sed & awk (2nd Edition)
by Dale Dougherty
from O'Reilly Media, Inc.
sed & awk describes two text processing programs that are mainstays of the UNIX programmer's toolbox. sed is a "stream editor" for editing streams of text that might be too large to edit as a single file, or that might be generated on the fly as part of a larger data processing step. The most common operation done with sed is substitution, replacing one block of text with another. awk is a complete programming language. Unlike many conventional languages, awk is "data driven" -- you specify what kind of data you are interested in and the operations to be performed when that data is found. awk does many things for you, including automatically opening and closing data files, reading records, breaking the records up into fields, and counting the records. While awk provides the features of most conventional programming languages, it also includes some unconventional features, such as extended regular expression matching and associative arrays. sed & awk describes both programs in detail and includes a chapter of example sed and awk scripts. This edition covers features of sed and awk that are mandated by the POSIX standard. This most notably affects awk, where POSIX standardized a new variable, CONVFMT, and new functions, toupper() and tolower(). The CONVFMT variable specifies the conversion format to use when converting numbers to strings (awk used to use OFMT for this purpose). The toupper() and tolower() functions each take a (presumably mixed case) string argument and return a new version of the string with all letters translated to the corresponding case. In addition, this edition covers GNU sed, newly available since the first edition. It also updates the first edition coverage of Bell Labs nawk and GNU awk (gawk), covers mawk, an additional freely available implementation of awk, and briefly discusses three commercial versions of awk, MKS awk, Thompson Automation awk (tawk), and Videosoft (VSAwk).
Managing Projects with GNU Make (Nutshell Handbooks)
by Robert Mecklenburg
from O'Reilly Media, Inc.
The utility simply known as make is one of the most enduring features of both Unix and other operating systems. First invented in the 1970s, make still turns up to this day as the central engine in most programming projects; it even builds the Linux kernel. In the third edition of the classic Managing Projects with GNU make, readers will learn why this utility continues to hold its top position in project build software, despite many younger competitors. The premise behind make is simple: after you change source files and want to rebuild your program or other output files, make checks timestamps to see what has changed and rebuilds just what you need, without wasting time rebuilding other files. But on top of this simple principle, make layers a rich collection of options that lets you manipulate multiple directories, build different versions of programs for different platforms, and customize your builds in other ways. This edition focuses on the GNU version of make, which has deservedly become the industry standard. GNU make contains powerful extensions that are explored in this book. It is also popular because it is free software and provides a version for almost every platform, including a version for Microsoft Windows as part of the free Cygwin project. Managing Projects with GNU make, 3rd Edition provides guidelines on meeting the needs of large, modern projects. Also added are a number of interesting advanced topics such as portability, parallelism, and use with Java. Robert Mecklenburg, author of the third edition, has used make for decades with a variety of platforms and languages. In this book he zealously lays forth how to get your builds to be as efficient as possible, reduce maintenance, avoid errors, and thoroughly understand what make is doing. Chapters on C++ and Java provide makefile entries optimized for projects in those languages. The author even includes a discussion of the makefile used to build the book.
Debugging with GDB: The GNU Source-Level Debugger
by Richard M. Stallman
from Free Software Foundation
The GNU Debugger allows you to see what is going on "inside" a program while it executes - or what a program was doing at the moment it crashed.
GDB supports C, C++, Java, Fortran and Assembly among other languages; it is also designed to work closely with the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC).
The GNU Debugger Program has four special features that helps you catch bugs in the act:
* It starts your program for you, specifying anything that might affect it's behavior.
* Makes your program stop under specified conditions.
* Examines what happened when the program stopped.
* Allows you to experiment with changes to see what effect they have on the program.
This book will show you:
* setting and clearing breakpoints
* examining the stack, source files and data
* examining the symbol table
* altering program execution
* specifying a target for debugging
* how to control the debugger
* how to use canned command sequences
* how to install GDB
* and much more!
This manual is written for programmers. It is designed so someone can begin utilizing GDB after just reading the first chapter, or read the whole manual and master the program. Synopsis of ideas and extensive examples are given.
Unix Power Tools, Third Edition
by Shelley Powers
from O'Reilly Media, Inc.
The mark of a craftsman is his familiarity with his tools, the speed with which he can use them to solve simple problems, and his cleverness in using them to solve more complicated challenges. The latest edition of Unix Power Tools explores the standard Unix tools in greater depth than ever, and with better coverage of Linux, FreeBSD, and even the Darwin environment of Mac OS X. It's also been improved by the addition of sections on Perl and Python, programming languages that can often solve Unix problems more adeptly than any specific utility. This detail-filled book distinguishes itself from other guides for Unix gurus with its organizational structure (it's a series of articles that can be absorbed sequentially or individually) and carefully designed and executed index. Like its esteemed predecessors, this book is one you will keep handy.
The authors have achieved a nearly ideal balance in the pages of this book. It's not just a collection of recipes (such collections tend to leave you hanging if you want to do something a little differently), it's not just a book of documentation (books like that have application mainly as references for people who know a lot already), and it's not just a conceptual how-to guide. Unix Power Tools is all of those things, and the overall effect is impressive indeed. If you work with any flavor of Unix, whatever your level of experience, you will benefit by having this book. --David Wall
Topics covered: How to work efficiently, elegantly, and creatively with the Unix tool suite, as well as (to a lesser extent) with Perl and Python scripts. Tips and strategies on customization, document generation, process management, and networking abound in this wisdom-rich volume.
Very occasionally a book is written about or for Unix System Administration, or Unix in general. If the author or publishers get the mix right it receives acclaim. Very, very occasionally one of those books achieves legendary status, by finding its way onto 98% of all Unix Sysadmins book shelves. This book is one of those legendary tomes. Just about every Unix Sysadmin I know has a copy of this sitting alongside books like Evi Nemeth's "Unix Sys Admin Handbook". OK so it has a lot of information that isn't new to most sysadmins, but that's not where the beauty of the book lies. The real treasure is found in the countless nuggets of Unix info that have been long since forgotten, or yet to be learned. In my humble opinion, a true Unix Classic! If like me, you earn a living from Unix, then think of this book as a carpenter would his set of chisels. You don't use them for every job, but when needed, can prove invaluable.
MCSA/MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Environment Management and Maintenance Study Guide: Exam 70-290
by Lisa Donald
from Sybex
- This exam (70290) is a core requirement for both the MCSA and MCSE
- Updated to cover the latest exam version, which includes questions on Windows Server 2003 R2 and Windows XP Professional SP2
- The CD-ROM features our exclusive WinSim simulation program plus a testing engine, hundreds of sample questions, a PDF of the book, and flashcards
The Data Warehouse Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Building Dimensional Data Warehouses
by Ralph Kimball
from John Wiley & Sons
Ralph Kimball's The Data Warehouse Toolkit translates the author's extensive real-world design experience into a truly useful guide to building data warehouses for today's corporations. Written in a no-nonsense prose style, the author gives developers and managers the basics of designing, building, and running data warehouses that are effective and useful to upper management.
This book begins with the fundamentals of what data warehouses are and how they differ from traditional databases used in online transaction processing (OLTP). (Basically, data warehouses look at trends in millions of database records drawn from across organizations.) Once the author establishes this foundation, he solidly introduces the issues of data-warehouse design, using samples drawn from a wide variety of industries, including grocery stores, inventory warehouses, shipping, financial services, cable TV subscriptions, insurance, and travel. The author succinctly describes the relevant "dimensions" of each industry. (These are the values or features that management will most likely want to track for each industry. The data warehouse must be prepared to answer these "questions.")
The last section of the book covers the process of actually designing a data warehouse, from conducting user interviews to planning for the hardware needed to run a data warehouse (where databases easily run in gigabytes and include millions of records). This text also includes a discussion of how to create effective front ends for users (which will report the results of data-warehouse queries).
For its scope and intelligence, The Data Warehouse Toolkit is required reading for any developer or manager who wants to get a perspective on data warehouses before building one. --Richard Dragan
Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting (Solutions)
by Michael Geoghegan
from friends of ED
Are you the kind of person who's got a lot to say? Have you ever wanted to share your talents, thoughts, and opinions with others, but have lacked the broadcasting knowledge and contacts to achieve such a goal? Well, today it's well within your grasp, thanks to Podcasting &emdash; using only some simple recording equipment, a computer, and the Internet, you can record and distribute your own audio shows, including anything you want - comedy, debate, news, reviews, interviews, music &emdash; the only limit is your imagination. Of course, you'll need a guide to tell you what you need to know, which is where this indispensable book comes in. Written by two of the best and brightest podcasting pioneers, Podcast Solutions is a shrewd and comprehensive guide to podcasting. From downloading podcasts to producing your own for fun or profit, Podcast Solutions covers the entire world of podcasting with insight, humor, and the unmatched wisdom of experience. In its 200+ pages, youll learn:
- How to receive podcasts - everything you need to know to find, subscribe to and receive quality shows on your iPod, computer or any other mp3 player.
- How podcasting is being applied in many different industries - entertainment, education, sales and marketing, religious study, intra-corporate communications, and more.
- How to plan and design your own top quality podcast, including expert advice on designing a show built for success.
- How to Set up your "podcast studio," whether youre a casual hobbyist or a committed professional. Includes insights and buying advice on finding the right microphones, mixers, software, hardware, and more to meet your needs and fit your budget.
- The secrets to achieving "broadcast quality" audio for your show.
- How to include music, phone calls and audio feedback into your podcast inexpensively and legally.
- The techniques needed to turn your podcasts into Internet-ready audio files and get them out there ready to be received by your anxiously-waiting listeners, using simple hardware and software tools.
- The meaning of RSS, XML, mp3, LAME, and several other acronyms you thought youd never understand.
- Insiders tips on creating a web presence that will enhance the popularity and professionalism of your show.
- Secrets of attracting listeners through the creative use of directories, user groups, mailing lists and more.
- How to make money with your podcast by attracting sponsors, advertisers, and other revenue sources.
Pro ADO.NET 2.0 (Expert's Voice)
by Sahil Malik
from Apress
This is likely to be the one ADO.NET book that stays next to my desk for quick reference.
— Dennis Hayes, Dot Net Developer's Journal
(Pro ADO.NET 2.0) stands head and shoulders above its competition.
— Thomas Wagner, wagnerblog.com
(Sahil Malik) covers stuff that real developers are confronted with over and over everday. He intentionally focuses on problem areas and how to address them. (And) the absolute best thing about this book is it's readability.
— Bill Ryan, Bill's House O Insomnia
Pro ADO.NET 2.0 is a guide and reference for.NET developers who are looking to further their understanding of ADO.NET 2.0.
This book takes a new approach, focusing on the practical tasks like connecting to the database, retrieving data, and working with transactions, rather than rehashing much of the MSDN documentation. Pro ADO.NET 2.0 offers the deep and much needed practical understanding, viewpoint, and knowledge developers are looking for.
This book explains what is available in ADO.NET by associating it with the need to solve a practical problem and better architect an application, rather than mugging up the hundreds of classes and properties available in the framework.
The Book of Nero 7: CD and DVD Burning Made Easy
by Wallace Wang
from No Starch Press
Ahead Software's Nero program is the most popular CD and DVD burning software in the world. While it seems like it should be easy to burn CDs and DVDs, doing so can be much more complicated than it appears, and many users reach high frustration levels after burning multiple coasters that don't work.
This simple, task-oriented, step-by-step book covers the entire Nero program suite, including audio CD burning, data backup, managing photos, DVD video burning, designing CD/DVD labels, editing sound, creating a virtual drive and CD/DVD data disk, and playing audio and video. This updated revision to the bestseller (nearly 20,000 copies sold), has been completely rewritten to focus on the tasks that most people perform with Nero 7.
Mike Meyers' A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs
by Michael Meyers
from McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Written by Mike Meyers, the #1 name in A+ training, this book teaches you how to be an A+ technician by covering in full detail all the topics found on the A+ certification exam. The CD includes self-assessment testing engine with six practice exams, LearnKey video presentation from Mike Meyers, and Mike’s favorite shareware and freeware tools and utilities.
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