Using O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf
Using Safari Books is extremely simple.
- Go to the Safari Books home page - http://safari.oreilly.com
- Type in your search topic. Java Beans, for example.
- Get a list of all of the Java Beans references in the Safari service.
- Results are ranked from most relevant to least relevant.
- Peruse the full text of relevant titles, chapters and sections.
- Bookmark, annotate and copy & paste code directly.
safari bookshelf »
The Search Results shows the books that contain the search string and includes a thumbnail of the cover, the title and how many Slots it will fill if you add it to your bookcase. It then lists the relevant chapters, the publisher and the date added to the collection. The final column indicates if the book is already on your bookshelf or if not allows you to add it.
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Extract of Search Results
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Initially, I had my reservations about how useful I'd find this service, but I now find I'm using O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf as my IT primary reference resource.
One of the PR blurbs about O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf says "You'll find answers much more quickly than wading through piles of books and articles and far more effectively than message boards or tracking down colleagues for answers" and I have found this to be quite true.
I am using the search facility to research a variety of topics that if I was to purchase the physical books, I would be spending hundreds of dollars and probably would never use them again after the research concluded, so a subscription to Safari Books Online is very cost effective.
If I do decide I want to purchase a physical copy of the book, then there is a easy to use online ordering system.
The ability to copy code examples directly from the web page into an email or text editor is fantastic as the likelihood of an error creeping in virtually disappears.
You don't have to be a subscriber to O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf to conduct searches, nor to view books, however, the books will only display a preview of the page and include a banner advising your are in a preview mode.
Subscribers have full access to the entire contents of the book.
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Preview Mode Banner
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Subscribers need to add a book to their bookcase in order to read the entire contents of the book and this process is very easy; just click on Add and confirm you want to add it to your bookcase.
As mentioned earlier, you only have a limited number of slots on your bookcase, so if you have filled the current slots, you have two options; either upgrade to more slots, or like a book library, exchange one title for another, but you must keep a book on your bookshelf for 30 days before changing it over.
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My Safari Bookcase
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