5 comments about Informix Unleashed.

1. The book is organised into many topic-specific chapters, written by quite a number of different authors. The quality of the content and prose is therefore rather variable, and some subjects are covered to different depths by different authors, giving a rather disjointed feel. However most people, even Informix professionals, will find some things of value in this book.

   The book comes with a CD-ROM containing a example scripts/SQL etc: these vary from the trivial to the very useful.

   Some sections, noticeably that on Tech Support, are next to useless to non-US readers, containing as they do information only applicable to that country. It leaves the impression the editors were either too ignorant or, more likely, too lazy to consider the fact that this is supposed to be an international publication.




2. For someone who is new to Informix but has experience with other RDBMS's, this book is just what is needed.

   It overviews the Informix product line and gives detailed instructions for various tasks such as using ontape to perform a backup, understanding the onconfig parameters and much more.

   This book lives up to the UNLEASHED! family name.

   Thanks!




3. This book is a great resource. It's not one to read cover to cover, but rather one to turn to when you have a question. It's helped me at work in critical situations.



4. If you have had experience with other relational databases. i.e. SQL Server, Sybase. You may be farmiliar with Unleashed books. This one is nothing like them. The enire books gives a general overview of Informix and 90% of the book covers the Informix-4GL There is little to no examples for SQL and was not worth the $40.00 I spent on it.



5. I'm primarily a developer, but I also do a little bit of DBA stuff. This book has lots of info for developers, and apparently lots for DBAs too -- it's the book our primary DBA recommended to me. If you need to know something about Informix, chances are it's explained in this book.

5 comments about Oracle SQL Tuning & CBO Internals (Oracle In-Focus series).

1. This book contain obsolete information. Most of the text refers to Oracle 7 or Oracle 8 and mostly incorrect information.
   
   Its not worth the money and time you spend reading it.



2. I was happy with the price and quality of this book. The book has detailed information about the internal workings of the cost based optimizer and the scriptgs were helpful. I could recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Oracle SQL internals of the optimzier.



3. Easily the most useless Oracle book I've ever read.
   
   I lost track of how many times it referred to the 'new features' in 8i. It even has a warning about using the CBO in release 7. Then it introduces new features in 10g. Is this a new features book or a tuning book? Does it know what it aims to be?
   
   To add insult to injury, it provided no information that isn't easily accessable from the Oracle website or Metalink.
   
   I should call the police because Ms. Floss and Rampart robbed me.



4. As other reviewers have noted this book is mostly a collection of old lightweight articles by other authors (some of them not even credited).
   Judging by the number of contradictions I wonder if Kim Floss herself understands the material that she re-printed.
   For the real insight into CBO get Cost Based Oracle by Jonathan Lewis.



5. One of the reviewers of this book (Donald Burleson) is also a contributor, in fact he seems to have a track record of rave reviewing books he has co-authored or published. Treat with caution and believe what the independent contributors say!

5 comments about Microsoft SQL Server 2000(TM) Performance Tuning Technical Reference (Pro-Technical Refere).

1. Strong recommendations from others brought me to this book and I feel obliged to give back.
   This is a masterpiece.Well researched and well written
   I Got a hold of a couple of concepts missed in other books because of the lucidity of the examples and explanations.
   Great book If you read it you will understand why....

   Michael Tubuo Ngong




2. Considering the difficulty of the topic, this book is a fairly easy read. The single best thing about the book is that the advice is actionable. You can read this book and immediately begin tuning.

   Coverage is excellent - performance tuning, capacity planning, setting up disk drives, managing cpu, I/O, network, and memory, index tuning, backups, replication, OLTP versus OLAP, etc.

   For each subject area, the authors explain the applicable concepts and SQL Server tools, and then systematically explain their application using practical examples.

   Compared to other performance tuning books, it is an 80/20 book. By this I mean that the authors focus on what is most important and then move on to the next topic. They don't get carried away demonstrating how much they know about each concept or go into the minutia of the options of each SQL Server tool.

   I hope they write more books.




3. I bought this book on the basis of the glowing recommendations here. As I have a number of servers to tune which execute some extremely complex SQL, and I need to be able to look inside with Perfmon and the profiler, I thought this book would be very useful. I particularly wanted help with sysmon.
   This book gave me virtually nothing. Its coverage of tuning was shallow, information was repeated unnecessarily, text was copied almost verbatim from BOL, and it provided little or nothing that couldn't be found elsewhere and easily.
   It tries to cover everything at the cost of giving real value. For example it provides 15 pages on data warehousing of which 12 are a description of data warehousing so cursory that if you don't know the subject you'll only be confused, and 3 pages on actual tuning which basically say that you should find out whether the bottleneck is CPU/disk/memory then add more CPU/disk/memory respectively.
   Sizing and capacity planning are introduced with seven equations without justification. Okay, but completions C is given as the number of transactions that were completed during the observation period, but on the facing page C = 96 seconds [sic]. Did anyone proof-read this? With these and numerous other oddities (trunc. log on chkpt on SQL2000?) I don't know what I can trust.
   The mathematics for this section is done and finished in 6 pages.
   I was particularly looking for a comprehensive description of sysmon counters. Other than a quick rundown of the obvious ones there's a long list in the appendix of others, including such gems as "lock blocks allocated: the total number of allocated lock blocks". The whole point of buying this book was to find out how to use them, or indeed what they mean (Skipped Ghosted Records/Sec - means what?); merely giving me a list of them is redundant. This was the biggest letdown for me - I need this info!
   There are other important omissions. I have spent literally weeks identifying and working round failures in the query plan optimiser. This serious issue is not properly addressed except for a chapter introducing query hints. A taxonomy of optimiser failures and ways of tackling each type might save others from the headaches I've had. Optimiser hints do not always suffice.
   The book is rated on the back for user levels IT Implementer and Corporate Developer. That is far too generous.



4. The `SQL Server 2000 Performance Tuning' provides the reader with an extensive overview of the functionality that MSS2000 has for performance tuning. This book has been written by the manufacturer of MS2000, and has therefore some specific properties a reader has to taken into account. One of them is that every single tuning-feature is mentioned, although their relative impact (hence importance) on performance is not discussed. Another one is the white-book nature of the information presented; very general advice for the entrylevel DBA. For example: in the chapter `Hi-performance Backup and recovery' (it has only 18 pages) is says: "plan full backups for off hours", " use differential backups", "use multiple data files" etc.
   
   This book has the title `Technical Reference' and should be regarded as such. The DBA, working in a company which doesn't consider performance-tuning important enough to dedicate a policy to, who is confronted with a sudden structural diminishing of performance and is to find out where this bottleneck stems from will not benefit from this book. For example, the book dedicates a mere two pages on "interpreting Graphical Execution Plans" and gives only 1 example. For a useful checklist on where to look first when confronted with the so-called `query from hell' one should read other books. But for the novice in tuning, the one who is unfamiliar to concepts like locks, RAID, system monitor, I/O,page vs rowlevel, differential backups, how to log in on queryanalyzer, index tuning wizard, etc this book can serve as an introduction. But once past this introduction, this book has served it's purpose.



5. Had this book for a while and only used it for couple times. I found some scripts that are useful for me in Chapter 17 (Tuning SQL Statements and Stored Procedures). I wrote two scripts which I assigned the jobs on SQL Server Agent and allow the Agent do its work at 3 a.m every day when the average connections between 5 to 10 concurrent users. The book does covered other areas such as system I.O (Hardware & RAID configuration) and SQL Analyzer which I already know. I would recommand other book over this one (Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant-ISBN 0-7356-1129-7). The most useful part of this book is Chapter 17 for me. This is good book for someone who needs to know how to optimized your hardware investment and tune your SQL server. It is a good book to have if you don't mind spending $50.

4 comments about The Official Guide: Sybase ASE 12.5 Performance and Tuning (Jeffrey Garbus' Official Sybase Ase 12.5 Library).

1. Come on guys.... "Each chapter has passed through the hands of at least five experienced database administrators." [in Preface]
   and I only have to get to page 12 to find none of you can explain the true page sizes for 2K APL & DOL pages......

   Could the remaining chapters pass through your hands again after the editors had their chance? Please don't be like the so called Oracle book writers - you are better than that. Sure it is rather picky, but can I trust the rest of the information?




2. This book answers all the really tough questions in very clear and simple ways. Much of the info in this book is the sort of stuff you're only lucky enough to get if you happen to have a Sybase performance expert onsite. If you've ever found yourself with a really tricky performance question you know what a good thing it is to find information about Sybase monitoring tools and performance troubleshooting all in a single book. This book appears to have been written by people with much experience in troubleshooting performance problems and the advice is about the best you're going to get anywhere.



3. This book is an excellent introduction to the subject of how Companion Server, Replication Server and Open Switch work together. It also covers software pros and cons to help you make business decisions on its implementation. This book is very easy to read and has real life practical tips and suggestions at the end. A good overall "how to" book. There should be more technical books out there written like this.



4. Mostly, this book is simply a rehash of material that is presented better in Sybase's own Performance & Tuning guide.
   
   Sybase ASE 12.5 Performance and Tuning presents little if any useful tuning advice. What advice is present ranges from flat out wrong (e.g. "If Cache Search Misses falls below 20%, consider adding physical memory" - page 288) to mystically useless (e.g. "Create and use temp tables outside of each other" - page 228).
   
   Further, the depth of coverage is quite poor. For example, there are only thirteen pages dedicated to locking, four to tempdb, and just one for log management (yes, only one page discussing logs!!).
   
   Finally, Sybase ASE 12.5 Performance and Tuning has many grammatical mistakes. Typically I can look past such a minor annoyance, but with this book's limited utility, this is the final slap in the face.

5 comments about Beginning Oracle Programming.

1. In the usual Wrox style, this is a well-rounded introductory book on Oracle programming, with detailed, reader-friendly discussions on architecture and many "Try it out" exercises.

   That being said, the book concentrates so much on 9i that if you have installed 8i (or perhaps even Personal Oracle 9i) then you might be discouraged by frequent references and exercises for things you won't be able to do. According to Oracle, 9i Enterprise for Win2K requires 512M of RAM (although other sources indicate that it will run in 256M). The OTN download is around 1.5G (approximately 3 CDROMs worth), or you can request the CDs from Oracle at otn.oracle.com.

   I would have preferred to see separate sections and exercises that concentrated on 9i-specific details. There are still plenty of features common with previous Oracle releases to support a general-purpose Beginning Oracle book.

   Recommended, with the above-mentioned caveat.




2. I am a Web Developer (ASP) with an MS SQL background. I got throw into a project that uses an Oracle database for its backend. If not for this book I do not know where I would be. This is the best book I've seen for a newbie to Oracle. BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!



3. This books isn't bad on PL/SQL, but if you want to write Java programs with Oracle you'll also need a JDBC book.



4. This one is great book for anyone who's beginning to learning oracle programming.
   I bought this book after the T kyte's expert one-on-one so to me I could brush faster thru (some) pages. I guess i'm a sucker when it comes to wrox books.

   But a good starting point for beginners!




5. The book epitomises simple yet detailed coverage of the Oracle 9i programming. The best feature of the book is the methodical illustration of even the smallest and trivial concept by sample program which aides in understanding. Nonetheless I found the coverage of arcane topics like index, objects - which sound simple at the periphery but daunt the programmers once dealth in depth - very nice. The two case studies provided illustrates the concept better. However the book doesnt cover data modelling concept which can be discounted as being out of scope.

No comments about Advanced Oracle SQL Programming: The Expert Guide to Writing Complex Queries (Oracle In-Focus series).

3 comments about Oracle8i DBA: SQL and PL/SQL Certification Bible.

1. I have Sybex and this one. I like this one because it has a lot of exercises. After I pass the examination, I can have confidence to handle the job which is given by my boss.



2. This book is an outstanding resource for both the 8i and 9i exams.



3. This book set me on the right path! Having had no experience with Oracle, I had study only this book, went through its practice questions and lab exercises, and in 1-1/2 month's time, I passed my first exam with flying colors! If anyone is interested in becoming a OCP for Oracle9i and want to also validate your skills in PL/SQL, this book will definitely help you pass your first test. There are some example and question errors in this books, but most are not essential, or are at least noticeable. In any case, it delivers the results and I have nothing but high regards for it.

No comments about Oracle Database Foundations: Technology Fundamentals for IT Success.

5 comments about Oracle SQL: the Essential Reference.

1. I have to disagree with the other reviewers and say that this book is overrated. It's one of those books where it's often hard to find the information and you end up looking elsewhere.

   To start off with, the index is not the greatest. Try looking up "ORDER BY". It's only mentioned in the index as one item in an EXPLAIN PLAN command. In general, I found the examples they use to be only bare bones examples. It would be nice to see some more complex SQL.

   On the plus side, the book seems fairly free of errors and a lot of information is packed into the pages. There's not a whole lot of writing but you shouldn't be expecting that given that it's an "essential reference".

   This isn't a bad book per se. However, it's been on my desk for nearly a year and I just don't find myself using it much.




2. I was a programmer/analyst having used SQL and Oracle for some time, who was very much interested in adding a good SQL text to my IT reference library. My primary SQL reference at that time was the "Oracle Complete Reference" from Oracle Press. I had excellent success with O'reilly Oracle books in the past and thus purchased Oracle SQL.
   I cant believe some of the basic SQL concepts that are omitted from this book!! The concept of a table alias, the Oracle DUAL table, SQL statements that accept a single value vs a list - not even mentioned in this book!! An entire text book on the single subject of SQL should be thorough! By thorough I mean cover in good detail the introductory concepts as well as the advanced.
   O'reilly has excellent books published on the subjects of PL/SQL and SQL*Plus. Why does this author skimp on SQL concepts and waste chapters on these subjects that I'm not interested in!!! I usually find the O'reilly books preferable to the one's from Oracle Press. Not in the case of SQL!



3. I have found this book to be an invaluable reference to SQL, PL/SQL, and SQL*Plus syntax and usage. The previous review by Kevin McCormick seems to entirely miss the point of an Essential Reference - it is not intended to teach SQL concepts, and the introduction clearly states this. The book is well organized with exactly the information needed to write a particular statement. The examples are simple and to the point - I don't need a complex example; just something to show me what the statement should look like (for example, to show me that an argument should be a string and not a number). I bought two copies: one for the office and one for home. The book is as close to indispensible as you can get. I only hope the author is planning an update to Oracle 9!



4. This book gives a great overview of Oracle's flavor of SQL, and if you already know some other brand's SQL, you'll breeze right through, and have a very good idea of what's new and different in Oracle. You'll be able to sit right down and get to work.

   (If, on the other hand, you're a SQL beginner, stop right here. This is not a book for SQL newbies. There is not a chapter with 100 examples of different types of SELECT statements, for example. It is not a tutorial!)

   Each chapter covers a different area. For example, chapter 5 is about "SQL Functions". It goes through all the functions, giving you the syntax, a paragraph saying what it does, and then an actual example. Many of the examples are pretty trivial, just a couple of lines, but the ones in the PL/SQL chapter have some meaningful code to illustrate things like the LOOP statement, which is nice.

   But. When you come back after the weekend and want to look something up, you'll be banging your head against the wall, because the index on this thing is sorely lacking. Just now I spent ten minutes trying to look up %TYPE, and had to leaf through the book before finding it on page 266. Very annoying. O'Reilly should know better: an "essential" part of any "reference" book is a kick-ass index.

   I give it five stars for content and one star for lack of meaningful index, for an overall rating of three stars. Maybe in the next release they'll get it right. (Speaking of which: this book is (c)2000 and covers up to Oracle 8i.)




5. likes:
   pretty complete on sql statements and functions
   
   dislikes:
   why organize it into "data definition" and "data manipulation" sections? Why not just put all the statements in one alphabetically organized section?
   
   missing section on operator precedence (at least, accding to the index. maybe it's in there somewhere)

5 comments about Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development.

1. I used this book as a tutorial on the subject with graduate students who had only basic programming experience and we all agreed that it was a great way to get started with database-backed PHP work.



2. This book is really quite good. It's very interesting & definitely very readable. When I read it, I got straight down to business, so to speak. It gives very practical examples starting you off with making a movie review site which was very interesting! All in all, an excellent book to give you a working knowledge of PHP & MySQL.
   
   That said, there are some shortcomings.
   
   -Significant amount of typos in the code
   -Some minor parts of the code requires redoing (which I found out through a forum dedicated for the book)
   -For those of you with absolutely no experience in programming, you might find some concepts aren't covered enough in detail
   
   As I said before, overall, great book.
   
   -ive 1 star for the shortcomings.
   
   Richard



3. The authors are great PHP programmers, I have no doubt, but terrible writers. I do not recommend this book. Like most bad technical writers, they make a big production about trivial concepts, then gloss over difficult concepts without explaining them in detail.



4. Well its been on my shelf for a couple years and how I've opened it. I am on page 165 and back to Amazon to search for a book to replace it.
   The book is outdated. The forum for the book is not well visited. The support code for the book is failing images and some files. The code is written inconsistantly, different authors, and there is no mention of this or proper coding examples. Variables are created on the fly and creates some error messages with uptodate PHP. The explanations of certain things requires several readings sometimes to fill in blanks that a beginner should have explained. The use of CSS is not even mentioned so far and the html does not meet Xhtml standards. We must not forget the book was copyrighted in 2004.
   
   I have purchased "Beginning PHP and MySQL 5" by Jason Gilmore and it seems to be a resonable book but leans more towards a reference text. The search continues...
   
   Namaste,
   
   Kevin Tough



5. I think the people that criticize this book don't see the forest from the trees. Yes, there are typos, but this book goes into many of the things I was looking for in getting my ecommerce site going. I think a little more of an introduction/explanation of the basic concepts of html objects would be nice. That said, I have used many of the code examples in my site and am pleased with the results. I had an idea of the functionality I wanted on the site and every time I went to the book to find an example, it was there. Initially I was wondering about how I was going to install all of these tools (mysql, php, apache) and when I saw a reference to the xampp installer I was quite relieved. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone interested in building a website with these tools.