5 comments about Java/J2EE Job Interview Companion - 400+ Questions & Answers.

1. It is really a great book and have many good interview questions. When I was done with this book it improved my theoritical knowledge and boosted my confidence for interviews.



2. All J2EE technologies that came until 2007 in one book. It helped me gain real good understanding on issues related to performance. Author has very good knowledge on issues related to J2EE.
   Cons are the price. Maybe book is a little bit overpriced. Maybe should reduce by 5$ to get more buyers. But there is good content.



3. I was looking for a book on J2EE that would help me get through a job interview. I know programming, but I have no J2EE experience. I was looking for a quick overview that would teach me some vocabulary and concepts ... enough to not sound like a total dope on the interview.
   
   This book COMPLETELY failed to meet my expectations. It was poorly written and assumed you already knew everything about J2EE. J2EE terms were used and never defined or explained.



4. There are many glaring grammatical and sentence construction errors. Anybody would expect quality work for a book that is priced $$. Sure one can swallow some mistakes of this kind given the fact its a technical book, but not when it interferes with your reading and wastes your time. 3 stars are for the subject matter covered.



5. Great, but intense brush up on Java/J2EE for those interviewing with Google, Microsoft, Amazon or any of the other "rigorous interview" tech companies.

4 comments about Ajax: The Definitive Guide.

1. §
   There is a LOT of code in this 950 page book. I guess there is something here for everyone because there is code not directly related to Ajax but is directed to HTML structure or CSS presentational aspects or to frameworks that may include Ajax conveniences.
   
   In fact, the amount of code may interfere with the author's object of appealing to two very different types of people with this book: Web developers and project managers looking for a high-level view. Except for some intro chapters and the odd breather between 10-15 page code listings, I don't think any project managers *I* have worked with would extract much from the book.
   
   The book has 4 sections:
   Part 1 - Ajax Fundamentals: the basic technologies that could form the core of a typical Ajax application.
   
   Part 2 - Ajax Foundations: approaches to standards-compliant structure, separation of the presentational layer and client-side behaviors. Code code code!
   
   Part 3 - Ajax in Applications: describes the specific implementations of these technologies into Web applications. More code!
   
   Part 4 - Wrapping Up: tips on optimization.
   
   In addition, there are some reference appendices on XML and XSLT; on JavaScript frameworks; on Ajax implementation risks; and most interestingly, a catalog of freely available Web service APIs.
   
   One thing I did not like about the code listings was the use of Prototype style $() function syntax. This means when I see something like:
   var titleText = $('title').firstChild;
   I had to check whether .firstChild was a reference to a Prototype object or a reference to the standard DOM object. If the standard object, it would have been a whole lot clear just to have written document.getElementById().
   
   The book index is actually pretty good. With 950 pages stuffed with content, you will probably be thankful for that!
   §



2. 'Ajax: The Definitive Guide' certainly is definitive. With 950+ pages of content, this book doesn't know the word brevity. Spanning 23 chapters and 4 appendixes, this book covers everything you would want to know about AJAX. From its history to how it's grown to where things are today and in the future, this text is very complete. If you are new to AJAX and want to learn how to use it in an extensive way, this is a great resource. My only qualm with this book is that I feel it is just TOO big in size. A 'Learning AJAX' book at around 200-300 pages would be a great companion book to have on the side, then switching over to this bible-size book would be a good transition. Overall this is written well, laid out in detail, and typical O'Reilly quality.
   
   ***** RECOMMENDED



3. My previous favorite, and most recommended, book on AJAX was the one by Crane et. al. because of it's completeness in covering the subject by taking a big picture view of Web 2.0 rather than just one technology. For developers though, the book by Holdener is probably the one to own.
   
   This book has some excellent information that seems to escape other books on this subject or is found across multiple titles. So even though it is certainly a large volume, I think there is some definite value in having quite a bit of related material in one title. For example, there are insights into JavaScript and use of JSON in programming the DOM (to name a few) that in my opinion made sense to include.
   
   If you are going to do rich, browser-based application work, you definitely want to consider this book.



4. While "Ajax: The Definitive Guide" is certainly exhaustive, it's hard to have confidence in a text so riddled with errors. Other O'Reilly titles I've purchased in the last few years suffer from the same problem: very poor copy editing. In a "Definitive Guide," this is inexcusable.
   
   Furthermore, he author's decision to rely on the Prototype framework is misguided. It saves a few lines of code per page, but one expects a "Definitive Guide" to define, explore, and use the actual objects and methods defined by the language itself, not those defined in one of many, many external libraries.
   
   It is also somewhat comical to read on page 10 that developers, rather than browser vendors, "are to blame for not adopting standards" and that they are "stuck with the mentality of the 1990s, when browser quirks mode, coding hacks, and other tricks were the only things that allowed code to work in all environments," and then to read on page 191 that "Yes, there are always caveats in the world of standards compliance" and that "Example 7-2 will not work in Internet Explorer because Internet Explorer does not support the CSS2 rules that are used to make this work." And on page 187 that "Internet Explorer does not natively support :hover on elements other than . For this reason, instead of using the CSS that will work for all other browsers, we must use this...."
   
   (It's hard not to laugh, too, at a sentence that begins with "To take the file menu example fully to the Web 2.0 level....")
   
   By the time all the errata are corrected and a second edition issued, it might be appropriate for the author to wag his finger at developers who can't yet afford to to be totally standards-pure, but by then the faddish jargon will seem very dated.
   
   And until O'Reilly starts employing copy editors, I'm not buying the first edition of any title they release.

No comments about SQL Queries for Mere Mortals(R): A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL (2nd Edition) (For Mere Mortals).

4 comments about Puzzles for Programmers and Pros.

1. The book contains a set of really good puzzles. Solving the puzzles will keep you entertained for days. However, the descriptions of many puzzles are too long. I am not sure if you would encouter most of the puzzles described in this book in job interviews. However the content and the complexity of the puzzles are definitely of high quality.



2. The book presents a number of puzzles, of different difficult level, with proposed solutions. In general, the puzzles are not very hard to solve if you follow the hint/guide by the author, and can be done in reasonable time. It is a good practice if you are going through a number of interviews for technical positions. It can also serve as a spare time reading for those doing research in algorithm engineering.
   
   The language of the book is a bit descriptive, not as formal and precise as I expected. This is a personal preference and I know some folks love this type of language. Given the price and content, I would give it 4 stars.



3. Before reading this book, I actually did not know how to use the dynamic programming algorithm in practice. This books taught me in one page from "Sweet Packs" puzzle. The solution is so simple and elegance that I can still remember it almost a year later. I was surprised to see how an ordinary problem can be solved with an old algorithm from a different perspective.
   This book is unique. Unlike other puzzle book, it's dedicated for programmers. And I think doing puzzle from time to time may help improve brain function. Some of the problems can be hard. If you want some simple puzzles for interview, you may also try this book "How would you move mount Fuji? - Microsoft's cult of puzzle".



4. The puzzle descriptions lack clarity of definitions. In many cases I spent more time trying to understand the description of the problem, then finding the solution. Provided solutions also lack mathematical precision. If I could, I would return this book.

5 comments about Adobe ColdFusion 8 Web Application Construction Kit, Volume 1: Getting Started (Web Application Construction Kit).

1. For years, the Web Application Construction Kit has been the gold standard by which ColdFusion books are judged. This new edition, updated for the latest version of ColdFusion, continues in that tradition.
   
   Previous editions have been a bit daunting, so the authors this time wisely decided to split into three volumes instead of the normal two. Volume 1 introduces readers to the basic concepts behind setting up ColdFusion and beginning to write their first applications. Once the basics are covered, it moves on to show how to connect to databases and display that information, create and use forms and their data, make printable content, and set up a basic application framework - pretty much, everything a newcomer to the language would need to know.
   
   The thing that struck me, an advanced ColdFusion developer, about this edition was that many books claim to preach accepted best practices but then sacrifice them in the name of simplicity. These authors, on the other hand, practice what they preach. For years, ColdFusion developers have been stressing the need to create multi-tier applications using ColdFusion Components, and yet most introductory materials on the language have relegated CFCs to advanced courses. This book introduces them as soon as it reasonably can - about half way through - and then follows the "proper" format of using multi-tier applications from then on. So this is not another book that just shows how to create ColdFusion applications, but is rather a book that shows how to build them correctly.
   
   The ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit: Volume 1 is a book that no beginning ColdFusion developer should be without, and even the most experienced developers are bound to learn a few things along the way. It is quite simply the book that no ColdFusion developer at any level can do without.



2. this is mostly the same as 7.0 book, but for 7.0 it covers more than this one. No ajax function, have to wait until the Volumn2 to come out and it seems not coming as scheduled.(it delayed two times)



3. ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit: Volume 1 is better than "ColdFusion for Dummies" or the "ColdFusion MX Bible". The authors describe how to use coldfusion tags, databases and SQL language to build applications. The descriptions and samples are easy to understand, and good tips are given throughout the book. Even experienced developers will learn how to create multi-tier applications. Can't wait to get Volume 2 and 3 for my bookshelf!



4. Having paid $30 for this book, I expected to have more than what it had in it. It had some pretty good examples and explainations, but just didnt have enough in the book for what I paid for it. I have 4 books on Coldfusion and this is the one I probably use the least. But one reason for that is that a lot of the features they talk about in the book are new to CF8 and my website is running on CF7 so I cant deploy many of the applications in the book. But still had great practice applications I can test on my Development server and see the new features though.



5. I have been coding CFML since Coldfusion 5, and I have long used the Cold Fusion MX book as a reference in my daily work, so I was happy to get the new books to help with using some of the newer features.
   
   So this is a large jump from my book for version 6, there is a lot more in the book, but also a lot less. I went ahead and got all three books in the series, and one of the things that I found was missing was the CFML tag reference at the end of the book. I know that sometimes I do work while on the road, and so do not have internet access, but they seem to only want to have that information on-line.
   
   In my review of Volume 3, I did complain about half the book being on-line only and not actually in the print book. When you buy a book, it is nice to actually get the book.
   
   I am far from a new user of Coldfusion so I can not speak of how well it teaches the language, but as a long time user, I do find this series as a nice reference. One things that does seem to be missing is talking about which of the features are new to 8, which were added in 7, and so on. I know that in my development, I need to constantly support customers who are on old version of Coldfusion, so that would be a great thing to have with the Tag reference.
   
   Hope this helps people out there...

5 comments about Advanced ActionScript 3 with Design Patterns.

1. At first when I thought about buying this book I was not sure to what to expect but I did see Joey Lott's name on it and thought it had to be worth it. Well it seems that this is exactly what I have been looking for. As a developer I come across many common problems that haunt me through every application I create, from passing data throughout the application to proper encapsulation.
   
   This is a must have for your library. I have been working with Actionscript 3.0 for close to a year now and I will now have this book close to my side at all times.
   
   Joey Lott(who never disappoints me) and Danny Patterson give a clear comprehensive explanation of design patterns for developers. Not only do they explain them but also clean examples on how and why you would use them.
   
   The only reason I do not give 5 stars is there is a lot of syntax errors especially in the code snippets. Since I am a little more advanced in Actionscript I was able to catch them with little effort but a novice programmer may not.



2. Although written specifically for ActionScript this book really helped me further my understanding of design patterns and how to apply them to all my software development projects. Additionally, the the last few chapters cover some advanced ActionScript topics like E4X. Recommended for any experienced developer interested in design patterns.



3. This book served really well as a review to some of the GOF patterns. I already understood the patterns covered, looking at the Actionscript implementations was still somewhat helpful.
   
   I bought the book for its coverage of Actionscript events, which is really the key to creating great apps with Actionscript and Flex (WARNING: all of the examples assume you're building Flash applications, which are similar but not identical to Flex apps). And for its coverage of E4X, Actionscript 3's new XML format. Those two chapters are gems, and I wish I could have bought them in pamphlet form.



4. If you are interested in improving your code to be more maintainable, flexible and gaining a better understanding of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) this is a good book to have. The core concepts are explained in readable language and the code examples are for the most part well-written.
   
   I did notice one criticism of another reviewer is that the book did not address Flex UI components or MXML. Flex is certainly beyond the scope of this book and there are many excellent books on Flex 2+ that will better explain the concepts of programming in Flex. This book is about ActionScript 3 and so it mainly addresses the classes available in the flash package. That does not mean that you cannot apply the concepts from this book to a Flex application however Cairngorm and PureMVC are the patterns most Flex developers gravitate towards and so they would be a better starting point for someone interested in that development platform. For those patterns a developer would likely find the internet to be the best resource for tutorials and information however both of those design patterns are based on core concepts explained in detail in this book so it can give you greater understanding and make the learning process easier.
   
   Even if Flex is your primary area of interest this book can help with understanding many of the underlying core concepts of programming in ActionScript 3 and given the right understanding you can create a Flex application with little or no MXML.
   
   The section on events is worth purchasing the book. It is well-written and is one of the better if not best explanations on the subject as has been pointed out in other reviews.



5. I realize the book title (and the focus and organization) is about design patterns, but I thought it was worth adding the fact that--for me at least--it's the one book I keep coming back to for great lucent coverage of really key AS3 concepts including event dispatching (and using IEventDispatcher instead). I mean, Colin's Essential AS3 is one to turn to for definitive answers on sub-atomic (and important) details... but I still keep coming back to Danny and Joey's book because it's so direct and to the point. To really learn a subject you need more than a book--but to go back over things... to get a good skeleton starter script (which doesn't have extra baggage)... and for brief clear explanations, this book really does it. It's by no means a dated book either. I just think some people might pass over this book because the title makes it sound like it just covers design patterns when, in fact, it's just a great AS3 book.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself Java 6 in 21 Days (5th Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. My closest experience to Java was C++ coding some 7 years ago. Then I got a job requiring Java.
   After reading this book, I had all the confidence I needed to jump in and do well.
   Great examples and up to date. Highly recommended!



2. This is a good, quick introduction or review of Java. Also good as a reference.



3. Great book, i was migrating from DBXL (dont laugh) to Java 6 and this was the first book i read. The structure is sometimes out of whack and i found myself reading chapters out of order on 2 occasions but asside from this i found it to be an EXCELLENT way to upgrade my knowledge!



4. The book does a pretty good job introducing the fundamentals of Java. It took me about 4 days to go through it. It's not very good as a reference, but then again there are the Java docs at Sun which are comprehensive.



5. I am a certified programmer for java 1.4, and I bought this book on the title alone to get me up to date with the upgrades to version 6. What a disappointment to find that annotations are not covered at all, and generics only partially. Furthermore the collections framework is largely ignored. I looks like a java 1.3 book with some added examples to make it look like a version 6 book, but it is NOT. So if you need a book to study for the certification exam, this book is definitely NOT the one to get.
   I found it a complete waste of money.

5 comments about Digital Restoration From Start to Finish: How to repair old and damaged photographs.

1. This book is thoughtfully written with many good photo editing techniques that I haven't seen in other books. Worth the money. The author explains multiple methods for accomplishing similar results. A good book.



2. Once I started reading this book I had difficulty putting it down until I had finished it. It was so interesting to read how it would be possible to transform sometimes hopeless looking photos into beautiful photographs. It explains a lot about masking & curves adjustments & I feel that this book will be my restoration bible. Since I've had a computer less than a year & Photoshop for a few months, I didn't understand a lot of what I was reading, so I don't know if this should be a beginners first restoration book. It provides a sophisticated approach to digital photo restoration from scan to print.



3. Although I am most heavily involved today in taking new photographs, I have an interest in restoring and repairing many old photographs that I have digitized with my scanner. This book is the best guide I have found for everything from minor fixes to full-blown reconstructions. It is highly recommended.



4. This is an excellent guide to restoration of old photos and negatives. Everything you'd want to have explained, laid out in step by step detail. This covers most all of the situations you're likely to be confronted with. Highly recommended.



5. This is a great book for beginners and professionals. Although, if you are a beginner, you will need some basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop CS2 or CS3.
   
   Ctein does a great job of walking the reader through the individual photo restorations. He also lets the reader know about different types of software that will help with the restorations and how the software works. I found this to be very helpful.
   
   I wish I had this book when I did my first restorations.

5 comments about Microsoft Windows PowerShell Programming for the Absolute Beginner.

1. This is a perfect book for a beginner in the Windows PowerShell. If gives you the absolute basics and lets you learn by example. I liked it. It was the perfect book before I went to the Windows PowerShell in Action to further my knowledge.



2. Hi all, I was a real freshman to PowerShell and needed a book that thought me the absolute beginning of PowerShell, this book does that compleatly. I would recomment a cookbook to go with it or something like "Windows PowerShell in Action"



3. This book is pretty well laid out. When I say beginner, I mean someone who is familiar with vbscript, Vb, etc. It gives a great introduction to powershell and then gradually builds up the reader's skill level using powershell. Of course, with any programming language you will have to practice. I believe this book is worth purchasing. The reason I gave it 3 stars...I don't have anything else to compare it to you. I probably won't either, because MS pretty much has every reference to a command etc. on it's support website. Also as with vbscript, once you understand the language.. you can always Google an example and use it as a baseline to produce a script.



4. I admit, this review maybe a little biased, because I do have some programming experience, but I didn't have any powershell experience so I bought this and the Manning book in the amazon package deal. This book is what it says, for absolute beginners. It babies you through gaming examples more so by throwing code at you and hoping you pick it up, as opposed to explaining what is really going on. Also, half the pages are filled with charts and lists of powershell commands that our easily accessible using powershell itself. Additionally, the book does not focus on any of the more intermediate topics except for a 10 page or so focus on system administration. In all reality, if you have no programming experience at all, this is the book for you. If you have used the command line extensively and/or any scripting language (or really any language), get the Manning book and don't waste your time with this one.



5. I was disappointed with this book. I personally dislike technical books that bring the writers family/children into it -- send those things into Family Circle. The programming style was poor -- bad for later maintenance and a bad thing to teach beginners. Possibly ok for seasoned programmers, but there are other ways to use one's time. I found too many errors for my taste. Of the first 150 pages, I think it could have been reduced to about 20, at most. In short, I will have to read another book to accomplish what this one was supposed to do.

5 comments about HTML and XHTML Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly)).

1. I'm a big fan of the O'Reilly Pocket Reference series, but this one was a bit disappointing. While the basic content is there, the book is less than 100 pages and seems to only be a wrapper for three tables defining the common elements, character entities, and colors. Only the first five pages attempt to provide any foundation for the tables. Missing are more general references on forms, tables, scripting or even techniques for relative/absolute addressing. Probably most surprising was the lack of an index. For a pocket reference, that seems a pretty major oversight.



2. This is an excellent text and well illustrated. I am sure an updated edition will come out soon.



3. What kind of a reference book doesn't have an index? Sure, the tag reference is in alphabetical order, but that only helps if you remember what the tag is. Also, I had a brain fart this morning and couldn't remember the exact syntax for a comment (I work with way too many languages)- couldn't find it. That's what a pocket reference is supposed to be for, the little things you can't remember!



4. After I figured out there structure of displaying information, this tool has become a valuable asset. Definately recommend.



5. The product got there 2 days earlier than other items I ordered the same day. The condition was good.