No comments about Microsoft SQL Server to IBM DB2 Udb Conversion Guide (IBM Redbooks).

No comments about DB2 for Z/OS and Os/390: Squeezing the Most Out of Dynamic SQL.

1 comments about Learn SQL in Three Days (With CD-ROM).

1. The back cover of the book says that "Learn SQL in Three Days" is "introductory" and "ideally suited for programmers who have some experience with relational database software, but no specific experience with SQL." You should take this description seriously. The author will, for example, use words such as "predicates" and "unary" without defining them. He expects that you come to this book with a background sufficient to understand such terms. (I'd forgotten what these mean, but I still found this book to be a useful introduction to SQL--I just looked up unfamiliar terms in a computer dictionary.)

   Bear in mind that the book is an introduction to SQL: you won't find a "right outer join" explained in this text, nor will this book serve as a heavy-duty reference book for all your high-powered SQL questions. This book does not go into great detail about the design of database tables (e.g., don't expect a discussion of "a fully normalized data model.")

   Given the narrow audience for whom this book was written, I believe it to be effective. I studied the book and then obtained a certification in ANSI SQL from Brainbench. However, I *studied* the book (I didn't merely *read*) it, and I tried the author's examples on my own, and modified them, and thought about them. It took me more than three 8-hour days to get through this book, and I still didn't find the Brainbench test to be easy.

   The CD that comes with this book has a 60-day trial version of Centura SQLBase 7 and a sample database. Nice touch. This allows you to follow the examples in the book, and modify them, and experiment with SQL (and destroy things with no real harm done).

   The book has the usual assortment of typos that slip into written works (for example, the author sometimes refers to a table by two different names, perhaps reflecting a name change during the process of writing the book).

   I don't believe the author explained correlated queries very well, and I went to an Internet tutorial to understand them better.

   A couple of important words of advice ("corrigenda", if you will): If you copy the file "pubssqlb.dbs" to your own hard drive, make sure to change the "read only" attribute of this file to "off." If you don't (at least, this was my experience), you'll see a cryptic error message when you attempt to connect to the pubssqlb database: "Attributes not compatible." Also, be aware that the data in the "type" column in the "titles" table has extra spaces added to the data (e.g., "business" is actually "business "). Therefore, where the author has a select statement such as this: SELECT AVG(price) FROM titles WHERE type='business', try this select statement instead: SELECT AVG(price) FROM titles WHERE type LIKE 'business%'.

No comments about Database Programming Language.

3 comments about Oracle Database Administration Concepts & Implementation Made Simple.

1. The way the oracle concepts have been presented in the book is awesome ...



2. I am satisfied with this book as a gentle introduction to Oracle database concepts.
   
   However, this book is not a 'bible'. You will need to get a different book for detailed coverage of topics and for use as a reference. But if you read this beforehand, you will have a leg up on the very dense DBA books/classes out there.
   
   Of particular value is the step by step guide to downloading and installing Oracle database; something that is just taken for granted in most books. It also covers Oracle from both a WinNT & Unix perspective.
   
   I am only giving 3 stars because the grammar and diction in this book is awful. Absolutely awful! Many readers will find this distracting and loose the benefit this book could provide!
   
   Here is a very ironic example (he is trying to explain networking protocols as equivalent to human language): "Protocol is nothing but the 'grammar' e.g. right now I am using the English protocol to speak with you and you are understanding whatever I am saying since I following English grammar by default. Imagine if I stop following grammar rules than it would be really impossible for you to understand what I am saying. Similarly, when two machines (computers) talks with each other, both of them have to follow the grammar (protocol) of the language (TCP/IP)."



3. The difficulty in using Oracle 10g is exceeded only by the difficulty in understanding its manuals - and this goes for Oracle's entire product line as well. The author is obviously trying to fill an important need: Demystifying Oracle 10g for beginners. But the grammatical errors means that this book will not (and cannot) be taken seriously by anyone wishing to learn Oracle. Perhaps this is a feature of authors who choose to self-publish or who cannot find a well established publisher for their texts (Apress, Oreilly, etc.) Perhaps in a second edition the author will have found a publisher who can provide both him and us with a more professional product. Neverthless, this is a valiant effort and there is no other book like it. Simplifying Oracle. What a great idea!

5 comments about Using Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 (Using).

1. This book is long on generalities and short on specifics and advanced topics. The most noticeable was the complete lack of information on interfaces with other database types, replication, external views, etc. If you need an introduction to SQL Server 7.0 the book is excellent. As titled, it leaves much to be desired.



2. I totally agree with one of the reviewers. This book covers everything but definitely not a how-to book. Read it if you need to have a snapshot of SQL server 7.0. If you look for a training book (for MCDBA), look elsewhere.



3. "Using SQL Server 7" is a good book for beginners and still very useful when you got more experience. It describes the features clearly and also gives a lot of good examples. It's one of the best book about the SQL Server 7 I've seen.



4. I found this to be a very cursory reference manual. It did not go into the depth and detail that I would have liked. This book is more geared to beginner/intermediate analysis of SQL Server 7.0. There is no help on DTS ( a huge component of 7.0)



5. I found the publishers synopsis, and espcially the book's title to be very misleading! USING SQL Server 7.0 . . . it is not! The authors start out with "This book is written for IT professionals who want to learn how to administer SQL Server 7" in the introduction, and in chapter one they point out it is for those who want to become a SQL Server Database Administrator (DBA). "Using" SQL Server 7.0 implies to me a totally different view point. I was looking for something in an introductry guide for "users", and developers, to compliment my higher-level SQL Server Programming manual. Instead I found it is an introductry DBA manual. Even in itself, this is contradictory, as prospective DBA's require "in-depth" knowledge that this book is lacking.

5 comments about MCDBA SQL Server 7 Test Yourself Practice Exams (Exams 70-028 & 70-029).

1. I happen to like books with lots of questions to test my readiness for a certain exam. For the most part, this book accomplishes that (hence 3 stars). It does, however, have many subtle errors so you need to check each answer you get wrong with an authoritative resource, like SQL Server Books Online. For example, is says to upgrade SQL 6.5 to SQL 7.0 the SQL 6.5 system needs SP4 - which is incorrect, it needs SP3. Lots of little mistakes like that. By all means, use this book as a resource, but NEVER as your ONLY one. You'd also be wise to double check every wrong answer you get (which of course consumes that much more of your valuable time).



2. I brought the book for my 028 and 029 examination. I found the book full of typo and spelling mistake. Sometimes I doubt the correctness of the answer. The practice questions are stragiht forward wherars the questions in the exam are much more complicated. It test your background knowledge but not good enough for the examination.



3. This book seriously lacks the depth and difficulty that would be required to have a taste of the real Design exam. I have not used this book to pass the Admin exam, so I cannot comment on that. The only reason to buy this title is to give yourself a start. It is not by any means representative of the actual exam. May I suggest that you study from "Inside SQL Server 7.0" from Microsoft Press and from "Professional SQL Server 7.0 Programming" from Wrox. Both of these are wonderful books. All in all, if you have the cash to stash, you can buy this title as well, But I would advise against using it to measure your preraredness to the exam.

   Good Luck Gabor Bona (B.Sc. MCSE MCDBA MCP+I)




4. Don't waste your time or money on this one. I went through the MS MOC classes, read Inside SQL (a must have for anyone studing for the MCDBA cert.) and then bought this book. I also read the Troy Techs. This book was way off of both tests, 70-28 and 70-29. To get it done, study the MOC materials, read Inside SQL, and work with the product as much as possible. But don't buy this book.



5. Book is not detail enough to guide both beginner or experience professional to pass the exam. ALL books from Syngress Media for MCSD OR MCSE are bad for the exam... do not get it!!!!

1 comments about Microsoft Backoffice Resource Kit: Part 2: Microsoft Sna Server Resource Guide, Microsoft Sql Server Resource Guide, and Supplements to Part One).

1. This is the most complete reference and tool kit around for the NT 4.0 server platform. Must have for any business running NT4 servers. Tools and utilities are needed to effectivly run a network.

No comments about Oracle 10g Intro to SQL 2.

No comments about SM Oracle 10g Pl/SQL, Pt 2.