Object-Oriented Application Development Using the Cache Postrelational Database

Rating:
Summary: Not enough detail
Review: I didn't find this book to be very helpfull. You might as well read the online documentation.

Rating:
Summary: Too little information for such a large product
Review: I have been studying this book for over a year,
and though I have gotten to feel like I know my way around a Cache system, only been working with it a year (MUMPS too for that matter), there is too much information, Undocumented (WOLF KOELING<SP?> will agree that Intersystems offers not to divulge. The book hits all the basics. Devices, servers, clients, GUI tools, $ZU hell, CSP, but with 15 pages to use per section it has to try and describe it, thats not quite enough. ALl in all its helpful, though, my advice is to ditch the book and read the newsgroup. People are very willing to help there.

Rating:
Summary: Too little information for such a large product
Review: I have been studying this book for over a year,
and though I have gotten to feel like I know my way around a Cache system, only been working with it a year (MUMPS too for that matter), there is too much information, Undocumented (WOLF KOELING will agree that Intersystems offers not to divulge. The book hits all the basics. Devices, servers, clients, GUI tools, $ZU hell, CSP, but with 15 pages to use per section it has to try and describe it, thats not quite enough. ALl in all its helpful, though, my advice is to ditch the book and read the newsgroup. People are very willing to help there.

Rating:
Summary: Not enough detail
Review: Intersystems' Caché Postrelational Database is a relatively little known but very powerful & extremely scalable database engine, that has very few -if any- serious competitors in that features/price/performance group, especially after Intersystem changed their licensing policy recently.

The book gives detailed information about Caché's way of handling all major database functions, explains in a nice manner how to get it up & running ( at least on Windows this is actually so easy that it's almost not necessary to waste many words about it), provides a good introduction into Caché's specific as well as general object-oriented programming but stays a bit short on webapplications and information/assistance about errors & error-codes. It almost appears that the authors had a deadline to meet, and finished the web-part a bit too fast.

However, this sounds worse than it really is: Caché's online tutorial and documentation fill this gap, so to start, to learn more and to have a very nice, very compact language reference in your bag or next to your keyboard, this book is probably the best thing to have, especially in conjunction with the online materials.

The authors always keep their focus on what's necessary, it's easy to understand without simplifying the subject. In good Springer-Verlag manner it's slightly overpriced, but its size, layout and paper is very nice; too pretty almost: You certainly don't want to write notes into it, so you might end up with lots of Post-Its between the pages.

Unlike most other programming languages and databases this book prooves that you don't need 12 different 800-pages manuals, tutorials, references etc to accomplish one thing. In my opinion, besides the performance and ability to easily integrate with almost all other languages and platforms, this is one of the best aspects of Intersystems Caché.

Rating:
Summary: Typical Database Review
Review: Unfortunately, as with most books in this genre (OODB), the examples and explanations are limited to very simple designs. Furthermore, even the small amount of information dedicated to the design explanations is not enough to wet the appetite for even the most inexperienced individuals.

Removing the 'install' chapter and adding a chapter to dissect a simple 'Address' database with embedded lists of phones, addresses, emails, relationships, and more would go a LONG way. It is disappointing that the authors took the typical beginners approach to a subject that many relational database bigots are dying to beat up on. By not showing a direct comparison to a relational design (function by function, attribute by attribute) they have left InterSystems with little to demonstrate to their potential customers why Cache is a powerful alternative to the status quo.

Shame... Could have been such a terrific book and demonstrative example of how and why OODBs will eventaully rule the real world. Until then we will have to wait for the sequel and hope that it can address the shortcomings of this book.

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