5 comments about Mastering Oracle SQL.

1. A clear explaination of how to use multiple nested views has saved the day. I can now run a single query on my large table (the table has 83 Million rows in it) and it completes by in a few hours. I have enjoyed reading it and becoming more experienced in SQL. In the past I would use Perl/DBI to access the database but now I do it through sqlplus because of the large datasets I am working with. I wish I bought this book a loong time ago.



2. As a value for the dollar, I give it 5 stars. I think it is most useful to people who have some SQL experience with Oracle and want to take their skills to the next level. I agree with some of the other reviewers that "Mastering" is a bit of a marketing stretch, particularly since there is limited coverage of Oracle optimizer issues. I would also have included some further discussion on how to read and use "Explain Plan" results. With those cavaets, however, I think that almost any SQL programmer will find something in this book to improve their skills. I found the discussion of subqueries to be very useful, as well as the OLAP queries. I read the book cover to cover. It is well written and the concepts are generally presented clearly.



3. I like this book. It covers some advanced topics of Oracle SQL with some good examples. It doesn't cover everything of SQL statements and grammer, but it does teach you some techniques of writing good queries. It's hard to find similar book on the market.



4. It's a good book but it misses a beat here and there on the more difficult topics. It is worth a try, as all the Oracle books are silly.



5. This book only covers basic features in Oracle 8i and there's no example code accompanying the book. PL/SQL is covered in a scant 10 pages and there's no meaningful coverage of large objects or collections.

   Given O'Reilly's usual high quality, this book is a surprising miss. My advice: buy another book, there are plenty to choose from.

2 comments about Access and SQL Server Developer's Handbook.

1. Simple enough for the astute beginner and complete enough for the experienced user.



2. The book is in excellent condition, much more than you can expect from buying used books, unbelievable give-away price, excellent package and shipping. I am very happy about it.

No comments about Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Programming (Professional).

2 comments about Programming Informix SQL/4GL: A Step-By-Step Approach (Bk/CD) (2nd Edition).

1. This book is an excellent resource for a novice user of Informix. I give this one 2 thumbs up. Even my expert coworker peeks into it once in a great while.

   My work place has the Informix books offered by the vendor which can be highly wordy and, for me, unreadable. Also, the book by Paul Mahler, "An Informix 4GL Tutorial" is pure crap. Or maybe the title should have been, "Mahler's Only Way To Do Informix--An Unapproachable approach".

   I have used both the first and 2nd editions written by Cathy Kipp. The first edition used a smaller font, was easy to read and was more compact and, after using it as a beginner Informix programmer, I grew attached to it. When I started using the 2nd edition, it took me a while to get used to the larger font or the more spread out documentation. In other words, a command could be covered in a single page on the first edition making it easy to read, but it took 2 pages to cover the same command in the 2nd edition. However, the 2nd edition had more substance over all.

   Warning to the buyer! The books page numbers in the index and the actual pages those references are located can be a couple pages off. AFter the index was written, a few more lines were added throughout the book. This screws with your ability to find an indexed item in the book. For example, the index says: Isolation Levels p.446 but the actual page is p.448,9. Although, the plus side is the index is very thorough and make finding needed commands easily (within a page or 2).

   Drawback #2, as with most large paperbacks that are used on a daily basis, the book will start falling apart--pages unglueing out of the binder after a few months to a year.

   But again, it has definitely been an excellent resource. I almost would give this one 4 stars except, compared to the couple other resources I have seen, this one beats all the rest. Even if it has its couple of flaws.

   If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to respond.




2. This is an excellent reference for anyone who is involved with Informix 4GL development. The book provides all the basics of SQL and 4GL. I often use it from time to time for my development projects.

No comments about Microsoft® SQL Sever 2008 New Features (Microsoft Sql Server).

5 comments about Programming Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 with XML, Second Edition.

1. Although this book didn't go quite as in depth as I would have liked it to, it was well layed out and had a lot of practical examples. Everything in it was easy to follow and focused on making the technology work instead of delving into the techie jargon about the theory behind it. This book won't make you an expert, but will give you enough to be able to start plugging this stuff into your projects pretty quickly.



2. I never expected so much useful information into such a small book. Good books don't sell by weight or page count.
   I found this book concise and clear (this man knows how to teach). It sure doesn't explain everything about the subject, but it gives the big picture, with an impressive number of details too.
   Ideal to start working in small time.
   NOTE about who is this book for:
   As title state, this book teaches how to use the XML features of SQL Server 2000, not how to use SQL2000, so if you don't know SQL Server you better read something else first.
   From the XML XSL XPath X... side, this book is also for novices as it has a very good appendix that teaches all you need to understand the book.



3. Most of the reviews here seem to relate to the first edition (which was admittedly kind of short). The book has been updated, and the second edition covers new stuff like XSD Schemas, Diffgrams, SOAP Virtual Names, and all the other SQLXML 3.0 features. I found the book really useful, and easy to read. The examples are great and the concepts are all well explained. Definitely worth buying if you're planning to use SQL Server's XML functionality.



4. This is a great book for a beginner of SQL Server 2000 and XML. Starts off from scratch and walks you thru every aspect of XML and building a complete XML enabled web pages.

   This is a good book for any one that is looking to find over all information that can give glimpse into the features of SQL Server and be able to utilize to build XML-enabled data-pages.




5. The book reached me in a near perfect condition and in right time.
   
   Thanks guys!

3 comments about Easy Oracle SQL: Get Started Fast Writing SQL Reports with SQL*Plus (Easy Oracle).

1. As the editor for this book I appreciated the challenge of writing a book that takes a complicated subject and explains it in plain English.
   
   Col. Garmany has done a good job with this task, and he strives to put himself into the mindset of the novice and explain Oracle SQL queries in easy-to-understand terms. The text has a sample database so that the reader can follow-along, and the queries start simple, with the more complicated SQL constructs such as sub queries being presented at the end of the text, after the basics are explained.
   
   The real value of the book is the explanations of the SQL*Plus formatting commands for making reports with Oracle SQL. Garmany explains it is simple terms, and the reader seeds examples of the formatting commands and the corresponding output.



2. To people that are new to SQL, John Garmany proves that SQL does NOT stand for Scary Query Language. It is an excellent step-by-step primer to take the uninitiated from clueless to competent. What I think is most impressive, is Mr. Garmany's ability to quickly take the student from creating very simple queries to very complex queries without causing the user severe mental and emotional stress. In fact, the examples included in the book, while challenging, are interesting, and even fun. There are lots of SQL books on the market, but this one doesn't require you to be the office geek to get a LOT out of it. Get this book, work through the examples, and pretty soon you to can impress your co-workers, as well as your boss. Highly recommended!



3. For a beginner who is learning Databases, SQL and/or Oracle, this book is lacking.
   
   I do agree that there are certain sections of text that are nicely done, explained, and illustrated. Unfortunately, they are wedged inbetween other sections where lots of confusing terminology and concepts are poorly explained. Normalization is squeezed into 5 pages. First experience getting signed onto SQLplus consumes several page or repetitive thoughts, but is not helpful in troubleshooting.
   
   Get ready for the fire hose half way through Chapter 3 where the book covers varied types of table joins and subqueries without clearly explaining to the reader what's going on. It basically presents the syntax without explaining examples and situations where you'd want to use this feature. Table Joining is one of the most important concepts for report writers to master and the book fails to deliver.
   
   Would have been better to delete Chapter 5 where the book takes a beginner through the rather advanced topics of differentiating between different types of indexes. bitmap versus b-tree versus function-based? If I'm just learning SQL, I'm not going to be making those design decisions quite yet. Use the extra pages here to better explain multi-table joins instead.
   
   I also think they did a rush job getting this book out. Several of the chapter summaries just repeat, in a sentence form, the chapter's heading. The editing is horrible. The text is riddled with typos that will be confusing to the beginner. Example: Page 69 "test" should be "text" -- a significantly different semantic meaning for the sentence.
   
   If you're a beginner, look for a different text. If you're an intermediate like me and need to brush up on what you already know, buy this book and see how many typos that YOU can find.

3 comments about Mastering phpMyAdmin for Effective MySQL Management 2e.

1. The purpose of this book by Marc Delisle is to teach you how to use phpMyAdmin, which is a popular open source program for working with a MySQL database using the phpMyAdmin user-friendly graphic interface. Most PHP programmers use MySQL for their database needs because these two technologies work so well together. For those who have not yet worked with phpMyAdmin and MySQL, this book will help you get up and running quickly. And for those programmers who have taught themselves to use phpMyAdmin by trial and error, this book will introduce and explain those features you may have missed.
   
   The author begins with an introduction to phpMyAdmin. He covers the main features and some history of the program. After that, he jumps right in to the installation, configuration and security issues for the Linux, Apache and IIS servers. Of course, if you are using phpMyAdmin with your web host account, you may not have much control over these issues. Once the program is installed, he explains the user interface and discusses those easy-to-use features that make this program so popular.
   
   Delisle starts with the basic tasks such as creating databases and setting up tables. He explains the different types of data, table fields and the various choices you have when performing many tasks. Next, he shows you how to move tables between databases and how to backup, copy and move databases between servers. Although the user-friendly graphic interface is what makes phpMyAdmin so nice, you may at some time need to use the SQL commands alone. The author covers the most common tasks you may encounter. Finally, he moves on to more advanced issues such as administrative tasks and generating database reports and documentation.
   
   Marc Delisle is a developer and project administrator for the phpMyAdmin project. He also teaches at the College de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.



2. I've got a review copy of the phpMyAdmin 2.8 book as well as the previous edition of this book. The old edition already was rather comprehensive and had all the features that phpMyAdmin has cleary laid out.
   
   Still, the layout of the new edition improved a notch, this is a nice update. While you probably won't need the book if you already have the old edition, it is a nice book to help you get out the most of phpMyAdmin.



3. If you don't like command-line interface with your computer, phpMyAdmin is a great tool! And if you want to learn the right way to interact with phpMyAdmin, this book is your perfect resource!
   I stumbled upon a phpMyAdmin screencast by DeLisle at a conference. His calm and collected presentation style along with a great clarity for instruction is repeated in this book.
   Mastering phpMyAdmin has enabled me to move out of my limited comfort zone with database management in general. The book is clearly laid out to give you step-by-step instructions to make a database work for you.
   I highly recommend this book, and DeLisle's Creating your MySQL Database: Practical Design Tips and Techniques as well. They are great books!

No comments about Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Management and Administration.

5 comments about MySQL and Perl for the Web (Landmark).

1. This isn't a complete review but readers should be aware that this book does NOT cover templates (it doesn't appear in the contents or the index). There's no mention of Template Toolkit or HTML::Template, for example. (Text::Template and HTML::Mason get mentioned as an aside, but that's it) Similarly, there are three chapters on forms, but no mention of CGI::FormBuilder.

   Seems like a big omission to me. YMMV.




2. This is an excellent book. I knew my way around Perl and had done a few relatively simple CGIs before being handed a project to build an application that would allow 50 or 60 employees to enter several thousand customer complaints and email them to the right recipents based on the complaint content. I had a three-week deadline.

   I bought the book and started patching elements of the example applications together until I what I needed almost working. One problem delayed me a couple of days so I emailed DuBois with a question and received a solution within the hour.

   I'd recommend this book to anyone who has a moderate grasp of Perl and Apache. It's one of the most lucid computer books I've ever read.




3. Like many others, I wish I'd seen this book long ago.

   The attention to detail and accuracy of the examples is just incredible!

   This is by far the most used reference book in my library. After repeatedly having to tape the book together, I finally gave it away and bought a new one.

   Following his examples eliminates many potential pitfalls that would otherwise result in hours of troubleshooting.

   I can't imagine how I would have ever learned this information without the expert advice of the author, Paul DuBois. His coverage of CGI.pm is essential as well as his list of other books to read.

   I think I have all his other books as well.

   He even returned email almost immediately!

   My only complaint is that it isn't bound in leather!




4. There are plenty of books about MySQL and PHP in bookstores. Yet, I still prefer Perl as my web page languages, thanks to its powerful regex and the similarity to C grammar (Some functions have exactly the same name and take the same arguments as in C).
   
   For web applications, a backend database is necessary (MySQL). But how to access and operate on these dabatases? Perl comes into scene at this point.
   
   I don't understand why people write so many books on PHP and MySQL, and so few on Perl and MySQL. Up to now, Paul's book is the only one I ever saw to cover both MySQL and Perl's application in web pages.
   
   Paul's method is step by step, and the examples are not trivial ones. And he clearly explained the critical parts of his code. He even wrote some packages which can be used as library.
   
   Before reading his book, I feel curious how the dynamic web pages work. Now, after finishing his book, I can understand how a commercial site such as Amazon works.
   
   Finally, I recommend this book be bought with the other title by Paul - "MySQL". This is the book dedicated to MySQL language. It is a good companion to "MySQL and Perl for the Web".



5. Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book on the condition that I would write a review of it. That said, what follows is my opinion.
   
   This book provides a good "from the ground up" guide for using Perl to do just about anything you'd want to do on your web site, including run an eCommerce site. You need to know a bit of Perl before you start, but even if you don't the examples start out simple enough that you should be able to pick it up as you go, provided you have some programming background. Should you get stuck, there are plenty of pointers to online resources, as well as an appendix to show you how to set up the software used in this book.
   
   The book starts out with the basics: setting up MySQL and Apache to get at your data via the web, including Perl DBI basics. You then get started by writing a simple to-do list application, and in the process create modules that you will use (and build on) later in the book.
   
   Mod_perl is covered, and then progressively more complex form based applications are presented. Many useful techniques are discussed. Once you're just about tired of all the tedium of form based applications, automated form-handling techniques are introduced that use meta-data about the table structures to automatically generate (and validate) input data. Techniques for session management get a chapter as well, presenting very good information on the pros and cons of different session management techniques (IP, cookie, URL key, etc).
   
   Security and privacy get a very good chapter. Not only are issues presented regarding keeping user's information confidential, but cautions are also presented regarding keeping the server secure. SQL injection attacks are discussed, as are defenses against them. Hint: use MySQL's quote() function.
   
   The book closes with a chapter on writing an eCommerce application. All the techniques used in the book are brought together in one application, and it is shown (very well) how they all relate to each other. While the resulting eCommerce application is extremely simple in regards to what it can do, it effectively shows the reader the power of MySQL and Perl together, and provides an excellent reference when writing applications of one's own.
   
   I am a system administrator, and have done a good chunk of web site design (mostly the technical side) and programming. I've been using Perl since 1996, and MySQL with that since 2000 (used mSQL before that). So, yes, I had quite a bit of Perl and DB experience before I read the book. I say that to say this: I still learned things. There were tips and techniques in there that I hadn't thought of, and will make my job just a bit easier the next time I use Perl to write a MySQL based application. Even if you have some Perl and MySQL experience under your belt, the book will still be useful.