This is a friendly, up-to-date, comprehensive, step-by-step guide to designing good user interfaces for both desktop and web applications.

User Interface Design for Mere Mortals takes the mystery out of designing effective interfaces for both desktop and web applications. It is recommended reading for anyone who wants to provide users of their software with interfaces that are intuitive and easy-to-use. The key to any successful application lies in providing an interface users not only enjoy interacting with but which also saves time, eliminates frustration, and gets the job done with a minimum of effort. Readers will discover the secrets of good interface design by learning how users behave and the expectations that users have of different types of interfaces. Anyone who reads User Interface Design for Mere Mortals will benefit from • Gaining an appreciation of the differences in the “look and feel” of interfaces for a variety of systems and platforms • Learning how to go about designing and creating the most appropriate interface for the application or website being developed • Becoming familiar with all the different components that make up an interface and the important role that each of those components plays in communicating with users • Understanding the business benefits that flow from good interface design such as significantly reduced support costs • Gaining invaluable insights into how users behave, including the seven stages of human interaction with computers • Working through case study based, in-depth analysis of each of the stages involved in designing a user interface • Acquiring practical knowledge about the similarities and differences between designing websites and traditional desktop applications • Learning how to define, conduct, and analyze usability testing Through the use of the proven For Mere Mortals format, User Interface Design for Mere Mortals succeeds in parting the veil of mystery surrounding effective user interface design. Whatever your background, the For Mere Mortals format makes the information easily accessible and usable. Contents Preface Introduction CHAPTER 1 Brief Histories CHAPTER 2 Concepts and Issues CHAPTER 3 Making the Business Case CHAPTER 4 Good Design CHAPTER 5 How User Behave CHAPTER 6 Analyzing Your Users CHAPTER 7 Designing a User Interface CHAPTER 8 Designing a Web Site CHAPTER 9 Usability APPENDIX A Answers to Review Questions APPENDIX B Recommended Reading Glossary References Index

This book on generic SQL can be used by new users to learn the foundations of SQL or act as a reference for more experienced users. This new edition brings the content up-to-date with the latest versions of the major proprietary database systems, including Access, Oracle and MySQL.

The #1 Easy, Commonsense Guide to Database Design—Now Updated Foreword by Michelle Poolet, Mount Vernon Data Systems LLC Michael J. Hernandez's best-selling Database Design for Mere Mortals has earned worldwide respect as the simplest way to learn relational database design. Now, he's made this hands-on, software independent tutorial even clearer and easier to use. Step by step, this new 25th Anniversary Edition shows you how to design modern databases that are soundly structured, reliable, and flexible, even in the latest online applications. Hernandez guides you through everything from planning to defining tables, fields, keys, table relationships, business rules, and views. You'll learn practical ways to improve data integrity, how to avoid common mistakes, and when to break the rules. Updated review questions and figures help you learn these techniques more easily and effectively. Understand database types, models, and design terminology Perform interviews to efficiently capture requirements—even if everyone's working remotely Set clear design objectives and transform them into effective designs Analyze a current database so you can identify ways to improve it Establish table structures and relationships, assign primary keys, set field specifications, and set up views Ensure the correct level of data integrity for each database Identify and establish business rules Preview and prepare for the future of relational databases Whatever relational database systems you use, Hernandez will help you design databases that are robust and trustworthy. Never designed a database before? Settling for inadequate generic designs? Running existing databases that need improvement? Start here.

A guide to relational database design covers such topics as setting objectives, establishing table structures, and identifying and establishing business rules.

NoSQL for Mere Mortals is an easy, practical guide to succeeding with NoSQL in your environment. Students are guided step-by-step through choosing technologies, designing high-performance databases, and planning for long-term maintenance. The author introduces each type of NoSQL database, shows how to install and manage them, and demonstrates how to leverage their features while avoiding common mistakes that lead to poor performance and unmet requirements. He uses four popular NoSQL databases as reference models: MongoDB, a document database; Cassandra, a column family data store; Redis, a key-value database; and Neo4j, a graph database.