3 comments about DB2 Universal Database SQL Developer's Guide.

1. This book makes a great reference guide for anyone needing to create or sort SQL queries and reports in the DB2 environment. It goes through everything, from the initial setup to the basic queries to how to really get the most from your database.

   To be honest, it's a little narrow in focus in that it concentrates so exclusively on one application of SQL, but it's pretty up front about it's target audience so you can't really fault it there.

   Not a book for SQL beginners then, or even for anyone looking for a general SQL guide, but a must-have for anyone serious about using it with DB2 every day, or looking for an addition to their office library. In fact, the book is pricey enough to imply that it's intended as a resource for the whole office to use - though the inclusion of a full copy of IBM DB2 more than makes up for the cost.




2. We have an environment from junior programmers to system analysts. We bought this book about six months ago so a number of people have had an opportunity to look at it. This book has been 'worth its weight in gold'. All levels of people that have used it, commented on the very user friendly manner the book is written in as well as the clear and to the point descriptions. Whether you are just starting out with SQL or are an experienced programmer, all have found this book helpful. My compliments to Mr. Sanders.



3. I work in an environment where we have a mix of 'heritage' as well as new systems. We do all our development in-house. A number of years ago, we changed over to DB2 as a database. We then had to adapt the older Cobol systems to make use of embedded SQL. All new systems are developed using Centura SQL Team Developer. We found there was a lack in bringing new employees up to speed and I then went out to hunt for some assistant manual. Thank the good Lord I discovered this book. It has quite honestly been of inestimable value. It explains far more clearly and succinctly all relevant areas than the accompying manufacturer's manuals could do. This book certainly puts the lie to the old tongue-in-cheek adage used by 'older' programmers (like myself) that, when all else fails, read the manual. We have learned through experience that when in the slightest doubt, go for this book.

   I am really very sorry to see this book out of print and only limited quantities are available. I can only hope that Mr. Sanders is in the process of writing a new edition.

   Well done, Mr. Sanders. Keep it up!

5 comments about Mastering phpMyAdmin for Effective MySQL Management.

1. phpMyAdmin is usually installed quickly, out of acute necessity. You need to do something with your database, and you can't do it via telnet or SSH or anything else, so you download the latest version, FTP it up, and away you go. More often than not, the install is forgotten about as soon as your need is over.

   The downside of this is that you're not getting nearly the value you should out of a phpMyAdmin install. Most people work with phpMyAdmin superficially and in very narrow usage corridors - like kids walking barefoot on a painted line through a very large parking lot. There's so much about the app that you don't know.

   This book is a departure from a lot of tech books in that (1) it's short and sweet (just under 200 pages - not nearly the 600-page monolith some of these things become), and (2) it seems more...conversational. Concepts are explained in plain English. I normally hate that cliche, but it fits here. I got a sense of simply having a casual conversation with a fellow geek.

   I read it over the course of a week, putting in a chapter or two each night. I learned something new in every chapter, and I'd implement them in my phpMyAdmin install right after reading the chapter. By the end of the book, I'm left with a superb phpMyAdmin install that does a thousand times more than I've ever accomplished with the app before.

   There's a lot of phpMyAdmin functionality under the hood that you've likely never seen. For instance, you can set it up to enforce relational integrity in your database. This is just good database design, but it also enriches the interface considerably. Foreign key fields now become drop-down lists to the foreign table with a selection of entries. You can print a PDF summary document with descriptions of all tables and columns and an entity relationship diagram showing field relationships. Bet you haven't seen that trick before.

   I suddenly have a sense of liberation with phpMyAdmin. We all hate writing admin interfaces, especially for one-off apps we do in a hurry. Thankfully, phpMyAdmin can support an enormous amount of administration chores in an interface not nearly as utilitarian as the default one you get on install. It won't work for administering the data of every app you write, but I bet it will handle a lot of them.

   I can now see writing apps and doing things that I stayed away from before just because I didn't want to write all the data entry and database admin scripts that easily dominate the work required to put these things together. Instead, I can concentrate on the fun of the front-end pages, while phpMyAdmin sucks up all the back-end work.

   The book also includes some good information about PHP and MySQL in general. On page 86, in the chapter on importing data, there's a solid little discussion about PHP file upload and execution limits that trumps anything I've read before. I'm a better developer for having read these four paragraphs about the "upload_max_filesize," "memory_limit," and "post_max_size" parameters.

   As for MySQL, did you know about InnoDB tables? This is a table format that builds referential integrity into MySQL - something the database has been missing for so long. I'll admit to being utterly ignorant about this feature until this point.

   There's a chapter at the end of the book about MIME-based transformations that summarizes the general level of apathy about this app. I can't believe I haven't run across a discussion about this feature before -

   You may have known on the periphery that you could store files directly into a MySQL database using a BLOB column. But did you know that phpMyAdmin will support this with a file upload field in the interface, so your users can upload files directly? Or that you can sent a MIME Transformation on that field to display a thumbnailed view of stored images in the row when browsing the database? And that you can link that thumbnail to the full-size version or the image, pulled directly from the field? I'll bet the percentage of phpMyAdmin users who know that trick is in the single digits.

   So, good book. If you find yourself writing a lot of throwaway admin interfaces and hating every minute of it, the $30 cover price for this text is probably looking mighty attractive right now.




2. If you're not familiar with phpMyAdmin, then you're missing out on a very powerful tool for administering your MySQL databases. It is an effective way to handle all of your tasks with MySQL, from development to administration. Don't worry, though; if you want to get up to speed in getting the most out of phpMyAdmin, then Mastering phpMyAdmin for Effective MySQL Management (Referred to from here as Mastering phpMyAdmin) will quickly take you from download to proficiency.
   
   Most software purchases I've made rarely begin with me carefully taking out the manual and reading it before installing the software. My goal is to toss aside the manual and other bits in favor of getting to the install media as quickly as possible. If there's ever a problem, then it's time to fish out the manual and see what I missed. Manufacturers caught up with this mentality and include mere pamphlets compared to the gigantic tomes that used to be included with software in the late 80s and early 90s. So why pick up Mastering phpMyAdmin? Can you get along just fine without a manual? phpMyAdmin is easy to use, and very straightforward, but Mastering phpMyAdmin shows just how powerful phpMyAdmin can be. Those who like to have more of a hand-held approach or want to have printed documentation will find Mastering phpMyAdmin to be invaluable and an asset to their use of phpMyAdmin.
   
   Mastering phpMyAdmin is a very thin book, weighing in at a spartan 205 pages, but those 205 pages are put to work with plenty of screenshots and information. The book covers using phpMyAdmin under Linux and Windows, so both sets of users will be able to benefit from phpMyAdmin. Each chapter in the book is short, roughly 10 pages each, but each chapter is packed with useful information. The author is quick to give attention to functions and features tha are genuinely useful. Unlike other books that describe a configuration file by dedicating a chapter to configuration, the author chose instead to describe the configurable portions of phpMyAdmin as each function is introduced. This allows the really useful bits of phpMyAdmin to shine without getting muddled in useless details. phpMyAdmin has lots of little interface tweaks in the config.php.inc file, but the book touches on the ones that anyone but the serious interface hacker would be interested in. This makes the book read like an experienced tour of functionality rather than a "drink from the firehose" reference manual. The author covers all aspects of phpMyAdmin: installation, database creation/deletion, table creation/modification/deletion, searching, and administration. phpMyAdmin features such as BLOB editing, bookmarks, linked tables, and relational schemas are also covered in depth with the same attention to detail and brevity as the other chapters.
   
   I highly recommend anyone who wants to get more than a simple front-end for MySQL look into picking up phpMyAdmin and Mastering phpMyAdmin. Mastering phpMyAdmin is an excellent resource for phpMyAdmin, and both beginners and experts alike will benefit from this excellent resource. It's brief enough to be a quick introduction, yet detailed enough to make anyone feel like an expert with this incredibly useful tool.



3. If you work with phpMyAdmin to work with your mySQL server, you will want this book. It breaks down tasks in non tech-geek language. I use this as my first reference books when I need information to help accomplish a task.



4. I had quite a few questions that no amount of Googling would answer....this book answered them all!
   Clear pictures, troubleshooting. A must to include with any MySQL development..go Linux!



5. Although this book doesn't contain even one snippet of PHP code, it's still really useful to any PHP programmer, especially if you're just starting out. It's likely that you'll use phpMyAdmin during development, and it's important to know about all the (hidden) features, so you can save time and work as efficient as possible.
   
   Initially, I had some worries that this book might be mainly targeted towards beginners, but this is not the case at all, and it's more of a complete guide to phpMyAdmin than just a beginner's book. This book is targeted towards everyone, and even the most advanced programmers will learn a thing or two from this book, especially about PMA's own unique features.
   
   If you're looking for a good phpMyAdmin book, or still don't feel really comfortable with phpMyAdmin, I can definitely recommend this book. This is one of the best guides to phpMyAdmin, and the author has done a terrific job!

5 comments about SQL Server 2000: The Complete Reference.

1. I read this book cover to cover and was greatly disappointed. The author's writing style leaves much to be desired. He covers a wide variety of topics. Unfortunately perhaps too many as he only gives the most superficial treatment of each. Not a compete reference. He also uses a huge number of annoying analogies. Sometimes two on one page. There are several minor errors throughout the book and the supporting web site doesn't exist. Buy a different book.



2. Since this book was titled as a complete reference, and it received great reviews here, I decided that I should dive right into SQL Server with this book at hand. Unfortunately, I found that this book is not enjoyable to read for those of us who's attension is hard to hold. I imagine that many others (especially those who have some knowledge of the topic) would get some use out of it, but I'm posting this review to warn beginners, and people with short attension spans that this is not the book to start with even if you have technical knowlegde in other areas.



3. Since this book was titled as a complete reference, and it received great reviews here, I decided that I should dive right into SQL Server with this book at hand. Unfortunately, I found that this book is not enjoyable to read for those of us who's attension is hard to hold. I imagine that many others (especially those who have some knowledge of the topic) would get some use out of it, but I'm posting this review to warn beginners, and people with short attension spans that this is not the book to start with even if you have technical knowlegde in other areas.



4. Less chest-thumping and many more real world examples would have made this a better book. "SQL Server 2000 The Complete Reference" is over 900 pages and packed with lots of ink, but it lacks relevance and many times left me confused because of its hollow attitude.

   Here, for example, the author goes off on a tangent, telling us about a workplace incident where he apparently sees himself standing up for what's right: "Once I was handed the keys to a critical server, and a few days after I took over the system, a number of alterations had been made to several databases."

   We're not told the specifics but apparently these were not good alterations: "After that, I changed access permissions and locked down the databases."

   And then there's a showdown: "I was confronted by the development team and their head honcho... Trust me I have been down this road a few times."

   Sounds like every other watery post on every other Internet forum -- a vague, self-possessed, Barney Fife anecdote.

   In Chapter 14 the author argues against the use of fat clients (PCs that use front end database products like Microsoft Access): "Fat clients need lots of processing power, lots of hard drive space, lots of memory, and executives who know how to waste money."

   A sentence that only a teenager or a political speechwriter could write and appreciate. That, he expects us to believe, is the only reason so many PCs with Microsoft Office are in the business place -- because executives have a desire to waste money?
   
   The book's primary failing: It provides a flyover of a lot of territory but it never lands. Yes, it explains the features of SQL Server 2000, offers plenty of screen shots, but where are the step-by-step, real-world earthy examples? How and when do we apply all these features and ideas to our business?

   If the author knows, he's not telling. Or at least he's not telling enough. In the end this is yet another computer reference book where there's no there there.

   Don't waste your money.




5. I am a software developer of over 30 years. While I am new to SQL server, I have been doing DBMS developement for over 15 years.

   I gave up on this book by page 55. I found the style plodding with only marginally helpful analogies. But the real problem was a series of muddled, misleading and downright inaccurate statements and references. There are too many to list them all here, but a few examples:

   Muddled on p 50: "You can create additional indexes for a table, targeted at certain columns. Multiple indexes require more resources, however, so you need to be conservative and limit new indexes to columns you know are frequently searched on. In other words, no two rows can have identical values for the index key." What does the third statement have to do with the first two?

   Inaccurate on page 48, figure 2-7 shows two tables, but the caption refers to three tables and using A, B and C for names/labels which do not appear in the figure: "The primary key in Table A links the row to the rows in Tables B and C, which bear the foreign keys. All three rows combine to form a unique record. If you delete one of the rows, you actually break the record and wreck the integrity of your data." The last statement is at best misleading, at worst inaccurate.

   In discussing Constraints (NOT NULL) on p 52: "As discussed earlier, NULL means that the record is deemed to be unknown or missing." Actually, the value of a column for the row is unknown or missing, not the whole record.

   I cannot rely on the information I learn from a book that contains such problems and cannot recommend it to friends.

4 comments about JDBC Pocket Reference.

1. The O'Reilly JDBC books are the worst of their Java selection: too short and only cover the bare minimum to get simple tasks done.



2. "JDBC Pocket Reference" by Donald Bales is another great reference book from O'Reilly. Like many of O'Reilly's pocket reference books, the book has a small form factor. You can easily carry the book in your briefcase or back pocket. The book is only 145 pages long. The first 45 pages give a terse and concise explanation of how to use the JDBC API and the last 100 pages provides a quick reference to the JDBC 2.0 API. The following paragraphs provide more detail on how the book can be used by a programmer.

   The book is intended for programmers, but could also be applicable to ambitious database administrators (DBA) that want to create Java utilities to monitor and automate some of their DBA tasks. If you are familiar with SQL and database topics the book can provide you with a quick reference on syntax and procedures that you might forget. The book is not a tutorial on SQL, client/server programming, or relational databases. If you are not familiar with these topics or you want to learn more the JDBC Pocket Reference is not for you.

   The first 45 pages of the book are packed with helpful examples of how to use the JDBC API. Most JDBC programmers are familiar with these examples but often need reminders on proper syntax for different database vendors and drivers. Here are a few examples of explanations I found helpful:

   1. JDBC Driver types: There are four classes of JDBC drivers called type 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Type 4 is the only pure 100% Java driver and is the only type described in the book, but it is helpful to understand what driver types are available.

   2. Database URL Syntax: Getting the proper database connection string can be frustrating since every database vendor is different. This task is usually done only once at the start of a project so it is easy to forget the correct syntax. The Pocket Reference describes 9 different database drivers giving the appropriate connection information, online references, archive file name, and supported properties for the driver.

   3. Using JNDI to obtain a data source.

   4. Using DatabaseMetaData API to find information about the database properties and capabilities.

   5. Good examples for executing standard SQL statements and retrieving the results through the ResultSet interface.

   6. Store Procedures: Using the CallableStatement object to execute a stored procedure is one of the most difficult JDBC calls because stored procedures are vendor dependent. The book outlines how to set input and output parameters appropriately to make the call. I found this very helpful since a lot of the documentation from database vendors do not describe this operation very well.

   7. Properly handling "null" values in JDBC. This is important because a database NULL is different than a Java null.

   8. Inserting and updating binary blobs is explained.

   9. Describes and explains how to use User-Defined Data Types (UDTs) to help you map objects to a relational database.

   10. Describes proper escape sequences ensure that your JDBC code is portable across database vendors.

   The only criticism I have for the book is its lack of examples for database connection pooling and transaction support. Committing and rolling back transactions was mentioned briefly, but the book didn't give any examples. Also, the only reference to distributed transaction support was in the JDBC API reference under the XAConnection class. Distributed transaction support is a big part of the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and comes standard with most J2EE containers. Then again this is just a pocket reference so the author couldn't include everything.

   ... I highly recommend it for any programmer that works with database systems. The books provides a quick reminder on proper syntax and procedures without requiring you to carry a backpack full of 500 page books.




3. The first third or so of this book consists of a nice, concise overview of JDBC, with an example for each concept. The rest is basically a printed copy of API documentation you can get online. These really are easier to read it online — the docs for DatabaseMetaData, for example, are about twenty pages long and much easier to deal with in hyperlinked format. The descriptions have been reworded (and shortened) and sometimes are a little easier to understand in the book.
   
   The book is probably enough to get you started using JDBC, especially if you have some experience using database APIs in the past (ODBC or a vendor-proprietary one).
   
   So, my recommendation is: It's half useful, so buy it used for half price. ;-)



4. A friendly and well-written book recommended for anyone ready to learn JDBC. This JDBC Pocket Reference well-written and well-organized introduction to the JDBC. It uses a careful, example-based, easy to understand approach. Contains many examples and other useful information.
   Thank you

No comments about Handbook of Database Security: Applications and Trends.

No comments about Two Minute SQL Server Stumpers Vol 3.

3 comments about Accounting & Finance: Developer's Guide With Visual Basic 3/Book and Disk.

1. I was going to make a program for a very important company here in Uruguay based upon this book, but oops, surprise. You make a .exe file, run the progam and try to insert some accounts and some transactions and the program never works. I started to analize the code and in some places there were calls to fields in tables that never ever existed, fields in tables that where never initialized provoking errors everywhere, etc etc.... My question is this one: ¿Should the program run correctly, or should i use the code as the skeleton for anotherone?, which implcates that i should overview all the source code. thank you very much Erik Sloth Montevideo, Uruguay



2. Do not buy this book unless you are prepared to spend some time de-bugging the software. As supplied on the disk, it will not work. Too bad, because the general format could provide a good framework for some custom accounting. It bears some resemblance to the old Osborne Accounting Software. I contacted Sams Publishing on 12/12/96 and they have no plans to fix it, a very poor response for what I thought was a reputable company



3. This book looks great on the surface, but is unusable for writing an accounting application in VB. The A/R payments only allows a single payment for each invoice. The invoice module doesn't allow invoices to be reprinted. Some good ideas and code examples for using data access objects though, and I like the way theprogram allows the user to create multiple data files for different companies. Plan on writing your VB accounting app from scratch though. Sorry Jack.

2 comments about Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Optimization Guide.

1. Simply put, It is the best!!! I (SQL Server DBA) just took a SQL Server 2000 performance tuning assignment and after looking at several SQL Server 2000 books, this one is the best for performance tuning and optimization! It is easy to read, and it got just the level of details I need. It also guide the readers step by step when dealing with more advanced topics. I certainly learned about the critical performance counters to monitor on Windows and SQL Server, so now I can focus just on the counters I need. I surely learned a lot more details about the performance monitoring, SQL Server profiling, best hardware setup for high availability/scalability and optimal configurations!

   The author did put in her own experience in the book, which helps when dealing with real world situation. I highly recommend this book for SQL Server DBA's out there!




2. I can only give 5 stars. The organization and content of the book is excellent.Author seems to be very knowledgeable.

1 comments about SQL Server 2005 for Developers.

1. This is a book that has been needed for some time.
   
   When Microsoft first licensed what was to become SQL Server from Sybase it was basically just a database program. Since the split between the companies Microsoft has added a series of extensions to the package that effectively add front end packages to facilitate understanding what's going on inside the database, ease the programming task for certain applications like Data Warehousing and Data Mining, provide for notification of the manager in the event of certain events, a sophisticated reporting service and more.
   
   The problem has been that all of these additional packages are big sophisticated programs in their own right. In fact, most of them have their own book or even books describing how to use them. What this has meant is that there is so much information on each of these packages that it is difficult to decide just which of these packages is worth the time it takes to implement them.
   
   This book is sort of the first book in a series that gives you the overall view. I'd suggest that anyone starting out to implement a SQL Server system read this book first. It's more or the less the general introduction to the SQL Server system.
   
   Obviously this book doesn't cover as much detail on any of the packages as a dedicated book, but it gives you enough information to tell you if the package will do the task you need performed.

2 comments about Visual Basic Developer's Guide to SQL Server.

1. I had purchased a couple of SQL server books prior to this one and found that they all fell short. This one is the best of the bunch in my mind. I always keep it handy on the job.



2. If you're migrating from Access, have used DAO and have some familiarity with ADO and want a broad survey of SQL Server 2000 then this is the book for you. It explains all the main features object models, the difference between versions, specifications as well as giving you a running start on coding. Is it the best book out there for ADO? No, Get William Vaughn's ADO Examples and Best Practices, but this book will easily get you there if you're an experienced DAO programmer. For the money this is a great book and if you know nothing about SQL Server 2000 it works great alongside the Vaughn. Don't get it if you're already have a broad familiarity with SQL Server. Get Inside SQL Server.