Customer Reviews

Beginning SQL Server 2005 Express Database Applications with Visual Basic Express and Visual Web Developer Express: From Novice to Professional

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been a programmer for longer than most programmers have been alive, but I'm new to SQL Server and Visual Basic. This book looked like it would be the perfect introduction to both, but it seems to have been rushed to market. It appears that chapters 11 and 12 were once a single chapter, and were split without a lot of subsequent editing in either the book or the sample code on the website. On the second page of Chapter 12, for example, it says "The samples to this point in the chapter...", but there haven't been any samples to this point in the chapter. This is somewhat understandable in a printed book, but as I write this (5/13/2006) the book has been out for almost 5 months, and the sample code on the website still has all the code piled together in a folder called "Sample code for chapters 11 and 12". This makes it harder than it needs to be to find the code the author is referring to when one wants to get some context for the snippets of code in the book.

I don't have a problem with repetition in a book like this, because if you use books like this the way I do, you go straight to the table of contents or the index and then to whatever topic promises to solve the coding problem you're facing. A little repetition makes it more likely that all the information I need will be there in one place. With this book, that was generally the case -- I wasn't flipping back to Chapter 3 to understand a concept the author was discussing in Chapter 10.

The book has been useful to me in understanding SQL Server Express and how it can be used with Visual Basic Express. I wish it had more information about the VBE IDE and the files it generates, but the sample code appears to compile and work, and the explanations are clear and easily understood. There is also no real discussion of regular expressions, which (for me) is one of the new features of VB that made it worth reconsidering. The author dismisses them with the equivalent of "lots of people still don't understand them, so stick with String expressions", which just seems boneheaded to me.

I liked the fact that information about T-SQL and sqlcmd is included alongside the GUI alternatives. With the exception of regex info, most of what I needed to go from knowing nothing to knowing enough to get my work done was in the book and sample code. Considering the short shelf life of books like this one, and the tremendous effort that must go into writing and publishing them, I'm surprised that there are so many of them. While not perfect, I consider this to be one of the better ones.

I have just a little experience in access 2000 so the thought of moving to SQL databases was scary. Rick Dobson did a great job of taking the fear out of SQL with his book Beginning SQL Server 2005 Express. He takes you step by step through the process of working with SQL Server 2005 Express. The lessons are paced for the beginners and the code examples work, that in it self is something new. He starts you at the beginners level and then brings you to some of the advanced topics.

I am only a few chapters into the book and I'm already starting to feel comfortable working with SQL databases. If you are just starting out in databases then this book is a must have.

The main problem I have is with the lack of editting. His choice of words can really leave you confused sometimes. I keep having to cross out unneeded words and correct his grammar so that the puzzle will be solved if I need to come back and read the same part later.

And like one reviewer said, it's true: the author repeats a LOT of stuff. The book is frankly boring, so getting repeats of boredom is a double whammy.

And one other thing, it's not a project book. It's more like a random collection of summaries of projects he's done, as if you should know what he's talking about. The first real project doesn't begin until page 371. And even then, it's more like a review of notes he took while learning, instead of an explanation designed to elighten new learners.

I'm sure the author is very intelligence and very skilled with SSE, but I would like to see a better book. I'm sure the author is very intelligence and very skilled with SSE, but I would like to see a better book. Hehe, I just imitated his style with that repeat ;)

This may be the worst technical book I have ever purchased. It is printed in a very small font with almost no white space so it is very tiring to read. Worse, almost all of the text is wasted. The book needs a good editor. It uses lots of words to say very little and repeats the little it does say endlessly. There are other faults. It continues to use features from the Beta version of the software that the author acknowledges are not in the released version. It does not include a CD, so examples have to be downloaded from a website. The website files are also repetitious, much larger than necessary, and do not include the source for chapter 11 (Chapter 12 is included twice).

If I have any complaint about this book, it is for the publisher, not the author. I would have appreciated a better visual layout. The material is dense--the pages shouldn't be. But the information within the book is very useful, both for SQL Server express 2005 and for Visual Basic Express 2005 as well. Mr. Dobson clearly knows and loves his topic.

I don't know where to begin with this book. It is such an awesome resource. Although you can get a lot of user documentation online, this book does an excellent job at helping someone new to setting everything up to really understand all of the technical jargon. The examples and explanations for Visual Web Developer and VB are great. However, I wouldn't say this book is completely for the novice, unless you are defining novice as someone proficient in VB programming and web design. And I don't know how useful this will be to an expert either. It's really great for a middle-of-the-road skill-set.

'Beginning SQL Server 2005 Express Database Applications with Visual Basic Express and Visual Web Developer Express: From Novice to Professional' by Rick Dobson is a very nice learning tool for beginners who want to learn how to use SQL Server 2005 Express and Visual Basic Express to create database/client apps that will get the job done and done well. With ~600 page of material, the author leads you through the basics of what SQL Server 2005 and Visual Basic is and the power that these APIs have at your disposal. You'll go from a simple app and database to learning how to build these up in a logical, fun way.

If you are new to these technologies and want to learn, I feel that this is a great resource to use to flood your brain with new information. For those that complain this book isn't too good, it's not meant to be a book for uber programmers but newbies. I think if you want to learn, you ought to give this a try!

***** RECOMMENDED

Nowadays, it is all too common for someone with a competing interest to dis a book in the hopes of steering others away. After reading several of the negative reviews for this book, I was worried that might be happening here.

When I checked out this book in a bookstore and compared it with four others on SQL Express 2005, I found this one to be a superior presentation of the subject. It is cogent and will written, and provides analysis that goes well beyond the beginning level. The overall presentation is well crafted and easy to follow.

The type-face is small, but that just means that you get more for your money, as there is a lot of meat on these pages. The author addressed my issues supprisingly well. The insights he gave show that he has considerable experience with the subject and has thought carefully about how to present it. I highly recommend this book if you really want to understand the subject matter.

The book does what it says - "Beginning SQL Server 2005..."

It provides a comprehensive overview of SQL Express 2005 (I havnt read Part 2 yet on Visual Web\Basic Developer Express but a quick scan through it shows it is also aimed at beginners.

The title of the book really shouldn't include "from novice to Professional" as there are no advanced topics.

It's very hard to read this book. There is very much nonsense text. Many words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages should have been deleted. General nonsense is mixed with crucial information, so you can't skim through passages. Beginner info (like how to install) is mixed with advanced stuff. Repeats endlessly stuff about different versions, etc.. No logic between the paragraphs. Very messy. He often uses unexplained words and abbreviations. It makes SQL look impossible. I will never by a Rick Dobson book again.