Computers Books

This is a really good book although it was writen a few years ago but still dazzling. Jim Gray who wrote it is known as the father of relational database systems (RDBS).

This book is about transaction processing of relational database systems. The theories in the book have been widely used in industry and business nowadays. The book does not only focus on the theory but also spend enough words on the issues of software and hardware implementations and performance.

However, many basic concepts in the book are not only limited to RDBS but can be also very useful in multi-threaded programming or distributed systems design and development.

I suggested every programmer, system designer, database developer, and of those who need a solid fundamental knowledge of computer science and IT should read it.

This book is the base for all who want to be a Gurus in a bigs systems OLTP with hundreds of TPS and hundreds or thousands of customes conected doing transactions or using a terminals. This is a book that you mast have mandatorily.

Well organized, complete, nontrivial, wealth of sample code, interesting historical notes, good index. Magnificent work. Definitely worth the money.

For nearly a decade this book has been the definitive reference on transaction processing. Although the more recent, May 2001 book titled "Transactional Information Systems: Theory, Algorithms, and the Practice of Concurrency Control" by Gerhard Weikum and Gottfried Vossen will probably supplant this book as the standard reference, there is still much material that makes this book useful.

In particular, this book covers the following topics in more depth than the newer boom cited above:
- Fault tolerance and availability, both topics are covered in depth from hardware and software perspectives. This is unique for a book on transaction processing in that most books on the subject confine their scope to software and databases.

- A wide and complete survey of transaction models. True, some of this material is about models that are falling into disuse, but the value is the way the authors go deeply into the mechanics. I've always felt that this part of the book is the most valuable because the principles can be refactored into hybrid models. Moreover, comparing this material with the newer book by Weikum and Vossen shows that these principles are still employed in today's TP solutions.

Material about transaction processing monitors is obviously out of date, but, like the TP models, the principles still apply to contemporary systems. My recommendation is if you are going to buy a single book on the topic get the Weikum and Vossen I cited in the first paragraph. However, if your budget allows, I also highly recommend this book as well because of the depth in which fault tolerance and TP models are covered. If you want to just learn the basics of TP I recommend that you consider "Principles of Transaction Processing" by Philip A. Bernstein and Eric Newcomer because it is less daunting than this or the Weikum and Vossen book (both of which are 1100+ pages).

God himself has spoken. You will understand what is the difference between real computer science (Jim Gray) and changing configuration values at random in your MySQL setup (Jeremy Zawodny style)

This book is amazing, I didn't expect a book on software engineering to be so easy to read and understand.

Most of the other software engineering books I read are too academic and detached from the industry.

The case studies provided in this book are things I can totally relate to as a software developer. Question/Answer sections are great.

Overall this book is very well written, it is a true masterpiece.

The knowledge I gleaned from this textbook was directly responsible for my getting a high paying software engineering job immediately after leaving college - that alone should be a testament to its value. It gives a wide reaching survey (yet certainly not lacking for details) of the latest cutting-edge methods for software engineering as well as the tried-and-true methods that have been in use for decades, while placing a primary emphasis on writing software that is trustworthy on time and within budget. In a software engineering world where ethics have fallen out of favor and the "almighty schedule" has become more important than quality and security, this textbook is an extremely refreshing view of how to apply modern principles and process to produce not merely programs but supportable, trustworthy programming systems products. And best of all, Bernstein shows you how to do it ON-TIME and WITHIN BUDGET by performing quantitative cost and time estimation prior to and during the development process. If software engineering is to reach the level of professionalism long associated with other engineering disciplines, we must all embrace the methods and principles discussed in Bernstein's book.

It's important to note also that there are many case studies in this book from Bernstein's distinguished career at Bell Labs, and they are extremely valuable in learning what "works" and what should be avoided. Software engineering as a discipline doesn't learn from its mistakes as well as other engineering fields, but this book takes 35 years of hard-earned experience and the latest research by Bernstein, Boehm, Parnas, and others, and condenses it into what I consider the best software engineering textbook on the market. This is a must-read for any computer science practitioner who wants to consider himself a true engineer and a professional.

The most commendable single aspect of this book is the extensive set of real case studies. The main author (Bernstein) comes from decades in high tech industry and this permeates the entire book. The book is extremely broad in scope too, so the prospective reader or student gets a tour of a vast array of related subjects. The quantitative basis for the entire book constantly reminds the reader of the usefulness of a quantitative approach to all sorts of aspects of software engineering. Prospective buyers can dive in to the text at Amazon and make up their own mind about the usefulness for their own purposes. Take a look!

This book does a great job of covering the key tools and techniques used in the development of software systems. It is very readable, and is suitable as a course text or an informative reference guide for practicing programmers and managers. A wealth of case study material provides insights into how to develop reliable software, on time and within budget. Sprinkled throughout are pragmatic rules of thumb and metrics. A good read and a good addition to any reference collection!

Well, this is certainly a much different type of software engineering textbook than I have seen in the last score of years ☺! I was a reviewer of early editions of Pressman, and a user of every edition since the second one at four different universities. Shooman's classic 20+ years ago is another early data point for a graduate course. The Software Engineering Lectures of Tom DeMarco and Ed Yourdon from 1979 are still shelved six feet away from me, and have been referenced in every undergrad and graduate software engineering related course I have taught since 1984. The same shelves contain Pfleeger, Leach, Lethbridge, Peters, Watts & Humphrey, Sommerville, Thayer and many others within the combined 12 foot lineal span. They obviously are used, but not to the extent of Pressman.

That may be about to be changed! Larry Bernstein's new text states on page 32 ".. none of these [principles of sound organizations] will work unless our profession recognizes the next core element in the evolution of software processes as a fundamental principle. Software trustworthiness is the next major area in which academic and industry must focus -- both for national security reasons as well as to ensure that the U.S. software industry maintains its leadership. The three attributes of software reliability, security and safety comprise trustworthiness."

I totally agree with the belief about where we should focus our attention in coming years, but not for the reasons that Larry cites. Let me explain:
* Having worked as a software/knowledge engineer on the Space Shuttle program for Rockwell International for four years, including the maiden flight of Discovery within a few months of my hire date in 1984, I am a very firm believer that the trustworthiness of the software in the shuttle and all the support effort was a gold standard at the time. I was also a full-time professor of CS concurrently, so could bring such issues to all of my classes. Although I have given up my dream of going to the moon, hatched when my small team of high school students fired off rockets in a farmer's field prior to Sputnik, I still hope to make it to the international space station, so a trustworthy system is not only of academic interest! In the last 20+ years, the ubiquity of computing, particularly embedded systems in all modes of transportation, makes such a standard a MUST, not just "nice to have" in our cars, trucks, planes, etc. When a team of Ford software engineers showed up in my office 10+ years ago, asking for help in developing safe software systems for next generation side impact sensors, I could not brush off their concerns! Obviously, software systems pervade the lives of many of the 6.6 billion people residing on this planet today, not just the billion or so who access the Internet. It is irresponsible, not to mention a direct violation of codes of ethics for computing and software engineering, NOT to develop such trustworthy systems.
* I cannot agree with Larry's rationale about the leadership of the U.S. in software. Trustworthiness of software systems knows no national boundaries! Other engineering artifacts do not know such artificial boundaries - do we want the bridges and high rise buildings of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, Africa, etc. to be less safe, reliable and secure than those in the United States? I think not, if for not other reason than millions of our citizens travel to and live in those countries every day. Clearly, the lives of people across the world are just as valuable as those fortunate enough to live in our 50 states. The state-of-the-art in engineering methods is being advanced on a world-wide basis - why should we think software engineering education is somehow an exception? I would hope that this new text would be published in many languages and used by students and practitioners worldwide. I had first met Professor Bernstein on November 30, 2000 during my sabbatical to set up an International Software Engineering University Consortium (www.iseuc.org). So Larry clearly knows of my penchant for the world-wide importance of software engineering ☺!

Why do I think this new text is different from earlier ones and would recommend strongly that all current faculty and practitioners consider it carefully, especially for an introduction? The rationale includes the following. The text:
1. Focuses on the increasingly vital role that trustworthy software systems will play in the lives of current and future generations. Consequently, it is quite easy to engage or "hook" students in an introductory software engineering course about the importance of the topic - they see the impact of the lack of such systems on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Many of them will be able to share personal and professional experiences. The marvelous column by Neumann in every copy of ACM's SIGSOFT Software Engineering News provides ample examples, in any case.
2. Is cleverly written with excellent and realistic case studies with real questions and answers
3. Draws on the demonstrated expertise of the primary author when he was the CTO for Bell Labs
4. Truly demonstrates the rationale for the role of quantitative software engineering methods throughout the development life-cycle, beginning on page 4!
Reliabilty = e-k?t, where k is a normalizing constant, ? is complexity/(effectiveness x
staffing) and t is the time the software executes from its launch.
5. Emphasizes the "why" as well as the "how"
6. Includes excerpts from student teams related to the growing use of Real Projects for Real Client Courses - RPRCC-in software engineering and other courses
7. Covers most of the topics in a traditionally-structured software engineering text, but does so in a more contemporary and intuitive way. Some of the topics in other texts that wind up at the end, hence often not covered, are main-line chapters in the Bernstein text*. The newest edition of Sommerville's text does indeed have a 20-page chapter 3 on "Critical Systems" and a complete 120 page Part 4 on the same topic, but this is certainly an anomaly among current texts. The Bernstein text emphasizes trustworthiness as a continuing theme throughout, with the continual use of quantitative measures - witness the large number of "Magic Number" boxes for empirical results and heuristics contained in virtually each chapter. I admit that there would be a "learning curve" for most of us, but hey, aren't we supposed to be paragons for "life-long learning" that we espouse for our students?
8. Has fewer pages than virtually every other text. This is a real advantage. Students (and faculty) feel they have a "prayer" of being able to use the material in one course!
9. Has nice on-line support site.
10. And, finally, Larry will go to great personal lengths to support his text ☺!

A couple of possible sources of improvement for the second edition would include the following:
1. Include Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) as a major component when designing critical systems. This is a common engineering tool that was used in the design and testing of the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) over the last 30 years.
2. How can the vital concept covered in the text be applied to the massive task of rendering trustworthy the extant base of millions of software systems? The text does a superb job for developing such systems, but can trustworthiness be "bolted on" existing systems? I doubt it, but cannot see an easy answer here.
3. A friendlier website for both instructors and students would be helpful, ala those for other software engineering textbooks

*Topics in the text
Part I. Getting Started
1. Think Like an Engineer - Especially for Software
2. People, Product, Process, Project - The Big Four

Part II. Ethics and Professionalism
3. Software Requirements
4. Prototyping
5. Architecture
6. Estimation, Planning, and Investment
7. Design for Trustworthiness

Part III. Taking the Measure of the System
8. Identifying and Managing Risk
9. Human Factors in Software Engineering
10. Implementation Details
11. Testing and Configuration Management
12. The Final Project: By Students, For Students

I own a lot of books on NT Server (too many in fact) and this is one of my favorites. Anyone responsible for the support of NT Server should have this book without question. Curt Aubley has produced a book that is easy to digest yet comprehensively covers all aspects of optimizing NT Server in your own environment.

It includes many ideas and suggestions that you can implement immediately and see true performance gains. If you've ever wondered, "What RAID configuration would be best for my new application server?" or "Which performance monitor counter is really the best to use to monitor this or that?", then this book is definitely for you.

Let's hope Curt produces a similar book of the same quality for Windows 2000. This book sits right beside Mastering Windows NT Server by Mark Minasi on my desk, and between the two of these and Technet, one doesn't need much more to support an enterprise Windows NT 4.0 environment.

I own a lot of books on NT Server (too many in fact) and this is one of my favorites. Anyone responsible for the support of NT Server should have this book without question. Curt Aubley has produced a book that is easy to digest yet comprehensively covers all aspects of optimizing NT Server in your own environment.

It includes many ideas and suggestions that you can implement immediately and see true performance gains. If you've ever wondered, "What RAID configuration would be best for my new application server?" or "Which perfmon counter should I use to monitor this or that?", then this book is definitely for you.

Let's hope Curt produces a similar book of the same quality for Windows 2000. This book sits right beside Mastering Windows NT Server by Mark Minasin on my desk, and between the two of these and Technet, one doesn't need much more to support an enterprise Windows NT 4.0 environment.

I've been very impressed with the results of implementing what I've learned from this book. I've used the techniques at a few different Fortune 500 companies, and all my clients have been very satisfied. I would reccomend this book to anyone who takes tuning Windows NT for the Enterprise seriously.

This is the best written book I have read to date. It starts out like it should...what to do if you don't want to read the whole book. I have suggested this book to many of my friends and they have the same feeling. Great Job Curt !!!! Publish another one !!!!

Mr. Aubley's book is an excellent technical resource which addresses the difficult task of correctly sizing NT Server implementations and also how to tune NT for maximum performance with regards to various hardware and software considerations. Mr. Aubley explains the complex tasks succinctly and concisely and draws on many obvious years of experience to present hands-on solutions and case studies for reference. I would recommend this book to any NT admin that is responsible for scaling NT beyond humble file and print services. It has presented approaches to the tasks at hand that I have successfully used to effect client solutions.

As a Canadian SCO instructor, I found this book a great supplement to our courses. Although it does not go into great detail on topics such as Shell Programming & Networking, it does cover most topics very well and relates concepts to Openserver concepts. Overall, I believe it to be a very well written book that may be useful for most everyone new to Unixware 7.

Definitely the most informative reference book available for SCO UnixWare 7. However, I find it inadequate for information about Shell Programming and Networking (especially, DNS, TCP/IP stuffs). Suggestion for other reading resources available for the above two topics are welcomed.

This book is -a bit extended- hardcopy version of Unixware 7 online help. There is no in-depth knowledge. If you want to do disaster recovery or system tuning, you'll find nothing in this book. In this book, you may learn to add ppp interface, another ethernet card or disk and some other simple system management tasks which rarely works as it is said in the pages.

I found Unixware 7 a great rescource that supplemented the Admin.2 section of Sco-Unix training. The combination of both, including Admin.1 and intro (of course) will get you the Sco C.U.S.A. exam. The concepts covered in Unixware 7 give the foundation of understanding that is necessary for administration. The rest is direct hands on ! Good job !

This book was written to help system administrators with migrating to and maintaining UnixWare 7. We tested everything we wrote about, detailing the bugs and their workarounds. The book has been given out by SCO at dozens of briefings. A large number of SCO engineers participated in verifying the information and supplying many of the tips. The book was not written to give detailed coverage of ancillary areas such as TCP/IP and Shell Programming. Those are separate areas (for instance, do you want Bourne Shell, Korn Shell, C Shell, etc). We also did not cover UnixWare internals or device drivers. Other authors are planning books in those areas.

Thank you for your interest in our book. Please email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions.

Gene Henriksen

I'm not a VB programmer, but I was able to understand the theory in this book, and I could easily work through the code examples to translate them into Delphi and C#. It's very hard to find a book (for any programming language) that explains 3D graphics in simple terms, and with useful code examples. Even though this book is getting a little dated, this book will still be among my highest recommendations for years to come. The basic theory does not change, even though programming languages evolve.

This is an excellent book. It covers many aspects of Computer Graphics including Vector Graphics, Raster Graphics, Animation, Curves and Surfaces, 2D and 3D Transformations, and Rendering. Each chapter comes with lots of sample code on the CD. The underlying mathematics are also nicely explained.

I only wish their was a 3rd edition for VB.NET.

If you just HAVE to develop graphics apps in VB, this is your best bet.

I am happy with my decision to buy this book, it has what I was looking for and even more than expected.

Highly recomendable.

This book is very close to perfection in covering topics of the graphics manipulation, which up to the current times was an option of C/C++ developers ( as far as availability of information and samples). It's good for novice and seasoned developers alike.

I have paid lots more for other software learning books only to be left disappointed and feeling ripped off. That is so not that case here.

The key things I like about the book are:

- Full color, with lots of illustrations
- Written for the beginner and the advanced user
- Helps build knowledge and confidence without insulting your intelligence
- Full of tips and tricks
- Is a reference book as well as a learning tool

If you are using Pioneer or Esprit some of the features talked about in the book aren't available. However, I think you can download the PLE version for free to be able to access those features and get even more from from the book.

Another great thing is that the book fits nicely in with the hours and hours of additional free training material at the [...]website. Which, I strongly recommend you go check out.

I've wanted to learn how to use Vue for the last year--and I finally found a fun and inexpensive way to do it!

1) BUY this book. It does a great job of explaining the features of Vue and how to use them. The step-by-step tutorials are very good. I have gotten lost a couple times, but I eventually was able to figure out what I either did wrong, or what the authors meant by the direction.

2) Visit the authors' website (geekatplay.com) to view their free online video tutorials! I was very impressed with both the quality and quantity of videos. Most people don't give this much stuff away free--especially when it is this good. It definitely shows they are committed to helping others learn these skills. If you are interested in animation make sure you watch their video tutorial "Flying Over Clouds." (Number 121)

3) Download the free Vue 7 Infinite PLE (Personal Learning Edition) version from the e-on software site. It has all the features of the full version which costs $895, and it doesn't expire. Obviously, there are some limitations connected to the PLE version. One of the major limitations is that when the files are rendered they have the software's logo and watermarked applied to it. And, the files won't work with other editions of Vue. However, if your goal is to learn how to use Vue 7 without spending any money on the software this is a great way to do it.

(If you are a student or educator, you can purchase a one year Education Version of Vue 7 Infinite for $99. I ordered mine this morning. You can also download the totally free Vue 7 Pioneer version, but I don't think it has features you need for doing many of the exercises in this book.)

After a year of thinking about learning Vue, I'm actually doing it! My next purchase is going to be the "Steam Punk flying ship" used in the "Flying Over Clouds" animation tutorial. Hey, it only costs $18.50 and I've already saved hundreds of dollars!

Update (June 24, 2009): I finished this book, and now I'm learning more with Richard Schrand's "Vue 7: Beyond the Basics." Thanks Ami and Vladimir for teaching me the basics. I love your website and I keep going back to watch more!

This is a great book for both the experienced or beginning user of Vue 7. Vladimir and Ami take the time to explain how things work and then give you the tools to experiment on your own. Every user of Vue should also take the opportunity to visit the geekatplay.com website to view their great series of tutorials. This book is well worth the small investment they ask and if used...not just read...will make your 3D experiences in Vue much more rewarding.

For those that want to learn Vue for use in their 3D art, you can do no better than Ami and Vladimir over at the geekatplay.com web site. They seem like professionals both in dealing with them and in the quality of work.

Vue 7 - From the Ground Up is a new book from them which is a beginners guide to learning the "Vue 7" software available from e-onsoftware.com. This book is mainly focused on starting the user out from square one and building on the fundamentals to learning Vue 7 in a logical and non overwhelming manor.

Each chapter is laid out in an easy to read and understand format that will guide you a step at a time to understanding what Vue 7 is and how to use the basic skills of this software. At the end of each chapter is a learning tutorial for you to do (which I HIGHLY recommend). These tutorials, including some FREE add-ons that you will need for some of the exercises are available for download (again all free) from the book's web site. Personally, I would suggest you finish the learning tutorials on your own, even though the finished product is supplied on the web site and just use the materials required for the exercises where needed. That way you really get a feel of learning.

The book and chapters are well laid out and there are several color photos for you to refer to. However, I would have liked to seen a few more photos showing some key references in the book that were just talked about but not pictured. This is not a detraction in any way, just something I think there could be more of.

NOTE: while this book is mainly aimed at those wanting to get up to speed and learn Vue from the very basics on, I feel it remains a valuable resource for most anyone using this software regardless. It gives you not only the learning fundamentals, but also the knowledge to build upon so you can go to the geekatplay.com web site and continue with their excellent free tutorials on more advanced topics.

Bottom line is this book is a must own for anyone that wants to or is using Vue 7 and I can think of no one better to recommend than geekatplay.com for doing so.

Vue7 From the Ground Up offers a pretty comprehensive guide to Vue7 and is targeted at beginner to immediate level users. The book authors offer many free video tutorials at geekatplay.com

The book offers full colour images on good quality paper.

The books companion website has several files for download including handy reference guides and example files for all tutorials within the book.

If you are intermediate or advanced user you may find the book a little light on advanced content which is understandable, however if you are new you will gain a great deal of valuable knowledge from reading and following the tutorials, and like any good reference book, returning to it from time to time to cement your understanding.

I have watched perhaps dozens of their excellent free online tutorials, and to me purchasing this book was also a small way of saying thanks for the hours & hours of effort the authors have put into helping the Vue community.

Lafore has done a wonderful job. Specially his explanation of the C syntax in this book is excellent. If you are an absolute beginner then this is your book. Learn C in a painless way. Moreover this book also teaches you C graphics! that is something you will not find in most of the great C books in the market.

This book is best for people who are getting introduced to programming ... or C for that matter. It is THE best start-up material. Tip: Read it to build up concepts and move to books dealing with more advanced topic for the highest personal gain.
A book worth digesting !!!

Its a good and well written book. This was my first book which I used to delve into programming. Found it very useful. Cannot be really used as reference, but its good to clear your concepts of OOP.

LeFore's book is a great book for beginning programmers. I have taught C/C++ at our local community college and have often recommended this book to students and friends. It is well written and not overly complex. It has clear explanations of constructs and good examples. Kudos to the author. All beginning books should be so easy to understand.

I'm a chem e of 15 years beginning an MS CS degree. A PHD candidate CS friend of mine recommended this book. My programming in C class uses Deitel. Deitel is very poor in explaining the basics of functions and pointers. Lafore does not go into as much depth as Deitel, but does an excellent job with the basics of arrays, functions, pointers, and the syntax around them. By the time Deitel got to fucntions, pointers and pointers to functions from within other functions, I got lost because I couldn't follow the synax in the examples with any certainty. Lafore saved me. I read the chapter on functions and the first 5 pages on pointers and gained a much clearer understanding of the basics. I was then able to understand the more in depth examples of Deitel. I deduct one star for Lafore's lack of depth.

Robert Lafore Once again writing an outstanding book.It is a compulsory for any C++ developer.

This book is a definate must for the new C++ student. Easy to read and many examples with precise explanation of the example codes. Great book and a definate must have.

Robert Lafore's OOP in C++ is an excellent book.I read it from cover to cover.I also did all the examples in the book.I got so used to this book that once I lost it,I could not satisfy my doubts in C++ with any other book.Lafore deeply explains the complexities of this language in a simple easy way.Great for beginners also.Although,I read many other books on this subject,no other book explains things so vividly and clearly as in this.

I stumbled onto this book in 8th grade at a local Bookstar bookstore back in 1992. After thumbing through a few pages, I found that I could understand it pretty easily.

It was an amazingly well-written book. As a 14-year old kid I was able to write some pretty fancy object-oriented programs. Later in college, I found myself using Mr. Lafore's book more often than I used my C++ text by Stroustrup.

At some point while moving back and forth between school and home, I lost my copy. But I found that this book is STILL available in what is essentially its 4th edition under the title "Object-Oriented Programming in C++" to this day. Long live this book! It's wonderful!

I rarely give 5 stars to anything. This book is in the top 2 or 3 computer books I've ever read. The author uses a +5 pronged approach to teach. Most books don't even use 3! He explains the general concept very well, then provides relevent small examples, questions (with answers) at the end of chapters, then a magna cum example in a separate chapter, and what's more he uses diagrams very generously.
I agree with the other reviewers - FANTASTIC!
If anyone knows of a better beginner-intermediate C++ book, please send me an e-mail, titled "BETTER C++".

I learned 2 semester classes from this book in a week and I recommend every book Maneesh comes out with.

Thanks Man!

I already had a lot of background on Web Design before I read this, but it is definitely a great reference! I did learn some new things, too. I think it's a great reference for people who already know HTML and a great way to start learning about web design!

I've always been interested in web design and this is the book that explained it step by step! With Web Design for Teens you'll learn how to create your own website within days! And, not only that but it teaches you how to create your own pictures for your website and shows you how to do neat things to them! If you're interseted in learning HTML, this book is for you!

Forget teens: this is an outstanding source for anyone and everyone. These days, knowing the essentials of web design is necessary for nearly everyone on the professional job market. Get this book and get to work, and you will be much more valuable to the world.

This book greatly added to my knowledge of web designing and was very fun and easy to use. His other great book, Game Programming for Teens was also very rich in content concerning all kinds of helpful hints and ideas. With Web Design for Teens, even pre-teens like me can build our own websites. [...]

Someone once said: "he has an intelligent bookshelf"... Well, this book is not for a booshelf. It is for reading and having practical advantage in the confusing world of SOA.

The "Web Service Contract Design & Versioning for SOA" text is yet another great book from the Thomas Erl SOA series. What's great about this book is that it focuses exclusively on the contract part of the service; too often, even while espousing the benefits of top-down service design, SOA literature treats contract design as a side-note. To truly be successful with SOA, the contract must be designed, developed, and governed independently of the service logic behind it. This book is filled with a wealth of information and examples of how to meet those goals; any serious SOA effort will benefit tremendously by the concepts presented in this book.

If you want to gain knowledge of Web Service Contract Design, this is the book for. The book has minor grammatical error, diagrams are not color, and no book mark. Otherwise, it is the best book. Relevant contents in sample are in red color making it easy to spot.

Advanced computer libraries will find Web Service Contract Design & Visioning for SOA a fine compendium for WS design and SOA, allowing both beginners and experts insights into the SOA Strategy and process. College-level collections strong in software engineering will find it a fine survey of web service contracts that enable services to be reused and tweaked for years to come. From versioning techniques to basic XML design and message design with SOAP, this is a detailed, in-depth reference highly recommended for any college-level collection catering to software engineers.

Building quality contracts using Web Services via a top down approach can be scary for the uninitiated. This book provides a vendor-agnostic discussion and reference for service architects in the areas of schema, wsdl, policy and governance that is unmatched in my research and reading. Highly recommend this to understand the practical implementation of a top down approach.