1 comments about Writing Secure Code for Windows Vista (Pro - Step By Step Developer).

1. Initially I didn't liked Windows Vista. A resource hog, some incompatibilities... But I had to use it at work so I installed it and worked with it for two months. After that, I really like the security features it has, but I felt like missing more details about specific topics... So I decided to buy this book.
   
   Writing Secure Code for Windows Vista comes as a, mostly C++ oriented (although contains some C# examples), "how to use all new features" book. Very well structured, with lots of code examples, best practices, direct to the topic, and one thing I liked a lot: very sincere. If something is working bad, the authors state it clearly (for example, the Windows Firewall API, which has bugs), and they even provide workarounds to avoid them.
   
   Down to the content, the book covers a lot of topics: New safer C functions, banned APIs, new APIs, UAC, token manipulation, integrity levels, code signing, virtualization, buffer overrun defenses, IPv6, Secure Socket extensions, Windows Firewall (Vista version, of course), IE7 security mechanisms & defenses (very interesting), Windows services development best practices, protected mode API and DEP, and the new CNG (Cryptography API: Next Generation).
   
   Even if you don't usually develop with C++ I highly recommend this book. With it you will learn a lot about all the new security features of Vista. You just need some basic knowledge of standard Windows security features and some C++/API programming.

5 comments about XML Pocket Reference.

1. The majority of the new material in this book is on different schema specifications. Schema, Relax NG and Schematron are covered. A handy book to have around when you are hacking XML. The online free documentation is not as handy as the content as it's organized in this book.



2. The other review book I received yesterday was XML Pocket Reference (3rd Edition) by Simon St. Laurent and Michael Fitzgerald. Depending on what you're looking for, this may or may not the book for you...
   
   Contents: Introduction; XML Structures; Document Type Definitions; W3C XML Schema; RELAX NG; Schematron; XML Specifications; Index
   
   Admittedly, trying to cover "XML" in a single book is a daunting task. XML is made up of so many standards and technologies (XPath, XForms, XML Schema, etc.) that you either have to specialize your coverage area or be ready to publish a *really* heavy book. To their credit, the authors stripped out XSLT into it's own pocket guide. That act keeps this particular book small enough to fit in your pocket and that's good. But if you're wanting information on XSLT and think this might be your book, forget it.
   
   Next, the XML Structures and Document Type Definition chapters seemed to be a little confusing. There was something introduced that I had never heard of before... something called "Productions" followed by syntax that looked like regular expression language. Never having seen that term before in my XML reading, I went back to the introduction to see what the authors wanted to convey there. The only explanation was "As each structure is discussed, applicable productions from the XML 1.0 and 1.1 specs will be listed in the order in which they appear in the specs." So, I still really don't know what productions are, and I probably have to go to the specs to find that out. The description of each section in an XML document, like CDATA or declarations, was nice though.
   
   The book starts to become really useful when you get into the XML Schema section. There they go into each of the elements along with each attribute that can be used with the element. This is the type of reference information I'd expect to see in a pocket guide. Something I can turn to quickly as a refresher for what parameters or attributes I can use with an element, or to gain a quick understanding of an element I haven't seen before. This same structure is followed for the RELAX NG and Schematron schema languages, so the book will be helpful if you live in those worlds also.
   
   Basically, I found the XML Pocket Guide to be a little "hit and miss". If the title had been "XML Schema Pocket Guide", I'd have felt like the book was pretty on target. Trying to call it the XML Pocket Guide seems to infer there's a lot more in here than there actually is, and a buyer might get a copy and be highly disappointed in what it doesn't cover. If you're looking for schema info, you'll love the book. If that's a secondary reason for you to get the book, you might be disappointed.



3. My problem with this book is that I was hoping it would concentrate more on just XML Schema, something I think most people would prefer. Of course, how I am qualified to make that kind of statement is beyond me ;-) But here is my reasoning: A fairly large portion of the book covers DTDs, RELAX NG, and Schematron. DTDs, while ubiquitous, are being supplanted by XML Schema. Usage of RELAX NG and Schematron are, by the book's own admission, not widespread. So it seems that all three of these technologies could have been admitted, as were many other XML-related technologies (XSLT, XPath, etc.)
   In addition, I feel the regular-expression-like inclusions should have been omitted. These include something referred to as Productions in one part of the book and Contents in another. Maybe good for hard-core CS people, but pretty much useless for those of us who just want to work with XML Schema. An ideal replacement would have been some examples illustrating sample usage of various elements and attributes.
   All in all, the descriptions accompanying the elements and attributes are pretty good. Unfortunately, that accounts for only about one-third of the book. But it only costs $10 and it is small, so maybe it's worth it.



4. I am one of the coauthors of this book. I feel compelled to write a review in support of my friend and coauthor, Simon St. Laurent, who wrote the section on XML Schema. Of the 160 pages of text in XML Pocket Reference, Third Edition, 71 pages are dedicated to XML Schema. That's 44 percent of the book. Of the 71 pages, 16 pages cover examples of XML Schema.
   
   DTDs are covered in 15 pages, RELAX NG in 32, and Schematron in 10 (57 pages total). XML Schema receives the most extensive treatment of any of the topics covered, and within the limitations of the size of the book, Simon did an excellent job.
   
   XSLT and XPath were not included in this book because a new, separate volume has been dedicated to those topics-XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference, by Evan Lenz, which also appeared in August 2005.
   
   As for the production rules, they were included for programmers and others who need grammars. The productions, which come from the XML spec, are a means for understanding XML syntax precisely, and it would have been unwise, in my view, to omit them.



5. I bought this guide because I needed a quick lookup for XML schema elements (something you'd think would be readily available online, but isn't - at least not in a usable form). The bulk of the book (70 of its 162 pages - about half) is dedicated to XSD, so I was very happy with what I got. The first 30 pages cover XML itself (all the nitpicking details like predefined entities, what characters are allowed in attribute names, etc). The next 17 pages cover DTD (which you may occasionally still need to know, even these days). The next 70 cover XML Schema, and the book finishes up with an additional 43 pages on Relax-NG and Schematron (two competing, and not very common, schema definition formats).
   
   I agree with other reviewers that the book would have been complete without the Relax-NG and Schematron coverage, but it would have just been 43 pages shorter if that was the case - there's really not much else they could have said about XML, DTD and XSD and still have been a concise "pocket reference". This book is actually pretty thick for an O'Reilly pocket reference - I have four other pocket guides on my bookshelf right now, and the other three have 120, 124 and 66 pages each. By that standard, I figure the coverage of Relax-NG and Schematron were just a "buy one get one free" type of add-on, especially since this book costs the same as all the other pocket reference books.
   
   This book is a perfect reference for somebody who needs a quick, handy reference to XML schema and the occasional XML rule.

5 comments about Practical C Programming, 3rd Edition.

1. This is a very good book, but it has two problems:
   
   1.- It is a little bit messy. For example, there are some control statements that are not with the others, not even in the same chapter... they are almost at the end of the book! why?! (The author said that those statements "are hardly ever used in real programming", which is true... but I think that order is a priority in a programming book).
   
   2.- THIS BOOK IS VERY GOOD, but FOR BEGINNERS.
   If you are NOT an expert C programmer, this book will be very good for you. You'll learn a lot of basic and very useful features about C language; you'll also learn some advanced features. But if you are an advanced C programmer, maybe you will learn just a little bit more than you already know...
   
   
   However, this book has A LOT OF VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION (not only related with C language), for example: when you make a "right shift"... the new bits are 1 or 0?, or which operation is more "expensive" (slower): a printf() or a malloc()? etc., etc...
   
   So, I think this is not a bad book... It is like an easier version of "The C programming language (Kernighan/Ritchie)", I mean: A very very good book for beginners... it is also a nice book for advanced programmers.
   
   If you want to learn C from the very beginning, I recommend this book.
   If you already know C and you want to know ADVANCED features... well... you can have this book in your collection but... get an advanced book.
   
   
   P.D:
   You can see the index and the table of contents of this book... SEE IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT!!! : )



2. First of all, this book was absolutely wonderful. It did a very good job teaching me how to write C with very little knowledge of the language. However, there were some things that the author did (and skipped over) that are cleared up in "The C Programming Language", by Dennis Ritchie. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who doesn't have very much knowledge of C, because the writing style is clear and easy to follow. The author, for the most part, does a great job of explaining difficult concepts in an easy to understand manner; such as linked lists and trees. Once again, I would recommend another book as a follow up, such as "Expert C Programming".



3. This book starts off very strong and the author is very clear and concise. I learned alot... but then something happens... the author decides to wait for covering floats until after he covers File I/O and he rushes through that. I was completely left hanging with not one example of writing data to a file and the author expected me to be able to complete an exercise in which I need to write data to a file. After this...the next chapter back tracks to covering Floats... which should have been covered previously with the other data types.



4. For anyone who has suffered through trying to read a beginners book on C only to end up getting lost half way through, you will find this book a huge relief. This book stresses things like how code so from a perspective of communicating logically. And how to comment thoroughly so their is no doubt what the code does. This is not the end all book on C, so you will want to move on to more advanced books on C after this one.



5. I have both Practical C and C Programming Language.
   I like them both but I have to say K&R C Programming Language is better just because it goes much more in depth in to the subtle nuances of the language. I'm not saying "Don't buy this book", I'm just saying that between the two read K&R C Programming Language first.

1 comments about Next Generation Wireless Applications: Creating Mobile Applications in a Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 World.

1. By far, the best wireless book I have read.
   
   It's key features are - it's independence, scope and practical insights.
   Very detailed but also an enjoyable read.
   
   I especially liked it because it helped me clarify many concepts independently (i.e. you can read the vendor's documents but they are biased by definition). Have no hesitation in recommending it

5 comments about MCSA/MCSE/MCDBA Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 System Administration, Exam 70-228, Second Edition (Pro-Certification).

1. I used this book and went through all the 16 chapters.
   This book could use some more review and additions from Microsoft. Accompanying CD barely did the job. Examples did help but limited.
   You will have to use SQL BOL (Books On Line) to get the deep understanding of the subject.
   Passed the test with 864 (86%). So i guess the book worked.



2. I did not use this book to prep for an exam. Instead I used it for reference and it has been a good source of accurate information.



3. In just few words, you exceeded my expectations, in terms of quality of purchase, time for delivery, and follow-up you did excellent job.
   
   Thank you



4. The selling point of this book is that it is part of the Microsoft Certification process for three certifications. The other thing it seemed to have going for it was a full copy of SQL Server (120 days).
   
   What isn't said anywhere when you read the description and look at its content is that in addition to SQL Server, you will need Microsoft Server 2000, and IIS. Those are a couple of fairly high ticket items IF you can find them.
   
   Microsoft has moved on to 2003 versions of all of the above and consequently it would be better to certify in that version.
   
   If you're looking for a database certification, look to mySQL and PHP, or Postgres SQL. Yes it is linux and unix mostly (Windows versions also available). Certification in any of these is just as valuable and the Microsoft certifications. After spending thirty years in IT, it is certain that Linux and Unix are eventually going to capture the server market.
   
   Back to this particular book. It is a waste of money unless you have one mean machine loaded with Microsoft server, IIS and probably more. If you have such, great. If you don't, take another route.



5. This book was essential for me as a reference for an MCSE boot camp. It is now part of my reference library. Will answer many questions that pop up during the study process.

5 comments about OCA: Oracle 10g Administration I Study Guide (1Z0-042).

1. This is the only book I used to prepare for the OCA exam. and I passed the exam



2. this is the first book i read to prepare for my OCA exam. at first i was a bit overwhelmed because the chapters are quite long and the languages are not very easy to understand (sometimes i have to reread a sentence two or three times before it clicks). but i guess it was also because by then oracle was still rather new for me. if you are an experienced dba (maybe a 9i oca or ocp) then i guess this book alone should be enough to get you a 10g oca. but if you are new to oracle, i would suggest you to study John & Damir book first (OCP All-in-one exam prep guide), it's easier to absorb and the chapters are shorter (although there are more chapters). then, if you still have the time (and the money) get this book to wrap up your preparation for the oca. i'm sure you will pass the exam like i did.



3. I just received the book and it looks like it has the content. But I must say that the paper stock used is appalling. I have seen toilet paper thicker than this paper and its already yellowing. You can see the print on the other side of the page! The print and screen shots are so small, maybe they are trying to save paper? I almost considered returning it, but it does have the content. I don't think after the exam you can use this book for a reference since it should have deteriorated by then.



4. I used this book to study for the OCA test for a month and thought I would pass with my SQL & limited Oracle experience. I did not pass the test because the test has changed to Senario Driven with Multiple Choice & Multiple answers. You would receive a long paragraph about a user's needs. You would need to select two answers out of five; 1 would be easy to pick, 2 would seem wrong and 2 would seem almost identical and right. That is where the test has gotten harder.
   
   Where this book gives you the foundation of all the "What's" involved, the test needs the "Whys".
   
   I recommend SELFTEST software Oracle pushes on thier site. I find the questions and style are very similar to what I had experienced.
   
   I still recommend this book if would like to understand the concepts and have an oracle DB at your disposal
   If you then need or want the cert buy the selftest software because I'm positive half of my questions came from that product. By spending your money on both of those products you will still make out very well because the Live course for this subject is around $2,500.
   
   My experience with Oracle has been from the Healthcare IT environment where the database is already set up and just needs tuneing and Reports. If you are an Oracle Finanicials person you may only need the SelfTest software to practice from.



5. Getting Oracle certifications is not easy. The material is difficult and extensive not matter how you approach it. The Sybex study guide does a good job of presenting the material in an organized manner.

5 comments about The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD Operating System.

1. For the other side of the story, you may wish to check out the most recent "Inside Microsoft Windows" or "Microsoft Windows Internals" by Mark Russinovich.



2. A BSD Bible. I never could read the Bible. I do Believe ...
   
   650+ pages of truth and gore. I (as a sysadmin and BSD boomer) related most to the History (Ch.1) and Startup/Shutdown (final Ch.14). Memory management and other gore escapes me. GOOD JOB!



3. First of all you should be warned that this is not an introduction to get started with UNIX kernel programming. The Design of the UNIX Operating System by M.J. Bach provides a good general introduction to UNIX kernel programming. The design and implementation of the FreeBSD operating system is an excellent book to deepen knowledge of the UNIX kernel by looking how a current UNIX is implemented in practice. Even if you plan to write code for another kernel, working through the FreeBSD kernel with this book as a guide is a good excercise to become consious of the fundamental problems and solutions in kernel design. FreeBSD (or any of the other BSDs) is a good starting point, because the BSDs have relatively stable kernel subsystems and APIs due to the long cycles in BSD development.
   
   The writing style of the authors is to the point (don't expect a novel) and clear. The troff typesetting of the book gives it a consistent style and simple, but clear diagrams (though I heard that some diagrams were hand-drawn). The book doesn't just drop the reader in a kernel subsystem. The second chapter gives a detailed explanation of the various kernel subsystems, and the relation between the subsystems. The third chapter gives a summary of what is expected from a kernel from the user level. Combined these two chapters give the reader the necessary conception of the FreeBSD kernel to start looking at individual parts of the kernel in detail. Most remaining chapters are logically ordered, in that subsystems are ordered from parts with less dependencies to parts with more dependencies (e.g. memory management and I/O are covered before filesystems).
   
   If you are interested in UNIX programming, you should have this book on your bookshelf (as well as a CVS checkout of the FreeBSD kernel tree to read the implementation).



4. Before I encountered this book it was quite a bit of frustration in attempt to learn BSD and UNIX to the point I can really use it. For some reason there so many good books in a subject with one of two inclinations: or the book is too theoretical and very little of the real workflow provided or it is too down to earth and it is difficult to understand what is behind the sophisticated command line zingers.
   I found this book to be well balanced, well written and generally providing good, accessible way to get into BSD. I have followed advise in someone's review here and coupled this book with Linux and UNIX for a beginner training suite, 4DVDs + 2CDs includes 4 Unix Academy Certifications ed.2008. To my great surprise I have to say they really have made an outstanding training outfit!
   If you really ready for a training and do not expect that UNIX will come to you overnight it is worthy book and deserves your attention.



5. A very good book for those who want to learn advanced concepts in OS. Since it is a open source the book is very useful in understanding how they look like. The paper quality is too good, which makes u read non stop. i luv reading this book. Price worth it. A good buy.

5 comments about The Official Blender 2.3 Guide: Free 3D Creation Suite for Modeling, Animation, and Rendering.

1. Being a freely available program under the GNU GPL license, I believe in supporting this magnificent program by purchasing the guides - however...
   When working from the book, there have been numerous menu changes between the version the book is written for (2.3) and the current version. This leaves you searching around for stuff and wasting a lot of time. I also ran into a problem with being unable to select a group of points as described in the book. I joined a blender forum, posted my question, and had an answer within 10 minutes. Make use of forums - their response time is like calling 911! When I decided to see what the version of the same tutorial that I had difficulty with was like in the online version, wouldn't you know, it gave a complete warning, with illustrations, about the problem I had encountered and how to deal with it! It also reflected the procedural steps for the latest version (menu item location changes, etc.).
   If you are thinking that you will get a little something extra by buying the book, DON'T. The entire contents of the book are available online at blender.org, and are updated continuously. If you do buy this book to help support the cause, do as another reader suggested and install the older version of the program from the CD accompanying the book.
   I would recommend finding other ways to financially support the Blender organization and skip purchasing the book. The reason I rate it 3 stars is because it was a sincere, effective effort for the version accompanying the book. I understand that the author's primary language is not english, and he did a much better job than I would do trying to write a book in italian. However, it seems that nobody in the publishing process with an average American or British grasp of the language bothered to edit the book before print. How can an organization go to the trouble of printing a book that is very well laid out and attractive and not actually edit the text to remove the awkward phrasing of a foreign author?
   Bottom line: Support the cause, skip the book. It's better online.



2. The information contained in the book is extremely useful for a Blender novice. It's laid out in a logical fashion, the text is supported by helpful examples, and unlike many online resources, all of the screenshots and examples pertain to one single version of Blender (with the exception of the final chapter, which details enhancements made to the application after the main text of the book had been written).
   
   My only complaint about the book is that it is occasionally difficult to read; some sections were written by authors for whom English was not a primary language, and syntax idiomatic of other languages sometimes obscured the intent of certain passages. The book would have benefited greatly by the employment of a human proofreader, as well as an editor willing to revise the occasionally unprofessional or unclear language.



3. Yes, it has grammar issues. But if you can understand the intent, then you can learn & get your work done.
   
   Yes, its available in electronic format. But Blender loves to run full screen & I hated toggling between it other on-line tutorials.
   
   Bottom-line, I still bought the book and am not dissappointed in the investment.



4. It's nice having a comprehensive source for Blender and I do find the information useful.
   
   My main criticism is on the screen captures. They are all set in grey scale on a dark grey background making distinguishing different elements difficult. Most troubling, especially for a 40-something like myself, are the tiny screen captures of the palettes. It is almost impossible to make out any detail in these images without the use of a magnifying lens.
   
   I think this issue is a publication one. The publishers probably pushed for these tiny images because larger ones would have made the 768 page book a much bigger one with a larger cost; probably a major concern for them.
   
   I've found the online image of the book much more legible but also much less convenient.
   
   So we have a convenient resource (the book) that is hard to use because of legibility issues in the images and an inconvenient resource (the online image) that is much easier to read. Sadly, not the best of both worlds.



5. I liked Cartsen Wartmann's book better than this one. This book has everything, and it is free online, but there is so much in it, it is a bit overwhelming for the newbie who just wants to learn the basis one step at a time. I ended up selling my copy of this book and buying the Blender Book by Carsten and I am happier with the older book.

5 comments about Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains.

1. Like others I spent a couple of long days finding the errors that are contained in the early chapters of this book. Maybe it's a reflection of a project delivered by a niche publisher without the oversight of a good editor, but it really does detract from the rest of the contents. In any case be warned that even the errata published on the web site, as well as other internet sources do not completely address the fundamental issues of installing and running LeJOS. It's too bad that what otherwise appears as an interesting work is so flawed.



2. Has several very good programming ideas and robot concepts suitable for teaching programming to high school / college robot teams. This early edition is still full of errors in regards to Java code. If one knows Java well then you can spot the errors and not be bothered by them. However, if one is a novice with Java then you won't realize the errors in the supplied code and be frustrated when nothing is working. Needs a timely revision to earn a five star rating.



3. Got this book for our 12-year-old. Too difficult. Good for those who have studied computer programming.



4. This NXT Java book was useless starting from page 3 on. SEVERAL issues with inaccurate LEJOS directions (installations and even programs). I have a good background in Java (BCIS) and that helps me a ton. Look at variant press and see the errata for this book!!! It is so small that PROVES the author is the only one to blame for this P.O.S. book. You would serve better to simply go to some online sites (.edu) and get the real directions for installing LeJos on your NXT and then look at the sample programs found in the LeJos API documentation (the API sux too but the sample programs are mostly bug free).
   
   
   And the building instructions are almost illegible due to poor print quality. I have used NXT's for about 3 years and it took me quite a bit of time to figure out what parts this guy was using. At least one of his labs are proof of his inability (think it was later in the book) when he mentions something about the project he is proposing doesnt work but maybe you can get it to.
   
   
   Brian B. You need to be a weather man, you are about as reliable!
   
   Bottom line...dont waste your money, Id give you mine for free if it werent in the garbage.



5. Despite the nasty reviews surrounding this book, I strongly dis-agree. I thought this book was extremely helpful. I am a java programmer but my work is in the data integration area. This book really helped me to step out of the box and start programming movement between motors,sensors,etc. I enjoy all of Brian's writings, blogs, books, etc. You won't find a better book about programming NXT bricks with Java. And who expects a 12 year old to pick up this book and understand? It's a book most suitable for experienced java programmers.

2 comments about Drawing and Detailing with SolidWorks 2008.

1. This book saved my butt. We had a downsizing at my company, and I needed to learn more on creating SolidWorks drawings fast. With no money for training, I needed a source of knowledge. I found it.
   
   My company switched over from 2007 to 2008 this year and my experience with drawings is limited. I've been using SolidWorks for approximately two years; focusing on 3D parts and assemblies. The book provides great sections on document properties, drawing templates, addressing ASME Y14 standards, custom properties, link to properties, notes, driven dimensions, centermarks, arc conditions, centerlines, sheet formats, view palette, DimXpert and so on. DimXpert is a great tool to go directly for part - to - drawing with embedded feature dimensions, feature control frames, datums, geometric tolerancing, etc. Note: DimXpert is new, be careful on using it for complex surface parts. I had some issues.
   
   The book addresses: Standard views, Isometric view, Section view, Detail view, Crop view, Projected view, Exploded view will balloons, Broken view, with BOMs, editing BOMs, revision tables, adding revisions etc.
   
   It also covers in manual detail: surface finishes, weld symbols, geometric tolerancing, feature control frames, etc. Indeed, an in-depth book on SolidWorks drawings.



2. This excellent text will be useful to any user who is concern or needs a book targeted on drawing and detailing information using SolidWorks. It covers many of the relevant commands, features, tools and does it in a clear and methodical fashion for parts and simple and complex assemblies.
   
   The breadth and depth of the author's information in this book is outstanding. The book covers: surface finishes, weld symbols, control frames, geometric tolerancing, all of the available drawings views, revisions and BOMs along with blocks, notes, importing AutoCad files, system and custom properties, document properties, etc. This is the best book on SolidWorks for drawing and detailing that I've even seen or used in my last six years.