Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 Reporting Services Step by Step (Pro-Step by Step Developer)

Rating:
Summary: Thorough coverage of features, worth the money
Review: I found this book to be very thorough and cover a lot of ground. I only had some minor issues with working the exercises. You do have to remember to read carefully how to go get the download of the code as it is missing off the CD. I got a lot out of working through the whole book.

Rating:
Summary: Not for skilled developers
Review: I looked through this book at a bookstore recently (no insult to Amazon, but I really like have my hands on a book to review it properly). The text is large, and so even though the book is big, one page does not contain much info. I knew I was going to be disappointed when I opened the book halfway and there was an introduction to using paramaterized queries. I needed a book that assumed that I already knew basic SQL, .NET progrmming, and SQL Server 2000, and was already familiar with the basic Microsoft products.

This was not quite it. It seems to be written for people with less hands-on experience developing reports, likely written for people who want to decide whether to use Reporting Services, and at a high-level, what RS is capable of. I needed something that could give me a quick understanding of the essentials, and then help me to start cranking out real solution.

Rating:
Summary: UPDATED REVIEW
Review: Initially, I was disappointed by the fact that key files for the book's examples were not available on the accompanying CD.

Within a week, Microsoft posted a download link for the outstanding files. Most pleasant.

In keeping with SQL Server Analysis Services Step-by-Step and DTS Step-by-Step, this book is a fantastic way to pick up the necessary skills to work with Reporting Services. Like the other Step-by-Steps, this book takes a very practical approach to teaching the subject matter. For those of us with a backgound in .NET development, the CD contains 3 additional bonus chapters neat topics on (among other things) extending and customizing Reporting Services for our appplications.

Like I said in an earlier review for DTS Step-by-Step, I hope Microsoft keeps up this great trend going forward with publications covering SQL Server 2005.

ACD (MCDBA)