Reference Software Books

If you are serious about using SPIN, this is the book that should be
on your desk. Highly recommended.

Model checking is all about finding bugs in software.
Whether you need to find bugs in the initial design of your software,
or want to find errors in your code automatically, model checking tools
can help you out. And among the many model checking tools available,
SPIN is arguably one the most powerful ones. And the good thing is:
SPIN is freely available and open source.

Powerful tools should be handled with care. And SPIN is not any
different. This book, by the principal designer of SPIN, however,
explains everything you need to know to use SPIN in the most
efficient way.

The book of course explains SPIN's modelling language Promela and the
many ways to specify properties to be checked with SPIN. The usage of
SPIN and its graphical interface Xspin are discussed in depth as well.
The book also shows you what's under the hood of SPIN. The basic

verification algorithms are explained and all optimization algorithms
which make SPIN such a cutting-edge tool. For advanced use of SPIN
(to squeeze out those last megabytes), it is important to have an
idea how the tool works.
Abstraction is the key activity in composing efficient models that
can be checked with SPIN. The book offers guidelines in how to make
abstractions of system designs, but also shows how to generate
Promela models from ANSI-C code.

The book is nicely structured into four parts: Intro, Foundation,
Practice, and Reference Material. This makes it easy to find the
information you are looking for.
Another nice thing about the book is that each chapter is concluded
with bibliographic notes which list the pointers to literature that
go even deeper into the subject of the particular chapter. The
chapters themselves are illustrated with many (real world) examples
and the book is very well written. And be sure to check out
Appendix B "The Great Debates" which discusses several "religious"
topics concerning concurrency theory.

A substantial part of the book (Reference Material, nearly 200 pages)
is devoted to a reference to all Promela statements and the various
SPIN options. Using the UNIX man-page style, the details of all features
are carefully explained. Especially for this part, I keep the book
within reach on my desk. Even after more than five years of experience
with SPIN, I occasionally need to know the exact semantics of some
Promela construct. And the book explains it well.

Although the book includes some introductionary chapters to SPIN, the
book shines as a reference to SPIN. People completely new to SPIN might
better start their journey at the SPIN's website: http://spinroot.com,
which - among other goodies - hosts some more gentle introductions
on SPIN. But for intermediate and advanced users of SPIN the book
is a must.

SPIN is an acronym for Simple Promela Interpreter.
Promela is a specification language in verification system, SPIN.
I am not a promela programer. I want to know executable example or killer application using Promela/SPIN.
For example, operating system, network protocols or real application should be written using Promela.
Then this book is the best book, who test the system.
There are many references of the promela syntax, grammer, notes and examples.

If you are a programmer [and why else would you be reading this?], then you have experience in debugging conventional code, running on single CPU machines. But what about software running concurrently on several machines? There is an inherent non-determinacy that can cause debugging to be very awful.

In answer, Holzmann and others came up with the SPIN model. He is the main proponent and, fittingly, authored this standard text on it. The basic idea is to represent code by a logic model. Where the code might be already written, or, more usefully, not yet. That is to say, you are doing a top-down approach and working on a design.

The model is written in a special language. Then, the SPIN model checker can programmatically test this model for bugs. Especially in concurrent mode. En route, the book teaches you of the usefulness of finite state machines in modelling.

This programmatic testing is far more robust than manual inspection of the code. The book shows in detail how to use SPIN. The end result is an automated testing of your model. To be sure, you still have to map from your model to the actual code. But this can now be done in confidence that your design was correct.

I just received the book yesterday. I opened the book, browsed the table of content and immediately noticed one of the topic on "Select" I can utilize directly in my work (as a professional software engineer). I updated my code today in my office. A single statement update replaced a chunk of our existing code and it all works out beautifully.

Never have a book that pay for itself so fast.

If you program SQL and all you use is the stuff you remembered since your college days, buy this book and read. You will be surprised!

Van der Lans offers an impressively thorough education in MySQL 5. It is remarkable how much capability is offered for free in the open source MySQL. The book can also be used to learn generic SQL from scratch. Some early chapters give a quick recap, that should be understandable to an experienced programmer, who does not know SQL. If this describes you, the biggest adjustment to learning it might be its declarative nature, as opposed to the procedural ethos of most programming languages.

One striking feature of the book is the extensive explanation of SELECT. This is the key statement of SQL, and you need to be facile with it. Nine [sic] chapters are devoted to SELECT. Gives you some idea of both the power and complexity of the command. Rarely do other SQL books allocate so much space to a rendition of SELECT. Often, they teach you the basic modes of using it, and then you are left on your own. (Gee, thanks!) Whereas here, for example, an entire chapter is about the SELECT HAVING clause, and another chapter is on the SELECT LIMIT clause. Across these nine chapters are enough worked examples that you can fruitfully mine.

Later chapters delve into more specialised aspects of SQL. Sure, these are all significant. But maybe the most useful is the idea of stored procedures and functions. Vital to optimising performance.

Lest this very mass of detail prove offputting, keep in mind the "Reference" in the book's title. You don't have to read it all at once. As you go thru it, you should develop an intuition of what can be safely relegated to a later reading, when you have specific need of those topics.

Over the last 5 years, I would say I've at least read every book available on MySQL and bought my fair share.

This book is by far the best one available on some of the advanced features of MySQL. It's better than even the Bible and Cookbook series on things like stored procedures, even though it spends too much time on the basics. I loved the large text, but wish there had been more meat on stored procedures, triggers and events (which is why I picked it up to begin with). There are insider knowledge gems sprinkled throughout that will definitely add spice to your SQL, so it's worth a look.

I don't know why even in 2007 authors insist on repeating the MySQL documentation,--it's a MASSIVE amount of wasted space, since anyone using this stuff will be familiar with the online documentation and helpful user commentary. There were a few typos, but that's pretty par for the course. The section on PHP, though, was pretty useless and not particularly good code-wise (in my humble opinion).

One day someone will put out a really advanced cookbook, that doesn't waste space explaining super simple things like "select * from table," but until then it's a great resource. If you can get it at a discount, like on a Borders reward coupon (which they give out like candy) grab it. Clearly, the Europeans still have something to teach us about MySQL! :o))

Great Product. A must for any medical transciptionist. Use it in WordPerfect and MS Word.

Indispensable (i.e. can't do my work without it), nevertheless there seems to be a wealth of terminology in the chemical pharmaceutical sector that is not incorporated. Also, unlike prior versions, L&S are now enforcing the license. Validate it on more than two computers and it fails. Found out the hard way after damned MS XP failed on me. Nevertheless, a relatively quick call to tech support resulted in a new license on a new computer after I explained what had happened.

I needed this product ASAP so I took advantage of the next day delivery and got it. It was wonderful and I was able to get it loaded into my computer and run with it. Thank you so much.

This is a "must have book" for ALL educators. It's a wonderful resource to use and to share with your colleagues. I highly recommend it for both regular classroom teachers and gifted teachers.

This book provides an extraordinary framework for differrentiated curriculum in a way that is immediately useful in the classroom. Strategies, forms, etc. in the book can also be adapted to aid in the differentiation of curriculum for all students -- ELL, gifted, special education -- you name it. As a teacher of gifted students, if I could have only one book, this would be it!!!

This is a fabulous resource on differentiation strategies for multiple grade levels and subject areas. There are so many wonderful reproducibles and activities that are easy to build into your existing planning. This text is easy to read, and NOT at all overwhelming as some texts on classroom differentiation strategies.

I love this book and I'm careful about letting it get too far away from my classroom for too long when a colleague asks to see it.

This book has been an indispensible resource for dealing with the challenge of what to do with advanced students. It provides you/them with opportunities for meaningful work...not more work, just different (and better for them) work. Virtually all of the strategies work for all students, not just advanced students, and when I've gotten feedback from my freshman English students about the differentiated lessons/strategies/activities we do throughout the year, the feedback is generally very positive and definitely appreciated.

I would recommend this book not only to other educators, but to parents as well (there's a resource in it for parents as well). Parents---this would be a great book to donate/buy for the school (and have an adminstrator or media specialist let the faculty know it's there) or as a gift for your child's teacher.

After nearly four years and no update this book is still a good read. Given to someone that was doing the CompTIA Network + Exam is provided vital supplementary information to the exam texts and explained numerous technologies clearly and up to that exams staandard. Recommended and still 5 Stars! Where is the update Osborne/McGraw Hill, long overdue....????

When I look for a book on networking I want a book that will help not only for Microsoft but Novell. The Complete Reference lives up to its name and gives you a wealth of information to make the job of network technician a whole lot easier.

Packed into this 900 page-networking world of information is information from soup to nuts. Starting off with the OSI model, you move on the hardware, protocols, operating systems, connection and directory services and administration.

With figures, pictures, tables, diagrams and notes to help you understand even the most complex of issues, the author presents the information in a clear and detailed way that will help the beginner to the expert. The author presents the information in an organized fashion from beginning to end.

The book should have included a cd-rom with utilizes for Novell, Microsoft and Unix. The book seems to be as up to date as any book I have read and the information seems to very accurate. Overall this is one book I will have in my technical reference library.

When I look for a book on networking I want a book that will help not only for Microsoft but Novell. The Complete Reference lives up to its name and gives you a wealth of information to make the job of network technician a whole lot easier.

Packed into this 900 page-networking world of information is information from soup to nuts. Starting off with the OSI model, you move on the hardware, protocols, operating systems, connection and directory services and administration...

With figures, pictures, tables, diagrams and notes to help you understand even the most complex of issues, the author presents the information in a clear and detailed way that will help the beginner to the expert. The author presents the information in an organized fashion from beginning to end.

The book should have included a cd-rom with utilizes for Novell, Microsoft and Unix. The book seems to be as up to date as any book I have read and the information seems to very accurate. Overall this is one book I will have in my technical reference library.

This book was the suggested reference in a college-level VB class I took. It is easy to find each command by the index tabs, and the examples are easy to understand. I especially appreciated the "cautions" section included with each command. And best of all, Amazon.com is $10.00 cheaper than the college bookstore!

This book is really good (atleast for me) for programming reference. If maybe you forget something, just look it up in this book. Not a book for newbies to Visual Basic though.

This book seems to have every command line's syntax with many usuable examples. Coming to Visual Basic programming from Clipper, I use this book all the time.

This book, is the best result of the masterminds of the state of art, and I Suggest as a read for everyone that work with this technology.

I do not read Japanese but the only available edition of this book when I needed it was the Japanese edition. I still found the book to give me all the information I needed to do what I needed to do, write an audio recording app without knowing anything about Multi-Media beforehand. I also liked that it used mostly lower level coding so that it would not be so at risk from Microsofts whims.

I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed by any Robert Simon book and this is no exception. Rather than read this book from cover to cover I use it as a reference. It is a fairly complete guide to multimedia and ODBC API calls and it is presented in a way that anyone can understand. Good job Mr. Simon!!

An example of how the ruling class--the elite--the rich--the educated got away with murder. This is how White Anglo European Ethnocentrism works. The rich take from the weak and divide the loot up amongst themselves--their friends and reletives. To know the truth about the past is accepting responsiblility for the future. From New York to the Bearing Straights of Alaska; We owe a debt to Native American Indians if not in blood, then in a never ending tax every time we purchase a home or pay rent. And to add to the Souix Nation disgrace, someone actually thought about graffiting Mt. Rushmore with President Reagans face--a President who made the rich richer and the poor poorer. I cry like a wolf and howl for the peacefulness of yesturday. I ask to be forgiven for the pain Native American Indians feel and will always feel for the intrusion of genocidal atrocities brought on by my grandfathers. To say I am sorry will never be enough, but somehow may be heard.

An example of how the ruling class--the elite--the rich--the educated got away with murder. This is how White Anglo European Ethnocentrism works. The rich take from the weak and divide the loot up amongst themselves--their friends and reletives. To know the truth about the past is accepting responsiblility for the future. From New York to the Bearing Straights of Alaska; We owe a debt to Native American Indians if not in blood, then in a never ending tax every time we purchase a home or pay rent. And to add to the Souix Nation disgrace, someone actually thought about graffiting Mt. Rushmore with President Reagans face--a President who made the rich richer and the poor poorer. I cry like a wolf and howl for the peacefulness of yesturday. I ask to be forgiven for the pain Native American Indians feel and will always feel for the intrusion of genocidal atrocities brought on by my grandfathers. To say I am sorry will never be enough, but somehow may be heard.

I need to review tha acounts standars for an equipment revaluation or four value, I need to know and undertadant when do have do yo it and when these could be change for a revaluation in stead.

FASB5

I bought several courses. The cards offer basic concepts in small bites. The information was relevant to what was presented by my teacher. The cards and CD's gave good review before exams and a head start at the start of the new school year. The cards had a lot of questions; you can carry them in your pocket and learn a few each day. The software was easy to use. It is like the cards but on the screen. You can take a test or just review. Front is question, click for answer on back of card. The software can also show the cards on the screen at random, first the question, then the answer. They change every few seconds. That keeps you reading and wondering what's coming up next. It's entertaining while you're studying.

Every year I recommend them to my students. The ones who buy them seem to do a little better than they might have. The cards are numbered, so it's easy to tell them which ones they need to know, and which they can set aside based on the curriculum. It's harder to accomplish that type of culling of information with a review book you'd buy at the superstore.