Computer Media

Rachel Singer Gordon -- Library Journal, 11/15/2006

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CSS

CSS (see Computer Media, LJ 7/05) remains a staple in contemporary web design. Libraries should collect new guides to reflect current best practices and standards as well as to provide information on integrating CSS with newer technologies.

Andrew, Rachel & Dan Shafer. HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS. 2d ed. SitePoint. 2006. c.497p. ISBN 0-9752402-7-7. pap. $39.95. COMPUTER BOOKS

Pre-CSS, designers often forced content into complex nested tables for layout purposes, making tables do things they were never intended to do and making themselves miserable in the process. CSS, which separates presentation from markup, resolves this issue. Here, Andrew and Shafer show CSS beginners with HTML knowledge how. Ample background and discussion of planning out web sites before you start aids in getting the bigger picture. Sample code available online: www.sitepoint.com/books/css2/. Extremely useful for those who've designed for a while but haven't yet made the switch to CSS, this is a good purchase for most libraries.

Castro, Elizabeth. HTML, XHTML, & CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide. 6th ed. Peachpit. 2006. c.456p. ISBN 0-321-43084-0. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

This sixth edition of Castro's best-selling, full-color guide for beginning to intermediate users updates older editions. It offers coverage of new layout techniques and advice for using CSS to rewrite content for mobile users, working with PHP, and dealing with RSS, syndication, and podcasting. Source code, extras, and an active user forum are available online at www.cookwood.com/html/. Nice step-by-step instructions and screen shots, clear prose, and up-to-date examples (e.g., embedding YouTube video, creating podcasts for iTunes) make this a useful and highly recommended guide for all libraries.

Lemay, Laura. SAMS Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML and CSS in One Hour a Day. SAMS. 2006. c.816p. ISBN 0-672-32886-0. pap. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

This new edition of a perennial best seller for beginning to intermediate designers includes extensive HTML and CSS coverage and discusses integrating newer hot technologies such as AJAX. Thorough and straightforward, this guide utilizes the "teach yourself" format, including chapter summaries, Q&As, quizzes, and exercises. Topics build quickly: from basic site layout and creation, to accessibility, to the basics of JavaScript, to the creation of applications with DHTML and AJAX, to the use of applications such as TypePad and MediaWiki as content management systems, this book has it all. A useful purchase for all libraries.

McFarland, David Sawyer. CSS: The Missing Manual. O'Reilly. 2006. c.476p. ISBN 0-596-52687-3 [ISBN 978-0-596-52687-0]. pap. $34.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

Best for CSS newbies with some HTML knowledge, McFarland's manual covers CSS 2.1. Useful screen shots and step-by-step instructions aid in self-study; best practices are highlighted throughout; and FAQs, "Power Users Clinics," and notes add information. Tutorial files are online at www.sawmac.com/missing/css/. Clear and useful, this focused CSS title will supplement all-in-one guides.

York, Richard. CSS Instant Results. Wrox. 2006. c.383p. ISBN 0-471-75126-X. pap. $34.99 with CD-ROM. COMPUTER BOOKS

For intermediate CSS designers, this guide stands out in its discussion of additional uses and modifications for each project discussed (source code on companion CD-ROM) and demonstration of differences in appearance between the major browsers (plus hacks for making IE behave like the others). Step-by-step real-world projects include dynamic drop-down menus, multicolumn layouts, custom borders and rounded corners, and styling input forms. Purchase to supplement beginners' guides, and allow your patrons to take the next step.

Other Ideas:

Baker, Donna L. CSS for Web Designers Only. Wiley. 2006. 278p. ISBN 0-471-78867-8. pap. $39.99.

Bartlett, Kynn. SAMS Teach Yourself CSS in 24 Hours. 2d ed. SAMS. 2006. 489p. ISBN 0-672-32906-9. pap. $24.99.

Eccher, Clint. Advanced Professional Web Design Techniques and Templates (CSS & XHTML). Charles River. 2006. 464p. ISBN 1-58450-494-3 [ISBN 978-1-58450-494-8]. pap. $44.95 with CD-ROM.

MySQL

MySQL (www.mysql.com) promotes itself as "the world's most popular open source database," and with good reason. All libraries should maintain current guides (see Computer Media, LJ 12/05; 4/06); make sure yours cover v.5.

Greant, Zak & Chris Newman. MySQL Phrasebook. SAMS. 2006. c.181p. ISBN 0-672-32839-9. pap. $14.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

A compact reference covering major features and functions, this provides answers to common problems and questions. Tips add information, and See Also sections direct readers to relevant parts of the documentation. Beginning to intermediate users will find it useful, although perhaps more so for a personal library than as a circulating copy. A supplemental purchase.

Harrison, Guy & Steve Feuerstein. MySQL Stored Procedure Programming. O'Reilly. 2006. c.609p. ISBN 0-596-10089-2. pap. $44.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

Stored programs are stored within and execute on a database server, offering advantages such as increased security and decreased network traffic over those written in general-purpose languages. For intermediate to advanced MySQL developers, this volume introduces programmers to using and writing stored procedures, functions, and triggers (introduced in the newest MySQL version, 5.0). Chapters move from the fundamentals of MySQL stored programming through the creation of stored programs to the use of these stored programs in applications; the last section discusses optimizing stored programs. Sample code is available online: www.oreilly.com/catalog/mysqlspp/. Recommended for larger libraries for its thorough and focused coverage of this useful new capability.

Newman, Chris. SAMS Teach Yourself MySQL in 10 Minutes. SAMS. 2006. c.277p. ISBN 0-672-32863-1. pap. $14.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

This tiny guide packs a lot of information into 25 short step-by-step lessons, allowing beginners to grasp the basics quickly. A sample database for exercises is available online (after registration at www.samspublishing.com). Topics range over database basics, the use of strings, how to work with tables, and how to interface with MySQL; a separate section covers new features in v.5.0. Appropriate for all libraries, but supplement with more thorough guides, as this just gives readers a taste.

Ullman, Larry. MySQL: Visual QuickStart Guide. 2d ed. Peachpit. 2006. c.464p. ISBN 0-321-37573-4. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

Best for beginners, this guide covers v.5 and highlights features new or changed in this and other later versions. Scripts are available from the companion web site at www.dmcinsights.com/mysql2/. It begins with the very basics (installing MySQL) and moves through an overview of administering a MySQL server, helping newer users get up to speed quickly, with screen shots and step-by-step instructions throughout. Appendixes cover troubleshooting, SQL and MySQL references, and resources. Recommended for all libraries.

Photoshop Elements 5

Adobe reliably releases new versions of Photoshop Elements, the popular consumer version of its image-editing software; libraries need to keep up.

Brundage, Barbara. Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual. O'Reilly. 2006. c.554p. ISBN 0-596-52728-4 [ISBN 978-0-596-52728-0]. pap. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

For beginners, this full-color manual introduces the use and features of Elements, discussing the basics, Quick Fix, retouching, artistic elements, image sharing, and add-ons. It also offers coverage of new v.5 features such as curves, black-and-white conversion, web-based photo galleries, mapping tools, and multisession burning for backup. Image files, tutorials, filters, and links are online at www.missingmanuals.com/cds/photoshope5tmm/. Clear explanations of often confusing topics like layers are alone worth the price. This thorough yet gentle guide is a great purchase for all libraries.

Python

Python (www.python.org), an open-source dynamic object-oriented programming language is used by top-tier companies from Google to Pixar. Update older guides for coverage of the newest release (v.2.5, October 2006). Both of the following titles address 2.5 and talk a bit about what we will see in future releases.

Chun, Wesley J. Core Python Programming. 2d ed. Prentice-Hall. 2006. c.1077p. ISBN 0-13-226993-7. pap. $49.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

For beginning to intermediate Python users but most useful for those with background in another programming language, this new edition contains updates for Python's latest version, 2.5. Its companion web site (www.corepython.com) contains code for each chapter, useful links, and information on the author's upcoming talks. Extensive chapter exercises are useful for self-study; other helpful features include an appendix of reference tables, tips on best practices, and a final section of advanced topics highlighting what people can build with Python. A thorough introductory guide, this is recommended for medium and larger libraries.

Lutz, Mark. Programming Python. 3d ed. O'Reilly. 2006. c.1552p. ISBN 0-596-00925-9 [ISBN 978-0-596-00925-0]. pap. $59.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

This updated edition covers Python 2.4 and 2.5; code examples are available online at www.oreilly.com/catalog/python3/. Broken into seven parts—"The Beginning" (introducing Python and a sneak preview), "System Programming," "GUI Programming," "Internet Programming," "Tools & Techniques," "Integration," and "The End" (Python and the development cycle)—this comprehensive guide for intermediate to advanced users teaches readers how to build applications instead of focusing on the fundamentals of the language. Abundant background explanation walks through how and why a given piece of code works and the problems it resolves. Recommended for larger libraries to supplement introductory guides.

Usability & Findability

The big questions in web design have always been, "How do we get people to our site, and how do we help them use it, find what they need, and stick around?" New research and innovations in both usability and findability make these areas worth revisiting.

Grappone, Jennifer & Gradiva Couzin. Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day. Sybex. 2006. c.318p. ISBN 0-471-78753-1. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS

Search engine optimization (SEO) provides the first piece of the findability puzzle: when users type in a given company's name or relevant keywords, how do you ensure you are at or near the topic of the results? For companies, this means real money and results; people more often look online now than in old standbys like the Yellow Pages, and "top ten" placement can make an amazing difference. Instead of jumping straight into how-tos, Grappone and Couzin start with information on clarifying goals and creating a plan; later chapters then address topics like web site optimization, link building, pay-per-click, metatags, and other SEO techniques. Handy worksheets and instructions aid busy companies, and thorough background shows why SEO needs to be a focus rather than an afterthought. Recommended for all medium and larger libraries.

Mulder, Steve with Ziv Yaar. The User Is Always Right: A Practical Guide to Creating and Using Personas for the Web. New Riders. 2006. c.293p. ISBN 0-321-43453-6. pap. $40. COMPUTER BOOKS

Mulder takes user-centered design to the next level through the use of personas, or realistic character sketches representing segments of a given web site's (or company's) target audience, and by describing their goals and behaviors, with a companion blog at practicalpersonas.com. He walks readers through the process from user research to persona segmentation and through using personas to guide site structure, content, and design. Highly clear and thorough, this guide offers good background on the whys and hows of person creation. Personas and user-centered design are hot topics right now, so medium and larger libraries should strongly consider. Highly recommended.

Nielsen, Jakob & Hoa Loranger. Prioritizing Web Usability. New Riders. 2006. c.406p. ISBN 0-321-35031-6. pap. $50. COMPUTER BOOKS

Granddaddy of web usability Nielsen and his colleague Loranger revisit the guidelines of Nielsen's 2000 title, Designing Web Usability, and update them in light of post-2000 research findings, condensing their studies and knowledge of usability down to the essentials. Because of changing user expectations and the explosion of online content, designing for usability becomes ever more important. Here, Nielsen and Loranger do usability testing on 25 real web sites, highlighting (and prioritizing) common mistakes, then let their users loose on the open web and ask them to complete real-world tasks. Full-color screen shots, extensive background, and real-world content make this a useful guide for anyone interested in usability and how to fix common issues; a good purchase for all libraries.

Pearrow, Mark. Web Usability Handbook. 2d ed. Charles River. 2006. c.331p. ISBN 1-58450-469-2 [ISBN 978-1-58450-469-6]. pap. $49.95. COMPUTER BOOKS

This updates the 2000 edition of the book of the same name?? with information on current studies and an overview of the recent web usability literature and methods. A companion web site (www.usablesites.org) contains a blog with examples and updates, plus downloadable forms and worksheets. The writing is a little stilted, but the content is sound, covering topics like user-centered design, accessibility, usability metrics, heuristics, usability testing, and "transforming data into change." Summaries, hands-on exercises, and discussion questions give it a textbook feel. Good for libraries looking for a more in-depth guide and for academic institutions serving design programs.

Rachel Singer Gordon is Consulting Editor, Information Today Inc., Book Publishing Division; webmaster, LISjobs.com; and author of The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide (ITI, 2006).