Oracle Discoverer 10g Handbook (Oracle)

Books Details :

Author : Darlene Armstrong-Smith, Michael Armstrong-Smith
Paperback: 1027 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (March 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0072262141
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.7 x 2.0 inches




Book Description
Completely updated for Oracle Discoverer 10g Release 2, this Oracle Press guide explains how to use Oracle Discoverer -- the ad-hoc query, reporting, analysis, and Web -- publishing tool that empowers business users at all levels of an organization to gain immediate access to Business Intelligence. End users will learn to write queries, use the powerful analysis tools, and generate meaningful reports. Administrators will learn how to configure, edit, and use the analytic functions.

From the Back Cover

Generate detailed reports that will give your company the competitive edge

Put essential information in the hands of end-users across your organization using Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer 10g and the comprehensive information contained in this Oracle Press guide. You’ll learn, step-by-step, how to query databases and warehouses, format the results, and distribute dynamic, Web-enabled reports. All features are covered in full detail, including OracleBI Discoverer Desktop, Workbook Wizard, Plus, Viewer, Discoverer Administrator, Portlet Provider, OLAP, and Enterprise Manager. Real-world case studies and tutorials illustrate all of the analysis, security, and reporting capabilities of Oracle Discoverer 10g.

1. Set up, configure, and manage Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer 10g
2. Perform ad hoc and fixed queries using the Workbook Wizard
3. Integrate sorts, calculations, percentages, and parameters using Discoverer Plus
4. Create reports with graphs, tables, titles, headers, footers, and margins
5. Use Discoverer Viewer to review, format, export, email, and print reports
6. Refine queries using interactive pivoting, drilling, and Hyper Drilling
7. Control OLAP workbooks using the Discoverer Catalog and Oracle Enterprise Manager
8. Establish access and sharing rights, and scheduling privileges with Discoverer Administrator
9. Set up and use Portal using Discoverer Portlet Provider and Portlets
10. Implement query shortcuts, cascading parameters and advanced analytic calculations using templates

About the Author
Darlene Armstrong Smith (Fremont, CA) has seven years experience as a professional trainer and instructional designer for The Money Store. Michael Armstrong-Smith (Fremont, CA) is a Software Consultant and Technical Trainer with a specialist knowledge of Oracle Applications Data Warehouse, Discoverer, Electron Data Interchange, Software Production, Distributed Systems Design, Database Administration and System Analysis.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: B. Breen "canuckster1127" (Sterling, VA USA)
I am a neophyte to Discoverer, having just accepted a position where the primary assignment is to learn discoverer and develop a library.

I think the true measure of this type of book is how well it takes someone who has little knowledge and walks them through the process of learning. Often times, this type of book slides into language or discourse that seems aimed at higher-end users or impressing people with the depth of knowledge, jargon and acronymns.

In particular, because Discoverer is a tool aimed at the end-user, who may or may not have a great deal of background with Oracle databases themselves (mine is limited), this book faces the challenge of addressing the needs of both the end-user without high-end technical savvy as well as the administrator who knows Oracle backward and forward.

I'm happy to say that I am rapidly gaining knowledge working through this book, as if I were sitting in a training class.

The progression of this book is as follows:

A. Getting Started with Discoverer

1. An Overview of Discoverer.
2. Users and Databases.
3. Getting Started in Discoverer.
4. The Workbook Wizard: The Essential Steps
5. The Workbook Wizard: The Optional Steps

B. Editing the Query

6. Formatting the Output in Discoverer Desktop and Plus
7. Using Graphs to Present Data
8. Turning a Discoverer Query into a Report
9. Using Discoverer to Analyze Data
10. Business Intelligence Discoverer Viewer 10g Release 2 (10.1.2)

C. Advanced Discoverer Techniques

11. Refining Items, Drilling, and Hyper-Drilling
12. Building Effective Conditions
13. Refining Parameters, Calculations, Sorting, and Percentages
14. Query Management
15. User Preferences, the Toolbar, and the Discoverer Administrator
16. Introducing Discoverer OLAP

D. Using the Discoverer Administration Edition

17. Getting Started in the Administration Edition
18. Editing the Business Area
19. Interacting with the End User
20. Configuring Discoverer
21. Setting Up Portal for Use with Discoverer
22. Summary Management

The appendicies are targetted and helpful.

All in all, I can't say enough good about this book. It filled the need exactly and efficiently.

Reviewer: Phillip M. Slater "Phil Slater" (Seattle, WA. USA.)
The Oracle Discoverer 10g handbook is the only book I have seen that covers all aspects of Discoverer so thoroughly in one place. It now covers both the User and Administration Editions, and most importantly, the installation and set up of the product set (an area which is usually forgotten, but which can have a large impact on performance.) This book can be regarded as the bible of Discoverer 10g.

The book is thoughtfully organized, and written in a conversational style that makes it both readable and understable -- not using the acronyms and mysterious marketing words that some people seem to want to use to hide their lack of knowledge.

I am especially impressed with the section on "Configuring Discoverer". This covers some of the less obvious, manual, file changes that may be needed after installation. I am very pleased to see that it also includes registry settings that the Discoverer development team set up. (When the various Discoverer releases were near to production the user interface would be frozen for documentation. If the development team wanted to add some new functionality after this point, they did it by adding registry settings. The intent would be to expose these in the user interface in the next release, but not all of them made it!).

Michael's obvious experience and deep-seated knowledge of Discoverer comes through in Appendix A ("Michael's Gold Mine of Answers to FAQ's").

There are things you can find in this book that can't be found in one place anywhere else. If you are using Discoverer 10g it should be sitting on your desk.

Phillip Slater.
Ex-Director of Product Management, Oracle Discoverer from its instigation until December 2003.

Reviewer: Daniel Gerena (Buffalo, NY USA)
I have been reading this book since I got it a few days ago non-stop. Both at home (with glares from the Mrs.), and at the office (office door shut, of course) I am gleefully plowing thru this read. Now that I have just completed the book, I keep it within arms reach, as I will undoubtedly refer to it often, as Discoverer Administrator at my job.

I have been using Discoverer now for about 5 years, but I have learned so much in the last few days with this book. "Chapter 20 - Configuring Discoverer" was, for me, the most insightful. It's Discoverer from a DBA's point of view (using OEM, setting the preferences, etc.) and knowing the settings and options that I don't get to see on a daily basis helps me better understand what is in the realm of possibility that I might not have known to ask.

Also key for me was the simple and conversational tone of the book. I, like many Discoverer users I would surmise, do not have an IT background, as Discoverer itself is so simple to use that it hides that complexity and lets you focus on the desired end result. This book is consistent with that spirit of Discoverer in that it's not a lot of technical jargon, and it's got lots of screen shots, so a person with little or no Discoverer experience can pick this up and use it immediately.

"Chapter 16 - Introducing Discoverer OLAP" was a great chapter as well, as it explains in detail the advantages of using the OLAP (as opposed to relational) feature of 10g. Even though I don't presently have plans for implementing it, it's so informative, I know what to expect if and when the need ever arises.

Finally, as an experienced Discoverer user, my favorite chapters were the appendices, specifically Appendix A and B. Appendix A are dozens of questions regarding the use of Discoverer, as well as scripts you can implement to make life easier (my favorite is the detail of the calculations to count business days between 2 dates). Appendix B is a comprehensive listing of Functions with examples, and I'm expecting that will be the part of the book I'll revisit most.

I highly recommend this book; it covers all aspects of Discoverer from report writing to administration, to portlet publication. Well-written and well worth the price.

ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results (Programmer to Programmer)

Books Details :

Author : Imar Spaanjaars, Paul Wilton, Shawn Livermore
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Wrox; Bk&CD-Rom edition (March 24, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0471749516
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches

Book Description
ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results helps you quickly create dynamic Web pages with ASP.NET 2.0. The book is centered around a dozen ready-to-use projects with all the code for all the projects included on the books CD-ROM - that you can use immediately. ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results dives into working code so you can learn it rapidly. The book and projects are written for intermediate-level programmers with some .NET experience. The projects and book provide a quick start reference so you can use ASP.NET 2.0 immediately.

Each of the 12 project features step-by-step set-up instructions with a description of each project that enables you to understand and then modify it so you can reuse it in different situations.

From the Back Cover
If you're looking to quickly create dynamic Web pages with ASP.NET 2.0, your programming efforts just got a whole lot easier. Featuring a dozen ready-to-use projects on the book's CD-ROM that you can use immediately, this reference is a helpful guide that dives into working code so you can learn it rapidly.

Each project features step-by-step set-up instructions. The description of each project enables you to understand and then modify it so you can reuse it in different situations. By the end of the book, you'll be on the fast track to creating your own site from scratch.

CD-ROM includes the source code for all 12 projects

1. Online diary and organizer
2. File share
3. Chat server
4. Survey engine
5. CMS
6. Blog
7. Photo album
8. Customer support site
9. WebShop
10. Appointment booking system
11. Greeting cards
12. Bug base

Who this book is for

This book is for intermediate-level programmers with some .NET experience who need a quick-start reference book so they can use ASP.NET 2.0 at once.

Instant Results guides are packed with unique, ready-to-use projects that are perfect for the busy programmer. They require minimal set-up, and can be modified, enhanced, and reused in real-world situations.

About the Author
Imar Spaanjaars graduated in Leisure Management from the Leisure Management School in the Netherlands, but quickly changed his career path into the Internet world. After working for a large corporation and doing some freelance work, he is now working for Design IT, an IT company in the Netherlands that specializes in Internet and Intranet applications built with Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET. As a software designer and lead developer, he’s responsible for designing, building, and implementing medium- to large-scale e-commerce web sites and portals.
Before this book on ASP.NET 2.0, Imar wrote two books about Macromedia Dreamweaver, called Beginning Dreamweaver MX and Beginning Dreamweaver MX 2004, both published under the Wrox brand.
Imar is also one of the top contributors to the Wrox Community Forums at http://p2p.wrox.com where he shares his knowledge with fellow programmers.
Imar lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands. You can contact him through his web site at http://imar.spaanjaars.com.

Paul Wilton got an initial start as a Visual Basic applications programmer at the Ministry of Defense in the UK before finding himself pulled into the Net. Having joined an Internet development company, he spent three years helping create Internet solutions. He’s now running his own company developing online holiday property reservation systems.
Paul’s main skills are in developing web front ends using DHTML, JavaScript, and VBScript as well as back-end solutions with ASP, ASP.NET, Visual Basic, and SQL Server.

Shawn Livermore (MCAD, MCSD, PMP) [shawnlivermore.blogspot.com] has been architecting and developing Microsoft-based solutions for nearly a decade. Shawn consults as an architect for Fortune 500 clientele, leveraging time-proven methodologies and exceptional communications, within highly visible projects. His range of technical competence stretches across platforms, but specializes within Microsoft .NET development and server-based products such as Biztalk and SQL Server, among others.
His experience implementing enterprise-level Microsoft solutions is extensive and has led to successful business ventures with numerous firms.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Richard White "INSPIRE | CREATE | DELIVER" (UK)
Concepts
I operate a small yet dynamic web design/ development business where time is of the essence and sometimes we may not have the time to study new languages as they are released.

The approach we decided to take was to purchase a range of books based on languages that are currently in demand and in our own time self study or tackle the theory when needed. This has proved to be a key factor in our current success.

The only issue I had found was the majority of the books available teach you key principals but not necessarily an array of concepts in which these principals are applied. This is where ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results fell from the heavens into my book collection.

ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results puts the concepts first followed by key factors used to implement them.

Action Learning
Before starting my business I worked with an organisation based on a Philosophy called Action Learning which integrates learning with work rather than learning first and apply your new found skills afterwards. One of the key benefits of this philosophy is that the experience you gain through learning at work enables you to remember it for a lot longer... experiential learning!

I have found that the way in which I use ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results integrates with my style of learning as I use its concepts/ resources when appropriate plus its direct style of writing is effective in my approach. .. similar to reference material.

Reviewer: Thomas Phelan (New Jersey)
I'm new to ASP programming and have read a number of ASP and ASP related books. In a nutshell, this book helped put all the pieces together. The other books showed me how to use all of the various features in isolation, but when I sat down to actually build a site I had trouble deciding which tool to use and how best to make everything work together.

This book contains 12 real-world examples demonstrating the most important features that I would like to incorporate in my sites. Each chapter of the book is an in depth explanation of each application. While I bought this book merely to serve as a reference for implementing features I was having trouble with, I've found it extremely profitable to go chapter-by-chapter reading the explanation of each application. Reading this book is like being able to pick the brain of an experienced developer regarding applications he has written.

Unless you are an experienced ASP developer you'll almost certainly want to purchase a traditional ASP book, but I highly recommend this book as an additional resource to help put all the pieces together!

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms

Books Details :

Author : Will Richardson
Hardcover: 168 pages
Publisher: Corwin Press (March 13, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 1412927668
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches




Book Description
"We need a solid book explaining and illustrating and letting teachers know about these powerful tools. This book meets the need in an awesome way!"
-Mike Muir, Director
Maine Center for Meaningful Engaged Learning

"This author is a gem! It startles me to be 'pulled' so happily through a text about these new Web tools in the context of good literacy instruction."
-Gary Graves, Senior Research and Evaluation Advisor, Technology in Education
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

Review
Mike Muir, Director, Maine Center for Meaningful Engaged Learning : "This book deals with such a hot topic in a wonderfully practical way. We need a solid book explaining and illustrating and letting teachers know about these powerful tools. This book meets the need in an awesome way!"
Gary Graves, Senior Research and Evaluation Advisor, Technology in Education : "This author is a gem! It startles me to be 'pulled' so happily through a text about these new Web tools in the context of good literacy instruction."

Discover how to harness Web tools to motivate and update student reading, research and communication!

This book brings teachers a bold vision and on-the-ground Monday morning practicality. It will move educators to think differently about technology’s potential for strengthening students' critical thinking, writing, reflection, and interactive learning. Will Richardson demystifies words like "blog," "wiki," and "aggregator" making classroom technology an easily accessible component of classroom research, writing, and learning.

This guide demonstrates how Web tools can generate exciting new learning formats, and explains how to apply these tools in the classroom to engage all students in a new world of synchronous information feeds and interactive learning. With detailed, simple explanations, definitions and how-tos, critical information on Internet safety, and helpful links, this exciting book opens an immense toolbox, with specific teaching applications for

1. Web logs, the most widely adopted tool of the read/write Web
2. Wikis, a collaborative Webspace for sharing published content
3. Rich Site Summary (RSS), feeding specific content into the classroom
4. Aggregators, collecting content generated via the RSS feed
5. Social bookmarking, archiving specific Web addresses
6. Online photo galleries

This book makes it possible for anyone, no matter how inexperienced, to harness this amazing technology for the classroom today!

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Janice Powell (New York)
I'm not someone who necessarily "loves" technology, but with so many of my high school students using blogs and just spending so much of their time on the Internet, I decided to get up to speed. This book was recommended to me by friends who had seen the author speak, and I have to say that I'm simply amazed by how well this book lays the groundwork for these technologies and how clearly it points the way to get started. I've decided to start a blog to use as a place to reflect about my teaching, and I'm already looking forward to this fall to try some of the other great ideas in the book. Whatever you do, don't believe the one negative review in this list. This book is aimed at classroom educators who need to start understanding how important the Web is becoming to all of us. It's a great book, one that every single teacher should read.

Reviewer: Declan Hayes "Declan Hayes" (Tokyo Japan)
This book is a mixed bag. The entry blurb says it was published in 2006 but page 112 of this very very short book has the author telling us he expects podcasting to be big in 2005. just as blogs were big in 2004, the year he probably wrote this very very small book.

The book is sometimes useful in giving out some urls so we can look at what others are doing or what is available out there. However, a common problem with all these entry level books is they lack focus and a targeted audience. Is the book for teachers from grade school up to university level? This is an important question as it would dictate what approach to take.

For the hefty price of this book, I got to look at a few new sites. But that happens most days when someone puts me on to a new thread for free. Other than that, I got very little out of it beyond a broad brush approach of what the author is doing, which is relevant to him but not to me or you.

I use Wordpress which gets only passing mention in this shallow book. I was considering buying the Wordpress Quickstart book which comes out at the end of June. But that version is already out of date and the Wordpress site has enough supporting documents to fill a small library. So why either the book when Google is better?

And why buy another geewhizz book, which has one shallow chapter on Flickr ( google it if you don't know what it is, visit the site, save a few photos and you have what is in the Flickr chapter).

Most books like this agree books are going out of fashion. But they keep spewing out over priced books like this. Still the big font was easy on the eyes.

Also, teachers have to generally work to a platform, a curriculum that has been externally set. But the book does not delve into that; instead it goes on about a teacher here and another there doing some seemingly cool things with the kids in their class. Gee whiz.

My verdict: worth skimming through if you find a discarded copy hangiing around.

Podcasting Pocket Guide

Books Details :

Author : Jack Herrington, Kirk McElhearn, Richard Giles
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (January 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0596102305
Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.3 inches

Book Description :

With more than three thousand feeds in the iPodder directory and at least ten more being added every day, podcasting is undeniably hot. Podcasting Pocket Guide is a non-technical guide for the non-geek who wants in on this revolutionary new online medium--for those interested in enjoying the best podcasts or producing them.

While podcasts seem like Internet "radio programs," they are definitely not radio. And that's a very good thing for people like you with something to say. Radio waves, after all, are heavily regulated, which means you can't say whatever you want on them (in fact, most of you can't say anything on them, assuming you don't happen to be DJs). But anyone who can make an MP3 recording, host it on a web site, and publish a "feed" for it can be a podcaster. And anyone who wants access to opinions and ideas that you won't get on the radio can find them on a podcast.

Small enough to fit in your pocket, the portable and affordable Podcasting Pocket Guide shows you how to tune into the best podcasts and download them to your favorite portable device so you can listen to them wherever and whenever you want. This handy reference even includes a listener's guide with reviews of some of the most interesting and unusual podcasts available today. From unique views on current events to music you'd never hear otherwise to soundseeing tours that take you all over the world, there's something for everyone on virtually every conceivable topic.

For aspiring podcasters, Podcasting Pocket Guide introduces you to the tools and techniques you'll need to make and publish podcasts with the most basic of equipment: a computer, a microphone, and some free software. It includes practical tips and how-tos for creating, recording, editing, and uploading your own, professional-quality podcast. Once you've made that first recording, you can publish it online, get it listed, and start obsessing over the size of your audience!

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States)
If you're new to the podcasting arena (either as a listener or producer) and you want a quick overview on the subject, you can find a pretty good one with Podcasting Pocket Guide by Kirk McElhearn, Richard Giles, and Jack D. Herrington.

Contents: Finding, Subscribing to, and Listening to Podcasts; Starting Out in Podcasting; Formats for Your Podcast; Editing Your Podcast; 30 Great Podcasts; Index

Because it's a pocket guide and meant to be small, you're not going to get a lot of technical detail in this volume. The authors cover getting and managing podcasts primarily through iTunes and an iPod, which is a relatively common combination. The chapters on creating your podcast are also fairly high level, but there's enough there to at least get your feet wet. The Audacity software is the primary choice they have for sound editing, but they also list a sizable number of options in addition to that. I'm not sure I would have included the 30 Great Podcasts section, however. Everyone's tastes and interests are different, and that seemed to be 30 pages that might have been better spent with more technical detail on creating podcasts. Still, if you happen to find one or more in that list you like and didn't know about, then you'd probably disagree. :)

If you're an experienced podcaster, or if you've been listening to podcasts for awhile and have no desire to create your own, there might not be much appeal in this book. But given the right target (podcast newbie), it's a non-threatening intro to the subject.

Reviewer: Warren Kelly (Southern Ohio)

Back in October, I had the opportunity to review Jack Herrington's book Podcasting Hacks. This book is a sort of condensation of much of the information in that book, though it's presented differently and is targeted at beginning podcasters. This book shouldn't be thought of as a replacement for the other book. This is a great beginners manual, and has actually been useful for me in explaining what podcasting is to people who are less technologically astute than I am.

I wish that this book were required reading for anyone who wants to podcast. I've listened to several shows that would benefit from this book (and no, I'm not mentioning names). One of the most valuable sections is on How To Be a Critical Listener. I mentioned before that to podcast, you have to listen to podcasts. But you don't listen to them the way a music fan, for example, would. You are looking for tips and ideas -- suggestions for your own podcast. What's the format? What software are they using? What mic do they use, and how does it sound? How are they promoting their podcast? Listening to podcasts can only help you in creating your own.

To that end, a list of 30 Great Podcasts is included in this book. I was pleased to see many of the podcasts I listen to included on the list, including several fellow-members of the Association of Music Podcasting. What surprised me was that many well-known podcasts were not included. What is there is a wide variety of styles, formats, and genres of podcasts produced by amateur podcasters who are doing it because they love it. And that is the best example of what podcasting is all about that there is.

The book will fit in your pocket, right next to your iPod. If you aren't sure about this podcasting thing, and want to find out more information about it before you start doing it, this is a great reference for you. And in no time, you'll graduate to Podcasting Hacks.

CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions

Books Details :

Author : Andy Budd, Simon Collison, Cameron Moll
Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: friends of ED (February 13, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 1590596145
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches




Book Description
This book is your indispensable guide to cutting-edge CSS development--all you need to work your way up to CSS professional.

You'll learn how to:

Plan, organize, and maintain your stylesheets more effectively

Apply the secrets of liquid, elastic, and hybrid layouts

Create flickr™-style image maps, remote rollovers, and other advanced CSS features

Lay out forms using pure CSS

Recognize common browser bugs, and how to fix them

While CSS is a relatively simple technology to learn, it is a difficult one to master. When you first start developing sites using CSS, you will come across all kinds of infuriating browser bugs and inconsistencies. It sometimes feels like there are a million and one different techniques to master, spread across a bewildering array of websites. The range of possibilities seems endless and makes for a steep and daunting learning curve.

By bringing all of the latest tips, tricks, and techniques together in one handy reference, this book demystifies the secrets of CSS and makes the journey to CSS mastery as simple and painless as possible. While most books concentrate on basic skills, this one is different, assuming that you already know the basics and why you should be using CSS in your work, and concentrating mainly on advanced techniques.

It begins with a brief recap of CSS fundamentals such as the importance of meaningful markup, how to structure and maintain your code, and how the CSS layout model really works.

With the basics out of the way, each subsequent chapter details a particular aspect of CSS-based design. Through a series of easy-to-follow tutorials, you will learn practical CSS techniques you can immediately start using in your daily work. Browser inconsistencies are the thorn in most CSS developers' sides, so we have dedicated two whole chapters to CSS hacks, filters, and bug fixing, as well as looking at image replacement; professional link, form, and list styling; pure CSS layouts; and much more.

All of these techniques are then put into practice in two beautifully designed case studies, written by two of the world's best CSS designers, Simon Collison and Cameron Moll.

Summary of Contents:

Chapter 1: Setting the Foundations

Chapter 2: Visual Formatting Model Recap

Chapter 3: Background Images and Image Replacement

Chapter 4: Styling Links

Chapter 5: Styling Lists and Creating Nav Bars

Chapter 6: Styling Forms and Data Tables

Chapter 7: Layout

Chapter 8: Hacks and Filters

Chapter 9: Bugs and Bug Fixing

Case Study 1: More Than Doodles

Case Study 2: Tuscany Luxury Resorts


Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Frank Stepanski (Philadelphia)
When I heard Andy Budd (http://www.clearleft.com/, http://www.andybudd.com/)was writing a CSS book I knew I had to get it. Andy is one of the top UK web designers for past years and anything he has to say you should listen. :)

This book is for anybody who has played around with CSS a little and wondered "what the h*ll can I do with this stuff?". CSS has been around for awhile now, but only recently has the most current browsers been able to support the cool stuff you can do with it. What cool stuff? You need to buy the book to find out, but I'll give you some highlights...

First off, the first chapter explains how to use document types, divs and spans, validation, basics of CSS (selectors, pseudo-classes, child and sibling selectors, attribute selectors, etc), how cascade and specifity works, and how to organize your style sheets. A great primer to the rest of the book.

The 2nd chapter focuses visual formatting with CSS with the Box Model, Positioning and Floating. This is an important topic because creating CSS layouts requires a good understanding of how these topics work (and work together) in creating "real-world layouts.

Chapter 3 talks about using background images and replacement in creating rounded corner effects, drop shadows (4 different kinds), and some cool image replacement for optimizing search engines and screen readers (accessibility).

Chapter 4 has some great examples on styling links to create efficient CSS buttons without the images or the JavaScript for the "roll-over" effect. Yes, CSS can create some cool buttons without you ever having to use Photoshop. :)

Chapter 5 continues with styling links but extends it in showing you how to create button nav bars (horizontal and vertical) and adds a few tricks with using some image placeholders and sections to create some nice looking professional navigation for your website.

Chapter 6 focuses on the right way to use tables: for displaying data (not layout for web sites - no more nested tables). With the use of the very popular border-collapse property and others, Andy shows some very eye-please table layouts.

Chapter 7 in my opinion is the meat-and-potatoes of the book. Its goes over some how to use CSS in creating some standardized layouts. The whole point of CSS is to separate your content and layout and this is the way to go. It is explained in a very easy to follow manner with plenty of screenshots to show you each step.

The rest of the book (Chapter 8 and Chapter 9) review the common and not-so-common CSS hacks that are used to overcome some browser deficiencies. I can't tell you how many website I had to search to find out about these, and its all here in these 2 chapters!.

The last part of the book has 2 Case Studies that show how a website created purely with CSS was created from beginning to end. A great finish to a great book.

Throw out all your other CSS books and just get this one.

Reviewer: D. Anderson (Seattle, WA United States)
Having taught myself CSS layout from what I could g00gle on the net I often found CSS-P more trouble than it was worth. CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions helped me understand things that weren't so obvious to me like specificity, browser incompatibilities and hacks, and how to debug a layout. I can honestly say this book has saved my designs from eternal cross browser debugging. It is a wonderful book for anyone who understands CSS but hasn't grasped it fully. The book also explains some of the limitations of CSS confirming that CSS is not the final solution for web design.

The only minor disappointment was when I finished the book and wished there was more. There are only two case studies at the end of the book, websites that Andy explains how to build, but they are fairly thorough examples. I feel like I am now ready to create more complex CSS based web designs.

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book (Classroom in a Book)

Books Details :

Author : Adobe Creative Team
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Adobe Press; Bk&CD-Rom edition (May 24, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 0321321847
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches

Book Description
Photoshop is one of those programs that's so cool you just want to dive right in and start creating–but by plunging in head-first, without any guidance, you're likely to miss a lot. There's a solution: With this book, you learn by doing, getting your feet wet immediately as you progress through a series of hands-on projects that build on your growing Photoshop knowledge. Simple step-by-step instructions, review questions at the end of each chapter, and a companion CD with all of the book's project files make learning a breeze as the Adobe Creative Team takes you on a self-paced tour of the image-editing powerhouse. This bestselling guide has been completely revised to cover all of Photoshop CS2's new features, which include advanced tools for digital photographers, such as a new Spot Healing Brush for correcting scratches or blemishes, and Smart Sharpen for fixing photo blurring. Photoshop CS2 also includes loads of new creative tools, such as Vanishing Point and Image Warp. This comprehensive guide starts with an introductory tour of the software and then progresses on through lessons on everything from Photoshop's interface to more complex topics like color management, Web graphics, and photo retouching.

About the Author

The Adobe Creative Team is made up of designers, writers, and editors who have extensive, real-world knowledge of and expertise in using Adobe products. They work closely with the Adobe product development teams and Adobe's Instructional Communications team to come up with creative, challenging, and visually appealing projects to help both new and more experienced users get up to speed quickly on Adobe software products.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Spencer Hall (Baltimore, MD)

I have been using Adobe Photoshop since version 5.5, but didnt really get into it seriously until Photoshop CS (8). When I purshcased CS, i bought Jan Kabili's "Complete Course" title, because I considered the Classroom In a Book series to be too dry and technical. It seems that most PS books are either completely tutorial based (meaning you have to follow that sample projects in order to get anything from the lessons) or a cut-and-dry reference that doesnt go too in depth on explainations. "Complete Course" was the former, a big disappointment, and I never finished it. I have since upgraded to CS2, and wanted to get THE most comprehensive and most importantly, versatile book, that would provide explainations as well as serve as a reference.

I have not been disappointed in my purchase of Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book. From what I have seen, the book has chapters that suit everyone, whether you have years of experience with photoshop or are a complete beginner. I am somewhere in between, but found even the most basic "beginner" chapters contain some very useful information. As the book progresses the concepts become more complex and allow you to greatly expand your knowledge of PS.

But what impressed me most about Classroom in a Book was that it can be molded to fit your learning style. Included is a CD with example files for you to follow along with each lesson, trying out features as you go. However, if you are like me and do not learn as well from following a tutorial step-by-step, you dont have to use the CD. This book is written well enough and includes plenty of color screenshots that you can do just as well without the sample files. I am about halfway through the book, feel very confident in what I learned from those lessons, and have yet to pop in the CD. Using it (at least for the first half of the book) is up to you and depends on how you like to learn.

I also purchased this book, because sometime in the not-too-distant future, I am planning to take the exam to become an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Photoshop CS2. For anyone else considering taking the exam, this is the official Photoshop book. Not only is this the guide that Adobe recommends as preparation for the ACE exam, but it is also highly recommended by many of those who have taken the exam and are now certified experts in photoshop.

This book was definitely one of my best book purchases to date; I am looking forward to the release of Adobe's Classroom in a Book for GoLiveCS2!

Reviewer: mashny "mashny" (New York)
This was the first book I used (the CS version) when I started learning Photoshop a few years ago. While it was helpful, the book is divided into specific lessons, with little time spent on how Photoshop's tools work together or in what sequence they should be used. The lesson on masking, for instance, shows you how to create and work with a mask, but spends almost no time discussing the logic behind masks or or how they make your photo-editing tasks easier. I guess what is missing is a "holistic" feel to the book. When I finished, I certainly had a better knowledge of some of Photoshop's features, but the knowledge was disjointed.

The next book I read, and one which every Photoshop user should have, is Katrin Eismann's "Photoshop Restoration & Retouching." It is the best book I've seen on Photoshop, whether for the beginner or an advanced user. I won't review that book here -- you can look it up on Amazon. I use Photoshop now at my job and as a hobby, and credit Eismann's book with most of my Photoshop knowledge and confidence.

The Classroon in a Book is helpful, but once you finish it and begin using Photoshop, you probably won't ever look at it again (I haven't). Eismann's book, however, continues to be an essential reference and guide for me.

Computer Security Basics

Books Details :

Author : Rick Lehtinen
Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 2 edition (June 13, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0596006691
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.0 x 0.7 inches

Book Description

This is the must-have book for a must-know field. Today, general security knowledge is mandatory, and, if you who need to understand the fundamentals, Computer Security Basics 2nd Edition is the book to consult.

The new edition builds on the well-established principles developed in the original edition and thoroughly updates that core knowledge. For anyone involved with computer security, including security administrators, system administrators, developers, and IT managers, Computer Security Basics 2nd Edition offers a clear overview of the security concepts you need to know, including access controls, malicious software, security policy, cryptography, biometrics, as well as government regulations and standards.

This handbook describes complicated concepts such as trusted systems, encryption, and mandatory access control in simple terms. It tells you what you need to know to understand the basics of computer security, and it will help you persuade your employees to practice safe computing.

Topics include:

• Computer security concepts
• Security breaches, such as viruses and other malicious programs
• Access controls
• Security policy
• Web attacks
• Communications and network security
• Encryption
• Physical security and biometrics
• Wireless network security
• Computer security and requirements of the Orange Book
• OSI Model and TEMPEST

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: calvinnme "Texan refugee" (Fredericksburg, Va)
This book is the long awaited second edition of a classic book in basic computer security. It is an introduction to the field, not a technical reference. If you need details on a particular aspect of computer security, you should refer to another more specialized book. Since Amazon does not show the table of contents, I review this book in reference to its table of contents:

Part I, SECURITY FOR TODAY
Chapter 1, Introduction
Introduces computer security: what it is and why it's important. It summarizes the threats to computers and the information stored on them, and it introduces the different types of computer security. It notes that if you ignore computer security you could not only be a crime victim but an unwitting partner in crime.
Chapter 2, Some Security History
Describes how we got to where we are today. It summarizes key events in the history of computer security, discusses some of the government standards and programs involved with computer security, and introduces the concept of computer databases and the preservation of privacy.

Part II, COMPUTER SECURITY
Chapter 3, Computer System Security and Access Controls
Introduces computer system security and describes how it controls access to systems and data.
Chapter 4, Viruses and Other Wildlife
Explores viruses, worms, Trojans, and other types of malicious code. The financial effects of malicious programs are discussed first, including that of wasted time. Next it equates viruses and public health - in that once your computer is infected others can be too using your computer as a jumping off point. The history of viruses is also discussed, including the fact that today's viruses and worms are basically malware written by malicious individuals, not computer scientists exploring the limits of technology as was once the case. Remedies, and more importantly, prevention is discussed.
Chapter 5, Establishing and Maintaining a Security Policy
Describes the administrative procedures that improve security within an organization and the three general categories of administrative security. It also introduces business continuity and disaster recovery as part of security. It also introduces the large numbers of laws now on the books relating to computer security, many that carry heavy fines in case of violation. It also mentions that it is important to implement separation of duties so no one person carries the load of security-related tasks.
Chapter 6, Web Attacks and Internet Vulnerabilities
This chapter deals with the basics of the Internet and the Web, as well as several important Internet protocols that keep the Internet humming from behind the scenes. The chapter then discusses vulnerabilities of several of these services, as well as exploits that can be used to attack them. Finally, this chapter gives several suggestions of how users can defend against those who misuse the Internet to steal or annoy.

Part III, COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY
Chapter 7, Encryption
This chapter explains what encryption is and how it protects data. The chapter discusses encryption definition and history. It also discusses DES (the Data Encryption Standard), as well as listing the acronyms of many other encryption algorithms. The chapter also defines message authentication, and lists several government cryptographic programs as well as mentioning cryptographic export restrictions.
Chapter 8, Communications and Network Security
Introduces network concepts and discusses some basic communications security issues. These issues include what makes communications secure, and the definition of modems, networks, and network security. Appropriate steps to keep your computer network safe from attack are outlined.

Part IV, OTHER TYPES OF SECURITY
Chapter 9, Physical Security and Biometrics
Introduces physical security and describes different types of biometric devices. Physical security is largely a system of common sense precautions and photo IDs, where biometrics is a new science where an individual's retina patterns, iris patterns, voice patterns, signatures, and keystroke patterns are measured and identified.
Chapter 10, Wireless Network Security
Describes the workings of wireless networks and the security ramifications of this access medium. Shows that although wireless computing is very convenient, it opens up a whole new world to hackers. Proper antenna selection to keep radio signals confined to the appropriate area is discussed. Careful attention to network cabling--all wireless networks end up connecting to a wired network at some point--also help assure security for the wireless environment.

In summary, this is a great little book for those just entering the field of computer security, as well as individual computer users who want to learn how to not be the weak link in either their professional or home network. It carefully defines terms and even has some good general advice on securing your computer and your network, but you should consult other books for details. I highly recommend it to the beginner who is interested in the field.

Ajax Design Patterns

Books Details :

Author : Michael Mahemoff
Paperback: 655 pages
Publisher: O'Reilly Media (June 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0596101805
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.0 x 1.2 inches

Book Description

Ajax, or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, exploded onto the scene in the spring of 2005 and remains the hottest story among web developers. With its rich combination of technologies, Ajax provides a strong foundation for creating interactive web applications with XML or JSON-based web services by using JavaScript in the browser to process the web server response.

Ajax Design Patterns shows you best practices that can dramatically improve your web development projects. It investigates how others have successfully dealt with conflicting design principles in the past and then relays that information directly to you.

The patterns outlined in the book fall into four categories:

• Foundational technology: Examines the raw technologies required for Ajax development
• Programming: Exposes techniques that developers have discovered to ensure their Ajax applications are maintainable
• Functionality and usability: Describes the types of user interfaces you'll come across in Ajax applications, as well as the new types of functionality that Ajax makes possible
• Development: Explains the process being used to monitor, debug, and test Ajax applications

Ajax Design Patterns will also get you up to speed with core Ajax technologies, such as XMLHttpRequest, the DOM, and JSON. Technical discussions are followed by code examples so you can see for yourself just what is-and isn't-possible with Ajax. This handy reference will help you to produce high-quality Ajax architectures, streamline web application performance, and improve the user experience.

Michael Mahemoff holds a PhD in Computer Science and Software Engineering from the University of Melbourne, where his thesis was "Design Reuse in Software Engineering and Human-Computer Interaction." He lives in London and consults on software development issues in banking, health care, and logistics.

"Michael Mahemoff's Ajax Design Patterns is a truly comprehensive compendium of web application design expertise, centred around but not limited to Ajax techniques. Polished nuggets of design wisdom are supported by tutorials and real-world code examples resulting in a book that serves not only as an intermediate to expert handbook but also as an extensive reference for building rich interactive web applications."
--Brent Ashley, remote scripting pioneer

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: E. Wuehler (Portland, OR)
Very nicely done. The author spends time analyzing the problems various Ajax implementations are trying to solve and abstracts the concepts into a "pattern". I appreciated the author's attempt to allocate an "established use" value to each pattern described, which ranges from "widespread usage" to "purely speculative".

The book is very nicely put together; the analysis and explanations are well thought through. As it is a book on design patterns for Ajax, it is appropriately geared more toward the explanations than code snippets, but there is still plenty of example code and (as expected) plenty to download or view online.

For each of the approximately 70 patterns described, there is a discussion of the factors for why the pattern exists as well as descriptions of solutions and a real-world example or two (or more). While I think calling some of the solutions in the book "design patterns" is a bit generous, it is definately a worthwhile book to pick up if you're looking to understand how to solve a variety of web site issues using Ajax.

Web Designer's Guide to Adobe Photoshop (Wordware Applications Library)

Books Details :

Author : Chris Tull
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Wordware Publishing, Inc. (February 25, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 1598220012
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches




Book Description
Web Designer's Guide to Adobe Photoshop covers these topics and more. A one-stop source of web-specific production methods necessary to create well-designed, functional, and aesthetically pleasing web pages, this book provides readers with real how-to information on web design. You'll learn to build buttons, logos, web headers, and other web graphics, pull them into a web editing program, and even go live with your masterpiece. Whether you goal is to expand your professional skills or simply handle your local club's web site, Web Designer's Guide to Adobe Photoshop will help you create web pages and get them working properly.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: W Boudville (US)
Photoshop is the most common program for graphics design. But Web designers live in a different space. If you are one of the latter, then perhaps your graphics skill is minimal. You can remedy this with Tull's book. He provides a fairly thorough explanation of Photoshop. Granted, there are more comprehensive books on it. But he directs his text to Web designers. Showing how you can integrate Photoshop skills with web pages.

Refactoring in Large Software Projects: Performing Complex Restructurings Successfully

Books Details :

Author : Martin Lippert, Stephen Roock
Paperback: 286 pages
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (June 5, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0470858923
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches

Book Description
Large Refactorings looks at methods of establish design improvements as an important and independent activity during development of software, and will help to ensure that software continues to adapt, improve and remain easy to read and modify without altering its observable behaviour. It provides real-world experience from real refactored projects and shows how to refactor software to ensure that it is efficient, fresh and adaptable.

About the Author
Stefan Roock works as a consultant and coach for it-agile GmbH (located in Germany). His areas of expertise include agile software development, refactoring techniques and agile project management and among his special interests are refactoring, incremental design and agile customer coaching. Stefan also is frequently a speaker at technical conferences and has published a number of papers and articles. He is co-author of the book "Extreme Programming in Action". You can contact him at stefan@stefanroock.de or http://www.stefanroock.de.

Martin Lippert works as a consultant and coach for it-agile GmbH (located in Germany) and is an expert on agile software development, refactoring techniques and Eclipse technology. His special interests include aspect-oriented programming, refactoring, incremental design and the Eclipse platform. Martin is a frequent speaker at technical conferences and has published a number of papers and articles. He is co-author of the book "Extreme Programming in Action". You can contact him at lippert@acm.org or http://www.martinlippert.com

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States)
The concept of refactoring code shouldn't be a new idea to most software developers, but often it's done on a very limited basis. In those cases, it may be possible to allow the IDE to take care of much of the renaming and such. But what happens when you want to make a major refactoring change that spans the entire system? Resources and best practices are a little more rare in that case. Stefan Roock and Martin Lippert attempt to address that situation in their book Refactoring in Large Software Projects.

Contents: Introduction; Refactoring - An Overview; Architecture Smells; Large Refactorings; Refactoring of Relational Databases; API Refactorings; Tool-Based Detection and Avoidance of Architecture Smells; Conclusion; Glossary; Index

This book will be most helpful at the architecture level of a system; that is, when you determine that you've painted yourself into a design corner. It may be necessary to introduce a new feature that is somewhat similar to an existing one, but you can't just kill off the old feature due to unknown usage by others. Roock and Lippert show how it's possible to make these wholesale changes in a manner that allows for a graceful degradation of current functionality without sacrificing the new design. It's also helpful if you've solely focused on refactoring at the code level. The term "code smells" refer to situations where code develops a "stench" due to bad design or practices. This book takes that concept and stretches it out to the design level. Even if you're not in a situation where you need to redesign a system to remove some architectural smells, you'll learn what types of designs will introduce those "aromas" and how to avoid them. Much better not to make the mistake up front, than to have to refactor it out later.

Not an easy read, and you'll probably find some areas a bit more useful or applicable to where you're at. But if you're responsible for a system that is showing some age and getting harder to maintain, this might be a book that helps you turn the situation around.

Effective Use of Microsoft Enterprise Library: Building Blocks for Creating Enterprise Applications and Services (Microsoft .Net Development Series)

Books Details :

Author :Len Fenster
Paperback: 736 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1st edition (June 9, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0321334213
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.3 x 1.4 inches



From the Back Cover

Writing robust enterprise applications presents a special challenge for developers, but Microsoft has addressed that challenge with the free, downloadable Enterprise Library for the .NET Framework.

Enterprise Library is a collection of application blocks and guidance documents that together provide functionality common to enterprise applications; each application block includes full source code. Lacking in the guidance provided by Microsoft is an overall roadmap to the process of using the application blocks. Effective Use of Microsoft Enterprise Library is that roadmap.

Microsoft application development lead architect Len Fenster explains exactly how to build applications using Enterprise Library application blocks. Fenster covers all seven application blocks as implemented for .NET Framework 1.1, shows how to develop and use a new application block, and explains how Enterprise Library is changing for .NET Framework 2.0.

Readers will learn

• How the Configuration Application Block is designed and can be used at runtime to easily read and write configuration data
• How the Configuration Application Block works at design time for all blocks
• How to use the Data Access Block to create a portable data layer
• How to use the Exception Handling Application Block to implement a policy-driven, application-wide exception handling system
• How to use the Logging and Instrumentation Application Block to log and instrument messages independent of the message destination
• How to add authentication, authorization, role membership, security cache, and profile membership features to an application with the Security Application Block
• How to use the Cryptography Application Block to add functionality to encrypt and decrypt data and create and compare hashes
• How to build your own application block and providers that “snap” right into Enterprise Library

Whether you plan to extend Enterprise Library for your organization, or just use the existing application blocks to add functionality to your architecture in a consistent, extensible, integrated way, this book will guide you through the complexities and help you find a clear path to success.

About the Author

Len Fenster is the lead architect for .NET Development for Microsoft Consulting Service’s U.S. East Region. During his last eight years at Microsoft, he has focused on helping many enterprises create robust applications based on Microsoft technology. Most recently, Len has been working with the Microsoft patterns & practices team on the next version of Enterprise Library. Even before his career with Microsoft, Len led a global team of developers and architects that built distributed applications based on Microsoft technologies. Since the advent of .NET, Len has served as an enterprise architect for Microsoft Consulting Services and has leveraged his considerable experience to help many enterprises incorporate .NET into their own technology strategies. Len speaks on a regular basis to companies and at architecture forums about architecting solutions based on .NET and service oriented architecture.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Developing applications that fit the needs of many enterprises is of keen interest to CIOs, CTOs, architects, and developers because it typically requires many resources in terms of time and money to develop the core foundational services needed to support these applications. Microsoft has provided guidance for developing these services and code for supporting them. Effective Use of Microsoft Enterprise Library fills the void on how to “put all the blocks together.” With this void filled, architects and developers will be equipped to create solid Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs) based on the Microsoft recommended best practices in an easy and repeatable manner.

How, you ask? Read on.

Today many companies are faced not only with the challenge of how to create a robust application that leverages as many of the features and functions of Microsoft .NET as they can, but they are also faced with the challenge of architecting these applications so that they can reap the benefits that Service-Oriented Architectures are promising to deliver both now and in the future. Imagine helping your child to create a model of the Sphinx from a box of several hundred random Lego blocks and you might get a good sense of an architect’s emotions when first faced with the prospect of designing an enterprise-level application for a particular CxO.

Microsoft provides help, though, by delivering guidance on how to architect enterprise-level applications so that they can leverage the features and functions of .NET. It provides this help in the form of Prescriptive Architecture Guidance (PAG) documents. PAG documents detail the different layers, components, and services that architects should consider when designing their applications. Think of the PAGs as the picture of the Sphinx on the Lego blocks box. Microsoft also provides the Lego blocks—in the form of the application blocks for .NET. An application block is code that implements one of the components or services in one of the layers that make up an application.

So, what’s the problem?

The problem is that there is no instruction manual or documented process for using the Lego blocks to create the application blocks. With which block should you start? Should all the blocks be used? Are there blocks missing from the box? How should they best be assembled together?

This book will serve as the instruction manual for how to take the blocks that Microsoft provides to create the picture on the box. This book will help you reshape some of the blocks as needed and see how new blocks can be created. It also looks at the tools Microsoft provides to help you fit the blocks together and where the new initiatives from Microsoft around Service-Oriented Architecture fit with the current application blocks for .NET.

A Brief History of Application Blocks

The benefits associated with reusing software assets have been touted for many years. Today developers spend a significant amount of time and energy searching for software libraries or code that provides functionality they need in an effort to avoid “reinventing the wheel.” It is commonplace for developers to first search the Internet for code samples or reusable software libraries with the thought that “this must have been done before.” Sometimes solutions can be located; other times they cannot. However, even when software libraries that solve common application problems can be located, using them is not without its challenges. The design and quality of an asset, as well as the future direction of that asset, must be assessed. Any dependencies upon which the asset relies must also be evaluated to determine whether using it will cause a company to move away from its own strategic vision.

The Microsoft application blocks were intended to help by providing a library of core assets needed for most enterprise applications. This began with the introduction of the original Data Access Application Block in April 2002. The block was popular because it was simple to understand (it had a very simple interface and no dependencies) and it covered the majority of common operations most projects required for accessing a Microsoft SQL Server database.

Over the next few years, more application blocks were introduced; however, those that followed the Data Access Application Block were met with varying degrees of acceptance. Overall, each application block was considered successful, but as more and more application blocks were created, issues began to arise about using them. These issues revolved around the following matters.

• Consistency. The application blocks were created by different teams at Microsoft over several years with no overall guidelines for consistency. The result was that application blocks varied widely in their approach and packaging. Users of the application blocks found it difficult to understand how each new block fit together. Additionally, because the blocks were inconsistent in their approach, many users found it difficult to get them to work together in the same project.
• Configuration. Most of the application blocks relied on complex configuration with little or no tooling support or validation that could help configure the application correctly. Configuring an application block entailed manually creating and modifying XML files and testing the results at runtime. This was one of the most common problems that users of the original blocks faced when trying to use them.
• Complexity. Many of the application blocks that followed the Data Access Application Block were difficult to understand. Yet to become productive with an application block, a developer needed to quickly ramp up by understanding how to configure, develop, and extend the block. There was a lack of samples and tutorials that could help a developer get up to speed very quickly on an application block. Additionally, the documentation that was provided with the application blocks did not convey enough information for most developers to understand how to use the blocks.
• Dependencies. Companies sometimes wanted to use a block but found that they didn’t want to accept the dependencies of that application block. Many times an application block had a hard dependency on other application blocks. For example, many blocks relied on the Exception Management Application Block. However, if an enterprise had no desire to use the Exception Management Application Block, it had to choose between removing the dependency manually or not using the application block at all. Also, the original Logging Application Block had a dependency on the Enterprise Instrumentation Framework (EIF). Users who didn’t want to use the EIF could not use the logging block.

Enterprise Library is the evolution of the application blocks. It is not a product from Microsoft insomuch that you don’t purchase a license for it. Additionally, all the source code for Enterprise Library is released to the public. These facts alone make it much different from any product that Microsoft releases. Enterprise Library’s seven application blocks—Configuration, Data Access, Caching, Exception Handling, Logging and Instrumentation, Security, and Cryptography—are truly a library that can solve common challenges encountered in enterprise applications. It is not a part of the .NET Framework, but rather it is intended to fill what may be perceived as “gaps” in the Framework until such time that the .NET Framework absorbs those features.

The vision for Enterprise Library was to take the lessons that were learned with the original application blocks to not only create a set of the most fundamental application blocks needed for most enterprise applications, but to create an entire ecosystem in which Microsoft customers, partners, community members, and the patterns & practices team can deliver reusable assets that can be combined into code libraries based on the needs of an enterprise. The core philosophy behind Enterprise Library is defined by four principles that guide the development of all of the application blocks in the library.

• Consistency. Every application block should apply consistent design patterns and implementation approaches. This should make it easy for someone who understands one block to understand and use another block and thus become productive quickly.
• Extensibility. Application blocks must include defined extensibility points that let developers customize the behavior of the blocks by plugging in their own code. The goal is to anticipate the need for extensions and minimize the need to modify the core elements through custom code. By designing an application block for extensibility, the application block is able to adapt to different environments and has a greater chance of “fitting” into an enterprise than it might otherwise have had were it not designed this way.
• Ease of Use. For developers to embrace an application block, it must be easy to use. Therefore, the Enterprise Library team provided
• The Enterprise Library Configuration Tool. As configuring the application blocks proved to be one of the most difficult aspects of usability, a graphical configuration tool was created to improve on this experience. The Configuration Tool makes it much easier to create, modify, remove, and validate configuration information for all of the application blocks that ship with Enterprise Library. This eliminates the need to have to manually modify XML files to get an application block to function correctly.
• A simpler installation procedure. Setting up a development environment to use any of the application blocks has been made simpler.
• Clear documentation and samples. The documentation for every application block includes key scenarios for how that application block might be used and includes walkthroughs for how to perform the most common tasks.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: W Boudville (US)
You might think of Microsoft Enterprise Library as a refactoring of many tasks common to applications. These could be for standalone machines or perhaps the application offers a network service, like a Web Service. Fenster describes how MS reworked earlier generations of application blocks into a more consistent offering, presented here. There have been numerous improvements to make your programming life easier.

A key plus is simply not having to edit an XML file that describes the configuration of an application, in order to change and test a new configuration. Instead, there is now an Enterprise Library Configuration Tool. This actually reads and writes to the XML files. Much overdue. Your interaction is now easier to perform, and more robust. Manual editing of those files is highly
error prone. Using the tool is easy and intuitive, as shown in many screen shots. Not so different from changing Registry values, which you may well have already done, if you work with Microsoft operating systems.

The book also offers many code examples, typically written in both C# and VB. These illustrate how to use the Enterprise Library. The style is a little verbose, a function of both the authors' programming styles and the naming conventions of EL. Caused by a natural tendency to use descriptive names for classes and fields (variables). Anyway, the examples in each chapter demonstrate the modular nature of EL. So that you can easily add in a Security Application Block or a Caching Application Block, say. And possibly modify these for your situation.

The overall claim is that all this is far simpler than in the past.

Linux Phrasebook

Books Details :

Author : Scott Granneman
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Sams (June 12, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0672328380
Product Dimensions: 7.0 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches




Book Description
Linux Phrasebook is sure to become the pocket guide that you keep within reach at all times. This concise, handy reference can be used "in the street," just like a language phrasebook. Skipping the usual tutorial on Linux, the Linux Phrasebook goes straight to practical Linux uses, providing immediate applicable solutions for day-to-day tasks. It includes code phrases that allow Linux users to employ the command line to complete onerous and repetitive tasks, as well as flexible code and commands can be customized to meet the needs of any Linux user. The concise information combined with random accessibility makes the Linux Phrasebook a robust, yet agile, reference guide that no Linux user should be without.

About the Author
Scott Granneman is a monthly columnist for SecurityFocus and Linux Magazine, as well as a professional blogger on The Open Source Weblog. He is an adjunct Professor at Washington University, St. Louis and at Webster University, teaching a variety of courses about technology and the Internet. As a consultant, Scott has worked with clients including Anheuser-Busch, the National Football League, St. Louis Zoo, and the American Civil Liberties Unions of Eastern Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Anthony Lawrence "Unix, Linux and Mac OS X" (Middleboro, MA USA)
I liked this - a lot.

The goal here is to more thoroughly discuss usage of command line tools. Scott gives examples and discussion of just about everything you are likely to do at the command line.

I have quibbles, yes. Throughout the book I kept thinking "but why didn't you mention this?" or "I would have been sure to add x". But when all is said and done, so what? You can't cover every single thing that everyone might want to mention - or if you did the "book" would fill a room.

The new Linux user will definitely learn a LOT here. Old hands at the Linux command line may find it slightly less valuable, but if you are coming to Linux from other Unixes, this is a handy and concise reference that will make you more aware of the Linux differences.

Scott has done a great job here and deserves applause.

C++ GUI Programming with Qt 4

Books Details :

Author : Jasmin Blanchette, Mark Summerfield
Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; Bk&CD-Rom edition (June 26, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0131872494
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.0 x 1.1 inches



From the Back Cover

The Only Official Best-Practice Guide to Qt 4.1 Programming

Using Trolltech's Qt you can build industrial-strength C++ applications that run natively on Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac OS X, and embedded Linux--without making source code changes. With this book Trolltech insiders have written a start-to-finish guide to getting great results with the most powerful version of Qt ever created: Qt 4.1.

Using C++ GUI Programming with Qt 4 you'll discover the most effective Qt 4 programming patterns and techniques as you master key technologies ranging from Qt's model/view architecture to Qt's powerful new 2D paint engine. The authors provide readers with unparalleled insight into Qt's event model and layout system. Then, using realistic examples, they introduce superior techniques for everything from basic GUI development to advanced database and XML integration.

• Includes new chapters on Qt 4's model/view architecture and Qt's new plugin support, along with a brief introduction to Qtopia embedded programming

• Covers all Qt fundamentals, from dialogs and windows to implementing application functionality

• Introduces best practices for layout management and event processing

• Shows how to make the most of Qt 4's new APIs, including the powerful new 2D paint engine and the new easy-to-use container classes

• Contains completely updated material in every chapter

• Presents advanced Qt 4 techniques covered in no other book, from creating both Qt and application plugins to interfacing with native APIs

• Contains an in-depth appendix on C++/Qt programming for experienced Java developers

The accompanying CD-ROM includes the open source edition of Qt 4.1.1 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and many Unixes, as well as MinGW, a set of freely available development tools that can be used to build Qt applications on Windows, and also the source code for the book's examples.

About the Author

Jasmin Blanchette, Trolltech's documentation manager and a senior developer, has worked at Trolltech since 2001. He is editor of Qt Quarterly, Trolltech's technical newsletter, and coauthored C++ GUI Programming with Qt 3.

Mark Summerfield works as an independent trainer and consultant specializing in C++, Qt, and Python. He was Trolltech's documentation manager for almost three years and coauthored C++ GUI Programming with Qt 3.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: W Boudville (US)
When C++ was first put together in the 80s, it was just before the advent of GUIs for many programs. But as Java arose in the 90s, and then C#, the need for easy UI coding in C++ became very clear. Hence Qt was developed. Now in its 4th version. And available for Microsoft Windows, linux, Macintosh and several unixes. The accompanying CD has version 4.1.1. Though by the time you get this book, you might want to scout the Web, either for patches to this version, or a more recent version.

The text takes you thru Qt 4. Showing that it is a fairly complete set of widgets for making a UI front end to your C++ code. Basically, if you have coded in any other UI package, like Java, then you can quickly find the equivalent functionality of many common types of widgets. For such things as drop down menus or toolbars. Or a layout manager for a composite window that will hold several widgets.

Some of you will be glad to see that the Qt widgets can be subclassed or extended, for your custom needs.

For actual rendering of images, Qt can also interact with OpenGL. Which is good because OpenGL is widely used, and there was little point to Qt reimplementing that functionality.

There are also some non-graphical classes that perhaps strictly do not belong in Qt. But which have been added due to perceived user demands. Notably a SAX parser for reading XML data files. It seems competent enough. Though I am unsure why the Qt designers didn't just refer programmers to other SAX parsers that have been written for C++.

Administrator's Guide to SQL Server 2005 (Microsoft Windows Server)

Books Details :

Author : Buck Woody
Paperback: 648 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1st edition (June 8, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0321397975
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches

From the Back Cover

“Buck Woody’s new book will help new and experienced users alike in getting productive with SQL Server 2005 quickly. His special attention to security and performance make this an exceptional reference that is sure to remain relevant for some time.”

–Chip Andrews, CISSP, MCDBA, Director of Research and Development Special Ops Security, Inc.

“SQL 2005 is the most exciting upgrade to come out of Redmond in years; this book will help you get up and running quickly to take full advantage of it! If you are looking for a book about upgrading to SQL 2005, look no further, this one is all you need. It gives you all you need to take advantage of everything SQL 2005 has to offer, and that is a lot!”

–Doug Ellis, Area Technical Manager, Cognos

“Buck Woody provides insight into administering SQL Server 2005 that all developers and database administrators will find useful; the book assumes very little knowledge by providing ‘DBA 101’ sections which will not alienate the experienced reader while providing the necessary introduction to topics for those less experienced.”

–Doug Holland, Visual C# MVP, Precision Objects

“SQL Server 2005 is a landmark release and this title does an awesome job of hitting everything new in SQL 2005. It covers new and improved administration tools, and contains an overview of Notification Services, SQL Server Service Broker, Reporting Services, Integration Services, and Analysis Services. As a result, you’ll be able to work on your own SQL Server 2005 solutions quickly and painlessly. Ultimately, this book provides you with a starting point, a roadmap, and then the tools and knowledge to exploit this powerful new database server to its fullest power. So, start your computer and get ready to learn SQL Server 2005!”

–Alexzander N. Nepomnjashiy, SQL Server DBA, NeoSystems NorthWest

“A solid introduction to administering SQL 2005. The ‘DBA 101’ sections provide useful tips for the new DBA, good review for the experienced DBA, and the 101 label enables the seasoned DBA to skip basic material and jump ahead to where the REAL action is…. Buck’s conversational writing style makes this an enjoyable and refreshing contrast to the majority of tech books written these days.”

–Brad Russell, MCDBA, Visionary Integration Professionals

The Complete, Practical, 100% Useful Guide for Every SQL Server 2005 DBA!

This book has one goal: to help database administrators and their managers run SQL Server 2005 with maximum efficiency, reliability, and performance. Renowned SQL Server expert Buck Woody covers every facet of database administration, from installation and configuration through maintaining enterprise-class business intelligence environments.

If you’re a new SQL Server administrator, Buck will help you master core tasks rapidly–and avoid costly mistakes that only show up when it’s too late. If you’re familiar with previous versions of SQL Server, he’ll get you up-to-speed fast on everything new that matters, from high availability improvements and Integration Services to the SQL Server Management Studio. Whatever your background, you’ll find best practices, real-world scenarios, and easy-to-use automation scripts–all grounded in Buck’s unsurpassed SQL Server knowledge.

• Timesaving tips, practical applications, and start-to-finish examples throughout

• Understand the key “decision points” at every stage of your SQL Server deployment

• Perform day-to-day maintenance more efficiently, from hotfixes to backup/recovery

• Automate maintenance tasks with the SQL Server Agent

• Establish and audit security on SQL Server 2005 and the underlying Windows Server platform

• Monitor and optimize SQL Server: baselining, profiling, index strategies, query refactoring, and more

• Maximize availability using replication, clustering, mirroring, and SQL Server’s new online indexing

• Leverage important new improvements in Integration Services and Reporting Services

• Use Analysis Services to support enterprise-class Business Intelligence deployments

• Even set up a simple configuration of SQL Server 2005 for free–legally!

About the Author

Buck Woody has been working with technology since he built his first computer (with 1 whole kilobyte of RAM) in 1980. He has worked every position from the help desk to software design, with stops along the way as an IT manager here and there. He has been a database administrator since 1995, when he managed an Oracle system on an HP 9000. Buck also served for five years as the president of the Tampa SQL Server User Group (TSUG). He is a Microsoft MVP (2006, SQL Server) and holds the MSCE and MCDBA certifications. He currently works at Jabil Circuit as a database architect and hosts a weekly “Guide” for SQL Server at InformIT.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Administrator's Guide to SQL Server 2005

Preface

SQL Server 2005 represents one of the most sweeping changes to the platform since Microsoft rewrote the engine from Sybase long ago. As with most Microsoft products, first attempts often turn into market standards—and that is definitely the case with this release.

So many things have changed from previous versions. If you just dive into the product after having used SQL Server for years, you will be able to find your way around, but you will miss the true power of new paradigms such as schema abstraction, nonmodal windows, a full management studio, and more. If you are completely new to the database administration world, you have a lot to learn.

This book is designed to aid the technical professional tasked with managing a SQL Server 2005 system. I have divided the chapters into concepts starting at the beginning (installation and configuration) all the way through to using the platform as a full-scale business intelligence landscape. In this version, Microsoft has it all.

If you need to learn to manage a system quickly, the chapters are laid out in a chronological order of what you need to understand first. I have included not only the technical information you need to set up and maintain a server (or set of servers), but also years of tricks and tips learned at the helm of several database environments. Using this information, you will be able to avoid some of the mistakes that only tend to show up after the system is in full use.

If you are already familiar with SQL Server in previous versions but need to come up to speed on the features and new paradigms, I have covered everything from Integration Services and business intelligence to all the things you need to know about upgrading your current servers.

Although the book is arranged chronologically, I have encapsulated each chapter as much as possible so that you can quickly locate what you are interested in. I present the material in a concept-to-practical use format, and you can follow along on a test system. I even show you how to set up a simple configuration of SQL Server 2005 for free (and legally)!

At the end of the day, database administrators are rated on what value they add to the organization. At the end of each chapter, I have included a section called "Take Away" that provides practical applications and examples from the chapter.

I hope you have as much fun reading this book as I had writing it. I kept you in mind the whole time.

Buck

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Spotlight Reviews :

Reviewer: Brian Woodrow "Brian" (California)
I bought Buck's other book because I was new to being a DBA, and needed a quick guide. I looked at this one and bought it as well. It has all the features in SQL 2005 that I needed to know, without focusing on programming. I really liked the chapter on the Service Broker, because I heard a few people trying to explain it that just confused me. This one did a great job of laying it out in plain English. He didn't do as well a job on Reporting Services, but he does cover the basics and even shows you how to create a report.