Development Books

Starting Out with C++: From Control Structures through Objects (6th Edition) (Starting Out With...)

Tony Gaddis

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Languages & Tools -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Development -> C & C++ Windows Programming

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great for Students--Not for Self-Study 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book is used as the textbook for the class in C++ I am taking. It makes no assumptions about previous knowledge in programming and is very thorough in testing your understanding as each concept is presented. It has obviously been tested in the classroom as it anticipates many of the questions a beginner would have about programming and the C++ language.

The book includes a C++ compiler by Borland so if you have a Windows computer you can follow along with the programming exercises. There is another version of the book that has a Microsoft compiler instead of the Borland compiler, but you have to make a special arrangement with the publisher to purchase it (according to information in the book).

I would recommend this book to people who are new to programming as well as to the C++ language. I have tried to learn C++ on my own with other books and was frustrated--they would start too basic (how to turn the computer on) and would introduce subjects in a haphazard manner ("here is a list of all C++ operators and what they do"). This book develops its topics in digestible chunks of information with each chapter building upon the previous chapter.

This book won't teach you everything you need to know about programming or the C++ language, but it will give you an excellent start.

I would like to add to my review that the book does have errors in the exercises that could seriously frustrate a reader who doesn't have an instructor or other resource for outside help. Some exercises can only be solved using concepts taught in later chapters, which I believe is an important flaw.

There are also typos in the example programs that could derail someone studying without assistance from an instructor. I still believe this is a very good textbook, but now I believe it should either be avoided by people learning programming on their own, or be used with other C++ reference works.

Editorial Review:

In Starting Out with C++: From Control Structures through Objects, 6/e Gaddis covers control structures, functions, arrays, and pointers before objects and classes. As with all Gaddis texts, clear and easy-to-read code listings, concise and practical real-world examples, and an abundance of exercises appear in every chapter. Introduction to Computers and Programming; Introduction to C++; Expressions and Interactivity; Making Decisions; Looping; Functions; Arrays; Searching and Sorting Arrays; Pointers; Characters, Strings, and the string Class; Structured Data; Advanced File Operations; Introduction to Classes; More About Classes; Inheritance, Polymorphism, and Virtual Functions; Exceptions, Templates, and the Standard Template Library (STL); Linked Lists; Stacks and Queues; Recursion; Binary Trees. For all readers interested in C++ programming.

Excel 2007 Power Programming with VBA (Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf)

John Walkenbach

Amazon Price: $29.99 List Price: $49.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $25.40

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Software Design, Testing & Engineering -> Software Development
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Development -> VBA
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Applications -> Excel

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Very good reference for VBA Beginners 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I have this book for more than two months now and I found it very useful especially on my first VBA project. I have a weekly report and I used to do this manually and often get errors because I have to cross reference values in one big spreadsheet with multiple tabs. Not until I got this book and read the basics and go to specific chapters where I need help. I felt so accomplished after I finished the whole macro. What took me 30 minutes to do manual referencing and typing now only takes less than two minutes including sending it through email. This book is very easy to understand especially for those who know Excel and would like to expand their skills in VBA. Mr Spreadsheet has provided good example files to help us better understand VBA. His approach is basic enough for those who doesn't have any experience in creating macros. By the way if your CD doesn't have the source files or example file go to http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-302036.html and select "All Wiley Products" or call Technical Support. Type your request for the e-source files and they will get back to you really fast with a link of the FTP site for the files. Don't bother to call customer support because they will try to sell you the e-book even though you already have the book. It might be a hassle but its all worth it.

Editorial Review:

• This book is a single reference that’s indispensable for Excel beginners, intermediate users, power users, and would-be power users everywhere
• Fully updated for the new release, this latest edition provides comprehensive, soup-to-nuts coverage, delivering over 900 pages of Excel tips, tricks, and techniques readers won’t find anywhere else
• John Walkenbach, aka "Mr. Spreadsheet," is one of the world’s leading authorities on Excel
• Thoroughly updated to cover the revamped Excel interface, new file formats, enhanced interactivity with other Office applications, and upgraded collaboration features
• Includes a valuable CD-ROM with templates and worksheets from the book

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-536): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Application Development Foundation

Tony Northrup, Shawn Wildermuth, Bill Ryan

Amazon Price: $38.49 List Price: $69.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Microsoft Press Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $29.95

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Certification Central -> Publisher -> Microsoft Press
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Certification Central -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Microprocessors & System Design -> Computer Design

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Hundreds! If not thousands! 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

OK, this book is a little dated, but I got a really good chuckle from an anecdote relayed by one of the authors that is still funny. Early in the book, on page 68, Mr. Wildermuth attempts to assert his expertise to the reader by declaring that he has "written hundreds, if not thousands, of lines of code". I have shown this little blurb around to many of my colleagues and clients. It has turned into somewhat of a euphemism for a n00b. For instance:

Dev1: "How did the interview go with Ted?"
Dev2: "Not great. He's got a good personality, but his skill set is a little weak."
Dev1: "What kind of stuff has he worked on?"
Dev2: "I would say that he has probably written hundreds, if not thousands, of lines of code."
Both: "ROFL!"

or

Dev1: "Holy cow! Come over here and look at this mudball of code that I have to support now."
Dev2: "Wow! You're not kidding. Who wrote this?"
Dev1: "Who do you think? Joe."
Dev2: "Oh man, he's written hundreds ..."
Dev1: "If not thousands!"
Dev2: "... of lines of code."

All that said, this book does the job. It helped me pass the test. I have taken quite a few Microsoft exams and I have usually turned to the Microsoft Press Self-Paced Training Kit books as a first resource. This book lives up to the good name the series has earned for itself.

I see from many of the reviews here that readers are disappointed if the book doesn't spoon feed them all the way through the exam. I would say that, for myself, preparing for an exam includes a multi-pronged approach. It starts with these books and continues to MSDN and Transcender. But most importantly, I think you have to definitely open up Visual Studio and practice. Write some code! Maybe even hundreds, if not thousands, of lines. ;)

Editorial Review:

Get in-depth exam prep for Exam 70-536, a core MCTS exam for the new Microsoft Technology Specialist and Professional Developer certifications and build real-world job skills. Includes test questions, reviews, case studies, code samples, and more.

C++ Primer Plus (5th Edition)

Stephen Prata

Amazon Price: $34.64 List Price: $54.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sams Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $27.50

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> General
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you are new to C++ programming, C++ Primer Plus, Fifth Edition is a friendly and easy-to-use self-study guide. You will cover the latest and most useful language enhancements, the Standard Template Library and ways to streamline object-oriented programming with C++. This guide also illustrates how to handle input and output, make programs perform repetitive tasks, manipulate data, hide information, use functions and build flexible, easily modifiable programs. With the help of this book, you will:

• Learn C++ programming from the ground up.
• Learn through real-world, hands-on examples.
• Experiment with concepts, including classes, inheritance, templates and exceptions.
• Reinforce knowledge gained through end-of-chapter review questions and practice programming exercises.

C++ Primer Plus, Fifth Edition makes learning and using important object-oriented programming concepts understandable. Choose this classic to learn the fundamentals and more of C++ programming.

Programming in Objective-C (Developer's Library)

Stephen Kochan

Amazon Price: $23.99 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sams Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $23.19

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> Objects
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Software Design, Testing & Engineering -> Object-Oriented Design

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

iPhone Developers, Start Here! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you want to develop applications for the iPhone, you'll need to learn how to program in Objective-C. This is the best resource for doing that. Kochan explains each feature of the language using clear, simple examples and a straightforward and concise writing style. Even if you're a relatively new programmer, you can learn how to write Objective-C programs from this text. Unlike other references on Objective-C, Kochan does not assume you know how to program in C as a prerequisite. This is a good thing and a key pedagogical point, as the foundation for object-oriented programming is laid right from the start. Instead of having to learn how the underlying procedural C language works first, you are instead taught from the beginning to think in terms of classes, instances, and methods.

Once you have learned Objective-C from this book, you'll be ready to move on and tackle Cocoa and the frameworks that Apple provides to write iPhone applications. This book makes that task that much easier. The bottom line is that this is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn Objective-C and who needs a clear, well-written tutorial to lead the way. Only very experienced object-oriented programmers need not apply!

Editorial Review:

Programming in Objective-C is a concise, carefully written tutorial on the basics of Objective-C and object-oriented programming. The book makes no assumption about prior experience with object-oriented programming languages or with the C language (upon which Objective-C is based). And because of this, both novice and experienced programmers alike can use this book to quickly and effectively learn the fundamentals of Objective-C. Readers can also learn the concepts of object-oriented programming without having to first learn all of the intricacies of the underlying procedural language (C). This approach, combined with many small program examples and exercises at the end of each chapter, makes it ideally suited for either classroom use or self-study. Growth is expected in this language. At the January 2003 MacWorld, it was announced that there are 5 million Mac OS X users and each of their boxes ships with Objective-C built in.

Starting Out with Visual Basic 2008 (4th Edition) (Starting Out With...)

Tony Gaddis, Kip Irvine

Amazon Price: $78.88 List Price: $98.60 Usually ships in 2 days By: Addison Wesley Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $78.88

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Development -> Visual Basic
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Languages & Tools -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Software -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Form First, Late Objects :( 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I do like the clear writing style, the step by step tutorial approach which is at the right pace for a beginner, never too terse , never too boring. I can also easily see the author is an experienced teacher, and for patience and dedication he reminds me of the best in the field, like Ivor Horton. But I do think the general organization of the book, the "teaching plan" is horribly flawed.
I know VB has a long history of being used to let unskilled programmers mindlessly spit out little boring administrative programs that help your local gym owner to calculate your annual fee, but does it always be like that? I don;t think so, especially now that VB is no longer just a RAD program but a full featured programming language on the same level as C#.
Then why can't it be taught like any other decent programming language?
This book does a great job to teach the student how to produce decent windows forms without having as little knowledge as possible of what is actually going on. Believe or not, classes and objects are given a skimpy treatment in the last (yeah last) chapter of the book. For events, no mention whatsoever. Now, even if you really want to cover windows forms, how can the students understand what they are without knowing what objects and events are? They end up thinking that an instance variable is some kind of global variable since it can be seen by all methods in a class. And then you have to make gigantic efforts to make them understand what object oriented programming is all about. Also, since this title is about VB 2008 it shouldn't talk about windows form anyway, but WPF, and how about a little LINQ? Otherwise why do you need a new edition? (apart form having students shell more bucks having to buy a new edition of course..)
But more importantly, is the heart of programming about producing textboxes and dropdown lists? In a first course of programming I call this killing the passion for programming. Or growing code monkeys. Look at Francesco Balena's book on VB. A through coverage of the language, and hardly a windows form to be seen. Granted, Balena's book might be a bit too dense and not engaging enough for the total beginner, but at least its true to its mission. The ideal book would have the clarity and gentleness of Gaddis combined with the soundness and choice of material of Balena. So my advice to the author is on the next edition he will use his teaching talents to write a book that will challenge the beginner and show him the wonders of object oriented programming in a true, gentle but engaging introduction to computer science.

C++ How to Program (6th Edition)

Harvey & Paul) Deitel & Associates Inc.

Amazon Price: $103.50 List Price: $115.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 74 new & used starting at $71.44

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

New and improved over the previous editions 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 20 people found this review helpful.

I started learning C++ with the "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days" book. Bad mistake. Stay away from the '21 days' books. The examples were bad, bad explanations, and bad programming practices.

I then picked up Deitel's C++ How to Program 3rd edition. I learned much more from that book with it's good program examples and somewhat muddled writing. The 3rd edition had long winded, robot like explanations. It got the job done, but it was a bit of a hard read to get through.

The new 6th edition is a must get for the beginner or as a reference book for programmers already versed in C++. Unlike previous editions, the great thing about this book is that it starts using classes from the beginning of the book and teaches the basic concepts such as control structures, stream I/O, functions, etc. through the use of classes.

There are also new sections to this book. I am learning C++ as a hobby to create games, and the game programming section looks exciting. It uses the Ogre library (www.Ogre3d.org) to create a colorful game of Pong, and it explains in detail the code and introduces the general topics of sound, graphics, lighting, etc.

If you're just picking up programming for the first time get this book, you won't regret it.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services 2005

Brian Larson

Amazon Price: $32.99 List Price: $49.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $28.34

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Networking -> Data in the Enterprise -> Client-Server Systems
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Databases -> SQL -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Databases -> Database Management Systems

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A great way to learn the basics 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I just worked my way cover-to-cover and did every exercise. Sure, there are some errors in the book and sometimes it is not as clear as I would like and it does help to be a DBA but I think the book is rather above average in its accuracy. The book is not useful as a reference. But I highly recommend it as a great start. If you are not going to download the problems and do the exercises, then do not buy this book. The value is in doing the exercises.

Editorial Review:

Microsoft's Reporting Services product is a vital part of the SQL Server 2005 business intelligence platform, but it works with virtually any data source. This hands-on guide explains how to transform data into insightful and interactive Web-based reports using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. With coverage of everything from installation to administration, the book demonstrates how to use this powerful server-based reporting solution to improve business decision-making and facilitate company-wide -- even worldwide -- communication.

Windows Server® 2008 Resource Kit

Windows Server Team at Microsoft, Microsoft MVPs and Partners

Amazon Price: $157.49 List Price: $249.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Microsoft Press Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $153.38

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Development -> Internet Information Server
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Operating Systems -> Windows NT
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Operating Systems -> Windows NT Server

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Get the essential reference for deploying, managing, automating, troubleshooting, and optimizing Windows Server 2008 with expert insights and best practices from Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and the Windows Server team at Microsoft. This official Microsoft® RESOURCE KIT features six volumes of in-depth technical information that every Windows® administrator needs to understand to master Windows Server 2008 administration. You get detailed information about networking, network aspect projection, security features, Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, Active Directory®, and Windows PowerShellTM. You also get more than 200 time-saving tools, scripts for automation, job aids, eBook resources, plus a fully searchable eBook of each RESOURCE KIT volume on DVD.

Key Book Benefits:

Provides six volumes of in-depth technical information for administering, optimizing, troubleshooting, and automating Windows Server 2008

Delivers definitive product information with expert insights straight from the Windows Server team at Microsoft, Microsoft MVPs, and field consultants

Details information that every Windows administrator needs about Windows Server performance, troubleshooting, security services, group policy, Active Directory, IIS 7, and Windows PowerShell

Features a DVD with more than 200 essential tools and scripts, eBooks with additional technical information, tips, and best practices plus a fully searchable eBook of all six RESOURCE KIT volumes

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Unleashed

Ray Rankins, Paul Bertucci, Chris Gallelli, Alex T. Silverstein

Amazon Price: $37.79 List Price: $59.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sams Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $33.99

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Databases -> Relational Databases
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Databases -> SQL -> General
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

<>Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Unleashed offers comprehensive coverage of SQL Server 2005 that goes beyond the basic syntax and information you’ll find in the product manuals, providing in-depth information derived from the authors’ real-world experience to help you build upon your working knowledge of the product and take your experience and knowledge to a higher level. This book focuses primarily on the information needed by system and database administrators, as well as for users with overlapping duties as both DBA and developer. Included is extensive coverage of the new features and upgraded tools and capabilities of SQL Server 2005, including .NET Framework integration, Integration Services, Service Broker, Database Mirroring and Snapshots, and Reporting Services.

Detailed information on…

• Installing, upgrading, and administering SQL Server 2005
• Database maintenance, backup, and recovery
• Creating and managing tables, views, stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions
• Database and index design
• SQL Server query optimization, and performance monitoring and tuning
• Transactions, transaction management, and distributed transactions
• SQL Server Management Studio—NEW!
• SQL Server Notification Services; Integration Services—NEW!; Analysis Services; Reporting Services—NEW!; Web Services—NEW!
• SQL Server Service Broker—NEW!
• SQL Server and Microsoft .NET Framework integration, including CLR-based stored procedures, functions, and triggers—NEW!
• SQL Server high availability and SQL Server clustering and replication
• Database Mirroring—NEW!
• Database Snapshots—NEW!
• Using XML in SQL Server 2005
• SQL Server tools and utilities

CD-ROM includes

• 8 bonus chapters covering topics such as Notification Services, Service Broker, and Full-Text Search
• Code samples, scripts, and sample databases
• A PDF version of the entire book

Introduction

Part I Welcome to Microsoft SQL Server

1 SQL Server 2005 Overview

2 What’s New in SQL Server 2005

Part II SQL Server Tools and Utilities

3 SQL Server Management Studio

4 SQL Server Command-Line Utilities

5 SQL Server Profiler

Part III SQL Server Administration

6 SQL Server System and Database Administration

7 Installing SQL Server 2005

8 Upgrading to SQL Server 2005

9 Client Installation and Configuration

10 Security and User Administration

11 Database Backup and Restore

12 Database Mail

13 SQL Server Scheduling and Notification

14 SQL Server High Availability.

15 Replication

16 Database Mirroring

17 SQL Server Clustering

Part IV Database Administration

18 Creating and Managing Databases

19 Creating and Managing Tables

20 Creating and Managing Indexes

21 Implementing Data Integrity

22 Creating and Managing Views in SQL Server

23 Creating and Managing Stored Procedures

24 Creating and Managing User-Defined Functions

25 Creating and Managing Triggers

26 Transaction Management and the Transaction Log

27 Database Snapshots

28 Database Maintenance

Part V SQL Server Performance and Optimization

29 Indexes and Performance

30 Understanding Query Optimization

31 Query Analysis

32 Locking and Performance

33 Database Design and Performance

34 Monitoring SQL Server Performance

Part VI SQL Server Application Development

35 What’s New for Transact-SQL in SQL Server 2005

36 SQL Server and the .NET Framework

37 Using XML in SQL Server 2005

38 SQL Server Web Services

Part VII SQL Server Business Intelligence Features

39 SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services

40 SQL Server Integration Services

41 SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services

Bonus Chapters on the CD

42 Managing Linked and Remote Servers

43 Configuring, Tuning, and Optimizing SQL Server Options

44 Administering Very Large SQL Server Databases

45 SQL Server Disaster Recovery Planning

46 Transact-SQL Programming Guidelines, Tips, and Tricks

47 SQL Server Notification Services

48 SQL Server Service Broker

49 SQL Server Full-Text Search

Index