5 comments about Java: The Complete Reference, Seventh Edition (Osborne Complete Reference Series).

1. I have read a lot of books on Java, but this was the best one. There are hundreds of books on Java and its technologies, some are good, some not so much but "Java - The Complete Reference" was the book I ever wanted. The author explains very clear the language and its new features added in Java SE 5 and improvements in Java SE 6. I like all books written by Herbert Schildt, he is my preferred author of programming books.
   Thanks to Herbert Schildt for this book, keep up good work.



2. Trovo Shildt un autore fenomale e in questo libro lo si nota in modo evidente.
   
   Questo libro si offre come reference per il linguaggio JAVA e si merita il titolo che si e' dato. Copre moltissimi argomenti, approfondendo dove e' necessario.
   
   E' aggiornato all'ultima edizione di JAVA.
   
   Lo consiglio a chi inizia ad addentrarsi nella programmazione in linguaggio JAVA, ma ha gia' una consistente base di approccio orientato agli oggetti.
   
   mircha



3. This is a nice book for Java beginners, especially for those who have some experience with C++. The first part discusses the basic Java language syntax and features. Mr. Schildt illustrates each of his points with some short pieces of codes and gives some insight about the reason why Java works the way it does. The second part of the book is about the Java libraries, and the third part goes into advanced topics about building applications with Java. I think reading the first part will get someone started with programming in Java. The second part serves better as a reference. This book is a good first step in one's study of Java programming before delving into more advanced books.



4. I bought this book for a class i'm taking. We're roughly 1/4 of the way through the class, so i have not fully utilized the book.
   
   However, i would like to say that the early chapters do an EXCELLENT job of going over the basics in detail. For example: i had totally forgotten how most computers represent negative numbers (two's complement) and why. This book explained it to me in about a page and a half.
   
   Having already programmed in a few, similar languages, it was painful to read about how the 'if' statement works when i already know it. But i find myself reading the assigned chapters completely, just to make sure i don't miss some bit of knowledge that escaped me in the past, such as two's complement and the like.
   
   If you're new to programming, this book should help you out a lot in understanding why programs work the way they do. If you just need a book for a reference try looking here
   
   [...]
   
   and here
   
   [...]
   
   Most of your questions will probably be answered at these sights. You can even download the doc to have on your machine.
   
   [...]
   
   Best of luck!



5. If you're looking for the one-stop reference book --- this is it. But like other reference books, this one may sit, unused on your desk gathering dust. It's a painfully dry read guaranteed to put you to sleep at night.

5 comments about SAS Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming for SAS 9.

1. The most notable attribute of the SAS Prep Guide is that it contains a lot of information not included in the two programming classes that I've taken from the SAS Institute (Base Programming I and II). The classes were great, but the book adds even more material (and if it's on the test, I want to know about it!). The book is thorough, over 750 pages of material and includes about 10 questions at the end of each chapter as a test (answers and explanations in the back of the book). Also, the book doubles as a reference guide in case you're stumped and need a resource. I have not used the CDROM at all and thus have no comments in regards to it. Overall, I suggest it, especially if you can get your company to pay for it!



2. I bought this book and read it many times before the exam. Took notes for concepts that are confusing or may be tricky(like Do while/Until, Length etc.). Passed the test (90% questions correct!) and now preparing for the advanced test. The quizes on the back are good but a bit easier than the test. I also referred the e-planetlabs study guide which had better quizes. Then I reviewd this book again to clear some concepts. Overall, SAS base test is pretty easy if you have these two reference materials. Answering 45 correct questions out of 70 is not that tough. Also SAS website has a mock test which might help practice, but i suggest the e-planet. Good luck.



3. Buying this book from Amazon saved me time and money. I was worried about the cd not being included with the book at the time of purchase. However, the book was brand new with cd wrapped in a plastic wrap. I am very pleased to order this book from Amazon.



4. This is a great book if you are preparing to take the SAS Exam. It covers everything you need to know for the exam and it is very easy to understand. I was able to pass the exam after studying with this book.



5. The book is all what you need to get started with SAS. It covers all the basic subjects that a beginner needs to jump start his/her SAS experience.
   
   Then I bought the Practice Exam from the SAS institute to get a feel of the exam questions, and trust me guys, you have to have the practice test in order to know how the real test is going to be. It helps a lot.
   
   I bought the book in June end, read it a couple of times while summarizing the important subjects, took the exam in September and passed it.

1 comments about Web Analytics For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)).

1. Excellent book for those who know little or nothing about web analytics.
   It explains the what and the why of web analytics. It then does a good job of discussing software. The pros and cons of each without any bias.
   I am already using Awstats, a server side analytics tool, and still learned a few things. It also covers Google analytics, which is free and a very valuable tool for any website.

No comments about iPhone in Action: Introduction to Web and SDK Development.

1 comments about iPhone Open Application Development: Write Native Applications Using the Open Source Tool Chain.

1. At 268 pages, this book is shorter than many programming books.
   
   It describes developing for an open (jailbroken) iPhone. After the first edition sold out, this is the version with minor updates for the iPhone 2.x firmware. This book teaches you about the iPhone APIs used by the built-in Apple applications, but you should be aware that it does NOT target the Apple iPhone SDK, and does NOT guide you in developing apps for the AppStore, though the code will generally be applicable for AppStore applications.
   
   It begins with a description of the process of jailbreaking, getting the compiler set up either on the Mac (hard) or the iPhone itself (trivial: http://soi.kd6.us/2008/09/27/so-i-made-my-iphone-say-hello-world/) and an introduction to Objective-C.
   
   This book presents many complete example programs using the various iPhone UIKit controls, and presents information on Quartz (2d graphics) and the sound libraries.
   
   It does not describe OpenGL ES (for high-performance/3D graphics) or web applications and APIs.
   
   I found occasional editing errors - more than I'd expect in an O'Reilly Second Edition, ranging from typos (Quarts instead of Quartz) to old text describing an updated code example, to copy-and-paste errors between similar sections. Nothing too egregious, but distracting.
   
   I list this book and other books that target the SDK in my Amazon Store: http://astore.amazon.com/iaw-20

5 comments about SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible.

1. The essence of this book could have been covered in less than 50 pages. Lots of fluff and poorly organized with topics covered in multiple places. Best practices for organic search and PPC were intermingled so those focused on organic search had to pull it apart. Would have been helpful to have an SEO punch list/summary to follow for building a site or product category.
   
   Did have some useful links to SEO tools but the interviews with industry guru's were worthless. Ultimately, the four page checklist we received from our SEO consultant was much more helpful than this entire book.



2. But I did read it cover to cover. It's well written, properly edited (rare these days), and entertaining to read. It does contain some waffle, which means stuff that might be off topic. However, that could probably be resolved by a shorter page count. Search Engine Optimization is really not a complicated topic.



3. The book had a lot of information but it's mainly the basics.So i can't say it was great.I expected more.



4. a really good book with some good information.but i expected more in this one.but overall it was good.



5. This book it's fantastic, it talks about very simple things that a person can forget sometimes.

5 comments about C# 2008 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. I've read the 2005 version and this 2008 version and all I can say is these guys know their stuff. I've read many books on C# and this is the best book I've read. By programmers for programmers. Outstanding examples and explanations.
   
   If you authors are reading this, please write more books. I'd like to request a dedicated book on OOP concepts and class design using C#.
   
   Keep up the Great work!!!



2. I bought this book hoping to learn from scratch - as one would assume you can normally do from a "For Dummies" book. I own 12 "For Dummies" books on various subjects, but this has by far been the most scattered in flow and difficult to process.
   While the book exhausts you with lengthy dissertations on all of the possible variable types before you even get to write anything useful, it then completely leaves out the really useful information and techniques like how to write a program that can save text output into a separate file. There is no CD included, leaving you to have to go to the author's website and download all of the support files you'll need to cover your topics of interest. While I did find a "bonus" chapter on the author's website that covered creating programs that read from and write to text files, the code he published with it had errors and would not compile.
   Finally, I say there is no "mid ground" because it seems he can only take you along at either 5mph or 200mph - there isn't much in-between. There is a lot of "we'll cover that later" (my quotes) but it doesn't get covered in time to help you understand what he's discussing just a few pages later.
   BIG disappointment. I'm now looking for another tutorial source on C#.



3. Caveat: I'm one of the two authors of C# 2008 For Dummies (I did all of the 2005 and 2008 update work).
   
   I invite reviews of C# 2008 For Dummies, regardless of your level of experience or background. For myself, I find reader reviews very helpful in deciding whether to buy a book.
   
   C# 2008 For Dummies is aimed at beginning programmers, but it probably sells more copies to more experienced programmers, many of them looking to pick up a new language or break into .NET programming.
   
   Beginners will find very simple, easy-to-follow examples, with chapters building up to more sophisticated techniques. Additionally, my Web site for the book includes many supplementary articles on topics I lacked room to cover in the pages. The site also includes all of the example code for the book (well over 100 small programs that focus on one thing at a time), 7 extra bonus chapters, and other resources.
   
   More experienced hands will find pretty complete coverage of the C# language. Note that the emphasis is on the language, not on its many, many applications, such as Web programming, database programming, and so on. I discuss language features (some of which are very cool) in a context that is uncluttered with advanced features. (You can find more advanced features and techniques and applications such as Web coding in books from Wiley (the For Dummies folks) and other publishers as well as Web sites that offer many examples, articles, and lots of code. Try C# Station, C# Help, Code Project, CodeGuru.net, and more--Google for C#.)
   
   New in the 2008 edition are old features not previously included, such as delegates, events, and collections. Also brand new features: Language Integrated Query (LINQ), lambda expressions, the var keyword, extension methods, array and collection initializers, anonymous classes, query syntax. Many topics have been extended or elaborated--the book is about 25% longer than the 2005 edition.
   
   So please consider buying C# 2008 For Dummies if you're in one of its demographic categories. I don't think you'll regret it. And don't forget to check out the Web site at csharp102.info--it may help you decide whether to buy the book. And you can always contact me by email at sphars1@yahoo.com if you have questions, find errors, and so on.
   
   I hope you enjoy reading C# 2008 For Dummies as much as I enjoyed writing it.
   
   Best,
   Chuck Sphar



4. The book provides a gentle introduction to C#, in line with the other texts of this series. The pace of reading is mild, giving plenty of time to assimilate each new aspect of C#.
   
   Along the way, you learn the essentials of object oriented programming. Using a language that is fully OO, unlike C++, and like java.
   
   Perhaps there could have been [more] problems provided, to give the reader a challenge, and to really help her learn this stuff.



5. Great book, one of the few I have read all the way through. Some of the concepts where not new to me. The ones that where are well explained. This would be a great companion book for anyone wanting to learn C# with almost no programming experience. For people with programming experience in other languages this book is all you need to get started.

4 comments about MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-441): Designing Database Solutions by Using Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2005 (Self-Paced Training Kits).

1. Be sure to prep for the 70-441 exam with the experts from Solid Quality. Everything, including good test questions, is in this book.



2. This is all you need to pass this exam. A good book with some good practical examples.



3. I used this book initially to supplement my study for the 70-441 exam.
   
   Unfortunately, each chapter was very short and had only a few review questions, and the topics were presented in a very detached and superficial manner, as though someone had simply summarized the online documentation without truly understanding it.
   
   The practice test supplied on CD did have more questions, but the test engine itself was buggy and hard to use. For exampe, you can configure the engine to generate a test on specific chapters and with a time limit, say 10 questions from chapter 5 with a time limit of 30 mintues, but it would just ignore your criteria and simply give you all 191 questions with no filtering and no randomization of the questions.
   
   After a couple of frustrating weeks, I realized the book wasn't helping me understand the material so I switched to the Sybex book by Victor Isakov, and I'm so happy I did.



4. This book really helped me prep for the 70-441 exam. I managed to pass it the first time. One thing the book itself doesn't really mention is that the exam questions are all case-study related, with "best answers" needed (when to use stored procs vs UDFs), not trivia-related issues (what stored procedure to call an when). The book could be improved somewhat to gear more for this test format.
   
   The practice tests in the book CD are case-study related, but I still found them asking more questions that are trivia, as opposed to best-fit answers. Fot those, I recomend Transcender practice exams.

No comments about Photoshop CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks.

5 comments about The Definitive Guide to SQLite.

1. I read this book cover-to-cover, except for most of the C API material. It contains a useful SQL overview, along with Sqlite3 specifics. I have done corporate database programming in my younger days; but even so, the overview was a helpful refresher. However, a person current in SQL would consider this material fluff.
   
   That said, the Sqlite3 specifics make the book worth the price. It is written well enough, and I enjoyed the read. I'm a perl guy, and I was disappointed that there wasn't more perl-related info. I got the feeling that the author was unfamiliar with perl, and lifted the information from elsewhere.
   
   Other reviewers have complained about the index, and they are right. It is incredibly inadequate. This fault makes the book annoying to use as a reference. I have been penciling page numbers into the index as I use the book.



2. This is the best available source on SQLite 3. It thoroughly covers how this junior version RDBMS differs from the big boys (like Oracle, MS SQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) It covers especially well the unusual variable typing and the special role of SQLite as an embedded relational database. For my purposes, the book spends too much time on the internals and the background C and C++. I wish it had covered in more detail the language extensions for embedding SQLite in Perl, Python, Ruby, Java, Tcl, and PHP; but I did learn a great deal about these extensions that I have found nowhere else. Free open source software can only document so much: at some point, one must consult a book written for profit such as this one.



3. Chapter 4, PHP5, PDO, sqlite3 and root access at a UNIX console ... that's the recipe I used to learn SQL (at last, after more than 3-decades of programmming -- I finally got around to it)
   
   Tech books are hard to recommend ... kudos for not using Widget Inc. for the samples and examples. The "Foods Used in Seinfeld Episodes" [mostly junk food] ... database examples was quite nourishing for the intended purpose. I bought, I sat, I learned. For me, 4-1/2 stars ( my 1/2 star deduction might just as well be a 1/2 start addition to those who value redundancy) ... I felt it could have been every bit as useful trimming the page count by 25% ... but then, maybe it was intended for younger programmers ... you know, those who have only been at it for 20 years. :-)



4. Satisfies a need as one of the few books that deal with sqlite3. Overall an excellent reference and guide to sqlite, however I knocked it down a few pegs because the example code in the book is either incomplete or has errors and then when you compare it with the examples you can download from the APress site the downloaded examples don't match the examples in the book. Needed better proof reading of the code examples before being published. Maybe if there is a follow on second edition they can improve on these short comings. Still definitely worth the purchase despite these problems.



5. This is a great book for a beginner and probably a semi-pro. Very well done. Easy to read.