Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best all round book on DB2 UDB!, 3 Sep 1998
By A Customer
Just like his first book Don has managed to squeeze a lot of quality information into his new book. Very much new and improved(if that is possible from his first book on DB2), this book gives everyone a helping hand in understanding and working with DB2. No matter who you are, a DBA, a programmer, support ... this book is the best one to have on your desk as a reference guide.It can be read from cover to cover or just those chapters you need. The "tips" are just great and the humour is wonderful. Coupled with the pictures I found this book to be a great read. If you want more information on this book or any other DB2 book(I have most of them) then please feel free to e-mail me. Leslie Pendlebury-Bowe
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive, engaging, essential treatment of DB2 UDB, 7 Mar 1999
By A Customer
The idea of a universal database (UDB) was invented as a reaction to object-oriented databases of the early 1990s from Object Store, Gemstone, and Versant. Capabilities were added to the prevailing dominant design of relational database management systems (RDBMs), including user defined functions and data types, enhanced stored procedures and triggers (active database components), and SQL extensions. It is a winning idea and one that has gained "top of mind position" in the market, relating the n-relational competition to niche players. One of the ironies of technology is that you can tell the pioneers by the arrows in their back. In many instances IBM has been first, and has the arrows to prove it. In the instance of UDB this was not the case - the term having been popularized elsewhere - but they have had the opportunity to leap-frog the competition. Don Chamberlin's comprehensive guide to the product - DB2 UDB - is suitable for entry level database developers as well as advanced technicians. It is a pleasure to find such a formidable subject treated in such a readable, professional, and entertaining way without assuming that the audience is in any way intellectually challenged (as, for example, occasionally happens in the dummy series). The opening chapter contains a fascinating brief history of structured query language (SQL) in which the author and his colleague Ray Boyce are deservedly credited with the invention of what has proved to be a powerful and compelling non-procedureal English-like interface to relational databases. Query Power (Chapter Five) starts looking at interesting SQL extensions, include new built in functions of the kind useful in data warehousing (and decision support) applications), rollup, cube and grouping sets. This illustrates a familiar feature of technology innovation and evolution - built in functions that required purchase of separate proprietary products such as Red Brick - are now bundled as part of the UDB product. An especially engaging fact is that the approach to Stored Procedures enabled by IBM makes use of procedural languages - C, C++, a version of Basic, and (note well) Java - as the host code in which the SP's SQL is embedded. This sets a standard for openness, interoperability, and portability, which may make the other database vendors with proprietary scripting languages cringe. A possible outcome: Convergence on Java. It is hard to imagine that in a superbly written book of nearly 800 pages, six useful appendices, an excellent detailed index, supplementary exercises on the Web, anything more could be said. Even the on-going "Webificaiton" of the planet falls within the horizon, since dynamic SQL with Java receives a useful treatment with sample program (pp. 498ff). The nicely edited and prepared text is supplemented with charming illustrations by Duane Bibby of a bird-like creature, which seems to morph between a sea gull and an owl, depending on the context, but actually looks to me like Don Haderle of the IBM Santa Teresa DB2 Lab (who writes a nice forward). For a database professional or a developer accessing DB2 data through UDB, this text is likely to become a well-worn and dog-eared resource, making life in the software trenches a bit less difficult and more like operating within the horizon of an object-relational future towards which so many projects are converging. --excerpt from my review published in Computing Reviews, November 1998
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, 28 Dec 1998
By A Customer
I usually stay away from computer books entitled "Complete Guide to..." or 'Complete Reference of..." as they are usually pretty worthless, being clogged up with snapshots of the administrators console and windy discussions of mundane administrative tasks. This book was different.This book provides an excellent overview of DB2 Universal Database, especially for people who may have experience with other database managers and are just starting to work with DB2. Most of the topics are covered reasonably well and give the reader a great overview of DB2's capabilities. One exception is that DB2's support for parallel databases was not covered to the degree that the topic deserves. The programming examples were fairly helpful. However, more and better examples of external stored procedures should have been included in the book, especially trendy (but important) examples written in Java using SQLJ or JDBC.
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