No comments about Common-Sense C: Advice and Warnings for C and C++ Programmers.

1 comments about ANSI C: A Lexical Guide.

1. This book is really more of a reference for developers already familiar with C than an introduction to C. Even experienced C programmers will learn more about the language and the runtime library. It is very well written, easy to read, and provides excellent examples.

1 comments about Master Visual C++ 1.5.

1. Nathan and Ori Gurewich, Master Visual C++ 2 (Sams, 1994)

   Given the dominance of Microsoft in the programming market and the plethora of supposedly platform-specific C++ books on the market, it would seem a difficult task to come up with one definitive beginner's text. Such is not the case, and Master Visual C++ 2 is without a doubt the definitive book for the VC++2 platform. The authors spend little time covering the basics of C++ (but enough to get someone who's never read any general material on the subject up to speed) and devote most of the book's thousand-plus pages to the Visual C++ platform itself. While the book does have its drawbacks, it does what it's supposed to do, and it does it better than any other book I've encountered.

   The drawbacks are worth commenting on, because despite the dominance the book has (or should have), there are some areas in which it could use improvement. The main one is that the book spends far too much time with examples that are either dialog-based or use dialog control forms in an SDI environment. Very little is done with actual SDI or MDI applications. Also, OLE and ODBC support is touched on far too little here, given its importance in the Visual C+ 2 framework. Computer book buyers have gotten too used to books covering specific topics, and we've stopped demanding that general introductory books deal with those topics. Bad idea, especially when you're shelling out $40-50 apiece.

   Still, if you're learning Visual C++, and most Windows programmers will at some point, this is an excellent place to start for DOS/Win3.x/Win95 programmers. *** ½

5 comments about C# and the .NET Platform.

1. This book is a good guide for someone who is looking for overall information on C# advanced topics and who wants to get advanced knowledge of C#.



2. A few people criticised simple examples that go with the book.
   Do your own examples for each chapter and that will teach you anything. Just reading the book and understanding it is not enough.
   
   I believe that a good programming book is the one that:
   1. presents it all
   2. presents it as simply as possible.
   This book does it all.



3. On the whole, I've been very happy with this book -- it covers a great deal of ground. But it doesn't really teach -- at best, it glosses.
   
   Of course, this might just be the nature of trying to cover such a vast technological landscape in a single book, but then again, I've read many a tech book of just this length, and come away with a much deeper understanding of things than I feel like I this one offers.
   
   The chapter on interfaces, events and delegates is a particularly frustrating one: the author writes extensively about each of these concepts, and provides working examples of each, in various flavors, but never explains *why* anyone might prefer to use one of these paradigms over, say, regular ol' vanilla method invocation. Sure, all these things work, but why might someone use one approach over another? Which one, or ones, are more preferable in practice? On the whole, these kinds of whys don't really get treated; we get the concepts, a few examples, and we move on, without much explanation beyond the how-tos.
   
   If you've picked up this particular book, you've probably got some experience under your belt. While it's a good book and I'm glad I have it (and would recommend it), if you're thinking of picking it up, be prepared to deal with a fair amount of frustration at what's missing.



4. This book should seriously exist in your shelf if you consider yourself a .NET programmer. The book explains the nitty-gritty of the C# language and consuming the .NET framework using C#. The chapter on delegates and events is thorough but I do have to admit that the chapter on Threading (Chapter 14) is somewhat lacking, but I'm guessing that Apress probably has a book for that (no points taken, Threading is another subject matter worthy of serious study). So why this book? If you really need to know what delegates are, if you need to know about generics or anonymous functions, this is the book to have. It makes a solid crash course for .NET 1.1 developers understandable while at the same time it lends itself to be a solid reference material.



5. I see that to-date 3 reviewers have awarded 1/5. Huh?
   
   I have a collection of at least 20 .NET related books. If I lost any of these I probably wouldn't replace them, with the exception of this book. I use the MSDN library mainly as a reference, but when I can't find what I'm looking for, amazingly, I always seem to find it in Andrew Troelsen's faithful book! Many thanks Andrew!

5 comments about 3D Game Programming with C++: Learn the Insider Secrets of Today's Professional Game Developers.

1. Let's say, like me, you wanted to get a book on 3D Game Programming With C++, without knowing C++ beforehand, and then read it, and begin making games right away.
   Not going to happen.
   This book tells you quite a lot of interesting stuff about games and how they work under the hood, but as far as code goes, and putting it all together, all the author does is give you a list of functions and a hard-to-read encapsulation, and then say "your turn".
   He gives you NO explanation WHATSOEVER on where to write the code, etc, etc (I tried every way I could think of to enter the code on the disk, but I still got 110 errors ....
   The first couple of chapters are enlightening, but by the third, you begin the code, and get left behind by the author.
   My suggestion? Don't get this book. Learn C++ FULLY and then pick up some books on Physics and AI (this book may prove more helpful to you later on down the track (as a reference, it could be pretty handy)).



2. This book provides almost no examples of anything
   it is a shame for the author torelease this book



3. As far as learning how to program 3D Games, this book stinks.
   Over half the book contains reference sections of the different DirectX methods, and if that is what you want then Ok, but if you want ti for anything else you are better of saving your money.



4. I do have more important things to do than write reviews on books I have purchased; however this book has been such a disappointment that I'd like to keep you from wasting your money as I have. Luckily the book is hefty enough to make a good doorstop, so im not completely out.
   Im not trying to say the author doesnt know what he's talking about, nor that you won't get anything out of this book. In fact the first 2 chapters are a phenomenal overview of 3D games, written in a concise manner that is easy to follow, and in fact somewhat entertaining. I just wish the rest of the book followed suit.
   Chapter 3 is where the book really begins to fail. To begin with, the text immediately defies it's title. This book should have been called 3D game programming with DirectX, for the third chapter introduces you to the world of Direct3D, and virtually ever portion of code in the book is based upon DirectX. While it is immediately evident that DirectX is a powerful tool, and to program games in Windows environments it will be a necessary tool for you to learn, this text will do little to help you do so.
   From the fourth chapter on, the text dives headfirst into DirectX code that is simply a horror to navigate through. The author doesn't make the code any easier to follow; you are bombarded with page after page of code, in fact pages 51-83 contain "a simple DirectDraw Encapsulation that is easy to follow," then leaves a mere 4 pages to explain a few of the function called in the previous 33 pages of code. It would have been nice if the author had used some comments in his code to let you know what is going on, but anything of the sort is sparsely inserted into the multitude of unexplained functions, reserved words and variables that leave you totally in the dark about what you are doing. I bought this book to learn about the fundamentals of programming graphics and game logic, and instead Im given page upon page of directX code that restricts me to programming on windows platforms rather than the C++ the title promised. Any idiot can copy code as the author expects, but learning what the code does, how to improve it and adapt to your specification is certainly more desirable.
   This book may serve some use as a reference book, as the appendices in the back contain a massive amount of DirectX function overviews. However, by the time you learn DirectX, newer versions will be released, and will make the apendices covering DirectX 7 less useful, if not useless.

   The real disappointment here is that the author really knows what he is talking about, but fails to convey it in a manner that makes learning possible. This could have been an excellent book, but without solid explanations of the overwhelming amount of code, the book fails.




5. I know it's rather dated now and there are lots of alternatives but it's so bad I just had to post. someone bought me this book a few years ago and I never really had enough time to read it. in the meantime I learned a lot about programming Windows GUI apps, and a smattering of OpenGL. recently I've had nothing to do so I picked the book back up.
   
   this book doesn't have any information about making games.
   
   the only way to learn how to program is to have some examples to look at. you can know all the theory of classes and objects, COM architecture, encapsulation, etc etc but if you don't have some actual code to look at your chances of writing an actual working program are nil.
   
   not to mention that I think focusing on graphics before you even know anything about the guts of the game is pretty stupid.
   
   There. venting over.

No comments about An Invitation to Computer Science: Laboratory Manual C++ Edition.

5 comments about The Waite Group's C++ How-To (How-to Series).

1. The guy who wrote the June 3rd review needs to get the hell off the computer and take a bath. The Waite Group comes through again with this excellent "How To" book. This book is an absolute trophy for any C++ programmer with a life.



2. Overall, I'm very happy with this book. If you are looking for an introduction to C++, skip this book for now, it is not intended for beginners. The skill level is rated intermediate to expert.

   However, if you have a rudimentary understanding of C and C++, such as operators, looping constructs, structures, classes, function and operator overloading, etc., but feel like you could use a bit more experience and reinforcement of how and when to apply the aforementioned concepts, then this book is for you.

   I really like the way the material is organized. Each section begins with a summary of what will be covered, and each point (HOW-TO) is presented in a question and answer format, along with a skill rating of the content of that HOW-TO, such as beginning, intermediate, and complex. Some of the content covered in this book that I found useful is listed below:

   What are namespaces and how are they used?

   How can I use operator overloading with an object, X, such that an expression like 10.3 + X will yield a meaningful result?

   How can I use C++'s powerful encapsulation features to safely implement a linked list?

   When should I use structures and when should I use classes?

   How can I use exception handling to catch runtime errors?

   How can I use the Standard C Library to a) sort an array, b) find an element in an array, c) locate an element in non-sorted array, d) choose between _lfind and _lsearch, e) generate a sequence of random numbers?

   What are the differences between using C's malloc() and free() functions and C++'s new and delete operators for memory management?

   How do I make a simple class to automatically clean up dynamically allocated memory?

   The aforementioned are just a few of the many great tips in this book. Be forwarned, I have found a significant number of bugs in the examples, but they are typically of a nature where they don't interfere with the concept being presented.

   If you feel comfortable with statements such as: for(int i=1; i<100; ++i) cout << i; but you want to move on to the next level of programming expertise, then this book is for you.




3. First, I like the approach of this book. The "How could I do ... ?" is good for refresh your memory. Since sometime you might forget, or become unsure about how something can be done.

   Despite what it said in the back cover, I think that, this book is suitable for the someone who is about to become an intermediate C++ programmer (the advanced-beginner, or something like that). Why? Because when I was one, I always get confused about "How could I do ", or "How should I involve ", and this book provided almost all answer to those questions I used to have. And even now, it still worth my time reading it.

   The code examples are very easy to understand. However, I found that each author's programming style are quite different. This is fine for someone who already has his/her own style. But for someone who doesn't, this might lead to confusion, and bad programming style (mixed style) later on.

   Also, one thing... I found that in (almnost?) all code, main() return void, which is not correct. According to the Standard, main() should return int for some reason, like for checking the termination of the program. I don't know about Visual C++, but in many compiler, you will get the warning message if your main() does not return int.

   Overall, this is a very good book, and it deserve 4 stars from me. However, it still can become a much better book.

   To the authors : How about "More C++ How-To" or "Advanced C++ : How-To" ?




4. I bought this book at a half-price book store. Usually I don't like any books in the "How-To" series, because they are written in a fix format, I mean for every issue or problem -- no metter you like or not. It just seems to add some letters to assemble a book! I feel it likt that there is little bit meat in a big wok of water soup! But this book is good, after I read a couple of chapters. It worths what it costs me -- half price!



5. The format of this book can best describe as "ask a question and give an answer". Every topics start off with a question, follow by a small piece of code, and then an explaination of what each line of code does. This direct approach makes the book quicker to read, and in some way, it kind of goes without saying, "cut the chase and get to the point!".

   The contents touch base with many juicy topics. It has a brief introduction to the Standard Libraries such as String and Vector, enough to tease you in getting a full book on STD LIB (I did). It also does a decent job in covering inheritance and virtual class inheritance. Type casting and namespace usage is also covered. Polymorphism is covered but kind of weak.

5 comments about A Guide to Programming in C++.

1. The only reason I didn't get a 2 or less on the AP Computer Science A exam was because I knew something before using this book in my class. It leaves a whole lot to be desired. Nothing is covered in depth, and the excercises are redundant and extremely long. I would hope that there is a better textbook out there.



2. Let's make one thing clear: this book is hard. It's not a short book either, it will take quite a bit of time to finish, but it's well worth it!! I had this book for a high school computer course, and while I only got half-way through it, I learned so much in those first few chapters than I ever did in any other book. If you're looking to really learn C++, and do the best you can do, then I would recommend this book 100%!!



3. I first used this book in my high school programming class, when I had almost no knowledge whatsoever of C++. Thanks to this book, I'm now focusing on programming as a career, and able to move on to far more advanced books on the topic. This book doesn't cover everything, but what it does cover it covers in depth and adds challenging exercises to ensure comprehension. It won't teach you all you might want to know, but if you're just getting started, I highly recommend it.



4. this is how i learned C++. I didn't feel like lugging a book to and from school everyday so I bought myself a copy. Easy learning, and good lessons. If you're looking for a good Java book, i suggest Head Firs Java by Sierra & Bates, published by O'Reilly.



5. Let me first say that this 5 I am giving is not for its usefulness now but its usefulness with Visual C++ 6.0.
   
   I bought this book to continue learning from this book. The exercises are unbelievably awesome and thought provoking, however I found myself after chapter 7 needing to switch to a much more "modern" book.
   
   But for the first 6 chapters, this book provided me with perfect knowledge of C++. (That I was also able to successfully convert to today's C++) If only this company made the modern day C++ version of this book, then this book would be flawless in learning about C++.

1 comments about Essential C: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers.

1. This is, by far, the best book for the beginning programmer. The prose is clear and intelligent. The example problems and the exercise problems are interesting.

   If you are looking for a programming book for the first time, or if you wish you had picked up a good programming book the first time around, then this book is for you.

2 comments about Real Time Systems and Programming Languages: Ada 95, Real-Time Java and Real-Time C/POSIX (3rd Edition).

1. This book is no good for students, as it has exercises with answers only available to lecturers though a password system.
   The examples are ok but do not help for the exercises so it makes the book imcomplete and very dissappointing, If you need help for real time systems then this is not the book for you, If you just want to read a book this might be ok, but learning is not going to be done.
   (...)



2. This book is great because it covers all the important concepts quite well. I think it is a must for those into real-time programming.