not a practical guide to Apex/HTMLDB
You might as well print the manuals that Oracle supplies with Apex/HTMLDB.
This book gives no practical examples. This book does not give information about how to use features of Apex/HTMLDB in real life. It is only a list of all the features and options without explanation.
After using the book for some time, I doubt the authors ever used Apex / HTMLDB in a serious way.
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Do you want to build easy HTML DB applications? If you do, then this book is for you. Authors Michael Cunningham, Kent Crotty and Donald K. Burleson, have done an outstanding job of writing a cool book that provides easy step-by-step examples to guide you through the various features.
Cunningham, Crotty and Burleson, begin by briefly explaining the installation of the Oracle HTTP Server. Then, the authors show you how to install the HTML DB engine and configure the dads.conf file so the Oracle HTTP Server and mod_plsql module can communicate with the database. Next, the authors show you how to build an application using a spreadsheet. They also describe many of the attributes that can be set for an application, application pages and page level components. The authors continue by covering information on HTML DB reports. Then, they cover a lot of information in regards to building forms. Next, the authors show you how to store images in a table named EASY_IMAGE. They then show you the various types of items that can be presented on a web page. The authors continue by covering several areas of HTML DB navigation. Then, they introduce the logic controls within HTML DB. Next, the authors show you how to use CSS to override a property in the HTML DB provided CSS files. They also cover how to Export and Import application components to deploy applications. The authors continue by covering Best Practices and Techniques. Then, they expose several troubleshooting techniques. Finally, the authors cover the HTML DB Application Programming Interface and provide some explanation of its uses.
This most excellent book removes the guesswork from learning Oracle HTML DB. Perhaps more importantly, this book describes the techniques necessary to build easy HTML DB applications!
Hit and Miss
Start with this book is comprehensive, detailed and enthusiastic. However they started off on the wrong foot with the misleading image that shows a cover for Oracle Application express but then the book arrives with the old cover Easy Oracle HTML DB. OK I forgive them the marketing fluff but my suspicions are raised.
As I use this book I discover the scripts have syntax errors(i.e. wrong table names, etc) and in many cases the book refers to the wrong objects in step by step exercises. Or they miss a step or ask you to do something you haven't been shown yet. Then there are times when they tell you to do things that are just plain confusing/illogical, ie. page 98 they tell me to use a date mask on the unit price (which, by the way, they sent me to the wrong table to locate on p96). I tried following their instructions to the letter, tried applying some intelligence by using a date column instead. Bottom line I could not get what they were trying to teach me to work. They failed again 2 pages later on the use of shortcuts. It did not work... (at least in my humble experience). These flaws mean I lose the point of what they are trying to teach me because I am struggling to discern their intent.
I read other reviews that stated the book was an easy read. While the language is friendly and down to earth, this is not a book that you just curl up with. I tried, even took it with me on jury duty! I tried to curl up on the couch with it but found I needed to be at a machine trying the things it was listing. Then I would get frustrated because the steps would not work.
Some parts of this book are great, they work and they get you moving on using application express. But be prepared for some serious stumbles along the way.
Excellent book to learn Apex development.
The book is great. Much better than tutorials, etc. that are available from Oracle or the Web. I refer to it all the time.
One very important aspect is that the author explains the WHY. You don't just click settings, etc. and wonder why you did. Knowing the why behind doing things the way you do is very important to me. Certain chapters are for how to and some are for reference. It's a good mix.
The later chapters are not as informative as the first ones, but if everything were spelled out in detail it would make the book much longer. I would like to see the author publish a book on high level concepts.
Code depot access
All Rampant books contain a user id and password on page 13 for the reader's access to the code depot. The code depot is only available to readers. The code depot is not intended to be used without reading the book.
(15 reviews)
