AutoCAD Database Connectivity

Rating:
Summary: A lot of material in a small space...
Review: The wide variety of topics covered in this book (dbConnect, database design [including the interview process, normalization and referential integrity], a SQL primer, ER diagramming, ADO [with VBA], and even some Visual Lisp using COM! ) is dizzying if you don't have some background in these. But the condensing job Scott has done is quite remarkable. My favorite chapter was "Designing AutoCAD/Database Applications". This was very well thought out and undogmatic in its approach. I wish it had been about 50 pages longer. This is a book written for someone with the following: -> Fair AutoCAD skills. -> Some relational DB background. -> Fair knowledge of VBA. My one criticism has to do with the acceleration of the pace toward the end of the book when all the Visual Lisp stuff gets thrown in. I have written huge, engineering/documentation automation systems in Visual Lisp but I still don't have the knowledge of COM as it relates to VL. I think these bits of code will cause a lot of glassy eyes. If you are a beginner to these topics, try the following books: -> a SAMS or equivalent "Teach Yourself VBA" type book. -> "Database Design for Mere Mortals" by Michael J. Hernandez (a very dogmatic but very approachable, EXCELLENT book). -> after learning VBA, an ADO book.

Bottom Line: "AutoCAD Database Connectivity" is an excellent book.