionary - METADATA design, advanced modularization techniques - as must have skill (ex. most of the report applications I work on are hundreds of lines of code, are composed of various modules, and include calls to mutiple external subroutines - so being able to understand the hierarchy, calling, and called modules of a large complex routine is important is creating, modifying, and/or maintaining it ), control breaks, menus, data validation, event driven programming, and system modeling) that will not only greatly improve your success as a programmer (student or professional), it will guide you on a path as both a logical and critical thinker - critical skills to succeed in life and programming!
   
   Good luck on your "programming" travels. For me, this book was a great investment and money well spent.



2. This book is a noble attempt at teaching the concepts of computer programming without going into the specifics of any language. Unfortunately, it is either an insurmountable task or the author has simply failed. The author apparently tries to stay language-neutral by misusing terms (oh, just minor things such as "module" and "procedural programming") which have completely different meanings in the real world. As a result, the book is filled with errors and misleading terminology.
   
   Being a semi-experienced programmer, I have been able to sift through the garbage and extract some useful information; however, I pity the soul who gets dropped into an "Introduction to Programming" class with this book as the main tool for learning.
   
   I have given three stars because there is actually a lot of knowledge to be gained from the book. It is just very, very poorly presented. The worst part is that it APPEARS to be a wonderful book until you actually read what it says and compare it to reality.



3. .
   
   Computer programing is a rabidly growing career field, and will be for some time to come. So if you want to learn how to program, I recommend that you start here and develop a SOLID foundation for what ever language you wish to learn.
   
   This book will make learning any and all other languages much simpler and will even help to open your repertoire to many programing languages and applications.



4. If you are looking to buy this for a college class, BE VERY CAREFUL because there is a confusing difference between the COMPREHENSIVE version and the INTRODUCTORY version.
   
   The INTRODUCTORY version has a secret password packaged on the back cover, so that college students must enter that password code online to get at the assignments, and the INTRODUCTORY version is under 400 pages.
   
   The COMPREHENSIVE version is over 700 pages, and it does NOT include the secret password code, but has a completely different CD that is not part of class assignments.



5. I am using this textbook for a college class and find it to be very helpful. They start from the beginning and don't assume you already know what they are going to cover. It is easy to understand and well laid out. This is one of the best textbooks I've used.

3 comments about Developing Drivers with the Windows Driver Foundation (Pro Developer).

1. This book does exactly what it says, it provides a practical, sample-oriented introduction to developing drivers the Microsoft Windows Driver Foundation way.
   
   The driver code for the samples used in the book, tools needed for developing drivers, and reference documentation are all downloadable (all 2.5GB of it, but it's free) from Microsoft. If you're like me and spend only a small part of your time working on drivers (I'm trying to interface a USB gadget), this is a great guide to WDF as well as to Windows I/O techniques and interface best practices. To get started, you can just hack the samples provided, as the authors intend. WDF looks after plug-n-play and power management, so it makes it easy to develop a basic user-mode USB driver like mine.
   
   If you're a driver specialist, are writing kernel drivers, or have drivers to port from a different operating system, then the book is a detailed reference for moving to WDF. There's a lot of abstraction in the Windows way of doing drivers, and understanding the abstractions helps you write and debug your driver, so this book does a comprehensive job of explaining the relevant abstractions as you go along.
   
   For example, if you're already an expert in the COM programming model, so that it's obvious to you why you need to implement the IUnknown methods, then you can likely skip most of Chapter 18. For the rest of us, we need the how-to advice and the examples, so there's a good reason the book is close to 900 pages :).



2. The content of the book feels more accessible than the online WDK documentation. It does cover the material, but each chapter is divided into three parts: stuff common between the kernel driver framework and user mode driver framework, stuff about the kernel driver framework, and stuff about the user mode driver framework. The authors probably had a hard time organizing the material, but the book should have been structured into those three parts. For example, I'm not currently interested in developing a user mode driver and I found the user mode driver material distracting.
   
   This book is more reference than how-to. Maybe the authors should have structured the book like some of the Linux driver books: develop a real device driver.



3. This book may very well describe writing WDF drivers, but it is not necessarily a useful book. It is not the Windows equivalent of the one Writing Linux Device Drivers book, and even that book is only just so useful. First: User-mode drivers are described, but what good are they? They can't do a _lot_ of things, and they are source-code incompatible with kernel-mode drivers. Second: In the book's Forward, a Microsoft "Architect" mentions that 3rd party driver developers find the pre-WDF Windows driver model "complex and difficult to use". Unfortunately neither WDF nor this book has helped me debug real world issues involving Cardbus, inf/driver install failures, and NDIS API failures. Microsoft did _not_ address/document/fix the known "complex and difficult to use" problem.