Press release for "Apache Derby: Off to the Races"

[Dan Scott <de...@gmail.com>]

Jean, thanks for adding the link for our book to the "Articles and
Books" section.

Just in case anyone is interested in a few more details about the very
recently published "Apache Derby: Off to the Races", here's the
official press release from
http://www.ibmpressbooks.com/press/press_releases_detail.asp?promo=3085

(btw, I'm proud of the work I did on the book--I spent a lot of late
nights and weekends getting PHP, Perl, and Python running at a time
when ODBC support was still a new thing for the network server--and
hope that it does help grow the Derby community!)

**********

IBM PRESS™ PUBLISHES
Apache Derby- Off to the Races: Includes Details of IBM Cloudscape™
The first comprehensive book for Apache Derby and IBM Cloudscape

Upper Saddle River, NJ, (November, 2005) - IBM Press™, the official
publisher of IBM books for professionals and students, today announced
publication of Apache Derby- Off to the Races, the first comprehensive
book to help Apache Derby application developers and new users to more
fully utilize this powerful, open source Java database server. Derby
was introduced into the Apache Software Foundation in August of 2004
based on an initial contribution from IBM. Since that time, the Apache
Derby project has gained a loyal and growing following within the open
source community. This community has evolved rapidly and is, as of
July 2005, a key component of the Apache DB project.

The book is authored by three leading IBM database experts who deliver
a comprehensive guide for PHP, C, Java, and .NET developers. Paul
Zikopoulos is an award-winning writer and speaker with the IBM
Database Competitive Technology team. He is co-author of several
books, including DB2(r) Version 8: The Official Guide. Dan Scott is an
IBM product manager experienced in DB2(r), Linux(r), and open source
scripting languages and is a frequent lecturer on the topic of Apache
Derby and IBM Cloudscape™. George Baklarz is a senior manager in IBM's
DB2 Worldwide Pre-Sales Support Group, and has also co-authored
several books, including DB2 UDB Version 8.1 Database Administration
Certification Guide.

Apache Derby, the newest addition to IBM Press™, has almost 600 pages
of explanation and guidance, with real-world examples, to help readers
gain a confident understanding about Apache Derby and IBM Cloudscape.
The book opens with a broad overview including topics on the benefits
of relational databases and progresses to cover all the requisite
technical requirements for installation, configuration, management,
and security. By the end of the book, readers will have the
information needed to build robust, enterprise applications and Web
Services using Apache Derby.

Including multiple screenshots and a significant amount of sample
code, the book is organized into four basic parts:

    * Part I: Addresses introductory topics including the differences
between IBM Cloudscape and Apache Derby; the Apache process; and the
concept of the open source community;
    * Part II: Provides a foundation on the ways to use Apache Derby,
addressing specific considerations dependent on the production
environment involved and proceeding to get into the "meat" of
installation, management, security, and also includes a primer on SQL;
    * Part III: An overview of each programming language that is
supported by Apache Derby and how each respective language uniquely
interacts with Apache Derby;
    * Part IV: A detailed hands-on exercise to build a sample
application of a basic ticket booking system for a theatre-- the
authors first show how to build it using the JDBC API, then
demonstrate how to build the same application with the Windows(r)
programming interfaces and finally, the exercise is repeated to
demonstrate building it with Python, PHP, and Perl.

"With the buzz continuously building around Apache Derby due to its
unique blend of robust features, simplicity of use, and the fact that
it is open source code, we decided to create a book to further extend
its utility for the development community," Zikopoulos said. "We trust
this book will flatten the time to value curve for new users adopting
this technology. New users will also be able get up and running with
confidence and gain the ability to build a rich application by the
time they complete the last chapter. Also, since the SQL API is
compliant with the IBM DB2 UDB database platform, they will actually
gain more skill than they originally thought - and that is a great
resume builder."

Apache Derby- Off to the Races (ISBN 0131855255) has an accompanying
website, featuring a chapter for download at:
ibmpressbooks.com/title/0131855255, and includes links to the IBM
version of Apache Derby (IBM Cloudscape), other downloadable code and
additional resources. The book is currently available through major
chain and independent booksellers worldwide and through online vendors
at a suggested retail price of U.S. $39.99.

About IBM
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About IBM Press
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and professionals. With books designed to help users prepare for IBM
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range of products and solutions, and educate business leaders, IBM
Press provides a variety of books to suit individual learning styles
and to support you during your education and throughout your career.

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