Keep it in balance
This a good book but I think the author goes a little nuts with datasets. Datasets are not the best solution for every situtation.
Good, but could use more depth
While this is an excellently written book and a very easy read, I find that it doesn't really have the depth for the really sticky problems. It's a great overview, but not a reference work.
Great KJob Shawn
Shawn has given me a lot of good advise on different LISTSERVS. So, I figured it was time I purchased his book and read it.
I guess you could call me the ADO.NET guru at our shop. We all try to specialize in something and this is what I chose 3 years ago. I have read a lot of books and white papers on ADO.NET.
That said, Shawn's book was a quick read for me (about a week, 1-2 hours a night). The book's content is invaluable though if you are learning ADO.NET.
Shawn writes with personality and a little humor. It makes the book fun to read and it flows well. He does not regurgitate the SDK. He introduces a topic, explains it well with a sample or two and a small amount of code (C#) and then moves on. He does not throw volumes of code samples or flow chart\grids at you. One of my pet peeves with tech books is too much code and too many fluffy pictures. There is nothing worst than reading and coming to 10-15 pages of copied\pasted code or 2-3 pages of pretty\fluffy flow charts. Boring IMHO. Stick it on a cd or web site and refer me to it.
Shawn does a nice job covering the things you will need to know and most likely use everyday. He does not waste time covering some cool and neat, that, though it's cool and neat, has little daily value to you as a developer. He covers design techniques very well to.
I did not read the chapter 6, as I am not a fan of typed datasets.
I can honestly state I learned something from every chapter. Most was review, some was "oh yeah, I forgot about that". I especially like the Best Practices section in chapter 11.
My only complaint: he is obviously an Atlanta Braves fan ;-(
I would give the book at least a 4, maybe a 4.5 on a 5 scale. Nice job Shawn and thanks for all the tips.
Easily the most useful technical book I've read in years.
I have been a data application developer for over ten years. I've read, on average, two technical books per year on theory or practical application. This book has been my favorite for a number of reasons:
1) It covers the topics that are necessary to develop data applications in a .NET environment.
2) It gets to the point and doesn't waste your time needlessly.
3) It has concrete examples that are applicable to many situations with detailed descriptions.
4) It fully addresses the .NET focus on disconnected data centering around the Dataset. Making the paradigm switch from ADO to ADO.NET can be a daunting task. The sequence and examples of the book put all of the pieces of the puzzle together and allow you to start thinking in terms of disconnected data and not just DataReaders.
Data is the foundation of most every business application and it's essential to have a full understanding of the database/application interaction. Taking ADO.NET for granted is a common mistake, but spending time understanding to movement and manipulation of your data will result in a more stable and successful overall data application.
Mr. Wildermuth has done a great job. Highly recommended.
Excellent ADO.NET Book
Even though I am a VB/VB.NET developer and this book uses all C# examples, I found it to be extremely informative and packed with useful information. The concepts are explained in detail, but the author has written in such a clear and lucid style, that they are easy to grasp. If only all computer books were writen as well as this one! If you have been trying to get a firm understanding of ADO.NET, this is the book for you.
(19 reviews)
