Using Google App Engine (Paperback)

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Product Description

With this book, you can build exciting, scalable web applications quickly and confidently, using Google App Engine -- even if you have little or no experience in programming or web development. App Engine is one of the most exciting web technologies to appear in the last year, providing a simple, easy-to-use application framework with basic web tools. While Google's own tutorial assumes significant development experience, Using Google App Engine is for anyone who wants to get started with this platform. By the end of the book, you'll know how to build complete, interactive applications and deploy them to "the cloud," using the same servers that power Google applications. You will:

Get an overview of all the technologies necessary to use Google App Engine Learn how to use Python, HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTTP, and DataStore, App Engine's database Grasp the technical aspects necessary to create sophisticated, dynamic web applications Understand what's required to deploy your applications to Google servers

In addition to being a foundational resource for beginning programmers, Using Google App Engine is also an excellent book for experienced programmers who want to acquire working knowledge of web technologies. Building web applications used to be for experts only, but with Google App Engine -- and this book -- anyone can create a dynamic web presence.

About the Author

Charles Severance is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, and works with the IMS Global Learning Consortium as the IMS Developer Network Coordinator. He's the author of High Performance Computing, Second Edition (O'Reilly). His home page is http://www.dr-chuck.com.

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Product Details Paperback: 241 pages Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (May 1, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 059680069X ISBN-13: 978-0596800697 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #22 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Home Computing > Internet > Web Browsers #93 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Web Development > Web Services

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	73% buy the item featured on this page: Using Google App Engine 2.9 out of 5 stars (8) $19.79
	9% buy Developing with Google App Engine (Firstpress) 2.5 out of 5 stars (4) $17.99
	8% buy Programming Google App Engine (Animal Guide) $29.69
	5% buy Google Apps: The Missing Manual 4.5 out of 5 stars (8) $26.39

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (3)           Average Customer Review 2.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 18 of 19 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars a self-contained book on programming, July 21, 2009 By  Philip Greenspun (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I've been programming for 33 years, so in theory I shouldn't like a book that wastes pages explaining what HTTP and HTML are. Nor should I thrill to the first section in the Python chapter, which is called "What is Programming?" How come I like this book so much then? It is a self-contained 240-page book on programming. A smart motivated person with no experience could sit down and build a functional cloud app. If you had a friend who wanted to see what the life of a computer nerd was like, this is a great book. Is it as useful as the Google App Engine online docs? Not for an experienced programmer, but for the novice it is nice not to have to refer to a dozen interlocking books and Web sites in order to get "hello world" working. The world needs more computer programming books like this. 7 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Good content...once you get to it, June 7, 2009 By  Echo (USA) - See all my reviews I'm a programmer/web developer by trade, and I had dabbled a little bit with GAE and wanted this book to have a physical copy (I like carrying books around) for reference. The content regarding GAE is really good, once you get to it. Unfortunately, half the book is chock full of what I jokingly refer to as the "History of the Internet" chapters. Some books actually have a "History of the Internet" chapter, but this book has 4 chapters explaining the web, HTML, CSS, and Python. If you don't know HTML, CSS, and Python, go buy books about those topics. Maybe the author should have added chapters on "How to Use a Computer" and "How to Read this Book". It feels like the author needed X-number of pages and just filled the first half with fluff. That's why I give this book 3 stars. The actual GAE content, however, is really good and helpful. It doesn't go as deep as I would like, but that doesn't keep it from getting a 5 star review for this part. So really, my review is 5 stars and 1 star, averaging out to 3 stars. I buy O'Reilly books because I don't expect them to be marketed at the "for Dummies" crowd. It's usually safe to assume that the books teach the topic and assume most of the previous knowledge. Unfortunately, because the book spends half the chapters on the Dummies content and the other half not going deep enough, I have to give it 3 stars, which is really too bad because I like the way the good GAE content is present...it's just not enough. 5 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Cloud web development made easy, June 2, 2009 By  Marc ALIER FORMENT "Dr Ludo" (Barcelona , Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I betatested this book before publishing for teaching a two week programming course in the University of Bobo, Burkina Fasso, during a cooperation stage. This book not only explains with ease and clarity how to develop applications for the Google Appengine, but also explains very well the fundamentals of a web application (all the underlying architecture, protocols and languages) and the python language. After following this course the students are pursuing their own projects in python and appengine. The code examples provided can be used as starting point for bigger applications.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Textbook I use this as my textbook in my class on learning to design web pages, and I have found it to be easy to understand and useful, especially with a teacher to supplement when I have... Read more Published 1 month ago by ananda01 1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book This book is hard to follow - the code examples are built progressively throughout the chapters. If the code is available in one place I haven't been able to find it. Read more Published 2 months ago by G. Kobzeff 1.0 out of 5 stars Should be called HTML for dummies This book is TERRIBLE. As others have mentioned, 2/3 of the content feels repurposed from an early-90s text on HTML. Read more Published 4 months ago by Web Buyer 1.0 out of 5 stars Should be called: Web development for noobs, has little to do with Google AppEngine First of all, half the book is dedicated to the most cursory intros of Python, HTML, CSS, and HTTP. I remember that back in 1995 there were a lot of useful books in the market... Read more Published 4 months ago by Antonio Rodriguez 2.0 out of 5 stars Half the book isn't even about the app engine The book is a disappointment on several levels. The first 100 pages are devoted to chapters on HTML, CSS, python, and some general information about the Internet. Read more Published 5 months ago by E. Cooper Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059680069X
• ISBN-13: 978-0596800697
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #22 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Home Computing > Internet > Web Browsers
  #93 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Web Development > Web Services

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a self-contained book on programming, July 21, 2009

By	Philip Greenspun (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been programming for 33 years, so in theory I shouldn't like a book that wastes pages explaining what HTTP and HTML are. Nor should I thrill to the first section in the Python chapter, which is called "What is Programming?"

How come I like this book so much then?

It is a self-contained 240-page book on programming. A smart motivated person with no experience could sit down and build a functional cloud app. If you had a friend who wanted to see what the life of a computer nerd was like, this is a great book. Is it as useful as the Google App Engine online docs? Not for an experienced programmer, but for the novice it is nice not to have to refer to a dozen interlocking books and Web sites in order to get "hello world" working.

The world needs more computer programming books like this.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good content...once you get to it, June 7, 2009

By	Echo (USA) - See all my reviews

I'm a programmer/web developer by trade, and I had dabbled a little bit with GAE and wanted this book to have a physical copy (I like carrying books around) for reference. The content regarding GAE is really good, once you get to it. Unfortunately, half the book is chock full of what I jokingly refer to as the "History of the Internet" chapters. Some books actually have a "History of the Internet" chapter, but this book has 4 chapters explaining the web, HTML, CSS, and Python. If you don't know HTML, CSS, and Python, go buy books about those topics. Maybe the author should have added chapters on "How to Use a Computer" and "How to Read this Book". It feels like the author needed X-number of pages and just filled the first half with fluff. That's why I give this book 3 stars.

The actual GAE content, however, is really good and helpful. It doesn't go as deep as I would like, but that doesn't keep it from getting a 5 star review for this part.

So really, my review is 5 stars and 1 star, averaging out to 3 stars. I buy O'Reilly books because I don't expect them to be marketed at the "for Dummies" crowd. It's usually safe to assume that the books teach the topic and assume most of the previous knowledge. Unfortunately, because the book spends half the chapters on the Dummies content and the other half not going deep enough, I have to give it 3 stars, which is really too bad because I like the way the good GAE content is present...it's just not enough.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cloud web development made easy, June 2, 2009

By	Marc ALIER FORMENT "Dr Ludo" (Barcelona , Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I betatested this book before publishing for teaching a two week programming course in the University of Bobo, Burkina Fasso, during a cooperation stage.
This book not only explains with ease and clarity how to develop applications for the Google Appengine, but also explains very well the fundamentals of a web application (all the underlying architecture, protocols and languages) and the python language. After following this course the students are pursuing their own projects in python and appengine.
The code examples provided can be used as starting point for bigger applications.