Computer Book Reviews
The Complete Idiot's Guide to e-Commerce by Rob Smith, Mark Speaker and Mark Thompson
Alpha Books, January 2000.Trade Paperback, 364 pages.
ISBN: 0789721945
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to E-commerce
provides an introduction to e-commerce
including information about
how to get an Internet business started.
This guide to e-commerce covers multiple
subjects involved in web businesses, including
evaluating e-commerce sites, virtual
corporations, developing an e-business,
killer apps, laws of e-commerce, real-time
systems, automating your supply chain,
customers, credit card processing, hiring
employees, telecommuting, data mining,
internet marketing and knowledge. For each topic
covered, the book provides a general overview
and advice as well as links to additional
resources on the Web.
The reference includes examples of successful
websites, tips for building a high-traffic website,
things to avoid and information about subjects
unique to e-commerce, such as internet advertising,
automated order processing, domain names,
bandwidth and online databases.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to e-Commerce is
a straightforward resource for novices looking
to understand the rapidly expanding world
of e-commerce and for store owners and
businesses looking for a jump start to creating
an online counterpart for their businesses.
Ethernet: The Definitve Guide by Charles E. Spurgeon
O'Reilly, March 2000.Trade Paperback, 498 pages.
ISBN: 1565926609
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Ethernet is the most widely used technology
for networking. This guide provides
information about Ethernet media systems
including introductory concepts, building
Ethernet systems, performance analysis
and troubleshooting. In addition to
basic Ethernet protocols, the book also covers
recent developments including Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps)
and Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps).
Specific sections in the book provide coverage
of the history of Ethernet, half-duplex Ethernet
channels, full-duplex mode, auto-negotiation,
twisted-pair media systems, fiber optic media systems,
Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, multi-segment
configuration guidelines, structured cabling, twisted-pair
cables, fiber optic cables, Ethernet repeater hubs and
Ethernet switching hubs.
The book also includes an appendix with information
about additional resources, a description
of the thick and thin coaxial media systems,
a guide to AUI equipment installation and
a glossary of terms.
Charles Spurgeon, an expert in networking who has worked on large campus networks for 20 years, provides a thorough guide to understanding and installing Ethernet networks. Spurgeon also excels at providing the precise terminology and specifics in layman's terms for the hardware and concepts involved in networking. Ethernet: The Definitive Guide is an invaluable reference tool for anyone installing an Ethernet system or looking to expand an existing Ethernet system.
Programming the Perl DBI by Alligator Descartes and Tim Bunce.
O'Reilly, February 2000.Trade Paperback, 346 pages.
ISBN: 1565926994
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
PerlDBI is a database programming
interface in Perl, which allows programmers
to interface with a number of database products.
With PerlDBI, programmers can reuse code
for a new database or use multiple
databases simultaneously.
This reference acts as an introduction
to PerlDBI and also provides comprehensive
programming instruction and reference sections.
Topics covered in the book include:
non-DBI databases, flat-file databases, SQL,
relational databases, debugging,
querying data, working with
tables, programming, interacting with the database,
advanced DBI and ODBC databases.
The book includes plenty of sample code and documentation
to guide readers through each section of the book. Reference
sections in the book include DBI specification and
driver and database characteristics.
Programming the PerlDBI is a comprehensive reference that helps programmers understand DBI and learn how to manage, query and interact with databases using PerlDBI. This is a practical reference for both beginners and experience programmers; readers should have a basic knowledge of the Perl language in order to get the most out of this helpful book.
Return to the April 2000 issue of The IWJ.
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