Databases Books

This is a basic book for those with little knowledge of Approach and relational data bases. The book guides you through the creation of a sample application building on each chapter until you have a good basic understanding of how to work with Approach

"Using Lotus Approach 96" (Special Edition) by Cynthia Morgan and Susan Sloan provides the reader with a thorough understanding of Lotus Approach. It is not limited in terms of application to the Approach 96 version. It certainly applies equally well to Approach 97 and probably to the latest version included in the Millenium edition of Lotus SmartSuite. The book is long, more than 600 pages, but many pages are devoted to actual hands on skill building exercises that are extraordinarily helpful. Anyone who expects to use the database application more than casually would, I believe, find this book answers most of his or her questions and probably will keep going back to it as a reference resource.

This book takes a step-by-step approach to teaching the basics of database design as well as how to use Lotus Approach effectively. It is written for the "non-programmer" without all of the jargon one usually finds in books of this type. It is also a great reference book - not a "one time read".

Having purchased this book in 1997 in an attempt to learn "something" about Lotus Approach, I discovered that not only was this a suitable guide for the novice, it was also a reference manual of some mighty weight. Using this book as a guide I have created several major databases with over 150 macros automating numerous functions. Through this book I have also learned enough about Approach to answer other users queries. It is still in my view the definitive guide to Lotus Approach.

This book is here to help the beginner in Apache, PHP, Perl and MySQL. If you have always fancy in setting up your own web server but have no idea of how to do it, this book is for you.

The author teaches you step-by-step from installing Apache web server, PHP and Perl to writing applications like database-enabled web applications using Perl, PHP and MySQL. He also touches a small portion of SSI (Server-sise Includes).

This book is indeed very good for beginners. However, please be warned that you may get frustrated by the typos and mistakes found in this book. Refer to the previous post, he mentioned some configuration issues which are helpful. Other than that, this book is definitely worth reading as you may learn a lot especially when you have no idea of what and how to use Apache, PHP, Perl, and MySQL.

For advanced readers, you may want to look into other books :)

I want to congratulate the author for writing such an excellent book for beginners to open-source software like Apache, PHP and mySQL. On windows platform does not bother me as it is the predominant operating system platform and easier to relate to, although I do hope the second version of this book might include a Linux-version.

The CD software includes the latest version of PHP, MySQL, Apache and Perl, although personally I think Perl should be less covered since PHP is much better. Also the section of IIS installation with PHP kind of distract the attention from Apache in the whole book.

Some typo errors in the book's codes, as well as installation errors not mentioned in the book could frustrate non-technical people: e.g. Not able to set up on my Windows XP (Home) for virtual host / Server Side Include / OpenSSL / Preventing Directory listing...also on PHPMyadmin (Chap 8), the book missed out a step to uncomment in PHP.INI the line extension=php_mysql.dll in order to get the nice result of Fig 8.30, otherwise you would contantly get this error "cannot load mysql extension'.

Overall the book is recommended to read through in one session (I spent 3 hours in one single night), then follow by practices in few other sessions on Apache, PHP and MySQL in sequence.

It has been an enriching and enjoyment experience for me. I highly recommend to all new commers in web-database application developers.

Eric Hunley's USING OPEN SOURCE WEB SOFTWARE WITH WINDOWS addresses some common issues with open source documentation, from Linux/UNIX focuses not easily accessible to Widows users to adapting these focuses to Windows environments. Chapters tell exactly how to adapt open source software to Windows environments, using four of the most popular Internet programs as examples. The focus on how to reduce costs in the process is also a welcome one.

While there is an awful lot of software available on the net, this book concentrates on software related to setting up web sites on systems running the Windows operating system. This includes the Apache web server, PHP to provide web/database interconnectivity, MySQL database, and Perl to provide more flexibility to your web sites. The CD-ROM included with the book includes copies of all of this software, so here is really all that you need to put up dynamic web sites.

I gues the question I would have to ask is that if you are using a system for a single application such as being a web server, why wouldn't you go all the way and use a Linux operating system under it, it would be faster, more reliable and less expensive. But if you gotta use Windows, here's all you need.

I purchased Web Connection from west-wind.com and was very excited about the possibilities, however I knew very little about how the web worked, and I made many mistakes.

I was truely amazed and very very pleased when I got my copy of WebRAD - this book is very complete and well thought out. It takes you step by step through creating a web application with WC and VFP, and even how to set up your web server properly. All the details and common errors are covered, as well as the best way to do things for different circumstances. I would have saved many days research if I had had this book from the beginning.

For example: when you set up a project in Web Connection, the wizards do many things for you automatically - this book tells you step by step how to set up these things properly (manually if you want to), so you know how _and_ why, and how to deploy your application to your production server. And there is so much more!

This book is extremely timely for me. I have a WC web site for my business, and the SSL appendix alone is worth the price of the book. I really liked how the entire development process was summarized in the first 4 chapters so developers can get an immediate sense of accomplishment before they get into the details in the later chapters.

For chapters that had references to other resources, a complete summary of those resources was provided at the end of the chapters. This makes it quite convenient to find additional help without having to search through the chapters.

The chapters on troubleshooting are very well organized as well. One of these chapters categorizes common problems, then lists each symptom followed by a cause and solution.

The new WebRad book from [website] is everything a good technical book should be. It shows the common pitfalls, in text and graphics; relates concepts to what is already known; and shows an organic progression from specific to broad to specific.

Confused by what the Web is? HTML? CSS? It's all here.

Need to know about NT/Win2K permissions on IIS? Deployment of COM servers? Comparison of .prg-based class libraries? It's all here.

What it's really about ... is almost irrelevant to whether you should buy this book. If you plan to edit or write a technical book, this one is worth having as an example of the task being done right.

As Whil Hentzen, the namesake of Hentzenwerke, can attest, this is not my reaction to all the Hentzenwerke collection. Congratulations to the authors (Harold Chattaway, Randy Pearson, and Whil Hentzen) and the editor. I mention the editor (Barbara Peisch) not just to make nice: no author is capable of putting together a totally coherent book. It always takes two points of view, in order for the reader to become the focus of the book, rather than the author. A strong editor makes the difference between an interesting author and a good book. This is a good book.

Web Connection is a difficult environment to work in particularly if you are new to working with a) a local server and b) a framework for interfacing the VFP language with HTML.

It took me almost a year to complete my first Web Connection project because I had to get most of my answers from the Web Connection forum from people like Randy Person.

Now there are real examples to follow and clear explanations of how each feature works.

Web Connection is a powerful framework for developing VFP applications for the Web. This book will make the learning curve so much better for users of the Web Connection framework.

Congratulations to Randy, Harold and Whil for their thoughtful, meticulous documentation to explain how to set up and use this wonderful product.

Mike Smith

I found this book a great source for practical tips on how to design xml documents. Get it if you have a good grasp of the theory and have used xml before but don't have the experience to make great design decisions right away. All advice in this book comes from experience. It confirmed some of my own, but more often, served as an eye-opener.
This statement on the back cover sums it up: "The problem here is not really a lack of information (there are many books and online resources on xml out there). The problem is a lack of reliable advice on how to use these technologies correctly and efficiently."
I highly recommend it.

I found this book a great source for practical tips on how to design xml documents. Get it if you have a good grasp of the theory and have used xml on occasion but don't have the experience to make great design decisions right away. All of the advice you find in this book comes from experience. It confirmed some of my own, but more often, served as an eye-opener.
This statement on the back cover sums it up: "The problem here is not really a lack of information (there are many books and online resources on xml out there). The problem is a lack of reliable advice on how to use these technologies correctly and efficiently."
I highly recommend it.

I found this book an excellent source for practical tips on how to design xml documents. Get it if you have have a good grasp of the theory and have used xml on occasion but don't have the experience to make great design decisions right away. All of the advice you find in this book comes from experience. It confirmed some of my own, but more often, served as an eye-opener.
This statement on the back cover sums it up: "The problem here is not really a lack of information (there are many books and online resources on xml out there). The problem is a lack of reliable advice on how to use these technologies correctly and efficiently."
Get it.

This is not an introductory book on XML. At least one year of XML experience is recommended. With that, you'll get good advice on a wide variety of topics. Most people won't use all this information all at once, but it's at least good to know the strengths and weaknesses of XML from storage to access to presentation.

Chapter 1 (Architecture Strategies) gives basic information on where XML can fit into your solution, with a simple example. This was easy reading.

Chapter 2 (Basic Document Design) describes narrative vs. data-centric documents, storing text in XML elements vs. attributes, and data modeling pitfalls. There were good recommendations here.

Chapter 3 (XML Schema Design) provides good strategies on validation, schema flexibility and re-use, and namespace use. Also important is the section on Russian Doll Design, Salami Slice Design and the Venetian Blind Model; much of this info can be found on the Internet (e.g. at www.xfront.com) but this book does a good comparison and contrast. The information on constraints is basic, but ideas on representing null values are useful.

Chapter 4 (Parsing Strategies) covers DOM, SAX, and the little-used pull parsing, plus when and how to use each methodology.

Chapter 5 (XSLT Strategies) provides a lot of nuts-n-bolts details on different transformation topics.

Chapter 6 (XML Storage and Archiving) gives an overview of storing data as native XML, relational data, and hybrid approaches. Advantages and disadvantages for each are covered. Using a database (or not) in your product is a big decision, so this gives a good foundation for more research....

Chapter 7 (Presentation Strategies) gives general info on configurability, personalization, performance, use of rich media (video, audio, animation, etc.), cross-platform support, 3rd-part data and software, maintainability and extensibility. The topics vary too much to give more than a few pages to each subject.

Appendix A (Parser Performance) contains the details of testing on three Java-based parsers. For some reason, C++, .NET and Perl parsers were not included. As technologies evolve, the results of these tests are likely to become obsolete, though the methods may be useful to your own tests in the future.

In summary, none of the subjects are covered in great depth, though in many cases the coverage is adequate and the few details are very useful. With this book you'll get a good foundation for well-designed and implemented XML solutions.

"We have been pleased with Trigg & Dobson Access textbooks in the past. This revision for 2000 appears to be nothing less than the quality to which we have become accustomed." Dennis C. Hipp - Guilford Tech Community College

The exercises are, in my opinion, one of the strongest aspects of the book. They are varied, many require thought on the part of the students, getting around the "monkey-see monkey-do" approach of some texts, and clearly distinguish between problems for practicing techniques, problems requiring critical thinking, and problems requiring more exploratory activities. Timothy Fullam University of Alaska Southeast

I especially like three of the changes: A) relating the exercises to specific topics. Makes it easier for the students to comprehend the exercises. Also provides a logical foundation for relating topics to specific problem areas. B) providing strategic directions for project problem solving. Helps the learning curve for students who have difficulty mapping a solution path to complex problems. C) changing the fast-track index, rewording. Makes searching a lot easier! Ramesh Kumar, Cal State Fullerton

I didn't want to waste a lot of time--who has that? This book didn't waste my time but instead it told me what to do, how to do it, and why it mattered in simple, straightforward language. It was actually fun to see how much I could accomplish in Access in such a short time. Now everyone in the office thinks I'm an Access wizard.

Since I don't use Access often enough to be great at it, this is the perfect reference book to quickly guide me through unfamiliar areas. I found the "queries" discussions particularly helpful. Also, this book is loaded with tips, notes and reminders that really make sense and offer great ideas to manipulate the data and produce the perfect report. Thank you for making that task easier and less stressful.

I've got a LOT of Mr. Underdahl's books in my library, and have come to expect excellent coverage of whatever topics he writes on. I know how to use Access, but I'm not quite that up-to-speed on creating forms and reports and using the Query tool properly - this book fills in the blanks and shows you how maximize your time and financial investments in Access. The author also does a great job of showing you how to use the Access tools with other Office applications (like Word and Excel). The book is a great one-stop-source for Access 2007 forms/reports/query tool - if you use Access often, this book is one of those resources you'll always find yourself reaching out for... a great reference.

I have been developing applicaitons for a number of year now with Access 97 and have many books I have used. This book has become my most recommended. I have found many books on Access to be either too basic or too advanced for me. This book talks about basic concepts and then adds enough advanced information that almost anyone could learn something from it. The concepts are explained in a very understandable way. I wish I had bought this years ago!

Client/Server Programming for Access 97 is a must have for anyone who develops serious applications in Access 97. It contains clear, practical guidelines to create and polish client/server applications using Access 97. I recommend this book to both novices and experts since it impossible to believe that there will not be something of value for anyone who reads it. It can be read cover to cover or used as a reference. As a footnote, I must also add that the paper quality is unusually good and the layouts completely avoid descriptions on one page and diagrams on the other.

I just finished the book and I loved it! It does a very nice job of covering the entire topic in enough depth to provide real answers, while leaving plenty of room for exploration. I'll be downloading some of the examples soon. I particularly liked the "Paired-Pages" arrangement where the right page summarizes and supplements the material presented on the left. It delivers the concepts in convenient bite-size pieces with immediate, built-in reinforcement. It will get my highest recommendation. It now takes it's place on my shelf alongside the other Access "Bible", the Sybex Access97 Developer's Handbook.

I have software that uses the Advantage database and I needed ADS specific information to write a front end for customized data access. This book really delivered for me. The authors seem to have a real passion for ADS and, like most things in life, this results in a high-quality product.

There is concise but informative stuff about general database structure that quickly progresses on to ADS-specific structure and great ADO.NET information. I learned more about real life ADO.NET from this book than I did from trudging through Visual Studio's help.

It's one of those books that just left me feeling extremely good about my decision to buy.

If you're looking for a definitive resource for Advantage, look no further. This book covers everything in great detail- with some very detailed examples.

The Advantage Database Server (ADS) is a relational database system now owned by Sybase. It's a rather interesting database in that it uses an ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) structure rather than the now more traditional SQL structure. In my opinion it is a system suitable for applications that have outgrown Microsoft Access, but which do not need the full power (and complexity) of the big databases such as Oracle, DB2 or SQL Server.

This book is written by two ADS pros that have an almost missionary zeal in promoting ADS. Still they have done a pretty good job of describing the various ways of getting data into and out of ADS. This includes the ADS GUI, using QBuilder (like the MS Access QBE), and of course writing in SQL itself. The ADS SQL is more advanced than the Jet engine in Access incorporating things like logic that are not supported in Jet. Finally there is a section on using ADS with various languages such as PHP, Delphi, .NET and more.

All in all, this is a complete and well written book on ADS that gives a good introduction to ADS.

This must be one of the best - if not the best - development books I have invested in - hard earned UK £'ss (yep, that's a lot more than some of you yanks have to pay!!!)

Examples and explainations excellent. It certainly plugged some of the gaps I had.

I have been using this book as my primary reference for the past 2 years. Not only does Ms Balter present the basics in a clear and concise manner, the advanced topics included have allowed me to really exploit the power of Access 95. Our organization is migrating to Access 2000 within the year, and I am eagerly awaiting the release of the next edition of this excellent manual.

This is a great book for an individual who wants to learn more about developing applications for Access 95. The author is very concise and doesn't leave the reader guessing about what she is trying to accomplish in her examples. The book probably isn't for an absolute beginner, but you could learn the essentials from here even if you are a beginner. I found that this book is my most popular reference handbook. It doesn't collect dust on the shelf like others that I have. I just wish the author would write a book on Visual Basic 6.0 next.

It was refeshing reading research beyond Barna. Though Olson said the same stuff Barna would have...the American institutional church is in serious trouble. Olson seemed to be a little more broad and deep. Instead of relying solely on his own data, as Barna would, he brought in other sources and gave a comprehensive look at the church.

I loved the pro church planting perspective. American churches need to plant 2,900 churches a year just to keep pace with the growth in population (p 181).

This book is filled with much needed data. However, he does move beyond data to reflection and what should be done. I highly recommend this book. You can draw your own conclusions from the data. He does move from fact to opinion - in terms of how to apply the information. I don't know I'd agree with all his conclusions, but you can't argue with the graphs!

This book does an excellent job of bridging a well-researched assessment of the Church in America, with practical responses that the Church must make in order to fulfill the mission of the Kingdom of God.

Olson approaches the reality of an American Church in decline with love and respect for the Body of Christ; while he gives church leaders a loud wake up call, he also offers hope by prescribing that the Church focus on the message and mission of Jesus. As a church-planting leader and pastor, he is committed to growing churches and transforming lives. He holds true to that goal while shaking up the comfortable status quo that much of the American church has settled into.

Pastors & denominational leaders of both mainline and Evangelical churches, particularly those in urban and 1st and 2nd ring suburban churches, should read this book. It will also be helpful for any established church that wishes to remain alive and healthy for at least one more generation.