Software Books

I have read the book and it is very easy to follow and very accurate. I have actually had the opportunity to work with one of the authors, Todd Halpin. It is good to know that this book was written by someone who has actually done the stuff. Todd is very smart and he knows his stuff. I would recommend this book to anyone.

*****

Primetime

My stock advice for those preparing for certification is to "get the Exam Cram". If you are planning to take the new A+ tests, however, and you have even the slightest bit of experience, then this book is far superior for a variety of reasons:

1. Better Organization. The Exam Cram is laid out in a conceptual order ideal for beginners - you start at the motherboard and gradually work outside the computer, you start at DOS and progressively upgrade to Windows 2000. But that's what the thousand page study guides are for - these books are supposed to help you CRAM for the EXAM. The Exam Notes are instead patterned directly after CompTIA's objectives, making it far easier to locate information on your weak areas when studying for the tests.

2. Appropriate Detail. The Exam Cram provides a scant 20 pages on networking (though it makes up 10-15% of each exam) and less on laser printers (typically, an uncomfortable area of study), but reprints almost all of the Windows 3.1 information from the first edition despite the new test objectives! In contrast, these Exam Notes contain an excellent introduction to basic networking concepts, a fully illustrated review of the EP process, and far less "historical data".

3. Overall Quality. The latest version of the Exam Cram still contains an almost useless motherboard diagram, disjointed discussions of barely related technologies (see Chapter 7), and some truly unforgivable factual errors (see page 401). This book provides stark contrast with actual photos of things you should be able to visually identify, better focus on current test objectives, high accuracy, and IT EVEN COSTS LESS!

Coriolis produces useful study guides, but Sybex got them this time. Mr. Jones and Mr. Landes have a fine test prep product on audio cassette, but this is, in my opinion at least, the best in print.

Great introduction. The authors write beautifully about their background and the tributes are wonderfull.

The text maps directly to the CompTIA Domains and that is great. The content is a bit "light on". I found some areas were glossed over.
The hardware was better than the OS, much better!

I passed the HW exam but did NOT make the new ADAPTIVE 222 OS exam! I did use other material for my study. None of the material was adequate for the new OS exam.

Perhaps an "Adaptive Edition" would be a required book? The book proberbly only deserves 3 stars for content but gets 4 for the presentation and organisation. Even if I had passed I would rate it as I have.

Of the three books I used this was the easiest to use!

If you are looking for a review text that looks at each and every Comptia A+ objective for both tests, buy this book. No fluff or extras, just every single objective reviewed and briefly explained. Well written and to the point, it also reviews terminology, concepts, and step-by-step procedures vital to passing the newest and toughest A+ exams. What I was most thrilled about is the good coverage given to the Operating Systems portion. This is the absolute toughest test of the two and the information reviewed here is essential to pass the test.

I absolutely enjoyed reading the book. This is a book that covers some very advanced topics in a way that it seems so easy to comprehend. I liked the way author uses examples and explains not only the technology but the use of the development tools as well. This is just one the best technical books that I have ever read.

After trying numerous .Net books I found that this one was extremely helpful in getting to know the most important parts of the .Net framework. The book covers a lot of ground, since anything can be a 'component'. The discussion is split into front end, middle tier and back end components. So the scope is big. This book assumes you know .Net, and have played with VS.Net, so don't expect an introductory level text. I think the author does a great job of picking out the most important parts of the .Net framework and demonstrating their practical use in short but useful examples.

I have been disappointed at numerous books that spend ages covering the same ground like introduction to .Net and using windows or web controls, leaving meatier issues untouched. In contrast, Faison treads quickly, and clearly, through major topics in .Net such as (not in order): using windows & web controls, user windows & web controls, Crystal reports, database access & data grids, session management in ASP, security, web services, and so on. Many other areas of the framework are covered in passing; for example a handy section on using the web browser control in .Net.

The discussion of UML in the beginning is a bit fast, particularly the terse presentation of numerous design patterns, but the author's use of UML sequence diagrams through the book is excellent.

My main criticism is that the author tries a bit hard at humor with the quotes before each chapter. Otherwise, it's a great book.

Highly recommended for serious software developers.
One of the best books I have read.
Part one is almost biblical to software development process.
This is not just for .NET, the same principles are applicable to Java or Windows developments.
I have good understanding on VC++6.0, but facing VS.NET I feel daunted.
My experiences with the Windows system, MFC class lib and VisualStudio are not much useful.
This book helps a lot. .NET is very rich and deep, so you should not expect
realizing .NET with a signle book. Yet this book is a must on your reading list.

This is a comprehensive book on component-based development (with C#). It's ~1000 pages thick and packed with code and developer information that is well referenced. A bit short on component "packaging" frameworks. This book also complements well Groove development(GDK with .NET)...

The "Search Inside this Book" feature was not available when this review was posted. This book contains the following (excellent) articles:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. COMPONENT DEFINITON.
1. Definition of Software Component and its Elements.
George T. Heineman, William T. Councill.
2. The Component Industry Metaphor.
Hedley Apperly.
3. Component Models and Component Services: Concepts and Principles.
Rainer Weinreich, Johannes Sametinger.
4. An Example Specification for Implementing a Temperature Regulator Software Component.
Janet Flynt, Jason Mauldin.

II. THE CASE FOR COMPONENTS.
5. The Business Case for Software Components.
John Williams.
6. COTS Myths and Other Lessons Learned in Component-Based Software Development.
Will Tracz.
7. Roles for Component-Based Development.
Paul Allen.
8. Common High Risk Mistakes in Component-Based Software Engineering.
Wojtek Kozaczynski.
9. CBSE Success Factors: Integrating Architecture, Process, and Organization.
Martin L. Griss.

III. SOFTWARE ENGINEERING PRACTICES.
10. The Practice of Software Engineering.
George T. Heineman.
11. From Subroutines to Subsystems: Component-Based Software Development.
Paul C. Clements.
12. Status of CBSE in Europe.
Barry McGibbon.
13. CBSE in Japan and Asia.
Mikio Aoyama.

IV. THE DESIGN OF SOFTWARE COMPONENT INFRASTRUCTURES.
14. Software Components and the UML.
Kelli Houston, Davyd Norris.
15. Component Infrastructures: Placing Software Components in Context.
Steve Latchem.
16. Business Components.
James Carey, Brent Carlson.
17. Components and Connectors: Catalysis Techniques for Defining Component Infrastructures.
Alan Cameron Wills.
18. An Open Process for Component-Based Development.
Brian Henderson-Sellers.
19. Designing Models of Modularity and Integration.
Kevin J. Sullivan.

V. FROM SOFTWARE COMPONENT INFRASTRUCTURES TO SOFTWARE SYSTEMS.
20. Software Architecture.
Alexander L. Wolf, Judith A. Stafford.
21. Software Architecture Design Principles.
Len Bass.
22. Product-Line Architectures.
Martin L. Griss.

VI. THE MANAGEMENT OF COMPONENT-BASED SOFTWARE SYSTEMS.
23. Measurement and Metrics for Software Components.
Jeffrey Poulin.
24. The Practical Reuse of Software Components.
Don Reifer.
25. Selecting the Right COTS Software: Why Requirements are Important.
Cornelius Ncube, N.A.M. Maiden.
26. Build vs. Buy: A Rebuttal.
George T. Heineman.
27. Software Component Project Management Processes.
William T. Councill.
28. The Trouble with Testing Software Components.
Elaine Weyuker.
29. Configuration Management and Component Libraries.
Hedley Apperly.
30. The Evolution, Maintenance and Management of Component-Based Systems.
Mark Vigder.

VII. COMPONENT TECHNOLOGIES.
31. Overview of the CORBA Component Model.
Douglas C. Schmidt, Nanbor Wang, Carlos O'Ryan.
32. Transactional COM+: Designing Scalable Applications.
Timothy J. Ewald.
33. The Enterprise JavaBeans Component Model.
David Blevins.
34. Bonobo and Free Software Gnome Components.
Michael Meeks.
35. Choosing Between COM+, EJB, and CCM.
Andy Longshaw.
36. Software Agents as Next Generation Software Components.
Martin L. Griss.

VIII. LEGAL AND REGULATORY.
37. CBSE as a Unique Engineering Discipline.
John Speed, William T. Councill, George T. Heineman.
38. The Future of Software Components: Standards and Certification.
Janet Flynt, Manoj Desai.
39. Commercial Law Applicable to Component-Based Software.
Stephen Chow.
40. The Effects of UCITA on Software Component Development and Marketing.
Stephen Chow.

IX. CONCLUSION.
41. Summary.
William T. Councill, George T. Heineman.
42. Future of CBSE.
William T. Councill, George T. Heineman, Jeff Poulin.
Appendix A. Glossary.
References.
About the Authors.

I hope this helps.

This 818 page collection of 42 papers and articles is a definitive work on component-based software engineering. Regardless of your area(s) of interest, there is probably a chapter that addresses it. More importantly, each chapter is written by a top expert in their subspecialty.

Instead of giving a chapter-by-chapter description, I am going to cover the chapters that I found useful. To begin, Part II, chapters 1 through 3 gave me a quick primer in software components and highlighted the need to think in a different frame when dealing with component-based development. If you are new to CBSW then the 48 pages devoted to the basics are worthwhile reading.

Part II's five chapters on making a business and technical case for components is outstanding and the authors cover every facet. I found Part III, which covers software engineering practices, particularly useful. The value to me was the status of CBSW engineering on a global scale because I am currently providing consulting services to an India-based company that specializes in components. For this reason I also found Part IV's eight chapters on managing component-based software systems especially valuable.

The real eye-opener [for me], however, was in Part VIII, which devotes four interesting chapters on aspects of legal and regulatory issues as they related to software development as a discipline, and component-based software engineering specifically. In particular, chapter 38 on software component standards and certification was enlightening. I was also enlightened by chapter 39's fascinating discussion on commercial law applicable to component-based software, and the effects of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) on component-based software development and marketing.

This is an excellent book that covers the entire landscape of component-based software engineering and, although is a weighty 818 pages, is not difficult to read through. Each chapter is really a paper or article, so each is standalone. If you are dealing with off-shore development in any way, the book is especially valuable, and if you are doing CBSW in-house, the key differences between this approach and other development approaches are highlighted and will give you sufficient information with which to approach CBSW intelligently and effectively.

Covers the full spectrum of component-based software engineering, from the basics to legal aspects. Contains one of the most authoritative collections of essays and whitepapers on the subject between two covers. I have used this book as a basis for component-based development, and have also used it as the foundation for a SQA initiative because the material also addresses quality. Many of the essays support a software reuse strategy, which is an added bonus. Another use of this outstanding book is as a resource for in-house training in many aspects of software engineering outside of the component-based domain. It's that comprehensive and complete. I recommend using this book with Successful Software Development as the two primary references in mature development organizations.

This book is an excellent collection of articles describing all of the important issues surrounding the construction of component-based software systems. Each chapter describes a different aspect of the question of how to build a system using reusable components. Although each of these chapters is written by a different author or authors, they have been edited so that they read as a continuous whole. It is interesting that the editors were able to get some of the biggest names in the field to write articles on their specialties. A look at the author biographies show that they include industry practitioners, academics, industrial researchers, and independent consultants. Together they have a very impressive amount of experience and varied expertise. Perhaps my only complaint is that because so many different topics are covered, and each article is rather brief, some of the articles just touch the surface of the issues. But they do provide a balanced picture of these issues which then allow you to go out and do further in-depth reading on salient topics using the included list of references.

Gives a lot of practice questions to do. Answers are provided which is an added bonus. The questions are of varying difficulty. Beginners can gain practice by attempting to answer the easier questions first, before going on to tackle the more difficult ones. Those who are more familiar with Microsoft Word can aquire further knowledge in it and brush up their skills by attempting the more advanced questions. Haven't seen many books like this on the market. Definitely worth the buy.

I am generally lazy when it comes to writing reviews but a book like Computer Tutor sure got me there. Bravo! to the author. Indeed a superb bit of work.

Computer Tutor is a very good book. I like it because it has interesting questions. Someone new to MS Word can get to know the application without the boredom. I took the Microsoft Office User Specialist exam a few weeks back. I needed to brush up on 'Tables' and 'Styles' and Computer Tutor helped me tremendously. I also have other books written by the same author and have enjoyed reading them. Her books are very cleverly written. You can really appreciate their content when you start off knowing absolutely nothing about Microsoft Word and end up passing the MOUS exam!

Finally, someone wrote a book for beginners! Someone understood a beginners needs! I am new to Microsoft Word and most of the books available in bookstores say 'for beginners' but certainly do not live upto it. This book truly helps beginners get a thorough understanding of Microsoft Word.You can also use the book as you get more familiar in MS Word, as it has a range of questions addressing all levels of difficulty. You can grow up with Computer Tutor, as it is useful for the beginner and the intermediate. Even the expert can learn a thing or two from it. It is an unusual and charming book.

Collaboratively developed and written by Karen Mitchell, Craig Savage, and Jim Erwin, Contractor's Guide To QuickBooks Pro 2002 is a straightforward, easy-to-follow guide for setting up and using the QuickBooks Pro 2002 accounting software to expedite one's construction business. Meant expressly for contractors who may be lacking in familiarity with computer software programs, the individual chapters address the basics of using QuickBooks Pro 2002, setting preference, using it to track workers' comp costs and other expenses, recording receivables and payables, keeping track of one's customer base and much more. A solid, "user friendly", highly recommended "how to" manual and reference, Contractor's Guide To QuickBooks Pro 2002 is enhanced with a CD-ROM offering reconfigured construction company files to save setup time, and Job Cost Wizard, a program that swiftly and easily converts National Estimator estimates into QuickBooks Pro estimates.

I PURCHASED THIS BOOK WHEN ALL ELSE FAILED. FOR THE LIFE OF ME I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE QUICKBOOKS FOR MY HUSBANDS CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS. QUICKBOOKS FOR THE CONTRACTOR GIVES YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED IN THE TERMS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.I FOUND THAT THE HELP MENU IN QUICKBOOKS WAS BASED ON A MAIL ORDER COMPANY AND DID NOT GET THE QUESTIONS I NEEDED ANSWERED.I RECIEVED THE BOOK, READ IT COVER TO COVER AND USED IT STEP BY STEP FROM ESTIMATING TO TO PAYING JOB MATERIAL BILLS.
IT WAS SO EASY AND THE BEST PART IS THE BOOKKEEPING IS RIGHT!!
FINALLY!!
I HIGHLY REC0MMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY SELF EMPLOYED CARPENTER OR CONTRACTOR WHO IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH QUICKBOOKS.
ALSO IT COMES WITH A DISK THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO IMPORT ESTIMATES FROM NATIONAL ESTIMATER. THERE IS EVEN A DEMO TO SHOW YOU HOW. GREAT BOOK HANDS DOWN

I am a systems manager, and know nothing about accounting. However I did know that my husband's construction firm was not using QuickBooks Pro properly. Amazon's helpful search engine suggested that I might like Contractor's Guide to Quickbooks Pro 2002. Amazon sure was right. This book quickly and simply explained how to set up a construction company's accounts and helped me turn two years worth of mis-input data into reliable reports. It also helped me develop a 10 page guide for the company's staff to use when entering invoices and payments.

The authors also have telephone support for reason prices although I have not yet needed to use them. They will also convert a Company's Quickbooks accounts into their suggested standard for a pretty reasonable fee.

I would highly recommend this book to small and medium sized construction companies. The book is wonderful, especially for non accounting types.

I consider this book to be the best on the market for contractors who use quickbooks. I recommend this to clients who use Quickbooks and are in the contstruction industry, or any other line of work that uses job costing. It has many illustrations which make it easy for bookkeepers for whom English is a second language.

The attached CD-ROM is a nice addition which can help contractors who are just getting started get their books set up quickly.

I had to buy this book for a class I am taking, and it has proven very helpful and useful.

John Huntington's book is the THE reference tool in our lighting shop for show control. It has everything you need for the different control languages, in clear and concise formats.It is a must on every theatre technician's bookshelf

John Huntington's new book, Control Systems for Live Entertainment, is one of the most useful and informative books available for anyone interested in theatre technology. The book covers such technologies as MIDI, DMX512, MediaLink, MIDI Show Control, and others.

A well dog-eared copy of the first edition has been in my tool kit / computer kit for the last couple of years. I have found it a valuable resource. It has helped me on-site more than once. The second edition is more comprehensive and organized. Kudos to John in publishing a great resource fit for the student and experienced professional.

George Tucker- Show Control Engineer- Scharff Wesiberg NYC

I grasp computer concepts very quickly and have worked with some desktop publishing programs, but had never worked with a "professional" graphics program before. This book, however, was excellent; within an hour I was up and running and very comfortable using both the program and the book. Would recommend highly. Now I wish the author would write one for Corel PhotoPaint (hint, hint).

I love the quickstart books. This one is no different. I would recommend this book for people who have a desire to get up and started quickly with Corel. It is easy to follow and you will be surprised how quickly you will be able to create your own professional documents.

This is an excellent step by step tutorial book for beginners.

This book is exactly what the Visual QuickStart Series is all about - concise, illustrated explanations of most of the features you'll need to be up and running with minimal effort. Ms. Davis' enthusiasm and expertise with CorelDraw 8 makes the book a pleasure to read and work with. Although I use the Macintosh version of the program (there are several interface differences), this book for Windows was exactly what I needed to start using the prgram to create a newsletter for work. I'm brand new to these types of programs, and after struggling through the Bible and Real-World books on Illustrator and PageMaker, this book was a welcome and mercifully brief grand slam. You can skip most of the first 40 or so pages if you are not new to desktop design/publishing, and get right to working with the impressive tools in the program. For me, though, they were a godsend.

I'm still hoping for a Mac edition of this book, but I probably have all I need with this one

Although out of print and somewhat out of date, this book still offers some helpful hints for Corel users. The section on perspective and fountain fills is good for reference. If you see this one out on the discount table, grab it!

I loved this book and read it from cover to cover. It's hard to find the time to try out every project but they all seem really worthwhile and I've referred to some of the hints/tips when I'm starting one of my own projects and know that a particular end-result can be achieved, if only I could remember how. This is not really a reference book however - more of a cookbook. Beautifullly illustrated and clearly explained. One of the best 'how-to' computer graphics books I've ever used.

This is the perfect book for anyone looking for the hidden trick to using Corel Draw. Clear examples with full color illustrations showing step by step the tricks to making stunning vector illustrations. The introduction alone has saved me hours of time and money in wasted printing simply by understanding the tricks to calculating blends and fountian fills. I don't start a new project without refering to this book just to make sure I'm using the most effecient method to creating a desired special effect. I only wish a book like this was made for Corel PhotoPaint

I purchased this book on my own (was using 6 then); got so frustrated that I quit half way through. Am now taking a course on 7 and using this as text. Thank goodness my instructor has rewritten the directions for those exercises used. When I try to go ahead on my own, it is extremely confusing.

I have waited for what seemed like forever for this WOW book to hit the shelves and I must say it was well worth the wait. I have other books written by both Shane Hunt and Linnea Dayton and I'm glad to say they have maintained their rep of putting out good references for the rest of us. Every time I open it I see something else I want to try or gives me ideas for new things. This book is well designed and written - not too techie for novices and chock full of great illustrations. If you dislike working your way through the effects menus, you'll love the pages that show all the fountain presets, bitmap filters, etc. I appreciate the authors remembering all of us who do not upgrade every year or who use more than one version (or Macs). Every CorelDRAW user, using any version, should get this book. You'll be glad you did.

I first bought coreldraw7 a couple of years ago, at student price.. and it didnt come with a manual. So I figured out a lot of techniques thru trial and error. But I missed out on a lot of the Coreldraw features, although I thought it was great software all the same, and did a lot of drawing with it.

Just last week I bought the Coreldraw Wow book, and ..at last! ..the tools and features of this software are revealed to me in an amazing compendium of techniques, tips and excellent information.

Shane Hunt's 'The Coreldraw Wow! Book' is clear, well written, and an inspiration. Full of useful techniques, it's an excellent book to really show the power and versatility of Coreldraw.

Shane Hunt has a gift for clarity and precision as he describes how to get the most out of Corel Draw. This book is for both beginners and advanced users and lets users in on the secrets of the amazing special effects supported in the program, in all its versions.

I've been following Shane Hunt's writings on graphics for a while, so I was sure to grab this one. He and the other authors show you some of the finer and more detailed aspects of Draw's abilities. I keep seeing things in other images and wonder how they did this or did that - now I know - and it isn't that hard when you know the tricks. It is written in easy to understand instructions and walks you through the difficult parts. I highly recommend it to anyone that is serious about increasing their Draw vocabulary and repetoire.

You want to know a great way on "how to" identify classes from any type of user requiremnets? Buy this book now!

A lot of OOA books like to tell how to design from start to finish. However, some (most) of us are thrown in some obligatory process without consent. CRC will bridge the gap on getting your Classes defined.

Also, CRC works well for "Use Cases". I use CRC after a good Use Case session for Class Diagrams. Some prefer to do CRC before Use Cases. That's the beauty, CRC can be injected anywhere you deem fit.

And, finally, this book will get you "thinking in objects" fast!

I have been trying to teach OOD to new graduates for a couple of years. Now I teach through this book first. It has more good information about how to get groups to come up with good designs than any other book I have found. Be warned, it's not about UML or Java. The book is about how to get people to work out a design together.

This book and the stream of thought it stems from is one of the most influental in OO software engineering. It focuses on sharing responsibility in a system. It takes into account the obvious parallels between software teams and their software systems.
The technique itself can be very enjoyable and if you can convince very formal people to use it, it will change their lives, much more then any formal OO methodology will do. CRC Cards make you live software systems! This should be the first experience of everybody who wants to learn OO. You can even use it to explain your work to your kids:-)

This book encourages better OO design and analysis, shows how to involve the entire team of developers to the design of the whole system. The authors also describe how to gain benefit from involving the user and other parties to the OO design process.

I was in OO development for five years and I was thinking about a solution which will improve the efficiency of OO design and help to avoid splitting the program between developers who create their own set of classes they are responsible for. Such splitting leads to integration problems and overall design imbalance. Fred Brooks has described this consequences in his famous book "The Mythical Man-Month", where the modules are being written first and integrated later, and the coordination of interfaces between modules written by each developer requires essential effort and time. The CRC Card Book shows how to have "the interfaces" coordinated in the very beginning.

However, the methodology described in this book is "fragile". As soon as it isn't followed by all of the developers, it became useless. But if it is followed, the results are amazing. The book, however, is not very easy to read and lack something which can attract the developers who are "neutral" to improving their way of creating OO programs. But, for the people who already have strong OO background and are seeking the way how to improve their efficiency significant, the book is a must-have.