No comments about Essentials of C Programming Language (Essential Series).

No comments about Mastering C++: From C to C++ in 2 Weeks.

5 comments about Using C++ (Using).

1. With a first glance I could capture atleast 3 errors from the pg #312 to #314 in the chapter Beyond the basic. But I found very simple explainations of concepts like template and namespaces. Good book to understand concepts, may need little tweak in for the example code.



2. Very easy to read. Easy to understand explanations of difficult concepts in most situations. Quite comprehensive. Nice big margin to scribble notes in. Useful codes samples. Good price. A good starting text or support text.



3. This book is a good one for people who has never before programmed in C++. For those who has done that, I would not recommend this book. Then you should read C++: The Complete Reference instead! The explanations of templates, namespaces, exception handling and operator overloading are a little too simple for me. Also, the last part of the book, The Standard C++ Library, breaks the tutorial form of the book into a pure reference form!!! One of the programs has a very nast bug in it that should have been checked. It completely crashed my system, and I spent the rest of the day figuring out what went wrong!



4. Lots of typos and code errors make this book more difficult to follow than it should be. If you've got some programming background, then you'll catch them easily, so they'll be a nuisance rather than a serious source of frustration. The code examples are also rather trivial. It's not so helpful to see a fully coded and commented example of assigning a pointer, when it's already been presented in the text. Better to see a program that does something useful. The book could have been shortened by 200 pages by omitting excess whitespace and useless code examples. Straightfoward prose explanation seemed to suffer in places. Overall, a pretty good intro to OOP; not a terrible book, but you could probably find a better one.



5. It's hard to find a good c++ book for beginner programmers. Most C++ books assume that you are fimilar with c but this book doesn't required you to know c, it guide to step by step from gound up. I'm teaching myself VC++ using this book. Recommended to all beginner C++ programmers! Ivor Horton's "Beginning Visual C++ 6" is all highly recommended.

5 comments about C++ In Action: Industrial Strength Programming Techniques (With CD-ROM).

1. If you want to quickly get your hands dirty this is another book introducing you to C++. If you are easily bored this is a good book. On the other hand if you don't know anything about programming and you are the type who learns by repeating the same stuff over and over, you can try the Deitel&Deitel alternative...



2. The first part of this book might just as well be skipped through, basics of C++ are given there in such a convoluted (iconoclastic as Bartosz puts it) way that those don't know the basics, wont get anything there. Only those who already know C++ will be able to understand this part, but they actually dont need these basics.

   The rest of the book is extremely valuable: explanation of Windows programming, thoughts about writing maintainable and reliable code and organizing software projects. For intermediate level C++ programmers like myself it's a real treasure trove.

   I still cant believe that English is Bartosz's second language, it's impeccable. Nevertheless, the style is a little bit too sophisticated and assumes a very bright reader. For example Bartosz often gives you a lot of new material and saves all the explanations for later, so you have to go back and forth trying to piece it together. I would give explanations first, and also slow down a little, offering new concepts one at a time.
   Overall - good job.




3. This is the ONLY book I could get hold of that actually attacked head-on the problem of using C++ and Windows without abandoning object-oriented design and sanity in coding. Maybe Jeffrey Richter has done something as good - I don't know - but I bet he takes three times as many pages to do it. You can work through this book or just read it but either way, your C++ & Win32 skills will be greatly consolidated.

   The associated ReliSoft website is well worth a look, with some lovely sarcasm about MFC that didn't make it into the book (plus extra stuff on threads, etc.)




4. For any developer that have had the displeasure of working with Win32 API and/or MFC in C++, this book strikes a very sensitive cord. For the uninitiated, Win32 is an OO programmer's nightmare, and trying to build a decent OO framework on top of it is a Herculean effort that few has dared to attempt. MFC is better, but marginally so, as it ascends Win32 from a nightmare to a very bad dream. The lack of proper standard libraries for other facilities such as threading, sockets, etc. only adds to the hurdles that a C++ developer needs to overcome in order to implement the most trivial functionality in his or her program.

   And along comes this book with the attempt to build an OO layer that encapsulates the horrendous details of the Windows API. Of course, only a limited subset of this monolithic API is addressed in the book, which is understandable. One might consider the whole subject of the book a case study rather than a shrink-rapped solution, which is well-worth the time and money spent on it. If you have programmed with either Win32 or MFC before, and have being stung by their awkward design, or lack thereof, then consider this book a mandatory reading assignment.

   However, the main problem with this book is that it attempts to be a one-size-fits-all material. The first chapters vainly try to introduce the reader to the C++ programming language. And the remaining chapters are bloated with subsections covering the finer details of the language as they are needed. The whole assumption that a total C++ novice can understand the Win32 API (the problem), the OO layer (the solution), AND the C++ programming language along the way is a very ludicrous one. A novice will struggle endlessly with it, and will ultimately find him or herself given up and reverting to more classical texts on C++ and OOP before being able to stomach reading this book again. Alas, the wasted space on introducing C++ could have been put to better use by adding more depth to the material.

   So, you might ask why the four stars. The subject matter is unique and direly needed. And the coverage is adequate if you realistically set your expectations. By all means, buy it and read it. You might find it useful or at least enlightening. I know I did. But don't come unprepared.




5. Buy this book if you are an intermediate in C++ and want to become a GURU in C++. I know i did.
   
   Thank you "Bartosz Milewski" for making this amazing book.

No comments about Practical XView Programming.

5 comments about Sams' Teach Yourself Advanced C in 21 Days (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. This is a great book for learning some advanced C programming. Highly recommended. I can't believe someone would give this book 1 star because they didn't grasp the concepts. That this book is ADVANCED enough to thwart the learning efforts of a beginner makes it worthy of its name. In my mind, this is a praisworthy trait for a book to have (truth in the title).



2. Gone are the days of DOS console programming. You dont see the types of interfaces that are used in this book anymore. So why is it so good? It teaches some advanced concepts and libraries used in C. Also, you never know when that legacy app will need fixing I found the subject material facinating and learned alot about putting together a database program without a fancy RDMS system. Something that can carry over to my JAVA programming world.



3. The C in 21 days is really a good programming book which provides example, coding, explaination and many more useful exercise. Then, the Advanced C is my next programming book, I'll more expert in C and many more. Explore it today !

   Remember, C IS FUN!




4. This book is fantastic! Previously, I had difficulty with concepts such as pointers, arrays and structures. This book clearly explains the differences, provides excellent examples and also includes good programming advice. I have compiled many of the example programs and they are highly instructional. Each example includes an analysis section that explains the examples by line number which is also extremely helpful. The book is well laid out and each section begins with a checklist that tells you what to expect to learn for that section. I highly recommend this book! Compile the examples and you too can learn C!



5. I started reading this book and the topics didn't seem to me that advanced. Also, I had to debug every code example in the book so far just to get them to run which I guess is a learning experience in itself. I guess I just wasn't that impressed.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Turbo C++ 4.5 for Windows in 21 Days (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. This is a good book, but I don't recommend it if you are a new comer with no previous programming experience. The concepts taught and the example code are quite good. The main problems with this book is that there are many small errors here and there that would drive a beginner crazy. The book moves quite fast expecting you to know and pick up certain things quickly. I recommend this book if you have some previous basic knowlegde of C++ and are ready to move onto some basic Windows programming.



2. First - this book has many typographical errors. If you have some prior experience in programming then this book is highly recommended otherwise you will take more time as you will have to go slowly but nevertheless it contains all the details you need to have for going ahead if you have no prior experience of programming. Expecting an exhaustive coverage of all topics is an impossible task with modern computers & I consider this book worth all the time I devoted, even the bugs in the code seems to consolidate your understanding in the end.



3. Borland endorses this book as the official tome to use for learning Turbo C++. Unfortunately, for an absolute beginner it is a difficult book.



4. I gave up after day 6. The book has too many typographical errors, and some of the code is hard to follow. If you need a good start on programming in C++, purchase C++ Primer Plus by Stephen Prata.



5. This is awfully bad book to learn C++. Sheer waste of money. The code is awful. Horrendous typos. Most of the code is buggy.

5 comments about Professional Software Development with Visual C++ 6.0 & MFC (With CD-ROM) (Programming Series).

1. If you are new to MFC and Visual C++, this book will help you. When you want to start learning why some things are done a certain way, you are out of luck.

   This book will walk you through the basics of using the MFC in Visual C++. You will learn the steps you take in VC to do basic component manipulation in MFC but only on the surface. The examples are not really that good. Sure they convey the principle but that's about it. I found myself with more questions to ask and no answers to be found.

   If you have never done any MFC programming before, this is a good place to start. Otherwise, my advise is to keep looking.

   -=} Randall {=-




2. This is a terribly organized book.

   1. There are lots of errors and inconsistency, which cause lots of confusion. I've only reached chapter 5 and already noticed these errors:
   1) Page 57: the book shows you how to create a "CDataDlg" class, however, on Page 60, inside the code: "CDlgData dlg(this)" - the class name becomes "CDlgData" and this error repeats on Page 61 too;
   2) Page 68: "1. From ClassView, select CDlgData" - well, the figure actually shows "CDlgNew", not "CDlgData" and this discrepancy repeats several times in the chapter;
   3) Page 69, in the code "m_csLastname = "Jones";
   m_edtLastnaem.SetWindowText("Jones");" - the first line is totally unnecessary, besides, variable m_csLastname is not declared so if you follow his code closely, the program won't work.

   2. Looks like the author isn't very sure what type of readers he is addressing:

   Page 57: "6. At the end of this line press [Enter]...The cursor will be placed immediately below this line..."

   Looks like he thinks his readers are bunch of [people] knowing nothing about how to use a text editor, not to mention C++ and we need to follow strictly his explanation. Well, if we really follow his book so closely, we will definitely be frustrated by these errors mentioned above.




3. First things first, if you are a beginner my advise is to read books for beginners then move on to MFC books for the advanced. I noticed in a lot of reviews people seem to think that one book is all they need and expect one book to do it, but the sad thing is they end up using the book as a paper weight or they stop study the language because they got the wrong book, or they get confused. If you study and learn any language in the right order with the right books its hard not to enjoy! Read C++ in 21 days, second edition, by Jesse Liberty. Get through Jesse's book on the C++ language first then move on to learning Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). Then read C++ 6.0 in 21 days by Davis Chapman to get some of the MFC learning. Then read everything on advanced Visual C++ 6.0 to enhance you MFC understanding. Now you will have to add all these books to your library reference because it seems one book on C++ 6.0 will not tell you everything you need to know because when you start your own programming you're always do something different than what these books seem to cover and guess what? That's right, you will have to figure this out yourself by referencing more than just one book. Example: I needed more info on property sheets and finally found it in MFC Advanced, which is now discontinued for now on Amazon. This book Visual C++ 6.0 & MFC has some good info in it but it's short on detail but I will have to say it's a good book to help build your library on this subject. I had a problem with property sheets and this book did not cover enough to help me with my problem. It uses a control button you click on a menu to pull up a tabbed property sheet and I wanted to convert my main dialog class to a property sheet class to build my application instead of having the property sheet added to my application in a menu control. But I learned from its CTime class on how to display clock time in a better format. Did find some errors but that seems to happen in most book anyway. So, I give this book 3 stars because it doesn't cover enough in-depth information to be a professional software development book.



4. I think that this is a grate book for beginers. It gives you examples of almost everything you need.



5. This is a very poorly written book. If you follow the instructions, none of your programs will work. If I could give it a ZERO stars I would. I wasted my money on this book.

1 comments about C by Example/the Easiest Way to Learn How to Program! (Programming Series).

1. The easiest book to read and understand of any programming language I have read.

5 comments about Professional .NET for Java Developers Using C#.

1. I've been working with Java and JSP Pages for a few years but my company's looking more and more at .NET and I was told to look into it. I'd heard a lot about it's similarity with Java, and so this book seemed a natural starting point. I wasn't dissapointed. It quickly ran through the important parts of .NET and how they related to what I already knew in Java: C# instead of Java, ASP.NET instead of JSP, ADO.NET instead of JDBC, etc.

   It was a quick book to work through (just 400 pages) but now I've finished it I'm writing my apps just as easily with .net as I can with Java - and there are some things like binding to data in web apps that are even easier to do. And I've been able to put together some .Net prototypes for my manager in just a few weeks.

   If you're looking for a overview of .NET and don't want to wade through a lot of stuff you already know, you won't be dissapointed with this.




2. This book is great in its ability to port the Java programmer quickly over to .NET by explaining and comparing the concepts to Java.

   C# is so similar to Java that this book fits the market perfectly by not re-explaining the wheel, but rather focusing on the API's and resources available in .NET and how they relate to those that are available in Java.

   Also in true Wrox fashion, the book is heavy in the code examples department.




3. This is Wrox at its best - working code explained well by working programmers. This book provides the easiest way for a Java programmer to learn the basics of C# and the .NET environment including ASP.NET and database access with ADO.NET. Using this book and freely available software (.NET Framework, SharpDevelop, Web Matrix and MSDE) you have a complete environment for learning .NET for less than $...- hard to beat.



4. What really blew me away was the fact of having a full chat client and server code with step by step explanation in the remoting chapter to give an idea of Java developers that are accustomed in writting programs in RMI.
   Excelent Book!!!!



5. I bought this book on a whim, as it was bundled in a 2-for-1 offer along with the book I was actually interested in (whose title I don't currently recall). Having worked as a Java developer for a number of years, I had recently accepted a job as a C# developer, and thought that I'd buy a book to pick up the basics. In that context, and in accordance with the book's title, I was looking for the book to serve two main purposes - 1) To walk me through the basics of the C# language, pointing out the similarities and explaining the differences between the two languages. 2) To describe how functionality available through the (familiar) standard libraries in Java can be achieved through the (unfamiliar) .NET libraries using C#.
   
   To satisfy the first purpose, I was hoping for some detailed chapters on the core language. Sadly, only 'Chapter 3: Language Syntax' covers this subject, and does so in a mere 47 pages. Of these few pages, I generally found that the discussions were targeted too much at a novice programmer, rather than someone who already has programming experience in a language that is very similar to C#. For example, the page and a half that covers Exceptions simply described what Exceptions are for and how they are used. I already know what they're for and how they're used - I'm a Java developer! It would have been more useful to concentrate on the minor syntax differences, the fact that all Exceptions are unchecked in C#, and that C# doesn't make a distinction between checked Exceptions, runtime Exceptions and Errors, as in Java. Perhaps as icing on the cake, a table of how some commonly used Exceptions in Java map to the commonly used Exceptions in C# (e.g. NullPointerException to NullReferenceException, IllegalArgumentException to ArgumentException or ArgumentNullException, IndexOutOfBoundsException to ArgumentOutOfRangeException) would have been nice. Alas there was none of this.
   
   Multithreading is another key area of the languages that differs between C# and Java in a number if significant ways. It's such an important aspect of modern programming that most programming books tend to devote an entire chapter to it. Fair enough, for a language conversion book rather than an introductory programming book, I wouldn't expect an entire chapter devote to it. I would expect at least something on the subject, however. Sadly, this book contains nothing. Absolutely nothing! Nil! Nada! The keyword 'lock' doesn't even have an entry in the book's index.
   
   I'd also like to mention at this point that although the authors only devoted 47 pages to the core language, they felt it necessary to devote the majority of a 32 page chapter to a discussion of how to use Visual Studio. Any developer worth their salt ought to know how to use an IDE (remember this book is targeted at 'professional' developers), so learning how to use Visual Studio should be relatively straightforward. Even if it's not, those pages wasted introducing Visual Studio would have been better spent covering some of the gaping holes in the book's coverage of its stated subject matter, rather than a cursory introduction to some of the features in Visual Studio that are better covered by its own online help documentation and tutorials.
   
   Coming back to the second purpose - describing how functionality available through the standard Java libraries in Java can be achieved through the .NET libraries - I find that I cannot reasonably comment upon this in any great detail. True, there are the expected chapters devoted to data access (ADO.NET vs JDBC), ASP.NET and Windows Forms, and they might very well be of some use, judging from some of the other reviews. However, I was so disappointed with the poor content and lack of depth in the first few chapters of this book that I decided not to waste any further time with the rest of it. I found the other book that I bought along with this one to be an altogether better read. On the few occassions when I've looked back to this book as a reference source (I left the good book at home, so had to defer to using this one whilst at work), more often that not I've found that I've simply wasted my time with it, and moved on to find some other more useful reference source instead.
   
   The bottom line is, don't waste your money - this is one of the few books that I've actually thrown in the bin (a couple of times, in fact, though each time I end up fishing it back out. Throwing books away just feels so wrong, even if the book does belong with the rest of the rubbish).
   
   Chris (Cambridge, UK)
   
   P.S. I'm sorry that I can't remember the name of the other book - it was actually quite good!