Book Description
DotNetNuke is a powerful open source framework that creates and deploys robust modules on the ASP.NET platform. Written by its core team of developers, this book will provide you with the tools and insight you'll need to install, configure, and develop your own stunning Web applications using DotNetNuke 4.
You'll first gain an inside look into the history of this project as well as the basic operations of a DotNetNuke portal. You'll then find detailed information on how the application is architected and how you can extend it by building modules and skins. With this information, you'll be able to complete projects such as commercial Web sites, corporate intranets and extranets, online publishing portals, and custom vertical applications.
What you will learn from this book
- The latest features and functionality of DotNetNuke 4 for ASP.NET 2.0
- The best way to install DotNetNuke on the server
- Proven tips for managing and administering a DotNetNuke portal
- How to dramatically enhance your Web site's user interface using skins
- Techniques for extending the portal framework
- Ways to create a unique look for your porta
Who this book is for
This book is for the nondeveloper or administrator who wants to dive into the exciting DotNetNuke framework. It is also for experienced ASP.NET developers who want to use DotNetNuke to build dynamic ASP.NET sites or create add-ins to DotNetNuke.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Customer Reviews:
Great Buy very Infomative.......2007-10-22
When I started with DotNetNuke a year ago I knew absolutely nothing about it. I bought a copy of professional DotNetNuke 4 read it cover to cover and it did wonders. It is very easy to understand it covers everything you need to know, and best of all it is a great reference even when you have experience with DotNetNuke. I still reach for this book to answer most of my questions.
Exactly What You Don't Need To Use DotNetNuke 4.x.......2007-03-25
This book is NOT for you if you need to seriously use DotNetNuke or if you are going to embark on custom module development.
This book is definitely for you if you want to know why Shaun Walker and the other core folks made certain decisions from 1.x through 4.x. This is only useful if you have to write a review or report on DotNetNuke for a magazine or blog.
I've been using DotNetNuke seriously since before it was DotNetNuke and I have read all the books written about DotNetNuke through version 4.x. Frustratingly, none of the books gets my recommendation and this particular book is at the bottom. This book is full of general explanations that do you no good if you need to use DotNetNuke.
This book is a shining example of the Achilles heel of DotNetNuke: it's a framework by architects, for architects.
If you want to see what DotNetNuke ought to be more like, get the XMod module (it's a third-party product and I'm not affiliated with it in anyway and I'm not going to give you a link to it, just search for XMod).
XMod is doing what DotNetNuke should be doing because XMod is a user's product. If you don't really want to make your own module or find that the documentation on customizing DNN just does not cut it -- get something like XMod. You'll still be using DotNetNuke but something like XMod is well documented and provides many duplicate features of DNN that accomplish functions similar to DNN but in a much, much more robust and usable way.
In the case of both DNN and XMod the "user" refers to a developer.
Don't let anyone fool you, DNN is a developer's product and you need to know a lot about all the web applicaiton technologies involved and ought to be able to use Visual Studio and SQL at a minimum.
But the nutty thing about this book is that it spends half its time speaking above the developer talking about architectural decisions and other esoterica that will not tell you enough to mimic the architecture or use the code unless you are already a DNN expert developer.
This book will drive you mad if you are a developer who is not afraid to compile a VS project and you are looking for an answer such as, "How do I just add a couple of columns to the Survey module table, a bit of extra business logic and a few cosmetic changes I need?" This book will only reiterate that DNN modules are scattered all over the place in this provider and that or this App_Code folder or that. And that DNN achieves an oh-so-wonderful but madingly obfuscatory 'separation of Church and State' architecture.
The rest of the time this book talks below the developer and gives worthless "For Dummies" information about how to use the various modules like Announcements and Links. For goodness sake Wrox, how in the world did you pass off such a disjoint amalgam of chapters?
DotNetNuke is a very good application framework. Today (Spring 2007) DotNetNuke 4.5 is the best starting point for your web application regardless of size or deployment. DNN blows the LAMP alternatives out of the water.
It remains to be seen if DNN will continue to be needed. My prediciton is "No". DNN is already being absorbed into .NET & Visual Studio and will continue to be absorbed. The only wildcard is the need for Microsoft to present the illusion of "Open Source". It is an illusion because in truth, Microsoft directly funds and virtually controls DotNetNuke. (Sorry, Shaun, it's a fact even you admit in this book. But it's okay with me and most DNN users.)
Even though this book spends and inordinate amount of time explaining "For Dummies" details, it does not provide enough to be useful! For instance, it tells yous about the editor and the discussion module and then promptly dismisses both as inferior to modules you ought to go download. So, you are left on your own to use a module that is not documented.
Trying to develop a custom module in any version of DotNetNuke is not for the uninitiated and chances are you bought this book because you are endeavoring to create a custom module. You would think this book would excel at providing assistance to the custom module developer. But alas it does not.
It is full of "we did this in version 3 because people wanted that in version 2, etc." rather than getting down and dirty into custom module development. Also the examples are incomplete snippets and only in VB.
I will conclude this epistle with a plea to Shaun and the Core: Stop writing books! Instead, provide thorough, updated online documentation, tutorials and private forums. I'd pay way more than the price of this book for a library of sample projects (And please in C#!) with tutorials and explicit instructions. For instance, take Michael Washington's tutorials. I'd pay for access to that type of resource if it were fleshed out a bit more, presented in a more organized fashion and included in-depth documentation and access to private forums to ask questions and get help when deadlines need to be met (on a pay-per-use basis if necessary).
Trying to follow an example in this book will drive you mad because it always leaves out all the REALLY IMPORTANT details like paths, settings, options, creating and configuring IIS for webhost sites versus localhost sites etc. Constantly the book says things like, "If your site is hosted, you'll have to do this part differently." REALLY!? Just HOW is it done differently!? THAT'S WHAT I BOUGHT THE BOOK FOR!
P.S. It is quite evident that few of the Core Team actually use DotNetNuke. The Core really needs to add some serious users to its ranks. Right now it is just a bunch of (very good) system programmers. System programmers we all know are topnotch in their areas of expertise but usually suck at knowing what makes an application a winner with the end users. The upshot is that we who do know the latter end up spending the bulk of our DNN time tweaking under, over and around the ugliness and clumsiness of DNN. This ugly clumsiness can be seen architecturally where too many times, when you need another of something you have to create a new modules and there is no way you (the developer) are going to let end users add modules to pages. So you end up not being able to use a module only because you cannot get "another" one without adding a new module to a page.
Not for the developer (or nondeveloper) ..........2007-03-25
My expectations appear to be in sync with other developers looking for a book that really goes under the hood to explain how to develop modules for the DotNetNuke portal framework. Much of what is written here you can find in their other book geared toward DNN 3. For example, page 58 in the DotNetNuke Portals book is page 88 in this one. I also agree with others that much of the information in this book has already been covered in the DNN documentation, the online help, and more thoroughly in Lorraine Young's DNN Guide (I understand that she is authoring a DotNetNuke for Dummies book, also not geared towards the developer, and which I have a hunch will also be a re-hash of her DNN Guide - which is rather good for its intended audience).
I hate to be so harsh here but I hope that the message gets across that developers are really looking for a solid technical book with practical examples on how to program for this framework, and tips and tricks for leveraging the DNN framework as well. Daniel Egan's first book covering DNN 3 was a very good attempt (his second was yet another re-hash, though). Traincert.net has a video which describes a creative way to setup your development environment to develop DNN modules for DNN4/VS 2k5, but that's about all...
I hope that Shaun and the other's who are responsible for putting together such a terrific open source application see an opportunity here.
A Waste of Your Money and Time.......2007-03-13
Without a doubt the worst technical documentation that I actually had to pay for. This book is one long self-indulgent testament to the developers and the community that has evolved around this product. Good for them, but as a technical manual it fails to deliver in any category: as a User Maunal, Administrative Guide, Programmer's Maunal or even just a Technical Reference. Worse, it hopelessly mixes this different kind of information together at the lowest levels.
Some of the other reviews allude to the high amount of "filler". The truth is though that this book is almost entirely filler; real content is scarce indeed. A staggering 54 pages are devoted to DotNetNuke and Shuan Walker's history when 2 pages would have covered it. Every tech-writer filler trick is used to get the books enormous page count(481). The pages are filled with enormous unannotated screen shots, long tables of program constants with little or no context to properly apply them and that staple of all modern bad programming documentation: extensive unannotated listings of the program's source code.
Save your money and your time on this one.
Refer to DNNs online Docs.......2007-03-02
There isn't much more in this book than is already available for free, to registered users, on the DotNetNuke website. I develop web based applications daily in DNN and barely, if ever, refer to this book. Register for a free account at the DotNetNuke website and consult the free documentation, of which this book is a regurgitation of, along with the forums.
Book Description
There is a wealth of open and free software available today for Windows developers who want to extend the development environment, reduce development effort and increase productivity. Windows Developer Power Tools is an encyclopedic guide to more than 100 free and open source tools available to programmers who build applications for Windows desktops and servers, including web applications and services. With its unique task-oriented organization, this book will help you find the tools you need to solve common (and uncommon) problems. Each tool in the book includes a capsule summary -- a mini user's guide -- to help readers get up to speed quickly. Also, plenty of links point you to additional detail online if you wish to delve more deeply into features and functionality. This one-stop resource covers a wide range of open source and freeware tools to help you answer questions around planning, developing, testing, and rolling out great software.
Customer Reviews:
Bookshelf essentials - Windows Developer Power Tools.......2007-10-17
Windows Developer Power Tools: Turbocharge Windows development with more than 140 free and open source tools (Power Tools)
Overview
Open-source and free developer/performance tools can be found in abundance on the internet today but one of the few issues that generally comes up after you've gotten hold of one is "how does this work?".
On occasion you'll start to use a tool or add-in only to find out later on that there's a much better way to utilise the power you suddenly have at your hands - but by then, you've spent hours already "mis-using" the tool.
This book arms you with information, tips and tricks, how-tos and descriptions on a host of known, and possibly unknown, tools that will seriously help you speed up your development - so why not be the hero of the office and start developing smartly!
Over the last couple of years i've been in and out of windows and web development and felt that i was comfortable in both arenas. But after reading this book I knew that I could have been a much more efficient developer if only I'd known about the tools it explores.
The book is divided into suitable chapters, making it very easy to use the book for fast reference if you suddenly remember that you once read (somewhere?) about a tool doing exactly what you're trying to achieve in the old fashioned way - doing it yourself from scratch.
Each chapter (or tool/tip/add-in) is presented in an easily to understand english, with a logical order that makes reading this book a pleasure. Some books comes across with technical jargon without explanations for the varied levels of developers out there, but this book can easily be enjoyed by both the experienced developer and the starting rising star.
Some of my most favorite tools are included in this book, such as Anthem.Net, which encapsulates web forms and extends AJAX capability without having to write a single line of JavaScript.
Other tools which was new to me, included CopySourceAsHTML, and the experience with which i've had with posting code over the years, or including snippets in documentation, has just been greatly improved.
Conclusion
What i found most pleasing about this book, is the consistency in which it presents each topic for you. The authors has gone to great length to make it a flawless experience in reading this book and even though many has contributed to the content, the layout is flawlessly simple.
A very easy read and a bookshelf essential! Five stars...
Excellent Productivity Booster.......2007-10-01
[...]
Until reading this book, I did not realize how much productivity I stood to gain.
When I first agreed to review this book I didn't know what I was really getting into. I expected a brief catalog of fairly standard, well-known tools which would only come as a surprise to fresh graduate. I expected I getting a small pocket-sized book which I could devour in one train ride. I could not have been more wrong.
The book covers over 170 Open Source tools across a wide variety of development domains from Windows Forms and Web Development, to working with Databases and XML data. Each tool will in some way enhance your productivity in some way, allowing you to do the things your really enjoy about writing software on the Microsoft Windows platform. The productivity gains vary from being able to generate the tedious 80% of your project to those 5 second boosts which all add up and prevent RSI.
Each of the 23 chapters is targeted at a particular issue or development task and opens with one or two pages describing this task. These are so well written that I think the opening of Chapter 9 [Analyzing Your Code], which gives a quick explanation of code metrics, is my favorite section of the whole book. This means that the book is not just an encyclopedic reference of tools, but also of modern development techniques.
After the introduction a very brief description of each tool follows. These are great memory refreshers once you have read the book and are repeated on the companion web-site. Each tool is then given its own section and the chapter closes with a bibliography for people interested in finding out more.
This structure of "Introduction, Overview data, Full text, Where to get more information" is repeated for each tool. The overview data includes such information as:
The version covered
The home page
The license type
Which versions of the .NET Framework are supported
A collection of related tools for cross-referencing purposes
The full text of each tool explains where to get the tool, how to install it and how to get started using it allowing you to jump straight in and leverage the tool. This section is often littered with useful screenshots which give you a glimpse at the experience you will find when using the tool. The text for each tool closes with instructions for getting support on the tool and often a brief passage from the tools creator explaining the thinking behind creating the tool.
If that weren't enough, the book also has a companion website at www.windevpowertools.com where all of the tools are listed and tagged, each with a download link enabling you to download one straight from the site. You can even create your own "toolbox" and add tools from the site to it, allowing you to quickly and easily provision new machines from the web site itself.
All in all I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I would have liked to have seen more information about the selection process for the tools and readers would do well to remember that a tools inclusion (or lack of inclusion) in the text is not necessarily an indicator of its maturity or usefulness. Be sure that you have a lot of time if you buy this book as you are likely to download, install, and play with many of the tools. If you do then using a virtual machine is highly recommended. None of the tools did anything harmful to my computer, but having 170 tools running at once just isn't advised!
Great for anybody who wants to be more productive.......2007-09-18
I'm big into using the right tools for the right jobs. One can find a gazillion of tools out there on the internet, so it's hard to decide which ones are actually worth checking out. This book remedies that by giving you a consolidated list of tools that everybody developer should at least have a look at.
I also blogged about this book at:
http://claudiolassala.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!E2A4B22308B39CD2!356.entry
Excellent Reference Guide to Developer's Tools.......2007-08-16
This book is an excellent source of useful tools and mini-howto guides. I especially like the layout where each tool is described along with links to the code, a summary of its abilities and a mini-howto on how to get started with the tool. The book gives a nice cross section of tools for all occasions, broken up by category. If you are new to development or are needing a tool to help you develop code then this book will probably point you in the right direction.
The reason for 4 stars rather than 5 is more because of the topic rather than the book itself or the authors. By its very definition some of the tools were outdated by the time of the book's release. It is a limitation of the publishing process. The authors simply have no way of knowing what tools will be available at the time of the books release. Therefore readers should not assume that each tool is the best in its category. Nor should readers assume that the howto guides are completely accurate for the current version. This book could have really used a CD containing each of the tools at the time of the writing so readers could get a feel for the tool without: a) having to download the tool separately, and b) try to match the current version of the tool to the version discussed in the book. Even better would have been a VPC image that users could run without having to install all the tools on their own system.
I'm hoping the authors put out a new edition later and, perhaps, include a CD of the tools. Until then this is one of the best books available for getting information on some really useful developer tools.
Excellent Resource.......2007-08-03
Clocking in at close to 1300 pages, this book is an excellent resource for almost every Windows developer scenario you can think of. It's certainly not a book you're going to read cover-to-cover, but the next time you're implementing a project of type X (SQL, unit testing, performance monitoring, etc. etc. etc.) you'll want to look it up in this book to see what tools are available to aid you in your development goal.
One of the things I found wonderful about this book is that not only does it list the tool, where it's available, and basic stats, but it also goes in depth on how to use the tool to fit the need with sample source code, screen shots, and real-world examples.
Great stuff. It should be on every Windows developer's bookshelf.
Book Description
OPEN NET is another inimitable account of an amateur's foibles meeting the world of professional sport.
George Plimpton takes to the ice a goalie for the Boston Bruins, after first signing a document holding the team harmless if he should meet with injury or death as their amateur goaltender. He survives a game against the Philadelphia Flyers relaticely unscathed - and brings back this memorable portrait of the rough-and-tumble world of professional hockey.
Customer Reviews:
Great Hockey book.......2006-06-30
If you enjoy Ice Hockey, especially from a historical perspective, this is the book to read. Fans of Don Cherry will love this book.
He shoots and scores!.......2006-01-30
George Plimpton once again dons a uniform and plays a game. This time he tackles hockey while training with the Boston Bruins.
Plimpton does a wonderful job of painting a realistic view of life as a goalie. He uses the voices of other players to help the story along, rather than as just filler from big names. He also tells his tale without a lot of false excitement. You can tell he totally loves the experience, yet at times, you can see the effort does drain him (naturally).
His comments about and conversations with the likes of 'Seaweed' Pettie, Garry Cheevers and Don Cheery really add a lot of depth to the book. In conversations I have had with some of these men, I clearly got the point that they enjoyed this as much as Plimpton did and as much as I did as a reader.
This is a great read for the unfulfilled athlete in all of us.
THE MAN BETWEEN THE PIPES SCORES.......2004-12-05
THIS IS ONE OF PLIMPTON'S BEST. I REALLY ENJOYED HIS STORY PLAYING GOAL FOR THE BRUINS. HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES ARE EXCELLENT. HIS DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EVENTS MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT THERE ON THE ICE WITH HIM. PLIMPTON DOESN'T WASTE TOO MUCH TIME DESCRIBING HIS SURROUNDINGS LIKE HE DOES IN OTHER BOOKS. HE GOES STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. SOME HIGHLIGHTS ARE DESCRIBING HOW HE PUTS HIS UNIFORM ON IN A DETAILED ORDER, OLD STORIES ABOUT EDDIE SHORE, AND HIS ACTUAL TIME ON THE ICE PLAYING GOAL DURING A COUPLE OF EXHIBITION GAMES MAKE THIS A GREAT READ.
WONDERFUL BOOK...I MISS GEORGE.......2004-04-03
As a big hockey fan, and a goaltender, this was just required reading. Yet, it turned out to be more. This well written, quick read was a gas to enjoy and quote. I will be glad to read others by George Plimpton, and I'm already on the hunt for PAPER LION.
I guess thats my ringing endorcement. If I'm looking to read a book on football, the author must be wonderful. Quick, funny, well written, and vastly enjoyable, you wont regret buying this book, no matter what the price.
A real treat - thanks George!.......2003-12-13
This book was a real joy to read. It was a pleasure to take in George's unique observations as he bravely went where no non-athlete has been before, between the pipes to guard the goal of the famed Boston Bruins.
What makes this book so special is George's lack of prejudice and his ability to tell a story complete with the smells, sights, thoughts, feelings and emotions of being completely overwhelmed by a situation that he has absolutely no control over.
His story-telling is succinct and yet descriptive enough so that the reader feels like s/he is in the room with George, as he talks with players, coaches, hockey wives, fans, etc.
Throughout the book, it amused me to picture George holding a conversation these hockey players - his Ivy-league mesmerisms and accent remarkable proof that he is a stranger in this crowd.
It is impressive that Plimpton is not judgmental in his analysis of this much maligned sport. He has a splendid time in his experiences, and I had an equally splendid time reading his book. Don't worry that this book was published in the 80s, as this is a timeless storytelling achievement.
Book Description
The Mono Project is the much talked-about open source initiative to create a Unix implementation of Microsoft's .NET Development Framework. Its purpose is to allow Unix developers to build and deploy cross-platform .NET applications. The project has also sparked interest in developing components, libraries and frameworks with C#, the programming language of .NET. The controversy? Some say Mono will become the preferred platform for Linux development, empowering Linux/Unix developers. Others say it will allow Microsoft to embrace, extend, and extinguish Linux. The controversy rages on, but--like many developers--maybe you've had enough talk and want to see what Mono is really all about. There's one way to find out: roll up your sleeves, get to work, and see what you Mono can do. How do you start? You can research Mono at length. You can play around with it, hoping to figure things out for yourself. Or, you can get straight to work with Mono: A Developer's Notebook--a hands-on guide and your trusty lab partner as you explore Mono 1.0. Light on theory and long on practical application, Mono: A Developer's Notebook bypasses the talk and theory, and jumps right into Mono 1.0. Diving quickly into a rapid tour of Mono, you'll work through nearly fifty mini-projects that will introduce you to the most important and compelling aspects of the 1.0 release. Using the task-oriented format of this new series, you'll learn how to acquire, install, and run Mono on Linux, Windows, or Mac OS X. You'll work with the various Mono components: Gtk#, the Common Language Runtime, the class libraries (both .NET and Mono-provided class libraries), IKVM and the Mono C# compiler. No other resource will take you so deeply into Mono so quickly or show you as effectively what Mono is capable of. The new Developer's Notebooks series from O'Reilly covers important new tools for software developers. Emphasizing example over explanation and practice over theory, they focus on learning by doing--you'll get the goods straight from the masters, in an informal and code-intensive style that suits developers. If you've been curious about Mono, but haven't known where to start, this no-fluff, lab-style guide is the solution.
Customer Reviews:
A good introduction to Mono development for experienced programmers. .......2006-03-23
Mono: A Developer's Notebook is an addition to O'Reilly's Developer's Notebook series, aimed at helping experienced programmers come quickly up speed on a new technologies and platforms. These books are heavy on code and examples, and light on theory. This book lives up to this mission well.
From the opening pages of the book, we learn that "Mono is an open source cross-platform, implementation of the .NET development framework." If you're an experienced programmer looking to take a dip into the .NET world, but not so eager to enter the Microsoft end of the pool, you're probably in for a treat with Mono: A Developer's Notebook.
This book gets going very quickly. The first chapter takes you through getting Mono up and running on your machine, with instructions provided for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. Although as Mono is such a moving target, much of what's there is likely already outdated. Even shortly after the book was released, I found discrepancies and differences in the process of getting Mono up and running on my own machine while following the book. Your mileage may vary. If you're the sharp arrow this book targets, that probably wont stand in your way. This chapter is followed by a whirlwind introduction to C#, aimed squarely at folks who already have a language or two under their belt.
The rest of the book provides examples of using Mono to accomplish common tasks such as working with files, strings, and regular expressions, GUI programming with GTK#, processing XML, and network programming. Each chapter has a number of "labs", in which a given task is explored, and sample code is provided to illustrate common ways to handle each task. The book is rather fast paced, and assumes a lot of its reader. Each chapter provides pointers to further resources about the given topic if you find yourself wanting to know more.
All in all, if you're the type who can skim over the basics and take it from there, then this book is likely to please. It gives you just enough information to get you on your way, but doesn't belabor the point with endless details. If, on the other hand, you enjoy probing through obscure corners of language references and exploring the nuances of syntax and expression, then this book is likely to leave you somewhat hungry.
The book is well written and easy to follow for an experienced programmer. Example code is plentiful, and clearly written. The code certainly takes center stage in the book. I did, however, notice a lot of typos and 'bugs' in the text. Perhaps that enhances the feel of a "developer's notebook", but even still the book could stand to have a little better proof-reading. One final nit-pick. Each page in the book is made to look like the page of a lab notebook, complete with a grid as the page background. A nice design touch, but a little hard on the eyes to comfortably read.
Bottom line, if you're an experienced developer looking to quickly come up to speed on C# and .NET development in the Mono environment, then this book will likely be a valuable investment.
Excelente servicio.......2006-03-02
Amazon respondió muy rápido y completamente seguro y confiable. El libro lo recibí incluso antes de lo notificado por Amazon.
Excellent Developer's Notebook.......2005-12-01
Mono, A Developers Notebook
By Edd Dumbill and Niel M. Bornstein
Published by O'Reilly
ISBN 0-596-00792-2
Reviewed by Steven Mullins-HuNTUG member
Another excellent developer's notebook is out and this is it.
I have found a lot of folks like myself that can't afford the subscription fees for the high end Microsoft products and for a cross platform environment. This works without the headaches of having to set a lot of rules and policies.
The book puts it all out there for you to get you ready to start real work, not having to learn where all the tools and the connections and repositories are. I have a small C# base and still get confused about certain things but this has really helped speed up with the basics. I have found that there are a lot of choices when we pick a language and the key to any good program is cross compatible and multiple language use.
This is extremely lightweight (you don't need a DVD worth of setup) I was happy to read this book and to get to the code samples that are always at the website.
This was another well thought out developer guide that O'Reilly is famous for.
I rate this 4 stars
Very fast reading (which is good).......2004-09-29
All I wanted was to know how (difficult) would a .NET to Mono migration be. So - from a perspective of someone who has used .NET for a while and is curious about Mono - this book is a great read: concise, well written and sufficient. Not crusted with boring details - thank God! So, this certainly is not the only book on C# and Mono a newby needs.. It shouldn't be. To summarise - this book is a fast read and .NET-to-Mono migration much smoother than expected.
Coverage of C# specific to Mono.......2004-09-26
Turns out there is more to making C# cross platform than I thought. Turns out the majority of the core of .NET is cross-platform when you use Mono, but the UI portion is not. So the book mainly concentrates on the use of GTK#, spending about 80 out of 250 pages on it. Other sections include XML processing, networking, core .NET, and installation.
The well written, concise, and focused. This is a strength, and a weakness. The book may be too focused by design. Which leaves you in a situation where you don't have enough book to be valuable on it's own. You will still need O'Reilly's Programming C# book to start learning C#.
I recommend this book to anyone looking to start with GTK#, or who is interested in porting their C# code off the Windows platform. I do not recommend this book for someone just starting out with C#.
Book Description
Mono is an open-source implementation of the infrastructure upon which Microsoft's .NET Framework is built. Providing a compatible option with all of the technical features of .NET without the restrictive licensing and prohibitive costs that Microsoft imposes, the Mono project was initiated and co-financed by Ximian Corporation for the development of an open source version of .NET Framework for Linux/Unix and Windows platforms (Mac OS X support will be added)..
Mono will allow cross-platform programming and operating of .NET compatible applications. Experts see the presence of a Unix-compatible version as decisive for the success of .NET.
Mono Kick Start is a practical introduction to Mono and .NET compatible application programming with Mono. After a classically structured crash-course on the C# language and Mono's own compiler, the authors reach down deeper to subjects like threads, network programming, security, database interaction, XML, and more.
A comprehensive practical section shows you how to set up Web applications with Mono, how GUIs can be programmed using GTK, and how applications written with .NET can be operated in the Mono framework.
Download Description
Mono is an open-source implementation of the infrastructure upon which Microsoft?s .NET Framework is built. Providing a compatible option with all of the technical features of .NET without the restrictive licensing and prohibitive costs that Microsoft imposes, the Mono project was initiated and co-financed by Ximian Corporation for the development of an open source version of .NET Framework for Linux/Unix and Windows platforms (Mac OS X support will be added). Mono will allow cross-platform programming and operating of .NET compatible applications. Experts see the presence of a Unix-compatible version as decisive for the success of .NET. Mono Kick Start is a practical introduction to Mono and .NET compatible application programming with Mono. After a classically structured crash-course on the C# language and Mono's own compiler, the authors reach down deeper to subjects like threads, network programming, security, database interaction, XML, and more. A comprehensive practical section shows you how to set up Web applications with Mono, how GUIs can be programmed using GTK, and how applications written with .NET can be operated in the Mono framework.
Customer Reviews:
Excelent introduction to Mono.......2006-01-03
Even this book was wrote in the early times of Mono I found it a really good introduction to the Mono Development, it is not designed to the "Professional C# Programmer" but for the really beginer in Mono and the C# Language.
It covers topics from the basic of C# Programming to topics about Network Programming, Database Programming and XML Programming.
If you want to start programming in Mono, start with this book
Good book. Too much German........2004-11-14
This is a good introduction to C# and Mono, unfortunately something is lost in the translation. One paragraph seems to be missing a sentence, and I was confused on numerous occcasions by variable names that appear to be in German. It can be confusing when the "avg" variable suddenly changes to "zah1". The "Human" class is refered to as the "Mensch" class in one example, and apparently "Andreas" is German for "Andy." If these kinds of errors don't trip you up, I recommend this book.
A fast-paced, hands-on, nicely organized guide.......2004-01-12
Mono Kick Start is co-written by Hans-Juergen Schoenig and Ewald Geschwinde for intermediate to advanced users and is a fast-paced, hands-on, nicely organized guide to Mono and .NET compatible application programming with Mono. Includes subjects like threads, network programming, security, database interaction, XML, and more, plus a comprehensive practical section that shows readers how to set up Web applications with Mono, how GUIs can be programmed using GTK, and how applications written with .NET can be operated in the Mono framework.
Customer Reviews:
A reference rather than tutorial.......2007-02-05
I bought this book in hope of learning NAnt as a newbie, since a good portion is for NAnt. However, after reading less than 10 pages in Chap. 4 Build Automation, I started looking for alternative. This book is for people who already have some experience on Nant, but certainly not for beginner.
A great starter, but not a final answer........2006-11-07
This book has a great overview of available open source utilities. It is a good reference for developers with little start up capital.
On the other hand, aside from nAnt, it lacked on the specifics of the how to use each of the tools.
a valuable survey and resource book for Open Source .NET development tools.......2006-07-09
Excerpt from C# Online.NET Review (wiki.CSharp-Online.NET):
"This book is a general survey of Open Source tools for .NET development. While most of these tools are already familiar to active Open Source community members, the book concentrates the information into a single resource book....Although the scope of the book is quite broad, it does not attempt an exhaustive list of Open Source .NET projects. Instead, it focus on the most popular and productive tools available--most of which are free! NAnt, NDoc, and NUnit from the title are well covered."
An introduction suitable for those unfamiliar with the topic.......2006-03-02
This book is basically an incomplete listing of some popular open source tools available for .NET. These tools are often ports of well known Java tools, but if you have been living exclusively in the Microsoft world then a lot of this may be news to you. If so, you owe it to yourself to get acquanted with the valuable tools that are available for free, and this book is a good starting point.
I have been using some of the tools mentioned in this book for several years now, and having ordered it I looked forward to reading up on features and other tools I may have missed. Having received it, the first thing I noted was that although this book is 484 pages long, it effectively stops at page 307. After that it presents partial references for some of the tools covered in the book. I feel that there is something dishonest about books that do this since these references are often freely available on the Internet. Another revelation was that it omitted any coverage of ORM (object-relational mapping) tools such as nHibernate. How could anyone write a book like this and not cover ORM tools?!
Overall I think this will be a good book for any .NET professionals who are completely unfamiliar with the open source tools mentioned in it. However, overall coverage of the tools is cursory, so you should consider it as an introduction and no more.
Don't judge a book by it's cover.......2005-03-19
While I had expected to see a concise treatment to the use of NUnit, NAnt, NDoc; instead I was treated to a 74 page treatise on the glories of open-source, and how Microsoft is going to have to ponny up to the realization that Open Source is the wave of the future. The author then briefly discusses the various topics; making this 484 page book a 70 page booklet on using testing tools, and 414 pages of fluff and philosophy.
The first quarter of the book was a briefing of the author's philosophy, and his editorial views on various 'open source' products, as well as different liscense models and how to select one.
If you are looking for a book that treats NUnit, NAnt, NDoc, and the other testing suite tools, although this book has a fair discussion on them, it's not really adequate.
Instead of the 1 star that this book may truly deserve (for false advertising), I gave it a two star because it has become a reference book on other open-source tools that I might find useful. Even though this is why I am so critical of the book, it's also why I give it a higher ranking.
Book Description
Microsoft's Shared Source CLI (code-named "Rotor") is the publicly available implementation of the ECMA Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and the ECMA C# language specification. Loaded with three million lines of source code, it presents a wealth of programming language technology that targets developers interested in the internal workings of the Microsoft .NET Framework, academics working with advanced compiler technology, and people developing their own CLI implementations. The CLI, at its heart, is an approach to building software that enables code from many independent sources to co-exist and interoperate safely. Shared Source CLI Essentials is a companion guide to Rotor's code. This concise and insightful volume provides a road map for anyone wishing to navigate, understand, or alter the Shared Source CLI code. This book illustrates the design principles used in the CLI standard and discusses the complexities involved when building virtual machines. Included with the book is a CD-ROM that contains all the source code and files. After introducing the CLI, its core concepts, and the Shared Source CLI implementation, Shared Source CLI Essentials covers these topics:
- The CLI type system
- Component packaging and assemblies
- Type loading and JIT Compilation
- Managed code and the execution engine
- Garbage collection and memory management
- The Platform Adaptation Layer (PAL): a portability layer for Win32®, Mac OS® X, and FreeBSD
Written by members of the core Microsoft® team that designed the .NET Framework, Shared Source CLI Essentials is for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of what goes on under the hood of the .NET runtime and the ECMA CLI. Advanced .NET programmers, researchers, the academic community, and CLI implementers who have asked hard questions about the .NET Framework will find that this behind-the-scenes look at the .NET nucleus provides them with excellent resources from which they can extract answers.
Customer Reviews:
Book title and amazon.com description are not accurate.......2005-03-24
The editorial description makes more claims that what the book deals with. Following are the excerpts from the book description at Amazon.com:
>> Microsoft's Shared Source CLI (code-named "Rotor") is the implementation of the ECMA Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and the ECMA C# language specification.
Above implies: (Shared Source CLI) = (Rotor) = (ECMA CLI + C#)
>> [The book] is a companion guide to Rotor's code. [It] provides a road map for anyone wishing to navigate, understand, or alter the [Rotor] code.
The book declares in the introduction that it does not cover several components of Rotor. The run-time engine is covered, but the compiler (C#) part is not. That is less that half of what was claimed. I correspondingly give 3/5 to the book.
I was interested more in the C# compiler part.
Best source for .NET implementation details.......2003-10-28
This book is the best and most concentrated source of information I've found for understanding how the .NET CLR is implemented (comparable only to Chris Brumme's blog). Even if you never actually build the SSCLI, this book combined with the SSCLI source code can provide a solid understanding of what's going on behind the scenes in the commercial CLR. I have found this level of understanding to be absolutely necessary in understanding and diagnosing some types of unusual behaviour or performance characteristics of .NET.
If you're not using the SSCLI on a UNIX machine and have a solid understanding of the Win32 API, you can probably safely skip the last chapter on the PAL as it is somewhat anti-climatic. However, coming from a UNIX programming background myself, I found it to be of value in solidifying my understanding of Win32 specific functionality (eg. structured exception handling) and how its used by the SSCLI.
Obviously this book is a must-read for anyone that is actually experimenting with the SSCLI, but I also consider it essential for anyone that wants to fully understand how the commercial version of .NET works.
better than a five knuckle shuffle.......2003-09-25
Well, there I was sitting on my bed with my new book. I opened the first page and didn't surface again for 9 days; it's that good i read it cover to cover, twice! I found it not only intellectually exciting, but also quite arousing; the way they talk about managed code gave me a right chubby one!
Magnificent!.......2003-04-27
As someone who has spent a fair amount of time toying with and writing about managed code I have to say that I am in awe of the wisdom and clarity contained in this book. "SSCLI Essentials" transcends its subject matter (a research platform unlikely to be used much outside of academia) to be one of the best books I've ever read on Virtual Execution concepts. Java, the CLR, Smalltalk, and all other such environments ultimately have to solve the same problem (How to turn source code into executing machine instructions?). This book uses the SSCLI as a backdrop for exploring decades of VM research and explaining the historical forces influencing how and why this particular implementation (and by implication, Microsoft's commercial CLR) works.
The resulting volume is concise, fascinating, and thorough. Given the increasing importance of virtual environments in the computing world today I think most all working developers (including Java developers!) owe it to themselves to read this book. Even if you never plan to install or use the SSCLI codebase you'll benefit from Dave and friends' lucid explanation of the issues facing modern VM environments and how one particularly popular platform chooses to solve them.
Book Description
As online education becomes more familiar, so the reality of using it in teaching and learning has moved beyond the realm of the specialist. Pedagogy and best practice
Delivering Learning on the Net explores the reality of online education today. Accessible and stimulating, it will make a real impact on the way educators use and approach Net-based learning. It presents a detailed global picture of issues, values and experiences, and shows how to approach developing and using the Net for learning.
Martin Weller chaired the groundbreaking Open University course You, Your computer and the Net, which is now the largest for-credit online course in Europe. Based on this and his experiences elsewhere, the book is a comprehensive resource grounded in practical reality as well as in research. Key issues covered include:
*the Net and its relation to education;
*developing and implementing online courses;
*the key issues surrounding online education.
Teachers, trainers, technologists, administrators and decision-makers working in higher and further education will all find much of value in this book.
Average customer rating:
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The Book of PF: A No-Nonsense Guide to the BSD Firewall
Peter Hansteen
Manufacturer: No Starch Press
ProductGroup: Book
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 Privacy
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Absolute FreeBSD, 2nd Edition: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD
ASIN: 1593271654 |
Book Description
A solid understanding of the BSD Packet Filter (PF) subsystem is a necessity for any network administrator working in a *BSD environment. The Book of PF is a current, no-nonsense guidebook to harnessing the power of PF. Its contents include coverage of NAT (network address translation), wireless networking, spam fighting, traffic shaping, failover provisioning, and logging. Written for anyone who has felt lost in PF's manual pages or baffled by its massive feature set, author Peter Hansteen helps readers confidently build the high-performance, low maintenance network they need.
Average customer rating:
- Pioneering studies in new technology and education.
|
THE KNOWLEDGE WEB: LEARNING & COLLABORATION ON NET (Open and Distance Learning)
Mar Eisenstadt
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Internet & Education
| Internet
| Home Computing
| Computers & Internet
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General
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| Technology & Distance Learning
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ASIN: 0749427264 |
Book Description
Featuring contributions from staff and associates of the Knowledge Media Institute at the UK Open University, this text provides a glimpse into the wide variety of projects undertaken in the development and assessment of distance learning technologies.
Customer Reviews:
Pioneering studies in new technology and education........1998-11-03
If you are an educator you are wondering what new computing and communication technology will mean for what you are doing. This book is a great way to see a whole bunch of projects exploring lots of angles you haven't thought of. It's especially interesting because it comes from the Open University, an institution whose goals are similar enough to yours to be relevant, but whose approach is really, really different. There's plenty of blue-skies vision here, but almost every chapter draws on real deployment experience. Along the way you learn a lot about the Open University context as well as about the technology. The companion website, which you can find starting from the home page of the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University, gives access to various demos as well as background material.
I'm currently a sabbatical visitor at the Open University, because I wanted to learn about all this. The book is definitely the next best thing to visiting.
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