4 comments about SQL for eServer i5 and iSeries.

1. This is a great book on the topic of SQL within the realm of IBM midrange platforms. It covers not only the obvious topics (interactive SQL, basic SELECTs etc.) but goes in depth on the topics of QM Manager, SQL within iSeries Navigator and interfacing SQL with MS Office. It is big on the practical aspects of SQL and is easy to read and understand.



2. This book has two aspects. Basically it's on the SQL programming language (Yes, Martha, it's a language).
   
   On the one hand it is aimed at the IBM i5/iSeries developers the tools they need to effectively use SQL in their applications.
   
   On the other hand it is equally aimed at the experienced SQL programmer that is now moving to the i5/iSeries who needs to know the particular twists and kinks in the implementation as well as the tools available on the system to support development.
   
   It's clear the future of data base interaction lies in SQL. It's also clear that without a book on the specific dialect of SQL spoken by the particular version you are running you can't write effective code. The structure of each data base engine is just a bit different. I don't believe that any of them meet the full standard.
   
   This is a novice to Intermediate level book. It starts with the simple SELECT statement and goes through JOINS, UNIONS, Sub-Selects, enough that the user can probably do what he wants. The book spends a good bit of time on converting from the older DDS/RPG based software.
   
   This book is an excellent start. It's hand's on enough to make sense, detailed enough to get you through the first through months of work before you're ready to tie into the details of advanced SQL -- Let alone the always coming next version.



3. Any programmer can copy and modify code to make a workable program. The real programmer creates code to meet the needs of the project. In order to stand out in todays world, it is absolutely essential that every available tool be brought to bear in order to hone the skills of the programmer. This book is written to help every level of programmer to use SQL in order to take full advantage of todays Systems and todays and tomorrows data needs. Kevin writes in an easy to read and understand style so even the novice programmer can find it useful. He also provides plenty of technical information to expand the edge of the programmer who already knows everything and doesn't usually use references. This book is a must have for the programmer working in this environment.



4. We are new to SQL and have found this book to be invaluable. Especially when added to some other books we have. Kevin has gone out of his way to answer questions and help. This is a must have book for any iSeries Shop that is using SQL and Embedded SQL.

5 comments about Beginning SQL Server 2005 Express Database Applications with Visual Basic Express and Visual Web Developer Express: From Novice to Professional.

1. It's very hard to read this book. There is very much nonsense text. Many words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages should have been deleted. General nonsense is mixed with crucial information, so you can't skim through passages. Beginner info (like how to install) is mixed with advanced stuff. Repeats endlessly stuff about different versions, etc.. No logic between the paragraphs. Very messy. He often uses unexplained words and abbreviations. It makes SQL look impossible. I will never by a Rick Dobson book again.



2. 'Beginning SQL Server 2005 Express Database Applications with Visual Basic Express and Visual Web Developer Express: From Novice to Professional' by Rick Dobson is a very nice learning tool for beginners who want to learn how to use SQL Server 2005 Express and Visual Basic Express to create database/client apps that will get the job done and done well. With ~600 page of material, the author leads you through the basics of what SQL Server 2005 and Visual Basic is and the power that these APIs have at your disposal. You'll go from a simple app and database to learning how to build these up in a logical, fun way.
   
   If you are new to these technologies and want to learn, I feel that this is a great resource to use to flood your brain with new information. For those that complain this book isn't too good, it's not meant to be a book for uber programmers but newbies. I think if you want to learn, you ought to give this a try!
   
   ***** RECOMMENDED



3. Nowadays, it is all too common for someone with a competing interest to dis a book in the hopes of steering others away. After reading several of the negative reviews for this book, I was worried that might be happening here.
   
   When I checked out this book in a bookstore and compared it with four others on SQL Express 2005, I found this one to be a superior presentation of the subject. It is cogent and will written, and provides analysis that goes well beyond the beginning level. The overall presentation is well crafted and easy to follow.
   
   The type-face is small, but that just means that you get more for your money, as there is a lot of meat on these pages. The author addressed my issues supprisingly well. The insights he gave show that he has considerable experience with the subject and has thought carefully about how to present it. I highly recommend this book if you really want to understand the subject matter.



4. So far, I like the way the book is layed out. I'm still going through it, and satisfied with results.



5. I don't know where to begin with this book. It is such an awesome resource. Although you can get a lot of user documentation online, this book does an excellent job at helping someone new to setting everything up to really understand all of the technical jargon. The examples and explanations for Visual Web Developer and VB are great. However, I wouldn't say this book is completely for the novice, unless you are defining novice as someone proficient in VB programming and web design. And I don't know how useful this will be to an expert either. It's really great for a middle-of-the-road skill-set.

5 comments about The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Architecture and Internals.

1. 500 pages of Win NT/2000 fundamentals in a SQL Server Architecture book. Come on, get real Ken Henderson.
   
   Almost zilch in the way of diagrams makes for very heavy going.
   
   I primarily bought the book to give me a total knowledge of SQL Server Architecture. I hadn't got far before I realised that a high level description of the architecture was not going to be included because, according to the author, it had been covered in a previous book. Not good enough and I am asking the publishers for my money back.
   
   Also, treatment of things like explanations of XML in a SQL Server Architecture book ? The author has done what no IT system should do ... not adhered to requirements which in this case are to explain SQL Server and Internals.
   
   All in all a disappointing experience.



2. Alas, this book was a VERY disappointing reading.
   
   Its one of the biggest sins is having a misleading title. "SQL Server Architecture and Internals" ? Forget it.
   
   The first whole third of the book is Win32 in a nutshell. It tells you about memory, processes, I/O and everything. But I already have my Richter dog-eared all right, I wouldn't need a reminder in a book on SQL Server.
   
   Then, about the SQL Server. Internals ? What a joke. The only internals that you would find are names of the DLLs where this or that SQL Server subsystem resides and a few hardcore debugger sessions to show you those DLLs actually get loaded. Uh-huh, thanks.
   
   Can you imagine a book on SQL Server internals which doesn't mention pages and/or extents ? In-depth description of different execution plans ? This is the one.
   
   What this book really is, is 20 chapters worth of overviews for more or less known SQL Server features. Average-to-good overviews of a less known features. Uhm, architecture, internals ? Nope - SQLXML, DTS, notification services, cursors, transactions. Take cursors - it says there are four types of cursors, you know, static, etc. and shows an SQL snippet for each. That's basically it. Take transactions - ACID, isolation levels and usage hints. Oh well, it could be worse...
   
   Difficult to say without reading other books by the same author (not that I have an urge any more), but it appears he has written a whole series of them. You find sentences like "In my other book..." all over the place. Just love it:
   
   [quote]
   I must confess that I was conflicted when I sat down to write this chapter. I wrestled with whether to update the SQLXML coverage in my last book, which was more focused on the practical application of SQLXML but which I felt really needed updating, or to write something completely new on just the architectural aspects of SQLXML, with little or no discussion of how to apply them in practice. Ultimately, I decided to do both things.
   [/quote]
   
   Isn't it great ?
   
   Oh, the chapter on Full-Text Search was hilarious. How about this:
   
   [quote]
   Communication between SQL Server and Microsoft Search occurs via a full-text provider. This provider resides in SQLFTQRY.DLL in the binn folder under your default SQL Server installation.
   ...
   The sp_fulltext_... system procedures interact with it via the undocumented DBCC CALLFULLTEXT command
   ...
   Table 16.1. DBCC CALLFULLTEXT Functions
   [*** A TABLE OF FUNCTION IDS TAKING THE ENTIRE PAGE ***]
   ...
   As a rule, you shouldn't call DBCC CALLFULLTEXT in your own code. The function IDs and parameters listed above could change between releases
   [/quote]
   
   What a heck did I just learn ???
   
   I thought this book would show me how to improve the performance of the applications that I write by knowing the database server architecture deeper. Instead, I got a book of not so bad overviews of different things for which there either was no coverage in the previous books or the author thought a quick reminder would be nice.
   
   To be fair, some of the discussions were reasonably interesting, like chapter 12 "Query Processor", but give me a break, it's like 40 pages in a 1000 pages book.
   
   Don't.



3. This is by far the best book available on Microsoft's Sql Server. I found it much far more informative and much deeper than Kalen Delaney's book - the only other one that comes close. It is a book unlike any other that I have read on Sql Server in that it is extremely deep - deeper than just about any technical book I think I have ever read - and extremely broad. Most books are one or the other, but this one really is both. Every chapter is a treasure chest of useful info. Several could be books unto themselves. The discussion of DTS for example is actually better than whole books on the subject. The User Mode Scheduler chapter is so deep I had to read it twice. The list could go on and on.
   
   One thing I really appreciate about the book is that the author includes a good section (Approximately the first 300 pages) on Windows insides and fundamental concepts. His reasoning for including this type of info in a Sql Server book is sound: because most Dba's do not have the grasp of Windows fundamentals they will need to understand the indepth writing on Sql Server that he offers in the subsequent chapters and because he doesn't want readers to have to read multiple other books just to understand his. The author writes about Sql Server from the perspective of a professional developer and wants to first make sure his readers understand Windows and networking and COM and etc. at that level so that they can follow the rest of the book. It would have been easier for him to have said, "Read XML 101 chapter 8 before you read this chapter of mine," but he doesn't take the easy way out. Instead he covers everything you need to know to understand Sql insides in a single book.
   
   The author's writing on Windows insides goes beyond merely providing info. He seems to be trying to teach basic debugging and exploring skills. He claims to want to teach Dba's and readers how to explore Sql insides on their own - the assumption being that no one book could fully cover Sql's insides given how complex it is and things continue to change. That is an admirable goal though I do not know if the average Dba is up to the task. Irregardless if you really want to understand Sql and gain the tools to continue to explore it for years to come you could not ask for a better book to launch from.
   
   I regularly read Windows fundamentals books and can also report that the author's writing on Windows insides is more thorough than that by any other author. It is also done from the perspective of Sql Server. The exercises often feature the Sql Server.exe process for example. When an application is investigated from a Windows insides standpoint that application is Sql Server. This Windows insides part of the book is an indispensable piece and a real gem. It could (and should) be a book itself.
   
   Another thing I really like is that the author avoids repeating what you can find in other Sql insides books and whitepapers. Somewhere at the beginning, I think in the preface, he says that he avoided covering the storage engine because it was already covered well enough elsewhere. Delaney's book has full writing on the storage engine and this book doesn't try to replace that. For that reason I think they make a nice set. The author's book gets into query processor insides, memory insides, threading insides, and many, many others, but leaves the storage engine and some other pieces to the books and whitepapers that preceded it. I see the most indepth and expansive Sql insides coverage in this book that I have seen in any Sql book, but I also see where he avoided needlessly repeating what other people have already well covered.
   
   Like the other two Guru Guide books this book is extremely well written. I was often impressed with the author's knack for making rather complex topics easy to understand. Nowhere is this more evident than in the User Mode Scheduling chapter wherein he takes a subject that is obviously rather complex yet critical to understanding how Sql Server works and that AFAIK is not covered in any other book (certainly not in Delaney's) and reduces it down to something anyone can understand. He builds on the Windows insides discussion earlier in the book to explain very succinctly how Sql Server schedules work to be done and carries it out. For me this was worth the cost of admission alone.
   
   If I had to pick just one book to buy on Sql Server, this would be the one. I'd follow it up with Delaney's book and the author's other Guru Guide books.



4. People who aspire to be real experts in Sql Server 2000 should read this book cover-to-cover (skipping the pompous Essay in the back and the "quotes" at the beginning of each chapter). There is a lot here and it will help remind you how you should be coding your sql and why.



5. The book is good but is becoming quite dated. For those using SQL Server 2005 it is a little disappointing because SQL Server architecture has changed so much. Its overall value is reduced by this.

No comments about OCP Oracle Database 11g: Administration II Exam Guide (Exam 1Z0-053) (Osborne Oracle Press).

5 comments about Managing and Using MySQL (2nd Edition).

1. this is a typical book comes out of George Reese:

   1. poorly written
   2. shamelessly copy and paste existing materials from reference manual
   3. full of error

   the author is only trying to get a quick buck or two.avoid it at all cost.




2. This book is clearly and succinctly written, and provides an excellent introduction to MySQL. It starts with a few pages on the history and philosophy behind MySQL, which is useful if you want to understand the advantages and disadvantages of MySQL relative to other options such as PostgreSQL or Oracle. It then follows with chapters on installation, with specific instructions for Solaris, Linux, and Windows; on MySQL's dialect of SQL (Structured Query Language); and on basic administration tasks such as configuration, startup and shutdown, logging, backup, and recovery. That's really all you need to get a basic database up and running, and it's all in the first 80 pages of the book.

   Part II of the book covers more advanced administrative tasks, with chapters on performance tuning, security, and database design. This section of the book is weaker than the first section; while there's some useful introductory material on each of these topics, depth is lacking. For example, the discussion of putting a database into second normal form is misleading because it uses a table with only one field as the unique identifier, making it impossible to clearly illustrate the removal to a smaller table of fields that are dependent on only part of a (typically multifield) unique identifier. Also, some of the more advanced MySQL features which might be appropriate for this section are omitted.

   Part III of the book, entitled "MySQL Programming", has sections accessing MySQL from Perl, Python, PHP, C, Java. These sections are mostly limited to information specific to MySQL that might not be found in general purpose documentation of these languages. For example, the PHP section documents the relevant function calls, since PHP uses different functions to access MySQL than it does to access, say, ODBC databases, while the Java section focuses on JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) driver configuration since the JDBC API is database independent.

   Finally, there is a reference section and a good, complete index.

   If what you want to do is get a small database up and running in a minimum of time with a minimum of hassle, this is the book for you. If you want more than an introductory level of detail and depth, though, you might look at other books; Leon Atkinson's "Core MySQL", for example, has more complete coverage, though the writing style is not as clear and direct.




3. I generally love the O'Reilly books because they tend to be very thorough and have lots of practical code examples, but this book was a big disappointment to me. I was easily frustrated by this book. As a beginner to MySQL and database programming, I was completely lost whenever I tried to apply something to my own projects. The explanations given here are very brief and the authors often send you elsewhere for more in-depth discussion. I wound up doing most of my research online and just using the SQL reference chapter to look-up query syntax. I give it two stars because it did help me get started, but I'd say this is a poor reference for anyone looking for in-depth coverage.



4. This book covers MySQL at a good level of both depth and breadth. It weaves in a great combination of the history and philosophy behind design choices the MySQL development community made, and provides many examples of how to use MySQL in different languages.



5. This book was excellent for my need: I had used SQL before but didn't know much of anything about relational databases let alone MySQL. I am in the process of building a web application that reports survey data. It will tell you everything you need to know to get started with a small to mid-size database.
   
   Best of all, this book is well written, clear, the examples are GREAT and if you cut out the portions that are not relevant to you (for me this was security and the sections on PHP and Perl to name a few) you can literally learn all you need to know to get started in less than two weeks of studying for a few hours per day. Amazing value.
   
   The portions of the book on MySQL itself are not obviously dated, but the Python DB API interface has changed (to version 2.0) since this book was written.

5 comments about PHP and MySQL Web Development, Second Edition.

1. I got this book because I wanted to learn PHP and MySQL. Although the book does an OK job helping you set up your AMP, you will need to visit the MySQL, PHP and Apache sites to complete your setup. The PHP info given is really quick, I assume the author thinks because he mentions something that I am suppose to completely understand. This book is not for beginners at all. It seemed to have some good info and nice code to help you build a site as long as you did not plan on altering the code to much, because you better know what you are doing. I'm sure this book would be good for someone who has some programming experience not just HTML. You should look else where if you have no actual programming experience.



2. Before begin what I have to say about the book, I have to position me on the subject. I am considered an expert user, with a B.Sc. in Informatics, but I haven't practice programming for more than a decade. So, I understand the aspects of programming and databases, but I was not familiar with PHP and MySQL before reading this book. And after finish reading it I was, so I believe that this book it does its job and it does it well, at least to a person like me.
   It explains the aspects of PHP and progressively it leads the reader to more elements of the language. It is not a reference, so you will need a reference (probably an online one) to see the arguments of a function, etc. But, if you know that a function exists, it is very easy to use it...
   The book also shows the reader how PHP integrates with a database like MySQL. With this knowledge, you can make a dynamic web site by yourself. It is actually easy for an entry level web site.
   There are more to learn that are not covered on this book. But if you master the content of this book, you have the basis to a deeper usage of PHP and making of dynamic web sites.
   Finally, I have to mention the contents of the CD-ROM, that includes a complete application, an example that is devoloped in every chapter of the book. You can see how things work by using the application from the CD-ROM.
   A very good book to understand PHP and database based web sites. Probably not the best, but certainly a good and effective one.



3. This book was suggested to me to used if I wanted to learn PHP and MySQL. I found it to be a very good book but at times there were sections that were not explained well enough and also there were some typos in the code sections. Beside that this book is a very good book to use, but I would advise getting a complimentary book especially if this is your first stab at programming in PHP or using MySQL. This is more of an intermediate level book than a beginner book.



4. This is a well-written book for learning how to build Internet applications with two of the most popular open-source web development technologies. PHP is one of the big four server-side scripting languages (along with ASP, ColdFusion, and JSP) and MySQL is one of the best high performance, scalable web-based RDBMS systems available. Together, they provide a powerful combination. The book is divided into two sections; the first half of the book gets you up to speed with both PHP and MySQL, while the second half presents some practical projects. The projects are the real jewel of the book. Not only are the projects described and constructed in a logical, component-based manner, but the selection of projects represents an excellent cross-section of common components that are built into many web sites, including: user authentication and personalization, a shopping cart, content management system, web-based email service, mailing list manager, and web forums. Because of the selection and clarity of the projects, this book makes a great general purpose reference for how to build these types of web applications, no matter which implementation language you choose.



5. This is my 2nd book regarding php and mysql. My first one got stolen a while back. Anyways, This is a great resource for those who want to create php dynamic and interactive web pages. The codes are good but ive seen better. With this book, You could start making php in no time at all. Samples are interesting and the codes could be used to jump start your own projects. I recommend this for beginners and mid-level php programmers.
   
   PS: I spilled coffee on mine :(

No comments about SQL Simplified: Learn to Read and Write Structured Query Language.

5 comments about Programming SQL Server 2005.

1. As a new student to the field of SQL Server 2005, I was hoping to obtain a book learning the various methods of programming in SQL Server 2005. I was initially hearted by the first paragraph in the preface:
   
   "You don't need to be an experienced SQL Server 2005 programmer to use this book..."
   
   which is indeed the case if you intend to use it as a paper weight.
   
   The book suspiciously looks like the syntax guide found in most MS products: the procedure name and inputs followed by a description of the inputs. It is not for the beginner/intermediate learner and is somewhat of a disappointment comming from the O'Reilly range ("SQL on SQL Server 2005" is an excellent counter point to the book being reviewed from the same publisher). This book serves mainly as a reference (which on page 7, it clearly states that it is not a reference) to new doctrine in the SQL Server evolution.



2. This is definitely one of my best SQL programming books. It covers the newer programming concepts; such as XML storage and handling in SQL 2005, very well.
   
   I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is serious about SQL Server 2005 programming.
   
   It also covers CLR programming in SQL Server. Good book.



3. User does not have to be experience SQL Server 2005 programmer to use this book; as it is designed for users of all levels. This book also suggests that user does not have to be experienced with SQL Server 2000. However, I disagree with that. This book only covers new features of SQL Server 2005. Understanding of fundamental relational database concepts is helpful to digest and accept the concepts introduced in this book.
   
   This book covers following perspective of SQL Server 2005 new features.
   * Tools and utilities
   * Data types
   * T-SQL enhancements
   * Programmability enhancements
   * XML support
   * Native XML web services
   * SQL Management Objects
   * SQL Server Integration Services
   * SQL Server Reporting Services
   * SQL Server Notification Services
   * SQL Server Service Broker
   * Replication Management Objects
   * SQL Server Agent
   * SQL Server Mobile Edition
   
   The code used in the book is available for download on O'Reilly web site. I always like this as I really do not like to retype examples from the book. Most of the examples of this book use C# code and Visual Studio 2005. One good thing about this book is it uses AdventureWorks sample database, I always prefer book which uses samples database which comes along the SQL Server, this makes it easily useable by developer. This book is also Safari enabled.
   
   Appendix of this book has in depth explanation of the ADO.NET 2.0, which can be quite useful to users interested in the topic. There are very few good books which covers this topic such in depth.
   
   Rating: 4 stars
   
   Summary: This book is quite good for new learning; I enjoy reading it and learning new concepts from this book.
   
   Pinal Dave
   Principal Database Administrator
   (blog.sqlauthority.com)



4. This book is very inaccessible, not because it is too complex, but because it is poorly written. If you'd like to actually learn SQL Server programming I'd recommend Professional SQL Server 2005 Programming (Programmer to Programmer).



5. This book covers nearly all topics on SQL Server programming. It begins with the differences between the SQL Server 2000 and 2005. 2005 has new tools (SSMS, Profiler, BIDS, command line), data types, xml support, and .NET integration. Chapters 1-4 go over these topics in turn. The next series shows the reader how to program using the Visual Studio IDE, deal with XML programming, and web services (Chaptes 5-8). Chapters 9-14 are on programming SQL Server management and reporting tools plus interfacing with the objects exposed by SQL Server through .NET. The remaining chapters are on programming services: SS agent, intergrations services, broker, notification services, and analysis services.
   
   The book is quite thourough and has a large number of examples, code, and pictures for each topic. The book is generally easy to read and well indexed. Programmers will feel right at home with all the extra help provided by the book.
   
   Folks who have no programming experience of any kind will likely struggle with the information in the book. Basic SQL is shown but not explained. It is clear the book is meant for people programming and/or automating SQL Server topics rather than just running basic queries. That being said, the chapter on XML was very helpful even from just a querying point of view. Using XML as a bulk load technique was particuarly useful and turned out to be very fast when loading text based data to the server. Querying XML data was covered by using both FOR XML statements and using XQuery type statements. The chapter sovering SSIS was also very useful as there is not much material on SSIS yet.
   
   This book is a must have for SQL Server DBAs, programmers, and professionals.

5 comments about Oracle SQL*Loader: The Definitive Guide.

1. This is the place to start if you want to know about SQL*Loader. The authors do a great job on covering how to use SQL*Loader and all the little nuances that it has. They also sprinkles in some good advise on how to handle situation that will probably come up when you use SQL*Loader. The back cover of the book indicates that it is updated for Oracle 9i. I have a little reservation about that because the book was written with an early release of Oracle 9i (it states so on page xii and xii).

   Bottom line: start with this book for the easy read and clear explanations. Then go to the Oracle 9i doc for the updates like the Control File being expanded to include new parameters.




2. I searched through several manuals and guides on Oracle only to discover that very few cover the SQL Loader tool in great detail. This book does so, and in a way that's fairly easy to read. It is a huge benefit over the sparse 2-3 pages of documentation you'll typically find elsewhere.



3. I have been dealing with databases for over three years now.
   Right now I am doing Siebel Consulting in which Enterprise Integration Module(EIM) is responsible for data transfer from any source to Sieble database. I came across a requirement where I had to use Oracle SQL Loader, so I went looking for a good book.
   This 250 page book tells you everything you need to know about SQL Loader in less time than any other. Lots of code and real time examples.
   Worth having as ref book for all DBAs or even developers.
   Five Stars for sure.



4. This little book is a lifesaver. I have benefitted a lot from the examples provided in this book. SQL Loader can be hard but very easy if you have a guide like this book.



5. This book contains a somewhat disjointed overview of SQL*Loader. It starts to explain something and then shows one little example of a character column, for instance. But then there is nothing at all about what to do if the column is a number or date. It explains a lot but it shows little. A very frustrating book.
   
   Oracle's SQL*Loader is fragile, counter-intuitive, dated, and hard to work with. If there were ANY other books available, I would try one of those instead.

5 comments about Beginners Guide to SQL Server Integration Services Using Visual Studio 2005.

1. I recently lent this book to a DBA friend who wanted me to post his review:
   
   SQL Server Integration Services Using Visual Studio 2005 is exactly what it claims to be; it's a beginners guide, and a good one at that. Being an experienced SQL DBA and .NET programmer I'm familiar with the inner workings of the SQL engine, T-SQL code, and .NET code as well as how they work together in the background. I was not expecting to have this information presented in this book and it wasn't which is good as I think it would overwhelm most beginners.
   
   What this book did provide is a detailed explanation of the various objects and tasks that one would need to understand in order to create useful SSIS packages.
   
   Having been burned more than once by the terrible DTS packages in SQL 2000 I have been very slow to adopt SSIS for anything, typically choosing to write elaborate T-SQL scripts. This has two problems: one is source control, the other is that they're often too complex for Jr. admins (or non admins) to tackle. Using the various tasks demonstrated in this book it becomes possible for beginners to tackle tasks like importing and exporting data, sending emails from SQL, working with web services, and even event handling!
   
   Whether you're a hard-core Visual Studio user who is looking to do some work with SQL, or a newcomer to SQL itself this book will have you covered.



2. Learning SSIS is one of the most challenging skills for any developer. But this book has made it really easy for any starting developer. This book was specifically written for starting developers as it show the specific steps on how to develop an application from the scratch. Experienced developers will know a trick or two based on the things covered here. The book actually exploits all the possible functions that could be used in SSIS so experienced developers will have the chance to rediscover some of these functions and apply them to their application.
   
   The book is written in learning stages: each part of the SSIS application along with its Visual Studio 2005 counterpart for application development is discussed. These functions are then tested to an actual application. Actual screenshots are used to give the developers an idea on how the application development progresses.
   
   But not everything is presented at once. In the early chapters of the book, developers will first learn the basics on software development using SSIS and Visual Studio 2005. The actual use of the software development tool is presented later.
   
   These basics are enough for the build a simple application. Once the basics are covered an exercise is presented so that developers can immediately apply what they have learned. As the chapters progresses, advanced functions and skills are presented. It is again presented through a series of screen shots so that developers could understand how it is done. Once enough information has been presented, another battery of tests so that skills will be used in the actual scenario.
   
   If you are looking for a good book to start developing SSIS with Visual Studio 2005, this book provides a great start. This book could easily become a good reference book as the skills of the developer progresses in SSIS and Visual Studio.



3. This book was worth the money for me. While I am familiar with DTS and SSIS, I've never used them and therefore had no experience for getting started. This book was enough to show me how to create working-though-simple SSIS packages that I can put into production in my work environment. I have yet to find a reference that was easy to read and without speed bumps from one step to the next; this book is the same in that regard. If you need everything spoon-fed to you, you may have problems. The examples are also very simple; they do not go into more advanced details and I can already see I will need more information for certain concepts. But if you need "Hello World" examples to get you going, this is the book you need. But before you do, you will need Visual Studio .NET with Business Intelligence installed an an SQL server that will run SSIS packages.



4. If you can create an SSIS package, and understand most of what the different toolbox object are, this is not the book for you. If you don't even know ho to create an SSIS package, and need to do so quickly, buy this book. In a couple hours, you'll be proficient in the basics of SSIS.
   
   Packt asked me to review this book, and their timing was perfect--I was ready to start an SSIS project but had no experience. I was a heavy DTS user, and the difference between DTS and SSIS blew my mind. The first two chapters are a reference of the different flows, transformations, sources and destinations available, and the rest of the book is essentially a workbook, full of how-to examples for very common tasks. Even if what you need to do isn't covered,
   
   I did hope there would be a section on the new "fuzzy" objects, but there was none. This book also does not discuss way to organize your solutions and projects, but this also was left to more advanced books.
   
   I've loaned this book to several coworkers, and all have found it useful. We all came up to a basic understanding of SSIS very quickly, and have a good enough understanding to pick up more advanced examples.



5. The book is pretty basic and easy to understand for creating and executing packages, but does not cover the deployment of packages. There is no mention of setting up the variables or deployment in this book. I give it a 1 star because I can create the packages, but I can't do anything with them.