No comments about Foundation Expression Blend 2: Building Applications in WPF and Silverlight (Foundation).

No comments about Simply Rails 2.

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

1. Great book! The concepts shown are useful not only to action script but to any language at the enterprise development level.



2. 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.



3. 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: [...]



4. 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.



5. 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 comments about How to Break Web Software: Functional and Security Testing of Web Applications and Web Services. Book & CD.

1. I recently finished reading How to Break Web Software: Functional and Security Testing of Web Applications and Web Services by Mike Andrews and James A. Whittaker. I, like many of you, develop web software for a living. I've always taken security seriously and occasionally sneered when I ran across examples of common mistakes. Having said that, this book was an eye opener for me.
   
   The book covers common exploits such as bypassing input validation, SQL injection, and denial of service. There were also several types of attacks I hadn't really considered before. I won't list them here because someone would undoubtedly say, "I can't believe he didn't know about that one!" The authors cover 24 different types of attacks in all. The book also includes coverage of web privacy issues and security related to web services.
   
   Finally, as icing on the cake, a CD is included that contains many tools that will find permanent spots in your arsenal. There are tools to do things like scan web servers for common exploits, mirror sites for local analysis, and check SSL cipher strengths. My favorites are the local proxies that will allow you to view and modify posts as they travel from the client and the server. I always knew I could do this, but didn't know how easy it is. The CD also contains the source code of an example site that includes many flaws for you to practice.
   
   This book is written for software professionals to help them put the hackers out of business. So, it necessarily includes hacker techniques. If you develop or test web software, you should read this book before the hackers do. :-)



2. It was a good experience to purchase from Amazon and getting them delivered in India at my door-step. Order reached me ontime and is in good condition.
   
   Thanks,
   Samta



3. I've been programming for over 10 years and thought that I had encountered it all. Uh ya, I was wrong. I'm amazed that a person can work with something for so long and yet still miss simple things like URL jumping. This is a great 32,000 foot view of web security (not a how to hack book) and covers what you should know if you are a web developer. Even if you alredy "know it all" this is a great read and excellent reference for creating check lists on projects and threats they may be succeptable to.



4. I was disappointed in this book. The actual content was pretty thin, and not very well written. Chapter 1 is a complete waste of time, and actually spends pages explaining what client/server means, what the Web is, and other things that are patently obvious to the supposed audience for this material. I found myself turning to the front to see if this book was written in 1997! You then get nine fairly short chapters with instructions on how to hack a website, more or less; followed by 50 pages of useless padding in the appendices including: an unrelated article co-authored by Whittaker for the IEEE, a detailed list of all the bugs present in their "sample application," and then descriptions of their recommended tools, all of which can easily be found on the Web without paying $22 for this book.
   
   As another reviewer mentioned, there are many typos and other problems like incorrect illustrations, making the reader wonder if Addison-Wesley even employs a copy editor. Furthermore, I felt this book was inaccurately named and described. It's really more about rudimentary hacking and protecting your web application against hackers than web quality or web testing. A beginning web developer might do well to read this as a primer on how to create sites and applications with basic security, but as an experienced tester it was of limited use to me.



5. If your company has a web site, there are many people waiting to attack it and break into it.
   
   In How to Break Web Software: Functional and Security Testing of Web Applications and Web Services, authors Mike Andrews and James Whittaker detail the myriad Web software exploits that attackers will attempt to carry out. The tools and techniques that can be used to fight against them are also detailed.
   
   The book also includes a companion CD that contains all of the source code referenced in the book in addition to a number of testing tools. The authors include software code from an insecure Web site, which helps the reader get a real-world feel for the topics involved.
   
   The authors conclude with a look at the last 50 years of software defects, showing that developers are not learning from the mistakes.
   
   The authors are of the opinion that software quality is no better today than it was decades ago. And in some cases, it is worse.
   
   The book helps drive home the importance of having developers think about writing secure code and testing it for flaws. It is a recommended read for IT professionals.

5 comments about Microsoft Office Project 2003 Inside Out.

1. As an EPM consultant, a good thorough reference book is absolutely essential for me. I have carried my copy of Project 2002 Inside Out all over the country with me and have just about worn it out. I ordered a copy of Project 2003 Inside Out the day it became available, and have recommended it to several clients, all of whom have bought it and thanked me for it.

   The Inside Out books are wonderful, complete references on Project Professional, but they don't go into anywhere near the same level of detail on Project Server or Project Web Access. Granted, if they did, both the 2002 and 2003 versions would have been 10,000 pages long, rather than the current 1,000 or so.

   This book will help you answer pretty much any quesiton you've got about Project Pro, and that tends to be where most of the questions are. As a reference, this is a great tool. The index is thorough, the detailed TOC is very easy to use, and there is a TON on information in here.

   To be fair, I have to say that the 2003 version does cover more of Project Server and PWA than 2002 did. However, it's still just barely scratching the surface. If Ms. Stover would cover only the security model, that would be a huge step forward.

   Bottom line: If you're going to be using Project 2003, either stand alone or in a full-blown Enterprise Project Management scenario, Project 2003 Inside Out is a great tool. I recommend it enthusiasticly.




2. I needed to learn the ins and out of Microsoft Project in a weekend. The book was the best reference for me to do so. It took me step by step to learnings all the quirks and strategies when working with project.

   I still use it as a reference in my work today and may have to buy another because I am wearing it down so much. It is a very easy book to reference and I would recommend it to any Project user.




3. I was somewhat disappointed. The things I had questions about weren't covered any more deeply in this book than in the Microsoft Help. Download and read the Microsoft Online books that cover administering and installing Project Server for a free alternative.



4. Not the best book out there for MS Project. It didn't really seem like the author was a power user. Some of the directions are very superficial and not very useful. Not a good book at all for Project Server administration. Get more bang for your buck with MS Project Special Edition.



5. I expected better and more advanced information on MS Project. Unfortunately this manual covers only the basics, although it does a very good job doing it.
   Remember when you use to purchase software and it included a Manual?
   Kind of dissapointed of the sustance (or lack of) for advance users.

2 comments about Emergent Design: The Evolutionary Nature of Professional Software Development (Net Objectives Product Development Series).

1. Bain's book is a graceful read. At least compared to some texts on "heavy" methodologies like CMMI. He addresses the professional programmer. At some level, there is an introspective feel to parts of it. Can the profession be more professional, in reducing bugs and bad coding practices? More pertinently, can you do this? In expanding on the possible answers, he takes us on a recap of decades of progress in programming.
   
   One big innovation was the rise of object oriented programming, compared to earlier procedural efforts. Hence C++, Java and other OO languages. Another key idea to remember is that of patterns. Even if you can't remember all the patterns he discusses, at least being aware that such exist is a good step forward in your abilities.
   
   There is also lots of advice about littler details. Like having names for classes, methods and variables that are as descriptive as possible. Doesn't matter what language you're using. You should always strive here, so that the code is as self documenting as possible. Though Bain is careful not to go to the extreme of suggesting that no comments are possible. Another key note is that automated unit testing is a great thing. Sure, it takes time to run the unit tests. The payoff in code maintenance makes it all worthwhile.
   
   Much, if not all of what is written has appeared in other texts. But Bain provides an easy to read and unified treatment. Well suited for a junior programmer.



2. This book is a gold mine of wisdom.
   
   This book contains a ton of wisdom that has come out of the software engineering field over the years. It brings together a lot of software development best practices that can be found in other resources and puts them together under the umbrella of Emergent Design.
   
   He covers patterns, principles, processes, and practices by presenting the best of each that has been proven to work again and again. The common sense communicated out of this book is priceless.
   
   The author has a presentation that touches on a lot of the content found in the book. It can be viewed by Googling for "EmergentDesign_12_11_2007".
   
   Forward thinking is something that I find lacking in a lot of the environments I am exposed too, especially development environments. This book nails how to do forward thinking when it comes to software design and development. You will end up making your solutions more valuable with each change, instead of degrading them with each change if you follow the advice in this book.
   
   If you do development, this is a must read. I would advise all team leads to get rid of anyone who has not read this book by the end of the year.

5 comments about GWT in Action: Easy Ajax with the Google Web Toolkit.

1. GWT in Action is a good read, with the pace and depth of instruction just right, suggesting these guys enjoy writing. They like explaining stuff, and the book's editors would have been hard-pressed to eliminate a paragraph without losing an interesting and useful tip or aside. And these guys are GWT software library developers themselves (see the GWT Widget Library at SourceForge, by Mr Hanson). I was enthralled by the GWT presentations at the Google Developer Day 2007 in Sydney, and immediately bought Google Web Toolkit: GWT Java Ajax Programming by Prabhakar Chaganti. I liked it, but GWT in Action is significantly better, which I bought soon after. It's the best.



2. I liked this book. It walks you though the subject with enough detail to get you started. It will not give you a very deep insight into how GWT is implemented, but still leaves you with sufficient understanding and plenty of practical examples to borrow



3. This is the 2nd book I bought to do GWT. "GWT in Action" is by far the best book to learn GWT (at least when I bought it in summer 2007). Since I had already been using GWT, I used this book to successfully resolve a number of issues I was having, especially with event handling.
   
   An area that could use improvement in future editions is explaining how to integrate with existing javascript code libraries, something that really has to be assumed is a requirement with GWT. A good javascript reference, like O'Reilly's "Javascript: The Definitive Guide" should also be acquired.
   
   I use Instantiations GWTDesigner Eclipse plugin to do my code work.



4. I would recommend this book for web developers currently writing web applications in any language and who are looking to add Ajax to their application. Although Java back ends benefit the greatest from GWT with GWT-RPC, JSON, a lightweight data format, can be used and so ASP.NET, PHP, Perl CGI, etc. can be used. Also a great reference guide for those currently using GWT. Here is a more detailed review (and a shameless plug for my blog): http://www.jlhdevelopment.com/wordpress/?p=6
   
   Also check out this title coming out soon: GWT in Practice



5. I am starting with GWT with this book after using various internet tutorials. The book proved really helpful to get me started. As an added bonus, the authors really like to write and provide small yet inspiring examples which you can download and test yourself.
   
   Some reviewer criticized the order of the chapters. I did not have any problems with that - there is a very useful short introduction in the beginning. I could jump ahead to interesting chapters like RPC without any problem.

4 comments about Big Java.

1. Big java is a good place to begin learning how to program, and to begin learning the Java language. It teaches all the basic control structures and syntax necessary to begin programming quickly. They also have an optional WileyPlus program for testing / additional review and source code. It might have been nice if the source code was included for free with the book on a Cd or through a download but still a good book.



2. Don't get me wrong; this is a good Java text. The concepts are explained in a pretty clear manner, which is a trick when trying to explain OOP concepts to someone who has never programmed (which is the book's target audience). But that also leads me to my main criticism of the book: it tries to cover too much material. Anyone who knows C or C++ will find significant chunks of the book to be only review. Even Visual Basic coders will find parts of the book that cover stuff they already know (e.g. rudimentary programming concepts).
   
   So if you've never written a computer program, and you want to learn Java, this might be your best bet (although your goal -- and the price of the book -- are a bit daunting). If you already know how to program, but don't know about objects or Java, I would recommend Eckel's "Thinking in Java" (4th edition), or "Head First Java" from O'Reilly.



3. Having never taken a program course before this, I was pleasantly surprised at the candid nature of Horstmann's writing. Often, author of textbooks will sound promising in their introductions but not deliver in the execution of a tome. Here, however, we find in Horstmann a author gifted at explaining difficult concepts with a lucidity that cannot always be taken for granted. Bravo!



4. So-so ho hum textbook. Only got it as it was required for a course I was taking. I would NOT recommend this as a resource to learn the language - you are gonna get rid of it as soon as the class is over. Buy it as cheap as you can and dump it after the class.

3 comments about Taking Your iPod Touch to the Max (Technology in Action).

1. If I wanted another manual for my iPod, I would have downloaded it. This book is primarily an "iPod touch for dummies". The "secret, undocumented features" are either published by Apple or easily discoverable. The last chapter on jailbreaking & hacking is inferior to even the briefest google search.
   
   Save your money and time. I returned mine the day after it arrived.



2. I have to agree with the first reviewer. This book is only useful for someone who absolutely knows nothing about the iPod, iTunes, and portable digital music hardware and software. I was expecting a lot more from Erica Sudan. She has written good books and articles about hacking software and hardware, and I thought the "max" part of this book would get readers beyond the "ipod for dummies" information. Nothing wrong with "dummies" books, but I just expected lots more in this one. She barely devotes a chapter to jailbreaking the iPod touch, which she has written about on other websites. I like Sudan and I thank her for the writing she does, but I would suggest Scott Kelby's book on the iPod/iPod touch or another book titled, iPod: The Missing Manual. Those two books are much better laid and approachable for iPod newbies.



3. First, I do not own an iPod Touch. I have a Classic iPod with video. I was interested in reviewing this book because I wanted to know more about the iPod Touch and if it is really worth the money. Having read through several chapters, I am now planning to buy myself an iPod Touch, although I may wait a little while to see what the next generation is going to be.
   Here is what I found out using this book. Apparently, those who bought the iPod Touch early on had to pay $20 for a software upgrade that enables features which provide Mail, Google Maps, Weather, Stocks, and Notes. All newer models come with that upgrade now.
   The iPod Touch is almost like having an iPhone but without the phone and the $60 a month fee. It uses Wi-Fi, so you are able to do a lot of things online such as checking stock prices, browsing news, looking at YouTube videos and so on. It has a QWERTY keyboard which allows you to type notes or email. Videos can be watched in widescreen just as on the iPhone by turning the iPod Touch horizontally. Instant Messaging is possible using the iPod Touch, but iChat is not included. That is really what I am waiting for. I figure the time to buy one is when I can do a voice or video chat with my iPod Touch. Then who would need an iPhone? Of course, the difference is an iPhone can be used anywhere and the iPod Touch needs Wi-Fi, which is not everywhere--yet. Also, not everyone uses iChat, but a lot of people I know do.
   If you own an iPod Touch, then this book will teach you how to set up your email, use Safari web browser with it, check for traffic conditions, weather forecasts, and buy music from the iTunes Store while using Wi-Fi. It also tells how the iPod Touch operates by the touch screen and using your fingers to perform different tasks.

5 comments about Beginning Mac OS X Programming.

1. If you're an Apple guy or gal, you probably know that Apple believes in supplying an awful lot of ancillary programs with their basic system. The fact that you're looking at this book at all is that you probably have some special job that needs programming and it's up to you to do it. If you have not programmed on an Apple before, or if OS X is new to you, then this is the book you need.
   
   This book is aimed at the novice/beginner programmer who doesn't know how to get into the programming environment using OS X, doesn't know what tools are available, and needs a bit of a guiding hand to get started. If you know any programming language it will be a help. If you know C it will be even more help. If you don't know either of these, this book will at least get you started up to the point where more specific documentation will take over.
   
   This book uses a hands-on approach where you type something in and your computers screen should look like the illustration in the book. That is, it's not so much of a reference book as it is a tutorial.
   
   The illustrations in this book were made using OS X 10.4 the Tiger release. Other verions of the software could be used, but the illustrations might vary somewhat.



2. About 90% of my programming knowledge comes from books. And this is the first book I have read that actually looks at troubleshooting your code. Most books have a little two page summary of troubleshooting, but this had examples of what to look for. Excellent for the novice and still handy for the somewhat experienced. The approach of teaching the tools and the code at the same time was extremely refreshing, as most books seem to want to teach either one or the other and expecting you to know something. The Objective-C section of the book is not complete, but it has enough to get you productive relatively quickly. The one downside, this book is probably not a keeper, meaning that you spend the money and in less than a year, you will not really need it as a reference any longer.



3. This book should be named "Beginners Broad Overview of Mac OSX Programming Topics".
   
   If you have never even heard of Bash/C/Python/Perl/OOP/Cocoa/Frameworks - this book may be of some use.
   
   
   The first few chapters on Interface Builder/Xcode have you follow along with the simplest of instructions, creating Projects, and working with .c and .h files, and then into building and running a few simple applications. These high level concepts in themselves quite easy to grasp but the descent into actual cocoa programming/c language/frameworks/OOP in succeeding chapters is quite difficult and the authors take the same tone as many other 'how-to' books do in remaining quite technical about technically abstract concepts.
   
   Here you will find the going quite rough, and the 'why' factor (eg, why are we doing this) is definitively absent. I can see why I have a .c file but why do I need a .h file ? The mind's natural intuition is to say "why *ever* make things more complicated then they need to be.... so why not combine the content of .c and .h files together ? The mind wonders "did the programming guru's who created XCode/IB/Cocoa/C/OOP just create a huge mess (cause thats what this looks like), or did they formulate something elegant ?" How did they arrive at this overtly complicated scheme ? Why does it have to be so complicated just to multiply a few numbers together in a small window (the Calculator tutorial from ADC). One doesnt know when one is just starting out. There's no answer from the authors in these first few chapters, if ever. Perhaps there was some temerity at commenting 'in the margins'. This small example of a 'hey why are we doing that now ?' mental query, natural to process of learning, is just but one of many opportunities missed. Granted, nobody said programming was easy, but imparting an understanding being the ostensible goal of how-to books, the audience is definitely looking for clues about 'why' and not just the 'how'.
   
   As a result of so many omissions, grasping the 'why' of it all is decidedly difficult. The book if it were to be improved would need to dig into this 'why' aspect much more deeply than it now does. Am I learning a big huge mess, that nobody has ever bothered to truly rethink/streamline or does this XCode/IB/Cocoa stuff combine into something truly efficient ? If its efficient, show me why, Im here to learn and want to know...
   
   The languages chapters do a reasonable job of explaining to the never-heard-of-it-before audience the concepts of Bash, C, Perl, Python, and Applescript. The book provides decent examples and discussions as to their various capabilities and pro's and con's. The book also provides many "now you do it" type functions and you will find yourself wanting to launch a Terminal session and get going right away.
   
   The book does not necessarily bode well for the programming novice at "rung 2 or 3" who already has some knowledge of broad topics and wants to actually learn the how-to of programming- which would quite naturally be Cocoa, since Cocoa is the basis for all modern Mac programs that run with any GUI at final output. Unfortunately, I could only weakly recommend OReilly's "Learning Cocoa", itself quite technical and also very much missing the 'guide voice' or 'why factor'.
   
   Because I feel the 'why factor' and the 'voice of the guide' were so notably absent from this tome, Im only giving it 2 of 5 stars, there's lots of room for improvement imho. I also despise when authors provide aliases to explanations found on the internet...and this tome is also guilty of this phenomena. Hey, I paid for your book, *I expect a decent explanation* not a link to a website where I could read with little understanding until my eyeballs fall out.



4. I am new to MacOSX development and this is just hands down a great book to get started with. it lays down a great foundation for getting started. If you have done development or hand not it is a great way to get the ball rolling. Can't wait for the next edition.



5. I am a total programming newbie. I'm also fairly new to the Apple world, having bought my first Macintosh in April. I've really been excited about Macs, OSX, and all the stuff they offer.
   
   I mainly work in graphics programs such as Poser & DAZ|Studio. Over the years, I've created countless tutorials to help Graphics Newbies. I'm known for extensive use of screenshots, and good writing skills.
   
   I've been disappointed because there are no Macintosh versions of some very important Poser-related utilities. I thought it would be nice to learn programming, and make my own utilities.
   
   I browsed through the Amazon book collection, and this book seemed promising. Unfortunately I was wrong. Unfortunately, it appears no one proofread this book. I got as far as Chapter 3 before I gave up.
   
   There are numerous problems with the Calculator project. The code you enter doesn't match the code listed later in the exercise. You're supposed to fix errors on code you never entered.
   
   The book was a problem from the start. The XCode installation information was incorrect. This problem cost me a couple hours of downtime. I eventually found the solution myself...
   
   In the book, we have some exercises that get you started, and then you're left hanging while the authors go on and on about related stuff. Should you save the project? Should you abandon it?
   
   In my own opinion, this book doesn't have enough screenshots. I'm left wondering exactly what item to click, or what my code should look like, etc.
   
   It's natural for a newbies to feel lost. It's the book author's responsibility to help the reader through this confusion and teach him something.
   
   Unfortunately, the errors in the Calculator exercise are too great an obstacle to overcome.
   
   The book will be placed on a shelf for now. Maybe one day I'll revisit it to see if the remaining chapters are better.