Re: Books & Info

Re "Books Available on Informix Products", the following opinions might help anyone who has to buy mail-order. Sorry for the prejudices ... > 4GL > --- > > Building Applications Using a 4GL Mark Sobell > ISBN 0-937613-00-2 Very good to learn from, lots of boilerplate code for when you're learning. No mention of transactions or locking. No mention of C interface to 4GL. int_flag and quit_flag only mentioned at the end of the book. Strongly recommended for beginners. > An Informix 4GL Tutorial Paul Mahler > ISBN 0-13-464173-6 If this is the one I think it is (limp cover, white with a blue design), not very good. Explains stuff you already know in ways which make it near-impossible to understand. Also, works in tuples and relations rather than records and tables. No info on transactions. Various typo/tech errors. If I've got it wrong, sincere apologies. If I've got it right, leave it on the shelf. > Informix-SQL Tony Lacy-Thompson > A tutorial & reference > ISBN 0-13-465121-9 > Prentice Hall > > Tony, covers all aspect of Informix. It's especially useful for those > just starting out with Informix. The examples are great... > > Bob Beaulieu > bobb@netcom.com Yup, good and painless introduction. Not for wizards. (and if anyone's found Jim Gordon's copy, please send him it back :-) > ESQL/C, C-ISAM, TURBO > --------------------- > > Data Processing in UNIX, R.S. Tare > McGraw Hill > ISBN 0-07-062885-8 > > For the ESQL/C Programmer or Turbo Administrator, > and a useful book on Data Processing In Unix. > The examples in the book use isql, esql/c, c-isam, and Turbo. > The phone no at Mcgraw Hill is 1-800-2-MCGRAW Excellent book, but discusses Unix DP tools (incl. awk, for example) at some length. This may or may not be helpful to you. Slightly dated now, since it doesn't cover OnLine. No 4GL. *MUCH* less information than you get in the Informix course notes, for each topic mentioned above. On the other hand, *MUCH* cheaper than the courses. I have the ESQL examples in soft-copy if you've bought the book. Highly recommend it for a general overview and intermediate level in the topics mentioned. Insufficient for maintaining a 20GByte DB, but buy a copy anyway. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Books on Unix > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > [ various deleted ] This section should include: Life With Unix (subtitled: A Guide For Everyone). Don Libes, Sandy Ressler. Prentice Hall, Eaglewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 ISBN 0 13 536657 7 Describes how the OS grew up, why and where. Well written, interesting (for tecchies, admittedly) and *INCLUDES JOKES*. If you haven't read it, buy one, or steal someone else's. The Unix Programming Environment. Brian Kernighan, Rob Pike. Prentice Hall, Eaglewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 ISBN 0 13 937681 X Written by (some of) the Unix authors. Slightly outta date (all Bourne shell, no SVR4 here) but a goldmine of ideas and perfectly illustrates the Unix philosophy. If you haven't got one, get one. Other things you should probably have access to are "The C Programming Language" by Kernighan and Ritchie, and "The Devil's DP Dictionary". Everyone should be able to get the former, and I can't yet find the latter. Hope this helps. -- Cheers - Tony. ____________________________________________________________________________ Tony Heskett: theskett@lhr-sys.ssf-sys.dhl.com | Vox: (+44) 81 747 8330 DHL Systems : Kings House, Great West Road, TW8 9HS | Fax: (+44) 81 747 0875