5 comments about Thinking in C++: Introduction to Standard C++, Volume One (2nd Edition).

1. If you're looking to learn C++ as your first language, or your first OO language, good luck to you! I tried learning C++ after FORTRAN77, and in retrospect, that was a big mistake. Go and learn another object oriented language first, Python or Java or Ruby (maybe even OO Perl). You probably also want to learn a tiny bit of C, just to get used to pointers and memory management.
   
   Done all that? Good. I will be assuming in this review that you already know how to program reasonably and you're not trying to cram C, C++ and OO into your head at once. So, you just want to learn C++. If that's the case, this is the perfect book to start with.
   
   The book assumes that you're coming to C++ from C, and builds up from C++ as C with a stricter compiler, then onto C++ as 'object-based' language - objects as structs with functions and encapsulating initialization and memory allocation with constructors and destructors. Finally, object orientation (i.e. inheritance and polymorphism) is introduced. Rounding things off is a brief chapter on templates and iterators, but it's only a sneak preview, really.
   
   Only the core of C++ is covered: the standard libraries and other topics (like exceptions) are deferred until volume 2. This leaves volume one as a lean and mean exposition of the core of the language. This is quite an achievement, especially as it manages to be both comprehensive and readable. The somewhat begrudgingly object oriented flavour of C++ is also on display in this book, particularly when compared to Thinking In Java from the same author: there are interesting explanations of what the compiler is getting up to behind the scenes, which should presumably assuage the fears of the more paranoid C programmer. There are copious code examples, although the expected output is not given, which would have been helpful. The introduction to the make utility will also be very welcome to many (including me).
   
   This is not quite as good as Thinking in Java, perhaps because of its C-centric opening section, which may require you to familiarise yourself with the differences between C99 and C++ simultaneously (this is particularly apparent in the discussion of the static and const keywords).
   
   But it's still a great introduction to C++, and it doesn't waste time with the basics of variables, loops and conditionals. Between this, the second volume, and Koenig and Moo's Accelerated C++, you have all you need to graduate onto the intermediate C++ books, like the Exceptional C++ and Effective C++ series.



2. This book was a pleasure to read. It does a very good job of teaching you the C++ syntax in the context of the C++ paradigm; a great improvement over many similar introductory books that seem to focus upon teaching you syntax only. By the time you get through with this book, you will have a good idea why things in C++ work in the way that they do, and such knowledge helps you considerably when you actually start writing useful code.
   
   Overall, this is one of my favorite programming books, and it's highly recommended.



3. this is a must have for all people that need to learn c++
   even if you are novice or experience developer this is a book that you will always open and consult.



4. Bruce Eckel's book very thoroughly covers the Standard C++ programming language. It may be a little dated (my copy says (C) 2000), but I don't think the Standard has evolved since his writing.
   
   The Good: Bruce does a terrific job going into gory detail on all aspects of this (let's just face it) complicated language. C++ has lot's of traps and ditches to offer compared to C# or Java, and if you plan to use a lot of the advanced concepts of the language, a helper like this book is almost indispensable. If you are coming from the C realm, this books is a real hit: Bruce constantly points out the subtle differences between C and C++, and also explains how C++ is a safer language than C in almost every facet. The book does a fairly decent job in going from the simpler to the more advanced concepts, though a few times he has to use constructs that will only be covered in later chapters (Bruce does point out these outlooks though appropriately). If you are really into learning a new language, the Exercises at the end of each chapter are a terrific way to learn the new concepts.
   
   The Bad: The text within the chapters is not very well structured. If you later on try to find something, the prose form of the sections does not really help you doing that. Also, the Index is not that great either. Often times you are sent to pages that just marginally address the keyword, and the essential introduction or explanation of the keyword may not be in the index at all. My real gripe though is with the practicality of the examples. While I previously stated that the Examples by itself are a great way to learn the languate, a lot of his examples are just plain bad ideas how to code. I understand where Bruce is coming from, he tries to find examples for all the subtleties he just covered in the section. Nevertheless, he often asks for pretty bad things to be implemented. On principle, from my own personal experience a lot of the special cases of the language are hardly ever used in real life situations.
   
   I do recommend this book, especially if you are coming from C. Just take the examples with a grain of salt. If you are a seasoned software developer, you can probably tell anyways which of the examples or techniques should not be used on the job.



5. Observations:
   - aimed at C programmers
   - gradual introduction to C++
   
   Constructive criticism:
   - lacking diagrams and elegance
   - detailed description of problems when using C

5 comments about ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns: Object Oriented Programming Techniques (Adobe Developer Library).

1. College-level and specialty computer libraries covering web development will find William Sanders & Chandima Cumaranatunge's ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns an excellent acquisition, covering common problems in Flash and Flex applications and providing developers with the tools necessary to adopt superior design patterns. From key components of ActionScript 3.0 and its characteristics to the benefits of developing both structural and behavioral patterns, ACTIONSCRIPT 3.0 is a pick for any advanced programmer's library.



2. I've been reading through O'Reilly's "ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns: Object Oriented Programming Techniques" by William Sanders and Chandima Cumaranatunge for the last few weeks and have to say its an incredibly useful resource.
   
   The interesting thing is that this book approaches design patterns in the more traditional sense, not dumbing down on the object-oriented terminology. In that sense it is very approachable to those coming from a Java or C background and are looking for ActionScript 3.0 implementations of specific patterns.
   
   Full review at: [...]



3. ActionScript 3.0 has more in common with Java than any previous ECMAScript, so it lends itself to a reimplementation of the classic Design Patterns originally espoused by the "Gang of Four" in "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software". "ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns" essentially does just this.
   
   Unfortunately, ActionScript 3.0 does have some differences (no abstract classes, no private constructors) that make it impossible to implement the patterns in exactly the same way as the canonical Java solutions. Even with the workarounds Sanders and Cumaranatunge explain to get back on track, I can't help but think that there might be better solutions using the full range of ActionScript's capabilities, instead of sticking obstinately to the new Java-like syntax.



4. I bought this book when I wanted to pick up on Design Patterns in AS3 (I had little to no experience with DP in AS2), and after I read "Essential ActionScript 3.0". I bought it without reading any reviews because I like O'reilly books, but after I placed the order, I looked at the reviews, and noticed that people were favoring "Advanced ActionScript 3 with Design Patterns" (by Joey Lott and Danny Patterson) -- so I went to the closest B&N and picked it up a day before the O'reilly one arrived, so I was able to compare. I must say that I liked the O'reilly book by FAR over the other one, mostly because of the detailed and extensive examples, descriptive copy and easy-to-follow real-life samples (even though the author referred to Gnarls Barkley as a person at one point.. haha).
   
   So - for someone like me, who knew AS3 (the books assumes you do), but wanted to get into OOP with Design Patters, this was an excellent choice. I would highly recommend it.



5. The concepts in this book are great for any Actionscript developer and they thoroughly explain solutions via design patterns. I'd recommend this book to any aspiring AS3 developer.
   
   HOWEVER, there is so many horrible mistakes in this book. While the content is awesome, it seems like the editor was plastered when he put this little job together. In Chapter 7, it is almost unbearable. Words are omitted, code is omitted, sections are re-pasted into the book often... it's utterly horrible. I keep finding myself getting upset trying to read this book because so much is left out and so much is repeated identically on the next page!!!
   
   All in all, if you're interested in learning Design Patterns (and they are very useful) buy this book. The content is great, the editor should be fired from the universe.

5 comments about Beginning Google Maps Applications with PHP and Ajax: From Novice to Professional.

1. I am a fairly inexperienced, self taught programmer. I bought the book partly due to the fact that it had "beginning" in the title.
   
   The code that is used in the book is not laid out very well. There are parts of the code that they don't explain (such as what apikey.php is) until you go and find out on their website what it means.
   
   They are also very inconsistent. Sometimes they used apikey.php and sometimes they didn't. Going through the examples they use the same file names for different examples so you don't know if you are suppose to use the old files from the previous examples or not.
   
   Even after I got all of the files that I needed for the tile overlay example it failed on me. This is after spending 3 hours reconstructing the MySQL table (which I didn't care about) because that information wasn't provided with the tile overlay example. After doing all of that work and using their unmodified code (except to change my database logins and api key) the code didn't work. And it failed BEFORE it even got to the MySQL database which means all that work I spent was for naught.
   
   The authors suggest that you can email them (and I did a couple times) and they will get back to you. Its been several months and I still haven't heard back from any of them. The questions were about problems using their unmodified code.
   
   This book may be good if you have some experience with coding. But on the other hand if that is the case there really isn't any need to buy the book.



2. Google Maps Applications with PHP and Ajax, provides a very easy to understand clear path for getting started with Google Maps. As a PHP developer, (not as much javascript), the book shows an intelligent and useful approach to working with client side scripting and document objects. Great samples throughout the book. I highly recommend this for anyone getting started with Google Maps, regardless of PHP or Ajax...this book is still very useful for any developer.



3. This book is very well written. Very concise, clear and focused in the real world problems and solutions. Following the advices and codes of the book, you will can afford most of your google maps projects knowing exactly what to do, and how to do it. I specially find very interesting the chapter dedicated to how to code a map with multitude of markers. Very clarifying.
   
   Must have-read book if you are working in a Google Maps project.



4. Wow and Kool are the first words that come to mind after reading just the Into and Chapter 1.
   
   As a Web Programming Instructor, I am always searching for easy ways to get my students motivated. Page 2 of Chapter 1 shows an XML and XHTML strict - but the code is so straight forward - that you are not in the least intimidated with the strict XHTML. To find something students can relate to that gives a solid example of two abstract things - is great. There is nothing to be intimidated with, the explanations are clear and the web site - give corrections. Each chapter offers a lot fore each level user.
   
   Chapter 1 is fun for a wide range of web skills: Web Development, Digital Photographers, Digital Imaging, and more advanced.
   
   Chapter 2 - gives the JavaScript, XHTML developer's lots of detail on what is going on in the script. Each exercise builds on the previous one, until by the end of the chapter you have a robust program, you can use immediately.
   
   Chapter 3 - adds user input, it begins the discussion of adding to a Database & Ajax. You have a dialog wit the authors of why they did what they did - it's insight to working with a database. The chapters keep getting richer and draw you in. You hate to put it down!
   
   Appendix B has a generous 28 page summary of the important API commands, making learning Google Maps API easier.
   
   I am adding this to my Reference Book list
   and it will defiantly be a required reading for Advanced PHP classes.
   
   Jil MacMenamin
   http://JilMac.com



5. If you are going to get one book to learn or improve your Google Maps skill, this is the book. This very well organized book introduces you the basics and then moves on some advance staff that you have to learn if you want to develop serious Google Maps application.
   You can check out the table of content and sample chapters from its website.
   I enjoyed reading it and therefore I highly recommend it for Google Map developers.

5 comments about Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 Revealed (Revealed (Thomson)).

1. This book is great for people beginning to learn Dreamweaver. I am taking an online course and this is our text book. It's very informative and easy to read. The CD that accompanies the book has the lessns you can follow along with as well as other practice lessons you can do. Highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn Dreamweaver.



2. good book. easy to understand and easy to do the exercises. much easier than the dreamweaver 8 book, this is cs3 and this book works!



3. My Dreamweaver CS3 class uses this textbook. I am brand new to web site creation and find this book a great place to start. Instructions are for both Mac and Windows, and the files on the included CD are very useful in teaching the student how to actually create and edit content. I am ordering another book from the Revealed series for Flash.



4. This is an excellent step by step book on how to create web pages using Dreamweaver. I would highly recommend this book.



5. This is a really good book to learn Dreamweaver. It talks a little about the subject then immediately lets you try it out. Great way to learn.

3 comments about 3ds Max 2008 Bible.

1. This is a great book if you want to learn buttonology, but it seems to lack in student projects and exercises. I certainly cannot recommend this book for beginners, unless you want to use it as reference/supplemental guide to other training material. The author goes in to great deal on the "how" but doesn't really explain the "why" portion as well as I hoped he would. Definetely go to your local bookstore and glance through it before purchasing. As for my rating, I gave it a marginal rating of 3 stars simply because I thought it to be average at best, but far from bad.



2. This is a must have if you are new to 3ds Max! I had to learn and present a design within 5 weeks and this book really gave me the tools to overcome the challenge of learning such a difficult program. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is really wanting to learn the program! It was easy to understand and follow the examples they gave you. Thank you!



3. I do not like most bible based books but this one is very good. It gives several examples and gives very good definitions. I would recommend it as a reference to anyone.

5 comments about Groovy Recipes: Greasing the Wheels of Java (Pragmatic Programmers).

1. So you're in a hurry to pick up Groovy, and you're not a big fan of books that while informative, fill you with more language theory than useful knowledge. This buck, while around 240 pages in length, manages to take you from Hello World! to Web Service programming and Grails rapid development in a short period. If you know Java, you'll feel right at home with Groovy, and will feel good about your skills after you're done reading this book.



2. 'Groovy Recipes: Greasing the Wheels of Java' is a typical Pragmatic release in that it is written well, free of bells and whistles, and jam full of relevant and useful information. There is 250+ pages of information here on how to use and implement Groovy, the wonderful Java addition that makes programming easier and more exciting for any and all developers!
   
   Content is spread over 12 chapters:
   
   01. Intro
   02. Getting Started
   03. New to Groovy
   04. Java + Groovy
   05. Command Line Groovy
   06. File Tricks
   07. XML Parsing
   08. Writing XML
   09. Web Services
   10. Metaprogramming
   11. Grails
   12. Grails + Web Services
   
   As can be seen by the TOC, this is a book for programmers of today living in a networked world. The focus is on writing efficient, good code that is fast and useful. This book is extremely beneficial to any and all Groovy developers that want to learn better and faster this wonderful technology.
   
   ***** RECOMMENDED



3. I got this book after hearing the author speak at JavaOne. His talk covers the content of the first chapter along with a few other items, but I didn't mind. It was quite helpful to read through the points and examples he made and try them out at my own pace.
   
   The book is driven by a series of insights rather than complete, formal coverage. I found this approach very useful to getting started and experimenting. The writing is clear, light-hearted, and relaxed, especially in the beginning.
   
   Towards the end of the book, the explanations wane a bit. The sample code is more often given without an introduction, beyond the section header. I was less sure what was going on in some of these cases, as I had gotten accustomed to picking things up very quickly in the beginning. The explanations that followed these code bits were good enough, but I missed that sense of the author's energy from beginning to end of each section.
   
   I don't understand at all why it's called Groovy Recipes. There aren't any. The examples illustrate very well the power of this tool, but I didn't see anything that amounts to, say, the Groovy way to mine a web page, create an IM interface, read mail, etc. If you are looking for code you can apply immediately to some series of problems, this isn't the one.



4. It is a nice little book to have by your computer, if you are working with Groovy. I give this book 3 star review because this could have done without first 5 chapters. I think Groovy is a great language, and in my humble opinion it is more useful to a Java programmer, then Ruby, however the quality of Ruby books is far superior to books available in Groovy.



5. Groovy Recipes is an excellent introductory book into Groovy programming. The first few chapters give clear instructions for learning how to use Groovy. The remaining chapters give clear instructions for using some of Groovy's cool features: using Groovy with Java, Grails programming, metaprogramming, working with XML, File manipulation, and web services).
   Much akin to the fun and energetic manner that Davis speaks in his presentations he writes Groovy Recipes.
   If you haven't heard him speak(and even if you have), do a quick Google Video search for Scott Davis Groovy and you'll find a presentation or two of his. I recommend them.
   One technique that I found especially useful is how Davis compared performing a simple task in the Java world, and then showed how it could be done in the Groovy world. Of course, it's easier in the groovy world for all the examples. It's nice to see areas where we can take advantage of Groovy's strengths.
   Groovy Recipes has enough content to sit on an experienced Groovy developer's book shelf, but the more novice Groovy people will find more value in Groovy Recipes.

5 comments about Programming Challenges.

1. Very nice collection of programming challenges and very well presented.
   Lots of effort has been done to set up the automated program "judge" (basically an automatic test case generator and regression suite) -- i appreciated.
   
   A little bit confusing is that there are 2 different web sites and different interfaces to this.



2. If you are looking for a book that will :
   
   (1) Teach you how to solve typical problems appearing in the programming contests
   (2) Give you tips to write correct code, quickly
   (3) Teach you novel algorithms
   
   Look Elsewhere.
   
   This book is a mere compilation of questions appearing at different programming contests.



3. the only attractive aspect of this book is its website where you can submit your solutions in order to check them. However their website keeps giving errors. I spent enormous amount of time to be able to only register one of the sites given in the book and I could not register. Hello! What do you want me to do with this book now?
   
   The book is about programming and its website is giving errors. Now, are these authors credible enough? Plus, book is full of typos.



4. The problems are fun and I see more and more and more of these kinds of programming problems on job interviews these days so it's good to be quick at doing them. Beware though that problems are collected by the author from various sources and some are in my opinion, poor problem statements and you can fail their robots until you realize some part of the weasel wording in the problems. It's part of a game they play in the contests, which is more what this book is designed for than what I am using it for. On their web site after you pass a problem, you can then work on trying to beat the best time; that's the most fun part for me.



5. This books is simply weak. There are informal and formal books and sources you can start play in these contests. TopCoder is certainly the best one, ACM-ICPC is the most official one, and acm.uva.es, involving one of the authors of this book, is also an excellent source. But this book is simple useless.

2 comments about Foundation Expression Blend 2: Building Applications in WPF and Silverlight (Foundation).

1. I bought this book soon after MS released the Beta 1 of Silverlight 2.
   It helped me get started with learning the Expression Blend tool and how to do some basic design. It is not a programmers book nor does it attempt to be one. It is a good introduction on how to get around in Blend so you don't have to figure it out yourself. And along the way the authour makes it enjoyable.



2. The author of this book starts great, explaining a lot of features of Blend 2, but not deep enough. I was sincerely expecting a lot more. Many features of Blend are not explained and great features as timelines, triggers and resources have less pages that I wanted to read.
   The author explains very well, so I can say that the book is very good for a begginner, but not for experts.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes.

1. This is a true beginner's book. This is a book for people who know nothing about SQL. It is very helpful for starters.



2. SQL in 10 minutes?? ......I thought this guy was kidding. He wasn't. The main reason why I couldn't get a job was because I didn't know SQL, within one hour I read the book, tried all the examples, wrote SQL on my resume, applied for a job and got the job the next day requiring SQL experience :)
   
   This language is so easy to learn, it feels more like an application than a programming language. It seems as though the whole language is really just 3 words, select, from & where, although I'm still new and theres probably a tonne more but I didn't need to know that to get the job.
   
   Compare it to learning c,c++, Fortran and other languages for the first time where you learn to define variables, learn the functions, test cases, inputs, outputs, etc, etc. SQL you pretty much type in the inputs and you receive the outputs...its a really intuitive language, anyone can start learning within minutes. Highly recommend this book, its also probably the best quick reference out there if you need to solve a particular problem.



3. Good intro and you do learn the language and how to understand and write it by using this book



4. When I went for a job interview a few months ago all I knew about SQL was that it had something to do with databases. When I informed the interviewer I didn't know SQL, the look on his face let me know I was doomed. So as soon as I left that interview I got online and purchased this book determined to learn as much as I can, in an inexpensive way, and quickly. Wow! This book turned out to be all of those things. It is very easy to understand and made SQL seem like a breeze. I loved the examples and plan to purchase an intermediate-advanced SQL book very soon. Hope SAMS Teach Yourself can help me out with one of those too. With their help I think I can add 'knowlege of SQL' on my resume.



5. Ben Forta has a commendable honesty about him. He explains the intent of his books clearly in their Introductions and then proceeds to deliver just that. In this instance, Forta is clear that the book is for those new to SQL and who quickly want to learn how to get the most out of SQL. He is equally clear that the book does not cover every last aspect of SQL.
   
   The book is becoming a bit long in tooth since it has not been updted since 2004. DBMSs covered are IBM DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL (Version 4), Oracle, PostgreSQL, Sybase Adaptive Server. Some of the information is now outdated and MySQL v5 has added new capabilities. On the whole, though, everything Forta presents here is still usable.
   
   In 22 chapters, Forta teaches the reader the basics of SQL, more than enough to deal with perhaps 80% or more of common SQL requirements. Beyond that and you're in the realm of system architects and administrators who are simply not the audience for this book.
   
   Be sure to download the sample databases and errata from the author's website.
   
   On the whole, one of the best introductions to SQL available.
   
   Jerry

5 comments about Expert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development (Programmer to Programmer).

1. This book is for all level developers who have interest on J2EE platform and development. In spite of the complicated technology, it can let readers digest the knowledge without difficulty. On the other hand, the main theme of author(J2EE without EJB) has become popular trends nowaday and the whole idea can be found in this book.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, particularly well-thought out design guidelines for developing J2EE application with or without EJB. The author introduced several best practices particularly the concepts and usage of Spring and Hibernate based j2ee development is quite helpful. In addition to this book, I find patterns and bestpractices from "Core J2EE Patterns /Deepak Alur", "Core Security Patterns /Christopher Steel" and "Enterprise Integration Patterns /Gregor Hohpe" would be helpful - especially if you are building a enterprise-class j2ee applications.
   Now the downside, the book needs a complete revision to include changes with J2EE 1.4. The CODE SAMPLES explained in this book does'nt work now - please update.



3. It is a great book. But I give it only 4 stars is because it is hard to read. English is my 2nd language. I cannot read this book quickly. I even need check dictionary at least 2 times per page. I do not have the same problem when read other tech books.
   "What is WebSphere" is another book I like. Also help me to learn system level stuff. It is much easier to read. Though it does not have so many stuff like Johnson's book.
   I would like to suggest the auther to consider many tech readers are not very good at English.



4. Frankly, this book has gotten a little long in the tooth. One might say that, from the products it mentions and evaluates, it is out of date. But never mind!
   
   Rod applies principles that never go out of date - only the examples do - or seem to. A product is stuck with its basic design forever. Thus a critique of the 2002 version of Struts is as valid as a critique of the 2007 version.
   
   Pros: Readable. Insightful. It will make you a better architect.
   
   Cons: Typos (how do chapters get mis-numbered in the ToC?!?) It really should be in a high-quality hard binding (though the binding is quite good for paper).
   
   Summary: 'J2EE Design...' is worth much more than its weight in gold. Buy it. READ IT!



5. I bought this book because I've read very good reviews. I found this book amazing. This books shows you how to make good designs and develop in J2EE, all the chapters with full of comments from Rod's experience. Many of the concepts of this book were later applied in Spring framework. I strongly recommend read this book for advanced Java developers.