The podcast I did with Wally McClure is up on his website. Here’s the link to it. I did this podcast about a month ago, so some of the musings might be old news, but Wally wanted to time the podcast’s release with the release of SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005. So it’s available today. He’s posted a really nice tag line with it…Wally, you’re too kind.
Although I’ve still never met him in person, Wally and I go way back (to my OLE DB days) via email. He claims I’m even referenced in his new book, though I haven’t got my copy (hint,hint) yet. Some day I may actually get to meet him.
In his blog posting, he mentions that my SQL Server 2005 beta book is no longer on sale. Not true, its still around…although Dan and I are rechecking every fact/code example for the new one as I write this. It will be called “A SQL Server 2005 Developer’s Guide”, and will be released early next year.
Although most folks really liked the “First Look” book, I did get some complaints about it being based on a beta version (beta 2, actually) of products, rather than waiting for the “golden bits”. I find it interesting that there are lots of books appearing daily on SQL Server 2005/VS 2005/.NET 2.0 right now. With the lead time that most publishers have, these must ALL be based, to some extent, on pre-release versions of the software. Albeit quite a bit newer pre-release versions than beta 2.
A lot has happened since beta 2. The latest development is that some of the concepts of ObjectSpaces and X# (aka C-Omega) have morphed (with LOTS of further development) into LINQ/DLINQ/XLINQ. I’m intrigued.
So our new book will be based on the “golden bits”. And it will be right up to date…up until SQL Server 2005 SP1 appears. So writing any book on software, beta or not, is aiming at a moving target to some extent. Although the beta book had lots of code, it was really meant to be a “concept” book. The base concepts haven’t changed at that much, although the implementation has evolved.
The new book will have LOTS of new material. And revised material. That’s because the folks that work on SQL Server, .NET, and Visual Studio have been working REALLY hard since the beta to bring you the best product. And they’re still working hard right now..on V-Next. And SP1.