Distributed

While I am sure that the book is excellent, it is for C programmers only. The code examples seem to be comprehensive, however, I was expecting them to be in Visual Basic. No where in any of the book description did it mention that this book required a knowledge of C. While it may be a great book, it is not what I can use. Sorry.

This is a really good soup-to-nuts introduction to directory services under Microsoft. There is tons of sample code in this book, which I find very helpful. The language is C, with a MS flavor to it. There is an amazing amount of detail in this book, and the author takes great care to explain some difficult concepts. Definitely pick this one up if you are doing MS directory development.

First came a theoretical explanation then very detailed code. There are a lot of references to more detailed information on similar topics if the reader chooses to go off on a tangent on his own. This book has been a great springboard for me. The author does a great job of covering the art writing LDAP and ADSI clients separately and then bringing them together for a very nice compare and contrast.

Not very theoretically robust; many issues are touched on the surface without detail explainations. Some topics are clearly not pragmatic but yet the author make a big deal about them (like his own published method of LSF quantization). Organizations and structures are not my favorite as well. However, the book does provide references to the sources where the readers can refer to for the necessary information.

This is the best modern times book about the subject. However part of this qualification comes from the fact it has practically no competitors. Detailed books on speech coding are very rare. Although it deals with almost every aspect of speech coding, it does so with at times awkward notation, introduction of unexplained equation terms, using of non introduced terminology and at times formulas with obvious errors. I believe a second corrected edition should be necessary. Also in such a hypotetic second edition, I hope many explanations should be made clearer, otherwise for a beginner in the field supplemental references would be needed, and the price of this one is already high.

This book covers subjects lpc parameter quantization, coding standards, algorithms (MPLPC, RELP, VSELP briefly and CELP, LD-CELP and MBE in a very detailed manner). Error Control in speech transmission and system application aspects like DTX and echo cancellors are also reviewed. For the ones working on CELP and MBE based coders, this book does not only supply all the needed theory, but also practical issues even for real time applications on DSP processors.

Impressive formalization of information flow via mathematics and logic, but in the end it's not clear if this subject holds any practical value. For, in practice, the model of information flow always requires a priori working models of the phenomena under consideration before the principles of information flow can be put to use. For example, consider currency fluctuations as information about some nation's economy. You can model this using Barwise's scheme, but doing so doesn't bring anything to one's understanding that we didn't already have from economics. No real clarification on what information is, either (although there's a lengthy discussion of this at the outset). Requires a fairly good working knowledge of set theory and basic formal logic. Poorly edited.

There's a lot of informal discussion at the beginning about what information "really is", but very little in terms of innovative content. The book contains a good formal approach that expands on earlier work in the same field, but it hangs on too many ill-fitting concepts as the "Xerox principle" and the notion that knowledge can be quantified. The book also completely ignores the ontological perspective which other researchers have addressed for over a decade.

A mathematical basis for Keith Devlin's book "InfoSense: Turning Information into Knowledge." Buy them both!

This is a 100% superficial book. Dont waste any money on this. It doesn t deal with the the concepts at all. But then the examples are horrible too. Though it has the namestamp of CORBA 3.0, everything is totally vague. I will strongly suggest Advanced Corba Programming in C++ for everyone - no matter if you are doing C++ or Java. This I beleive is the only book worth spending money in CORBA.

This is a great book that covers a lot! Corba is a bit difficult at first for the beginner. This book attempts to explain the complex Corba architecture clearly, but you may still be highly confused in the beginning. Don't worry and be patient, Corba is complex and after you start understanding how Corba is designed, you'll really start to appreciate this book which is filled with a lot of detailed info on Corba. It not only Covers the basic Corba topics like the IDL to Java mapping, the POA policies (very important), the Naming Service and DII&DSI, but also covers advanced topics like the Trading Service, Notification Service and the PSS. Other advanced topics include Security, Performance and Management. I also highly recommend the Pure Corba Book by Bolton which might be a bit easier to read in the beginning for a Corba newbie.

All of the other books cover old versions of CORBA, but this book covers only CORBA 3.0. The examples could be better, but that's ok since the topics are so well covered. I read the first few chapters, and now I use this book as reference all the time. I highly recommend this book to any Java programmer. If you are a C++ programmer, this book can still be useful but not much.

Authors

The 2 main authors of this book are Bruce Armstrong and Millard F. Brown III. If you are readers of the PBDJ magazine you will probably be familiar with these names. Both have also been involved with previous PowerBuilder book releases, are members of TeamSybase and have presented at user conferences around the world. Other contributing authors include a list of well known PowerBuilder experts such as Dave Fish, Bill Green, John Olsen, Roy Kiesler et al. The credentials of all the authors and co-authors of this book read like a Who's Who in PowerBuilder.

Book Overview

There are numerous books now available on PowerBuilder - this one does not aim to compete with these but to plug the gap in contents covered. PowerBuilder 9 - Advanced Client/Server Development zeroes in on some of the new features in this version including PBNI (native interface), XML datawindows, reworking of the source control interface, improved IDE and automated application builds using OrcaScript. Other subjects covered include PFC, an in-depth look at database connectivity, advanced coding and DW techniques, 3rd party tools and OLE.

Target Audience

The user level of this book is Intermediate - Advanced. The back cover states that this book is aimed at developers who know and use PowerBuilder and are looking to maximize their productivity. I would say that about half of the book succeeds in its aim, covering familiar subjects such as datawindows but with more detail and giving a few tips and techniques; covering new PB9 subjects and giving some useful productivity tips on the IDE for example. The remainder of the book serves as a point of reference such as the 200 pages on database connectivity which would be very useful for users developing for multiple database platforms.

Content

I would split the book into 3 main areas - an advanced look at existing features; an introduction to new PB9 features and a database connectivity reference.

The advanced look at existing features didn't uncover anything new for me but would serve as a useful reminder to someone who hasn't used PowerBuilder for a while. There are some good real life clear examples with supporting code and a few undocumented and therefore unsupported techniques.

The chapters on the new PB9 features would have been better if they had been more detailed. For example the chapter on XML datawindows assumes you know XML which is fair enough but it is a short and not very detailed chapter. In fact the PowerBuilder user guide provided with the product is much more detailed and useful than the chapter in this book. No tips or techniques are given in the chapter either. The chapter on the IDE and source control integration is useful especially if you are coming from PowerBuilder 7 and haven't used PowerBuilder 8.

The section on Database Connectivity is a useful reference point if you are developing for multiple database platforms but doesn't fit very well into the title of PowerBuilder 9 - Advanced Client Server Development. It does give a good amount of detail on an area that has previously not been covered particularly well in the past.

Writing Style

The writing style of the chapters vary because of the number of different authors. In general most of the chapters are written in a clear and concise manner with some good realistic examples. However some are a little too brief especially some of the new subjects areas such as XML Datawindows and OrcaScript. There is not enough detail and clear examples given for these new features.

Conclusion

If you haven't used PowerBuilder for a while or you are still using a version prior to Version 8 then you will find some useful information in this book, likewise if you are developing for multiple database platforms then the Database section will be very beneficial. I believe the book is more aimed at the intermediate level of knowledge rather than the advanced. Personally I wouldn't buy this book for myself because I wouldn't get enough new material from it that is not covered in the PowerBuilder User Guide.

Karen.baker@seabass.co.uk (www.seabass.co.uk)

If you are an advanced PB programmer you will not find much here unless you have been stuck in versions 6.5 (or maybe even 7 but less so) and earlier. The authors give a reasonable overview of the new IDE and source control integration. There is also discussion of the newer features such as Powerbuilder Native Interface, XML datawindows, command line deployment, and error handling. Over 200 pages are devoted to database connectivity which may be of interest if you support multiple platforms.

Aside from some minor factual errors and the occasional typo, the information and examples are concise and to the point (although many leave out even rudimentary error checking which is vital in any 'real' application).

I bought the book since there haven't been any 'real' PB books since version 7 and this one details the new IDE.

This is one of the best books PowerBuilder client-server programming books that I have ever read and is probably one of the most well-received books for PowerBuilder yet. Every person I know, who own these books, experienced or not, find it a
very handy reference.

I recommend all the PowerBuilder developers to invest in this book. It's really cheap for the quality of it's contents.

This book introduces a novice to SAP Project System. Written in simple and precise language, this book have several examples and screenshots which makes it interesting.

A small modification in the organization of the book would make the flow of thought easy for a new reader. (rather a reader can read the book in the following manner)

5 - Implementation strategy

1 - Basics

2 - Project System in SAP

4 - Customizing

3 - Practical Example

6 - Summary

Overall, the book given a good introduction to Project System in SAP.

S.R. Srinath
Certified SAP Consultant,
Dubai, UAE

This book is useful to understand SAP PS.It will take you from general project management to SAP Project mangement in a logical manner.The version used in this book is old.If transaction codes are given this book will be more useful.

This step by step detailed project management book by draeger really forcemultipied our understanding of Time schduling of Projects in SAP R/3. The book shows appropriate screen shots at relevant points to have a better understanding of the funcntionality.

I would have given this a 5 star but because of not covering external processing and general cost on the activities. Besides, the SAP version covered in the book is a little bit old 3.0F

I purchased this book to be used as a reference book. I already had our SBS up and running (and even if I didn't, I don't think this book would have helped too much). The book goes on and on about the features of Small Business Server and how easy it is for the administrator to set up and maintain (the book does this for at least a hundred pages). I believe knowing about all of the features are important, but the book lacks in not showing the reader how to troubleshoot and inplement most of them. Some of the features that I was trying to implement were advanced but not out of the ordinary. This book didn't halp me at all.

I have read many text books in my days. I felt that this book was the worst purchase I have made in a long time. This book wouldn't be that bad if the reader was never going to set up the server, but wanted to know what the server could do.

This book is NOT for a network administrator, but it is a must-have for anybody who deploys and supports SBS installations. Covers just about everything except how to install and configuure RRAS to replace RAS. Apart from that it gives you a solid fundation on which to build your SBS expertise. Note Microsoft posted an errata on their Web site.

This book is a must for IT professionals that have to implement SBS. It will help you especially if you need to modify SBS for your specific implementation, such as changing the default IP addresses, setting up routers, etc.

There's pulp fiction, then there's worse--namely, thin, obvious, breezy commentary that pretends to be scholarly, or at least "academic." This very slight volume wastes time talking about websites dedicated to the film, then attempts to argue that "Pulp Fiction" is strictly a "postmodern" event to be experienced rather than thought much about (the author's grand conclusion: it represents "style over substance"). I didn't even find the book of much use when I wanted some reminders of plot sequence and characters' names.

Perhaps I expected too much for my money as a result of reading this same series' "The Birds" by Camille Paglia (who obviously immersed herself in an exhaustive research of the filmmaking process as well as the final product). This edition, on the other hand, has the feel of something tossed out in a couple of week-ends.

this book starts off a tad amateurish as Polan tries to tackle the film as a phenomenon first, and then analyze the actual film second. it seems that the author's initial take is that PULP FICTION is more pre-occupied with style over substance but as the film is analyzed in more detail argues that there is actual depth and substance to Tarantino's film!

this comes across as kind of awkward but Polan's writing style does improve the further along you read. i just wish that the author hadn't been so concerned with writing the first academic analysis of PULP FICTION and blasting the slew of sloppily written Tarantino biographies and websites, and focused more on the actual film.

i also question Polan's research notes. out of all the articles used/read there is one glaring omission: Gavin Smith's seminal article/interview with Tarantino about PULP FICTION in Film Comment around the time the film came out. Smith's article still remains, in my mind, THE best analysis of Tarantino's film. it's a shame the BFI didn't get him to write one of these books on PF.

Dana Polan does an excellent job of breaking down the phenomenon of Pulp Fiction by examining it both textually and culturally, and in doing so, brings the runaway success of Pulp Fiction and the apparent "God-liness" of Tarantino back down to Earth. The book is a quick read, informative, stimulating, and fun. Having been ambivalent about this film since its release, Dana Polan hits the nail on the head about exactly why I both love and hate this film.

At any rate, if you are at all interested about Pulp Fiction (whether positively or negatively), I urge you to give this a read. And, the section on the cyber-world of Pulp Fiction is, at the very least, a humorous added bonus.

I was disappointed with this book. It appears to be a compliation of various documents and forms just thrown together. Some of it is very, very basic and generic. I was looking for much more SAP specific information.

One of the more unusual aspects of this publication is that it is useful to both the writer/trainer as well as those who have to hire writing/training personnel. The author has a great deal of knowledge and all of it useful. But I would have set out the chapters differently. My greater criticism of this book is that one finds oneself a little lost in the woods.

In any SAP implementation or migration project, training and documentation are the last things senior management want to worry about. They often wish that documentation would just magically appear around about the time the system goes live. Likewise for staff training. As senior management themselves know, this is never the case.

Kathryn Park's philosophy is that there should be a "single source of information and guidance for producing documentation and training materials for your SAP project." (In the Overview before Chapter One). Anybody who has done any documentation or auditing work would find this music to his ears!

I agree with her statement on writers: "A professional writer is committed to his career. He is not an engineer or a programmer who 'has done some technical writing'. He is hard working, focussed, detail-oriented, intense, accepts criticism, and loves his job. Only hire professional writers" (P67).

There is a statement on the need for the technical skills required by any professional writer on page 67 that all project managers should read.

I also agree with the statement: "Start training early, the earlier the better." (P118).

In summary, I can do no better than repeat myself: This guide is as useful as it is rare; It took me six months to get hold of a copy!

David Firoozi, Training Manager, Sydney, Australia. david@firoozi.com

we need more work books for each area of sap R/3,in tehnical and all functional modules.A total approach to re engineer sap training is a must,as frustration rate among end users,trainers and also implementers is running high, CBTs should be included as part of the published materials.

I found this book to be a waste of both time and money. If you have access to the SAP-supplied (free) online documentation and an OSS connection, you won't need this book.

Covers alot of Oracle backup and recovery topics, coincidentally in the same format as an existing Oracle backup and recovery book on the market. SAP coverage is light and covered better elsewhere.

Reviewers who stated this was useful must be very new to the SAP world and do not yet realize how much really good documentation SAP gives out free.

This well organized book illustrates in detail an explanation of the SAP R/3 architecture as well as the Oracle architecture as it relates to the SAP R/3 system. It offers an up to date overview of SAP R/3's and Oracle's provided features and tools and how to utilize these to promote an effective and efficient backup and recovery plan. Provided are strategies, methods, concepts, and specific examples on how to develop a successful backup and recovery plan.

This book provides an excellent link for those working with SAP R/3 and Oracle who may lack familiarity with both products as well a great guide for those who maintain knowledge in both. I recommend this book to those not experienced in successful back and recovery planning within an SAP R/3 / Oracle environment.

Greg Spence's book is a "must-read" for any basis administrator who needs to define and implement a backup and recovery plan for SAP R/3. The book rigorously addresses the major database recovery issues which may be faced by an R/3 administrator, and it provides practical recovery scenarios to help solidify the reader's understanding of essential concepts.

The author does an outstanding job showing how the sapdba tools (brbackup, brarchive, brrestore) integrate into an overall backup and recovery strategy. No other current reference addresses these issues as completely or as understandably this book!