Computer Media

By Rachel Singer Gordon -- Library Journal, 1/15/2008 3:30:00 PM

FileMaker
FileMaker 9 now offers features like better integration with other databases, improved toolbars, a handy Quick Start screen, multiple-level undo and redo, and PHP publishing capabilities. Larger public libraries and academic institutions should likewise upgrade their guides.

Coffey, Geoff & Susan Prosser. FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual. O’Reilly. 2007. c.778p. ISBN 978-0-596-51413-6. pap. $34.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
For beginning to intermediate users, this Missing Manual supplies a solid foundation in FileMaker basics. Understandable explanations provide just enough information on why and when to use each feature; exercises demonstrate how to carry out each task; and sidebars add information for power users, contain FAQs, and give readers background. Readers will leave with a clear understanding both of FileMaker’s features and of databases in general. Download exercise files here. Highly recommended for public libraries.

Feiler, Jesse. Special Edition Using FileMaker 9. QUE: Pearson. 2007. c.890p. ISBN 978-0-7897-3723-6. pap. $44.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
A thorough reference for intermediate to advanced database application developers, this targets developers rather than users, assuming basic knowledge of the software’s essential features. Highlights of new features in v.9 and helpful See also references scattered throughout, as well as coverage of the various ways to deploy FileMaker solutions, will be particularly useful. Download files from the author’s site. For large public libraries and academic libraries serving CS programs; purchase as a supplement to introductory guides.

iLife ’08
Apple’s iLife Suite (iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD) of multimedia products comes free on all new Macs; existing owners can upgrade to ’08 products for $79. Public libraries should purchase guides. Be sure, though, to keep guides to iLife ’06 as well, especially books on iMovie ’06, owing to the outcry over Apple’s decision to remove popular, powerful movie-editing features from the ’08 version. (Apple makes iMovie ’06 available for free to iLife ’08 customers.)

Carlson, Jeff. iMovie ’08 & iDVD ’08: Visual QuickStart Guide. Peachpit. 2007. c.270p. illus. ISBN 978-0-321-50187-5. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Now in full color, this Visual QuickStart guide targets beginning to intermediate home videographers with coverage of everything from choosing a digital camcorder to creating DVDs. Step-by-step instructions and labeled screenshots help walk readers through common tasks, tips add information, and a brief troubleshooting appendix helps resolve problems. Click here for the companion site, which provides updates, errata, and the author’s blog. Good for those wanting to get up and running quickly; appropriate for all public libraries.

Cohen, Michael E. & Jeff Bollow. iLife ’08. Peachpit. 2007. c.540p. ISBN 978-0-321-50267-4. pap. $39.99 with DVD. COMPUTER BOOKS
This full-color guide walks beginners step by step through basic multimedia creation and sharing with iLife—covering working with photos, creating simple movies, composing and arranging music, and publishing content online or onto DVD. Its DVD contains lesson files, which will be particularly useful for visual, hands-on learners. Each chapter ends with a lesson review for self-study. Updated media files are at the companion web site. Highly recommended.

Pogue, David. iMovie ’08 & iDVD: The Missing Manual. Pogue Pr: O’Reilly. 2007. c.448p. ISBN 978-0-596-51619-2. pap. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
The bulk of this friendly, full-color guide for beginners and upgraders covers iMovie; the last four chapters tackle iDVD. Most useful are a “Finding Your Audience” section on exporting video everywhere from YouTube to the iPhone and the discussion of the differences between iMovie ’08 and ’06, available as a free download for ’08 owners. (This includes a section on transferring video to ’06 to take advantage of powerful features now missing from the new edition.) Appendixes cover menu commands, troubleshooting, keyboard shortcuts, and a visual symbol reference. Thorough and straightforward; recommended for public libraries.

Java
Java continues to be widely used; current guides probably will, too.

Beust, Cedric & Hani Suleiman. Next Generation Java Testing: TestNG and Advanced Concepts. Addison-Wesley. 2007. c.483p. ISBN 978-0-321-50310-7. pap. $49.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This book targets enterprise Java developers who need to ensure their code is robust enough for large-scale environments. It focuses on TestNG (one coauthor is creator of the TestNG project), with some attention to JUnit (though they disparage its use in large-scale environments) and to general testing principles and practices. From getting started through extending TestNG, they cover Java testing thoroughly. Readers might be either amused or annoyed by a final “digressions” chapter devoted to pet peeves, annoyances, and rants. Appendixes cover IDE integration, TestNG JavaDocs, testing.xml, and migrating from JUnit. Click here for the companion site. For large libraries only.

Bosanac, Dejan. Scripting in Java: Languages, Frameworks, and Patterns. Addison-Wesley. 2007. c.528p. ISBN 978-0-321-32193-0. pap. $49.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Writing about the synergy of scripting technologies and the Java platform, Bosanac shows how intermediate to advanced Java developers can apply scripting to improve the development process, automate common tasks, and give them more time to devote to actual application programming. While he discusses multiple scripting languages, he pays special attention to working with Groovy and covers Groovy installation and IDE support in appendixes. The companion web site contains code samples, resources, and news. For larger libraries.

Horstmann, Cay S. & Gary Cornell. Core Java. Vol. 1: Fundamentals. 8th ed. Prentice-Hall. 2007. c.836p. ISBN 978-0-13-235476-9. pap. $54.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Now revised and updated for Java SE 6, this venerable guide targets programmers moving to Java from another language, beginning with an overview of what sets Java apart from other programming languages. Thorough background and explanations, plus real-world examples, make this the go-to reference for new Java programmers; those new to object-oriented programming, in particular, will greatly appreciate its clear discussions and examples. Click here for source code and an FAQ online. Highly recommended.

Schildt, Herb. Herb Shildt’s Java Programming Cookbook. McGraw-Hill. 2007. c.524p. ISBN 978-0-07-226315-2. pap. $49.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
In typical cookbook fashion, this book shows advanced beginners through experienced programmers how to perform common programming tasks as step-by-step “recipes.” Each follows the same format: description of the problem, “key ingredients,” steps, discussion, code example, and options and alternatives. The book’s clear solutions, coupled with its focus on widely useful techniques and FAQs, make it a helpful resource. Click here for online code. Recommended for larger libraries already owning introductory how-to guides.

PHP
The popular PHP web programming language (see Computer Media, LJ 4/1/06) moves more toward object-oriented programming (OOP) in each version; both of these guides address OOP, among other major topics.

Reiersol, Dagfinn & others. PHP in Action: Objects, Design, Agility. Manning. 2007. c.525p. ISBN 978-1-932394-75-7. pap. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
For intermediate programmers, this book covers basic tools and concepts (including objects and classes), testing and refactoring, building the web interface, and databases and infrastructure. Its strength lies in thorough, practical explanations that easily extend to real-world applications. Sometimes whimsical analogies help readers picture the uses of various features, while the authors are sure to explain when and why to do so. Click here for source code and an author forum. Highly recommended for larger libraries.

Shafik, Davey. The PHP Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks. 2d ed. SitePoint. 2007. c.520p. ISBN 978-0-9758419-9-0. pap. $39.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
This book also targets intermediate users but by providing solutions to common programming problems. Each chapter contains a number of these in a question/solution/discussion format; sidebars add information and warnings. Its straightforward explanations will be very useful to advanced beginners and intermediate users who find themselves getting stuck, as well as to those who want how-tos for going beyond the basics. Click here for online code. Recommended.

QuickBooks 2008
QuickBooks (see Computer Media, LJ 4/15/07) continues to be one of the most heavily used small-business accounting programs; public libraries should contain current guides for coverage of new features like mailing from Outlook/Outlook Express inside QuickBooks, sharing files with your accountant, and invoicing for unbilled time and expenses.

Biafore, Bonnie. QuickBooks 2008: The Missing Manual. O’Reilly. 2007. c.680p. ISBN 978-0-596-51514-0. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Best for beginners and upgraders, this Missing Manual focuses on QuickBooks Pro (the most popular edition); it also contains notes on features available only in Premier. Five parts cover setting up QuickBooks, bookkeeping, managing your business, advanced features, and appendixes on installing/upgrading QuickBooks, resources and keyboard shortcuts. Readers are walked through the most common features of the program in a logical, step-by-step manner, while tips and sidebars add information on workflow, organization, FAQs, and other bonus topics. Click here for online errata and the “missing CD-ROM.”. Highly recommended for public libraries.

Madeira, Laura. QuickBooks 2008 Solutions Guide for Business Owners and Accountants. QUE: Pearson. 2007. c.504p. ISBN 978-0-7897-3711-3. pap. $34.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This guide for intermediate users takes readers through various features of the newest version of QuickBooks. Chapters are organized around tasks or account categories, so the book serves as an easy, quick reference on how to accomplish a given task. “Digging Deeper” and “Rescue Me!” notes add background and information, while chapters on reviewing and correcting various types of accounting errors should prove particularly useful. Solutions Guide is somewhat more clunky and assumes more background than Biafore’s Missing Manual (see above). A supplementary purchase for libraries owning introductory guides.

The Read/Write Web
In the era of the read/write web, Internet users move from being passive consumers of information to creating, remixing, and sharing their own online content. Here, find several guides to tools that help them do so.

Baker, Donna L. How To Do Everything with Google Tools. Osborne: McGraw-Hill. 2007. c.438p. ISBN 978-0-07-149626-1. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Beyond search (which is covered here in the first two chapters), Google offers a collection of communication and business tools that let users interact online in various ways, including creating maps, participating in discussion groups, creating documents and spreadsheets, making web sites, creating ads, and blogging. An insert provides a case study on using various tools together to take a business online. Useful for both personal and business users, this basic overview of the most common tools is appropriate for large public libraries.

Butow, Eric & Michael Bellomo. Amp Your Myspace Page: Essential Tools for Giving Your Profile an Extreme Makeover. McGraw-Hill. 2007. c.292p. ISBN 978-0-07-149072-6. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
While creating a MySpace presence is simple, tweaking it to be unique isn’t always so easy. Although this guide could benefit from color, its step-by-step instructions and clear discussions of HTML and CSS basics are worth the price of admission—its usefulness will extend beyond MySpace for those who want to take their newfound skills to the larger web. Beyond design, the bookalso gives useful tips for getting involved in the larger MySpace community and creating content; chapters on developing an online following, using classified ads, and marketing your music group will appeal to some of the biggest MySpace demographics. Recommended for medium and larger libraries.

Reeder, Joelle & Katherine Scoleri. The IT Girl's Guide to Blogging with Moxie. Wiley. 2007. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-470-16800-4. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Once you get past the bright pink cover and the cutesy fonts, this book’s “conversation between girlfriends” approach actually packs a lot of information into a laid-back, friendly package. Best for blogging beginners, it walks them through the basics, then covers everything from popular tools; to tags, feeds, and photos; to stats and advertising. Beauty product recommendations, drink recipes, party tips, and other random asides could either be seen as fun breaks or potentially off-putting diversions; a section on gendered “Hot Topics” from “mommy blogs” to “gossip blogs” to “knitting blogs” could also irk readers. Purchase as a supplement to nontargeted blogging guides. The right audience could be both amused and informed.