5 comments about McSe: SQL Server 7 Database Design (The Training Guide Series).

1. Just passed 029 using this book. it doesnt prepare you much for the exam, hands on is very important, so do all the excercises in this book and then use it as a guide to build your own custom stored precedures/cursors and so on. the Q's on the cd doesnt look much like the real exam, but its still very good for reviewing.



2. Like a visit to the Wizard of Oz, every exam candidate sees a different 70-029 exam. The main thrust of my 3 hour exam was (pretend there is no SQL 7 Server GUI) recognizing how various tasks and procedures are accomplished in T-SQL, and their uses and consequences. This is in sharp contrast to 70-028, which tests your facility with the GUI. And there are data structures to interpret, and maybe some ugly BCP and more practical DTS questions.

   Besch, et al. do a good job of focusing on T-SQL approaches, while mentioning the alternative GUI tools. I found the text comfortable and readable. Their treatments of data modeling and creating physical storage are excellent. Physical design is a little tougher reading, but the material is covered fairly well. The chapter on indexing is comprehensive, except for the discussion of Full-Text searches.

   While the BCP (Bulk Copy Program) is a powerful, but horrid thing to learn and use, with its dozens of optional parameters and flags, the book's explanation of it is about as lucid as you are likely to find. It will make you grateful for the new DTS (the GUI Data Transformation Services), which is not covered in sufficient detail, though just as likely to show up on the exam.

   The several chapters on structures of the SQL language cover a vast amount of territory, and cover it fairly well. Database maintenance is addressed in a cursory way.

   WEAKNESSES: The SQL language chapters (and some other areas) rely too heavily on formal syntax diagrams -- the kind that show all the possible choices of required and optional parameters of a given statement. While these are great for future reference, they make some pretty difficult reading when you are first learning SLQ. You'll have to expend some calories to translate the diagrams into reality. In some areas the subsequent examples provide adequate clarification. In others, the reader is left with the vague malaise of fuzzy theory. Replication and security are significantly slighted. The details of the workings of DTS are inadequate. The "Review Questions" (different from the "Exam Questions") often expect knowledge that has not yet been (and sometimes never will be) covered. But the info is usually useful in the answers provided.

   The examples contrasting Full-Text predicates vs Full-Text functions are not sufficient. The important series of steps required to set up and use Full-Text search are left unclear. A numbered list of essential steps would have been useful.

   Coverage of optimization of execution plans and Server Profiler is only marginally adequate.

   IF YOU ARE NEW to SQL Server, the condensed nature of any exam book will leave gaps in your understanding. I would strongly encourage you to read a second, smaller book, like Exam Cram, after completing this one. It will clarify the fuzzy spots and provide a different perspective on the material. Regardless, you will need to take notes and maybe do some flash cards (home made) to congeal all the knowledge. But take heart in the certainty that you'll be able to apply much of the data structure knowledge to exam 70-100 (Solutions Architectures).

   STRENGTHS: In addition to the good things mentioned above, the Fast Facts final review chapter is wonderful. The end of chapter exam questions do a good (though slightly buggy) job of reviewing the types of information that will be tested, though the format is not quite right.

   CONCLUSION: Despite its shortcomings, I really liked this book. Consider a "small" book as an adjunct. Take notes. Look up fuzzy syntax in the Books On Line. And, by all means, run the SQL exercises in Query Analyzer.




3. For a book supposed to be teaching us about organizing and designing databases, this book has a lot to be desired in terms of organization. Although the book started out fine but the book's quality quickly deteriorates beginning chapter 3. Chapter 4 is almost unreadable and is rife with references to topics that would be discussed later. The reader is left wondering and confused how soon the 'future' topics would be discussed and how the present topic would be affected by the topic that would be discussed later. Overall, this book is not worth your time and money. Better look for another book to guide you through this exam!



4. This book is really good.

   I usually use the Exam Cram books, since I think most of these "brick-sized" books have too much redundant information for someone experienced, but for the SQL Server 7.0 Design test I found the Exam Cram book really bad. So I went for the book by New Riders and hey, that's a great book! 100% of the stuff I got in the test was covered in this book. Go for it!




5. I'm prepering for Exam 07-029. I've read the "Exam Cram: SQL Server Design" book before. Comparing the two books, I'd say, "the Cram is (...) Just forget it." I found this New Rider's book is much better and there's more useful information in it. No problem with it. Thanks to the author for the good job!

3 comments about Cause for Concern.

1. I could not put the book down until I had read it all. It is a thriller with subplots involving human interactions and relevant environmental topics. From the very beginning the reader is drawn into a tense situation not knowing exactly what is transpiring and trying to put the pieces together. The characters in the novel are well developed and the relationships are realistic.

   I thought it an excellent book of fiction.




2. Linda Kistler's first novel is a great read. Set on a college campus, the book is a fascinating tale of how long-buried hazardous waste comes to affect the lives of various faculty members, students, and administrators. The plot develops somewhat like a mystery, as hints of problems begin emerging, until things literally explode in the book's extraordinary climax. I usually spend weeks reading one book...I finished this one in only two days!



3. I discovered this book quite by accident (it was sent to me by a friend), and I've never been more pleasantly surprised. Once I began the prologue, I found it difficult to put the book down until I'd completed it. During that process, I found myself totally absorbed by the story (about a search for a secret toxic waste dump on a small college campus), the colorful characters who live inside the book (and continue to live inside my head), and the mystery that surrounds them. Ms. Kistler's fluid writing style is among the best I've ever read. I look forward to her second book.

5 comments about Professional Data Warehousing with SQL Server 7.0 and OLAP Services.

1. The writing in this book is very incoherent. It is really hard to read and the author rambles on and on about useless obvious things. The examples provided are erroneous. What the author calls a very complex sql query is actually a very basic sql query and on top of that is incorrect. Example: in trying to count the num of transactions, the author made the mistake of sum(tran_id) instead of count(tran_id). If he cannot write a simple select statement how could he provide input on data warehousing. I got more information from SQL OLAP Tutorial in the books online than from reading the 1st 4 chapters. Also the author does not provide any solid examples drawn from his experience. It appears as though he is summarizing the books online and another great data warehousing book, "The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit" by Ralph Kimball.

   Save your money and look for another book.




2. I was hesitant to buy this book at first when I read some of the reviews online. However, when I started to look at it in the book store I found that it is the book that the book was very nicely written and structured. It is written for someone who does not have a background in data warehousing and OLAP, but yet, provides a great deal of knowledge by the time you finish reading it. I found that the book satisfies my needs. I have been using this book as a reference for Microsfot OLAP Services for the last three months and it helped me with a couple of projects already. For those who do not like the book, please keep in mind that if it does not satisfy your particular need, it does not mean that it is not a good book that can help others.



3. This was a great tool. It really helped to get my OLAP services up and running quickly. There are several other books on the market but we found this one to be easy to understand and use. There is a new version of Crystal Reports coming for SQL 7 OLAP, a reporting tool. I hope this book will be updated to cover that functionality! Great book!



4. I know WROX books and until this one they were very good or excellent. This one is no help to anybody. Author touches a lot of subjects not giving you anything on any of them. Almost anything you can also find in Books OnLine (bad as they are).
   If you need serious book, look for E. Thomsen titles.



5. Incomplete. Superficial. Inaccurate. I felt taken, after paying for it and reading it all the way through.

5 comments about Oracle8 PL/SQL Programming.

1. After reading this book, my programming skills leaped from Oracle kindergartener to Oracle goddess! As well as a great introduction to PL/SQL and a thorough reference, this book sits right next to my keyboard when I program. It not only covers basic PL/SQL, but also Oracle built-in packages, objects, collections, debugging, and the list goes on. Whether you're just getting started or having been programming for a while, this is an invaluable resource.



2. I think this book is the best book to begin writting PL/SQL code, so It has all programming level, from beginner to expert.



3. I rate books by what the author states as the goals for the book. The Introduction to any book should tell you this. Oracle 8 PL/SQL Programming states that the book "is appropriate for both experienced programmers who neet to know just the syntax for PL/SQL and its advanced features, and for novice programmers who are not familiar with other third-generation languages." While there is much to recommend in this book it does not fulfill its promise.

   Novice programers will find this book a diffuclt read. It does contain useful information, particularly when the authors delves into his expereinces. However it is not structured as an instruction text that a novice programmer can pick up and learn from.

   How does it work as a reference? The explinations of the syntax vary between encyclopedic, as in Chapeter 5: Built-in SQL Functions and lacking completenes as in Chapter 7: Subprograms: Procedures and Functions.

   In Chapter 5 the author catalogues over a hundred functions available in PL/SQL. If the goal is to be a reference work this is a fine approach. It is not very useful to a novice programmer trying to learn PL/SQL. For the novice cataloguse do not demonstrate how to put the pieces together.

   In Chapter 7 we are formally intorduced to the Procedured and Functions. The problem is each element of the all important features of the language is NOT explained.

   For example, the AS and IN clauses are presented in the specification of the formal syntax but are not explained in the chapter. This oversite would be acceptable if these terms had been discussed elsewhere. A check of the Index for pointer to an explination revealed nothing useful.

   With respect to this example we are left with one of two conlusions. Either there is not explination for these terms or the index is not up to the task of providing us a pointer. In either case it makes this work a poor reference. How are we supposed to find details when there is no path to them?




4. I use this book for reference of PL/SQL programming. Ther're some examples in the book. The format and index of this book is good too.



5. I use this book to learn PL/SQL. It is well-written and easy to follow. The codes in the book are also helpful for learning and practicing what you are reading. The book is good for biginners and certainly useful for intermediates and experts. If you are new to PL/SQL programming, after going through this book carefully you should start writing your own codes in PL/SQL. The book can also be used as reference to check syntax or to review concepts. There are certainly other PL/SQL books but this one can be a starting point. Overall the author did a good job and I can recommend the book.

No comments about SQL PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE.

3 comments about The Microsoft(r) SQL Server Survival Guide.

1. I found this book to be weak on specific details. It spends far more time discussing generalities like Client/Server, RDBMS concepts than it does on running MS MS-SQL Server. I ended up buying sqlserver6.5 unleashed to fill in the very considerable gaps left by this book. Better, would be a combination of sqlserver unleashed or dba survival combined with the MS documentation. Also, there is a very good newsgroup at www.dejanews.com that has been invaluable



2. This book has lots of helpful information that is not otherwise covered in the SQL Server manuals or online documentation. There are plenty of facts and tidbits regarding how to configure SQL Server and use the RDBMS as an application platform, as well as info on how the various configuration parameters play off one another.

   The section on replication is pretty sparse, though, and doesn't quite jibe with the product itself, since SQLServer's replication is really hard to keep up and running.

   All in all, found the book to be pure gold, with a wealth of information. This is not a substitute for the manuals though, some experience is assumed. Not a books for novices, not is it a substitute for RTFM. Rather, a complement to the manuals.




3. There isn't enough good examples or SQL specific knowledge contained in this book to be really useful to anyone other than a beginning to average SQL user. Most of the book is just general database concepts. For a survival guide one would expect in-depth troubleshooting and lots of specific real-life examples pertaining to SQL server...you'll find very little of that. A better title for this book should have been "Overview of relational database concepts and practices".

5 comments about Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 7.0 Administrator's Pocket Consultant (Administrator Pkt Consultant).

1. The SQL Server Pocket Admin Guide covers the major areas confronting a DBA: Admin, Data Administration, Performnace Monitoring, Backup and Recovery and the like. More importantly it gives clear examples of syntax for things from ISQL and OSQL to creating jobs to run DTS packages.

   The one thing it needs to include is an FYI or "gotchas" section. The pocket administrator is not so good at indicating what it is leaving out.

   For example: Restoring backups to other dbs with different owners but identical schemas is non-trivial.

   DTS packages running stored procedures do not allow for error trapping. This mean if the SP raises an error, the DTS package will not notice and continue as if the SP ran successfully.

   While you can not expect a pocket administrator to cover these details. It should briefly indicate that these are issues to be considered, but beyond the scope of the reference.

   Other than this oversight, it is an excellent reference.




2. First book review I've ever written but this book deserves it. As an on the road consultant for a software company, I needed a reference manual that was compact and informational. I am not a DBA and go back and forth between SQL Server and Oracle - master of neither. This book has answered every question I've ever had and is the only reference book I carry (thank you for the small size!). I can't recommend it enough. Probably not deep enough for the true SQL Server DBA's but for every day practical knowledge, can't be beat.



3. This book is compact (although pocket means coat pocket in this case) and well-indexed, so it's very handy to have with you if you in a pinch. Unfortunately, much of the book is devoted to explaining where things are in the UI (this button does this, that button does that). There are a few good how-does-this-work sections and lots of tip/best practice/real world insets, but in the final analysis they are only occasionally more helpful to me than the Books Online. Also, as another reviewer mentioned, there is precious little here about the gotchas inherent in certain operations--good SQL and GUI examples of how to accomplish a task, but not much to help you if something goes wrong. In short, if you're asking yourself how much depth there could be in a book whose title advertises that it will fit in your pocket, you should probably buy something else. But there are a lot of topics covered here, and the newer you are to SQL Server 7, the more use this book will be to you.



4. I was home sick and read this book through from cover to cover. This book covers all the basics. I would want to have a total coverage book around as well for reference, but for getting all the basic questions answered, this book does the job. It's hard to find answers to general questions in the heavier reference books due to their total coverage. This book gets to the point and tells you how to accomplish specific and important tasks.

   It's also light and small (relatively), so if you're a consultant you can easily carry it along with you. It's very clearly written.




5. This is a very helpful book. Concisely put together, I find it's my only reference I use to learn how to use our SQL server installation. The book gets me started in the right direction, then I'm able to figure things out on my own.

No comments about Mitch Kertzman: on 'geopolitical warfare.' (Sybase chairman discusses business competition) (Company Business and Marketing): An article from: Soft-Letter.

2 comments about Learning Oracle Report Builder 3.0: A tutorial for report designers.

1. Easy reading. Can go through in couple a days. I would recommend this book as one you should start with. The book covers basic principles of Forms 5.0 . Get your foundations in Oracle 7.x , 8.x before start reading this book.



2. I notice that the first reviewer thought that this book is about Forms 5.0. No wonder he gave it such a low rating. I would give it Zilch for that product!

   But, as for Reports 3.0, which the book is ostensibly and actually about, I would say that it is a good step by step introduction to the five basic types of reports and the interactivity of the Oracle Developer tools which will help to produce them. An excellent hands on intro.

No comments about SQL Server 2005: Training Kit. Examen 70-444.