Mastering XPages: A Step-by-Step Guide to XPages Application Development and the XSP Language Review

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(More customer reviews)"I never got the chance to meet the inventors of `Notes', but these guys were true visionaries." This is the first sentence in a 748 pages book about XPages that was recently published by IBM Press.
The book is written by Martin Donnelly, Mark Wallace and Tony McGuckin with a foreword by Philippe Riand. Although all authors declare that "none of us had been down the book-writing road before", the book is well written, even for readers that do not have english as the first language.
The main content starts with a high level overview about XPages. Even if you are already experienced in XPages development, it is worth reading this chapter. Start writing your first XPages application and follow the instructions step by step. The resulting application is a good starting point to put enhancements on top.
If you run into a problem regarding security settings on the server take a look at the very end of the book where you find the settings that have to be applied to your server.
IMHO, this information should be part of the "Getting Everything You Need" chapter.
The anatomy of an XPage is described in detail in chapter 4. Newbees to this field should read this chapter carefully. You will need this information if you want to dig deeper into XPages development later on.
Chapter 12 explains how to build your own user interface controls. This part of the book is not easy to understand for a non experienced developer, but if you follow the step by step instruction carefully, you will succeed.
All over the book you find tons of source code and numerous screenshots. It would be a good idea to make the source code available for download. But perhaps it is already available and I missed this part in the book.
The book also gives credit to all of the members of the Notes Community that started back in 8.5 with spreading the news about XPages in blogs, podcasts etc. Take these ressources as a supplement to the information you find in the book.
As a conclusion, I would recommend this book to every developer that wants to start with XPages development.

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The first complete, practical guide to XPages development - direct from members of the XPages development team at IBM LotusMartin Donnelly, Mark Wallace, and Tony McGuckin have written the definitive programmer's guide to utilizing this breakthrough technology. Packed with tips, tricks, and best practices from IBM's own XPages developers, Mastering XPages brings together all the information developers need to become experts - whether you're experienced with Notes/Domino development or not. The authors start from the very beginning, helping developers steadily build your expertise through practical code examples and clear, complete explanations. Readers will work through scores of real-world XPages examples, learning cutting-edge XPages and XSP language skills and gaining deep insight into the entire development process. Drawing on their own experience working directly with XPages users and customers, the authors illuminate both the technology and how it can be applied to solving real business problems. Martin Donnelly previously led a software startup that developed and distributed small business accounting software. Donnelly holds a Commerce degree from University College Cork and an M.S. in Computer Science from Boston University. Mark Wallace has worked at IBM for 15 years on many projects as a technical architect and application developer. Tony McGuckin participates in the Lotus OneUI Web Application and iWidget Adoption Workgroup. He holds a bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from the University of Ulster.

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IBM Lotus Connections 2.5: Planning and Implementing Social Software for Your Enterprise Review

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(More customer reviews)I am not unfamiliar with IBM Lotus Connections, I have seen it demonstrated at many Lotus conferences and know of several local organizations that leverage the software. I understand the allure of social software, for example LinkedIn and Facebook. However, I have not looked closely at IBM Lotus Connections. After reading IBM Lotus Connections 2.5: Planning and Implementing Social Software for Your Enterprise, by Stephen Hardison, David Byrd, Gary Wood, Tim Speed, Michael Martin, Suzanne Livingston, Jason Moore, and Morten Kristiansen, I believe that I have a firm understanding of IBM Lotus Connections and, more importantly, the importance and benefits of social software within the enterprise.
Contents:
Foreword
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
Chapter 1: Social Networking Concepts
Chapter 2: Introducing Lotus Connections 2.5
Chapter 3: Lotus Connections Architecture
Chapter 4: Deployment Planning
Chapter 5: Install Planning
Chapter 6: Using Lotus Connections
Chapter 7: Administering Lotus Connections
Chapter 8: Extending Lotus Connections to Other Applications
Chapter 9: Using the Lotus Connections API
Chapter 10: Plug-Ins and Widgets
The authors take what I believe is a rather complex idea and software package and break it down into easy to understand concepts and procedures. Starting with a chapter on social networking, they explain the reasons for such software in the enterprise, This chapter should not be skipped, it is critical to the understanding of the rest of the book and is important to anyone even thinking about implementing social software within their organization. If you are currently having issues with acceptance of social software or wondering how to include more people in it, this chapter will help. After the introduction, we dive into Lotus Connections, but not all at once. The authors allow the reader to dip their toes into it, get used to one area, and then move deeper into the pool. It is a very effective teaching tool. Easily moving from the architecture to the planning to the installation, the reader will have no problem attempting to install Lotus Connections once those chapters have been finished. However, the authors do not stop there, they segue into using the software, administering it, and extending it in ways that you may not have considered. The end result is not only an excellent review and resource for IBM Lotus Connections but also a solid understanding of the value of social software in your organization.
As I am very familiar with IBM Press, I was not worried about reading a book authored by eight individuals. The editing, flow, and voice makes it very difficult, even impossible, to discern the individuals. However, the reader is provided with a solid resource for implementing, managing, and extending Lotus Connections authored by some of the best Connections technical minds and writers at IBM. I felt that once I finished the book, I was ready to install, at the very least, the pilot version of Lotus Connections. I realize that this may be a stretch, but this book certainly arms you with the knowledge to accomplish that task. Once you have the software installed and working, there will come a time where you will want to extend it to other applications. Whether you use Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office, Lotus Sametime,SocialText, or Confluence, this book covers it. If you have other needs, the chapter on the Connections API should help. While it isn't an exhaustive look at the API, it will get you started and also provide you with additional resources. Overall, IBM Lotus Connections 2.5: Planning and Implementing Social Software for Your Enterprise, by Stephen Hardison, David Byrd, Gary Wood, Tim Speed, Michael Martin, Suzanne Livingston, Jason Moore, and Morten Kristiansen, is another excellent book from IBM Press, one that demonstrates to the reader the value of social software to the organization and to the individual in general, and a deeper understanding of Lotus Connections 2.5 in particular.
Disclosure:
Obtained from: Publisher
Payment: Free

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The Practical, Complete Guide to Leveraging the Power of Social Networks with Lotus Connections 2.5The first book to cover the newest version of the breakthrough product from IBM: Lotus Connections 2.5. This book includes practical techniques for building dynamic networks of coworkers, partners, and customers that promote innovation, business agility, and authoritative guidance for business and technical planning, deployment, integration, and much more. Social networking is the newest frontier in business collaboration, and IBM Lotus Connections 2.5 gives businesses the tools they need to make the most of it–easily, securely, and cost-effectively.In this book, a team of IBM Lotus Connections 2.5 experts thoroughly introduces the newest product and covers every facet of planning, deploying, and using it successfully. The authors cover business and technical issues and present IBM's proven, best-practices methodology for successful implementation. The authors begin by helping managers and technical professionals identify opportunities to use social networking for competitive advantage–and by explaining how Lotus Connections 2.5 places full-fledged social networking tools at their fingertips. IBM Lotus Connections 2.5 carefully describes each component of the product–including profiles, activities, blogs, communities, easy social bookmarking, personal home pages, and more. The book contains practical coverage of administering Lotus Connections 2.5 and detailed guidance of integrating and extending Lotus Connections 2.5.

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