fwd: Newsletter from O'Reilly UG Program, November 25

[Walt Mankowski <waltman@pobox.com>]

----- Forwarded message from Marsee Henon <marsee@oreilly.com> -----

From: Marsee Henon <marsee@oreilly.com>
To: waltman@pobox.com
Subject: Newsletter from O'Reilly UG Program, November 25
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 16:07:42 -0800

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O'Reilly News for User Group Members
November 25, 2003
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Book News
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-AppleScript: The Definitive Guide
-.NET and XML
-Mac OS X Panther Pocket Guide
-Learning XSLT
-SQL Tuning
-Apache Cookbook 
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Upcoming Events
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-Steven Feuerstein ("Oracle PL/SQL Programming") PL/SQL Language Seminar,
Chicago, IL--December 9-11
-David Sklar and Adam Trachtenberg ("PHP Cookbook"), New York PHP RAMP
Training, New York, NY--December 9-10
-Tony Stubblebine ("Regular Expression Pocket Reference"), North Bay Linux
Users' Group, Sebastopol, CA--December 9
-David Blank-Edelman ("Perl for System Administration") Back Bay LISA, 
Cambridge, MA--December 10
-Kathy Sierra ("Head First EJB," "Head First Java"), Denver Java Users
Group, Denver, CO--December 10
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Conferences
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-O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference Speaker List
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News
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-Using JPEG2000
-VBScript or Perl?
-Economics of Writing on Computer Topics
-Using Linux as a Small Business Internet Gateway
-BZFlag
-Handling Mixed Content in a Strongly Typed World
-Panther Maintenance Tips
-Keynote's XML Connections
-O'Reilly in the Comics
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Book News
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Did you know you can request a free book to review for your
group? Ask your group leader for more information.

For book review writing tips and suggestions, go to:
http://ug.oreilly.com/bookreviews.html

Don't forget, you can receive 20% off any O'Reilly book you 
purchase directly from O'Reilly. Just use code DSUG when 
ordering online or by phone 800-998-9938.
http://www.oreilly.com/


***Free ground shipping is available for online orders of at 
least $29.95 that go to a single U.S. address. This offer 
applies to U.S. delivery addresses in the 50 states and 
Puerto Rico.
For more details, go to:
http://www.oreilly.com/news/freeshipping_0703.html


***AppleScript: The Definitive Guide
Order Number: 5571
"AppleScript: The Definitive Guide" explores and teaches the language from
the ground up. If you're a beginner and want to learn how to write your
first script, or you just want to understand what the excitement is about,
this book brings it all into focus. If you're an experienced
AppleScripter, you'll benefit from the most definitive, up-to-date
language reference available. This book shows all comers how to interpret
dictionary files, use coercions to streamline scripts, debug and
troubleshoot scripts, and more.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/applescpttdg/

Chapter 7, "Variables," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/applescpttdg/chapter/index.html


***.NET and XML
Order Number: 3978
If you're seeking ways to build network-based applications or XML-based
web services, Microsoft provides most of the tools you'll need. ".NET &
XML" helps intermediate to advanced developers understand the intersection
between the two technologies. The book's in-depth, concentrated, tutorial
style includes a complete reference to the XML-related namespaces within
the .NET Framework. This is the book to have for writing understandable
XML-based code that interoperates with code written with other tools, and
in other languages. 
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/netxml/

Chapter 7, "Transforming XML with XSLT," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/netxml/chapter/index.html


***Mac OS X Panther Pocket Guide
Order Number: 6160
Thoroughly updated, this slim book introduces you to the fundamental
concepts of Mac OS X Panther. It also features a handy "Mac OS X Survival
Guide" that shows Mac users what's changed from Mac OS 9, and helps
Windows and Unix converts get acclimated to their new OS. With more than
250 tips and tricks, this practical, to-the-point book is a small but
powerful resource for unleashing the power of Mac OS X Panther.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/macpantherpg/ 

An excerpt on "Keyboard Shortcuts" is online now:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/macpantherpg/chapter/index.html


***Learning XSLT
Order Number: 3277
"Learning XSLT" is a carefully paced, example-rich introduction to XSLT.
Thorough in its coverage, the book makes few assumptions about what you
may already know. You'll learn about XSLT's template-based syntax, how
XSLT templates work with each other, and gain an understanding of XSLT
variables. "Learning XSLT" also explains how the XML Path Language (XPath)
is used by XSLT, and provides a glimpse of what the future holds for XSLT
2.0 and XPath 2.0.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/learnxslt/

Chapter 2, "Building New Documents with XSLT," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/learnxslt/chapter/index.html


***SQL Tuning
Order Number: 5733
"SQL Tuning" outlines a timesaving method developed for finding the
optimum execution plan rapidly and systematically, regardless of the
complexity of the SQL or the database platform being used. You'll learn
how to understand and control SQL execution plans and how to diagram SQL
queries to deduce the best execution plan. Exercises are included to
reinforce the concepts you've learned. "SQL Tuning" concludes by
addressing special concerns and unique solutions to "unsolvable"
problems.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/sqltuning/

Chapter 1, "Introduction," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/sqltuning/chapter/index.html


***Apache Cookbook
Order Number: 1916
"Apache Cookbook" is a collection of problems, solutions, and practical
examples written for anyone who works with Apache. For every problem
addressed in the book, there's a solution or "recipe," as well as an
explanation of how and why the code works so you can adapt the
problem-solving techniques to real-world situations. The two hundred-plus
recipes in the book cover topics such as: Security; Aliases, Redirecting,
and Rewriting; CGI Scripts, the suexec Wrapper, and other dynamic content
techniques; Error Handling; SSL; and Performance.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/apacheckbk/

Chapter 9, "Error Handling," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/apacheckbk/chapter/index.html

================================================
Upcoming Events
================================================
***For more events, please see:
http://events.oreilly.com/

***Steven Feuerstein ("Oracle PL/SQL Programming") PL/SQL Language
Seminar, Chicago, IL--December 9-11
Steven is leading a three-day "MIN-MAX PL/SQL" seminar--a best practices
and optimization event that will radically change (for the better!) the
way you design and implement PL/SQL-based applications.
http://www.minmaxplsql.com/

David Sklar and Adam Trachtenberg ("PHP Cookbook"), New York PHP RAMP
Training, New York, NY--December 9-10
David and Adam will lead sessions in NYPHP's Rapid AMP Technology
Certification program.
http://nyphp.org/content/training/ramp.php


***Tony Stubblebine ("Regular Expression Pocket Reference"), North Bay
Linux Users' Group, Sebastopol, CA--December 9
Tony is going to rummage through his Regex Toolbox. Every day, regular
expressions save him time and sanity by diverting spam, controlling
Apache, and searching, organizing, and formatting reams of data. Regular
expressions aren't just for programmers. They've moved from the shell to
the editor to the database to nearly every major Linux application. Tony
will pull out his favorite vim, shell, MySQL, Apache, and procmail tools,
tips, and tricks. 7:30pm, O'Reilly, 1005 Gravenstein Highway North,
Sebastopol, CA
http://www.nblug.org/


***David Blank-Edelman ("Perl for System Administration") Back Bay LISA, 
Cambridge, MA--December 10
David will be presenting the talk "SysAdmin, Stories, and Signing:
Learning from Communication Experts." Meetings start at 7:00pm with
presentations beginning at 7:30pm. MIT, Building E51 70 Memorial Drive, 
Cambridge, MA.
http://www.bblisa.org/calendar/


***Kathy Sierra ("Head First EJB," "Head First Java"), Denver Java Users
Group, Denver, CO--December 10
Kathy will talk about the new Sun EJB 2.x Certification. You'll look at
how to take advantage of the new features, especially focusing on the new
portable abstract schema for object-relational mapping of Entity Beans.
Learn how to make your life easier as a bean developer.
No registration for meetings is required, and there is no fee. Food and
networking at 5:30-6:00pm The early session at 6:00pm. is for learning
basic concepts. Advanced topics are covered by the main speaker at 7:00pm.
Qwest Auditorium, 1005 17th Street, Denver, CO
http://www.denverjug.org/index.html

================================================
Conference News
================================================
***O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference Speaker List
One of the best reasons to attend the O'Reilly Emerging Technology
Conference is the gathering of top-notch presenters, leaders, and experts.
Core developers, unique users, and visionaries share their knowledge with
you to help you solve your computing or programming challenges. Our
speaker list is growing daily. Please check back regularly to see who we
have lined up.
http://conferences.oreillynet.com/pub/w/28/speakers.html

O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference
February 9-12, 2004
Westin Horton Plaza San Diego
San Diego, CA 92101
http://conferences.oreilly.com/etech/

User Group members who register before January 9, 2004 get a double
discount. Use code DSUG when you register, and receive 20% off the
"Early Bird" price.

To register for the conference, go to:
http://conferences.oreillynet.com/pub/w/28/register.html

================================================
News From O'Reilly & Beyond
================================================
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General News
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***Using JPEG2000
Is JPEG2000 the killer image file format for lossless storage? Ken Milburn
thinks so. Ken details the options available in the JPEG2000 plugin, which
were designed to help photographers losslessly compress and store their
highest-quality images as efficiently as possible. Ken is the author of
the upcoming "Digital Photographer's Handbook."
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/2003/11/14/digphoto_ckbk.html


***VBScript or Perl? 
In the process of writing "Active Directory Cookbook," author and
long-time Perl coder Robbie Allen had to make a decision that Windows
system administrators often face: whether to use VBScript or Perl.
Ultimately, Robbie decided to use VBScript for the book's examples (though
you can find Perl examples on his web site). In this article, Robbie
outlines the advantages and disadvantages of each language, with sample
code, to help you determine which works best for your project.
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2003/11/18/activedir_ckbk.html


***Economics of Writing on Computer Topics
How important is timeliness in computer book publishing? Can niche books
succeed? What about gimmicks? Tim O'Reilly says timing is about more than
being first to market on a technology; it's about being first to market
for a market. Tim answers all these questions with some "in the trenches"
stories of O'Reilly publishing, at tim.oreilly.com.
http://tim.oreilly.com/publishing/timeliness_1103.csp

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Open Source
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***Using Linux as a Small Business Internet Gateway 
Internet access is vital to many small businesses. Creating a reliable and
worry-free connection used to be difficult. With good software such as the
Linux kernel, wvdial, Squid, Postfix, and iptables, it's reasonably easy
to set up Linux as an Internet gateway. Alexander Prohorenko explains
how.
http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2003/11/20/internet_gateway.html


***BZFlag 
Sometimes a demo program can spin out of control to take on a life of its
own. A ten-year-old project to demonstrate 3D movement has become a
simple-yet-clever online tank battle game. Howard Wen talks to the creator
and maintainer of BZFlag.
http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2003/11/20/bzflag.html

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Java
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***Handling Mixed Content in a Strongly Typed World 
Merge the line between data and text with XMLBeans.
http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/bea/mixedcontent.html

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.NET
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***WinFX: An All-Managed API
In Longhorn, Win32 will no longer be the principal API. It will, of
course, continue to be supported; 20-year-old DOS applications still run
on the latest version of Windows, and likewise, Win32 applications will
also continue to work for the foreseeable future. But just as DOS and
16-bit Windows applications were superseded by Win32 applications, so in
Longhorn will Win32 become the "old way" of doing things. In the first
edition of this new column by Ian Griffiths, he explains why an
all-managed API is a good thing.
http://www.ondotnet.com/pub/a/dotnet/2003/11/24/longhorn_01.htm

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Mac
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***Panther Maintenance Tips 
Yes, Mac OS X is incredibly stable, but here's a comprehensive list of
tips to keep it that way for the duration of your OS install. What? You
don't do any maintenance at all? Well, read on. That might change.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2003/11/21/maintenance.html


***Keynote's XML Connections 
For its Keynote application, Apple had created an XML syntax, APXL (short
for Apple Presentation XML), and made its schema publicly available. That
means you can build presentations outside of Keynote using data stored in
apps like FileMaker Pro and 4D. David Miller explains, and shows you how
to leverage this functionality.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2003/11/18/keynote.html

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Fun
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***O'Reilly in the Comics
http://secretworldofnerds.com/atlas_nerd.jpg

Thanks to Art Payne (The Michigan Apple User Group) and Julie
Reynolds-Grabbe (NASA Ames Research Center--Mac Group) 
for sending this to me.


Until next time--

Marsee







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