5 comments about Enough Rope to Shoot Yourself in the Foot: Rules for C and C++ Programming (Unix/C).

1. I'm a 11-year mostly C programmer and I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK. I've been a consultant for 5 years - and fixed a lot of code. Beginner programmers should read this and follow it. Computer Science and MIS degrees focus on algorithm design and efficiency and theoretical programming. THIS IS NOT THEORETICAL - this is PRACTICAL. Please, people, write code that's easy to read for the idiot that will come after you; over 50% of the cost of a progam is MAINTENANCE and if you write a simple routine that takes twice as long to execute, OH Well, unless it's a visible delay, no one cares about efficiency.

   Use this book as a CORPORATE STYLE GUIDE FOR C & C++ PROGRAMMING. If you follow it and write easy-to-read programs, your employer will SAVE MONEY IN MAINTENANCE. I literally agreed with everything in this book - with one exception. He poo-poos working over 8 hours/day. I disagree. True, programming is creative work and you can burn out, but I find 10 or 12 hour days highly productive because people don't interrupt me, and I try to task switch enough to give myself breaks (or stare out the window blankly to do some subconcious-problem-solving).

   In Short - Buy This Book, or borrow it - and save your employers money by creating simpler programs. You'll look like a star by creating something even a junior programmer can modify easily. If you're an expert C or C++ programmer, it's very worth it, too - you get another perspective on ease-of-use. I changed my mind and now will consider using const (I had only used #defines to simplify things - he made a good argument that the compiler is better than the preprocessor at catching brainfarts).

   Also, If you can, give it to your manager. They need to know this stuff, too.




2. Imagine someone took the Ten Commandments and tossed in some of his own commandments, and published it; of course, it would have some GREAT parts, but it would lend authority to the author's additions which they don't deserve.

   Yes, he includes the venerable rules of programming style, as laid out by the classic authors, then tosses in some of his own that are self-indulgent and provincial. Good luck to a beginner trying to sort them out.

   Pulling rules out of thin air makes you an autocrat, not an authority. Get The Practice of Programming, Code Complete.




3. Allen Holub's book should be on every C/C++ programmer's shelf.
   He is a master of his craft and one of the few writers in the
   field that is not afraid of being critical of the latest and
   greatest fad. His experience comes from years of work in the
   trenches and it shows. Ignore his guidelines at your own risk.
   You may not agree with everything he writes (I didn't) but it's
   all food for thought.



4. I read this book before I read "C Programming FAQs". While "Enough Rope to Shoot Yourself in the Foot" does a good job of pointing out trobule areas in C, the FAQ book does a much better job of point out more general problems because its content is taken from a newsgroup where real people as real questions.
   
   The advantage to this book is that C++ issues are also discussed, which make it a good resource.



5. I almost passed on this book because of some of the negative reviews.
   
   Okay, it is no Code Complete, but this book is an absolute gem. I have been programming C++ for about 6 years now (VB users be darned, it is my favorite programming language, period) and I was amazed how much I agreed with this author's advice.
   
   Yeah, I learned a lot from Scott Meyers' canonical "Effective" books. But what I like about this book is that it is a no-nonsense, in-your-face, tell-it-like-it-is book that I think is essential for those wet-behind-the-ears C++ programmers (or those whiners who claim that C++ is too hard).
   
   It will probably piss off a lot of Windows programmers as well as he is somewhat anti-Microsoft. However, I am primarily a MFC programmer and
   what he says about MFC (earlier editions) and Windows programming in general is absolutely correct.
   
   This book is a must for every novice C/C++ programmer. The experienced C/C++ programmers will probably tell you that they know all about this, so most of them will give it a pass. However, as a experienced C++ programmer, I think that they are making a mistake. They need to get this book on the shelf as well.
   
   At the very least they can loan it to the beginners.

5 comments about Getting Started with Visual C++ 6 with an Introduction to MFC.

1. I'm not a software type although I do have some background in programming. I wanted to learn C++ to build my own applications for my computer, but I wanted the learning curve to be reasonable so that I can do it on my spare time. I purchased this book and Liberty's book "SAMS Teach Yourself C++ in 24 hours" which gets into ANSI/ISO C++ programming. You can purchase both books from Amazon for under $45. The two books complemented each other perfectly, and in about 8 weeks spending about an hour each day, I can program applications using my compiler. These two books were perfect for a novice like myself. What was nice was that both books came with a working compiler and all the examples were available either as a download or was available on the CD-ROM. What I found somewhat lacking in this book was detailed explanations of all the commands that was used in the examples, and how to expand on the examples so more different types of programmings can be created, but the book is very short and that's what I was looking for - something that doesn't require 1000 pages of reading, so I guess I can't have it both ways. What these books doesn't do is that it won't teach you the more sophisticated operating system related things like how to access a disk or other I/Os. If you are trying to learn this level of programming, you need to move up to a higher level books such as the "Win32 System Programming: A Windows(R) 2000 Application Developer's Guide (2nd Edition)" by Johnson M. Hart. But to get started on C++ programming, after many false starts over the years, these two books did it for me.



2. I'd been struggling for a while with the tutorial examples in the MSDN library, and another book I had was more "do this and it will work", rather than "this is how function x works". This book has really hit the spot, and I've been able to write some simple MFC programs and fully understand how they work.
   
   Just about every line of code is explained clearly, so there are no problems with snippets of code being left as a mystery.
   
   The book doesn't use the wizards for quick MFC programming - I see that as a plus. This way you learn more about how the actual code works, rather than taking it for granted. Besides, it is very easy to have a play with the wizards and tinker with the code after gaining the knowledge from the book.
   
   This book isn't the definitive guide to MFC, but then it doesn't claim to be. It is an excellent starter book, one I heartily recommend.



3. Fair book, but if you have any knowledge of MFC, go for something else. It doesn't cover any of the more complex classes.



4. The book is great if you just need to know MFC in few days. The plus point is use of good examples. But what is lacking is "why you have to do that" explainations. Also, something which is very irritating is the almost constant reference to the companion book (how to program in c++). It is almost as if telling if you dont have that book then you cant expect to accomplish much.



5. I am a unix/C "old school" programmer switching to windows programming. This book is exactly what the title says. It is an INTRODUCTION to MFC. Very basic. If you just want to get a few dialogs running then this book will help you do that within minutes. But it does NOT use any wizards(why else would you want to know MFC?) and it only goes into the most basic C++. This would be a good book for maybe a middle-school to high school class. So basically, I give this book 3 stars because it is what it says and will help you in "getting started" but that is absolutely it. If you want real understanding, if you are trying to figure out what the wizards can do for you or if you need to do more advanced applications, then you will need another resource.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself Visual C++ 6 in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. Don't expect to learn to write general c++ code from this book. It focuses specifically on the MFC class and does a great job of that. Most programming courses don't teach anything about MFC, but in many cases, you are expected to know it for work or upper level programming courses. I have certainly picked up the basics from this book.



2. More of a guide to use the IDE than code VC++.
   Less, if not zero, talk about OOP.
   Good for wetting your feet in.
   Concentrates more on GUIs and less on components, services, etc. No database examples.
   All the example code I tried worked just fine.

   OVERALL, LIVES UP TO ITS WORD: AN INTRO TO VC++ FOR NOVICES. So, 4.5 on 5 rating.




3. Chapters 4 and up would be a good review for those very familiar with MFC and Visual C++ programming. For the beginners - good luck and think about the great dinner you could have had w/the money you just wasted...



4. 1. those give 3+ didn't really go through the book and try the examples. I used to think it is very good, then go details and found it little use.
   2. it let you go around controls, not go up. each hour you know a new control, similar design steps, too simple and uncomplete examples, may be stupidly designed. e.g., to edit treeview you need right click plus left click; after you quite the edition is lost. don't tell you how to use the edit.
   3. when it guide you to do sth, not step by step, but jump to top then back, sometime you don't know which relates to what, and you need to dig one key word from messy text lines to know your adding one belongs to which class/object (sometimes author just forget to list it clearly).
   4. tend to use long text rather than graph and tables. gives pages on font and their naming, font creation, yet no graph to show the font type. often mentioned "windows 95" with no meaning. put if..else etc. in later and no related chpaters, if it is really needed it shall be in 1st hour.
   5. repeatedly mention on similar things rather than give clear, real usage of controls. Never tell you resize window, give too simple drawing functions. Tend to list most controls rather than use their key features. Author seems doesn't know which parts in VC++ are most important and useful for applications.
   6. It gives you some info on VC++ controls, and do right in Hungarian namings. I suggest you just try the button/menu item/dialog box examples, than go other books.



5. Teach Yourself Visual C++ 6 in 21 Days was a disappointment. In general the book will give you the basic steps to create the example applications in each chapter. Trying to create an application that is not in the book will very quickly send you looking for other resources. I found more information on the web than I did in this book.
   
   The author does a lot of do this, do that instruction with little explanation of the exact reasons for the task. There are numerous errors which requires some creative interpretaion in order to figure out. Overall the book could have been better written to the level of developer it is intended for, and definately could have done with a coursory edit.
   
   A good example of what is missing in the book is Chapter 5, Button Contols. The author explains the different buttons and button properties and has you generate a sample application. What is missing in the chapter is how to actually retrieve check box and radio box values to use in other parts of your application. Even the Visual Studio help files are vague on this topic, which may explain the problem with the book.
   
   In short I can not recommend this book. It contains too many errors, there is a lot of missing information, and explanations are almost non-existant. A better title would be "An Introduction to Visual C++ 6 in 24 Hours".

3 comments about Data Structures: An Advanced Approach Using C (Prentice-Hall Software Series).

1. This was the book that made things click for me. It has a nice introduction to pointers and memory management using malloc(), then goes on to show how to implement stacks, queues, singly-linked lists, doubly-linked lists, circular lists, trees, and graphs. The example applications include a tiny line-oriented text editor (like UNIX's ed or DOS's edlin) and a lisp interpreter.

   The only downside to the book is that it uses old K&R C, so the syntax for function declarations is not compatible with strict ANSI C compilers.




2. After finishing this course for our 2nd semester in CS, covering data structures, I was taken back by how much this book has in it. I totally did not expect to see so much inside a book this small when I first glanced at it the day I received it.
   
   Their concept of Lists are phenomenal and this topic is only expanded on greatly as the chapters go on. Their technique of reusing old code while keeping implementation independence and only slightly changing it for future implementations is the backbone of the book.
   
   Programs developed range from complex, rational and polynomial code, graphical display list, graphical region filling, standard and complex parenthesis checker using stacks, infix to postix algorithm, operating system simluator, applying header nodes, circular list concepts developing a Lisp subset interpreter, line editor, expression evaluator, trees of all sorts and their counterpart graphs and their applications to a four-in-a-row game, Dijkstra's algorithm, and from sets to sorting, and many many more, there's even more they suggest for you to write in their exercises.
   
   Do not buy this book unless you're serious about taking on it's seriously 'advanced' approach, or unless it's required by your course. It assumes a level of maturity as the book goes on by leaving out components to their programs for your interpretation and development on your own. Exercises are just that, exercises - there are no answers given. You are to interpret what they have and run with it.
   
   I also minus a point due to K&R C. It was the only nuisance in the book. Otherwise, enjoyable read and the learning process from this book has been a worthwhile experience.



3. It says it's a hardcover but I got a softcover -- a really flimsy softcover. It looks like something someone made in their basement with a photocopier. I am sure the technical merits of this text stand on their own, but the quality of this reproduction are not worth the price. I have contacted amazon and asked them to correct the product page (if necessary) -- certainly I'd be cautious about ordering this product.

5 comments about Karel++: A Gentle Introduction to the Art of Object-Oriented Programming.

1. With the use of this book and associated software, one can master the C++ or Java language in no time at all! It uses the analagy of a Robot, and the simple classes that operate it. Due to the fact that it has simple classes, time is not wasted trying to remember the many classes and their functions, and the reader immediatly begins programming the Robot. The Karel++ language has the Syntax of C++, and is Object Oriented (just like Java and C++). This is a must buy for anyone getting into programming, or just learning OOP (Object Oriented Programming)!



2. This book is meant for the earliest of beginning programmers. If you have any programming experience whatsoever, even with macros, the information in this book will seem extrememly remedial. Also, some of the terms used aren't even real C++ code, so you'll have to adjust your thinking just a little when you move on. Finally, the price is pretty steep for the amount of information you get. I would probably only recommend this book for someone needing a very, very, VERY gentle intro to programming.



3. I had to read this book for an introductory programming class and didn't find it at all helpful when going on to Java. It wasn't worth the time I spent working with it. You'd be better off just beginning the object-oriented language you're interested in. If you want my advice, try Beginning Java Objects by Jacquie Barker instead.



4. This book reminds me of the older LOGO programming language. You have a small "robot" that explores his world. You tell him how to move and what to do. The only reason this is good is that it helps you think of object oriented programming. (The robot is considered an object). There are also special editions of the book in case you want to specifically move to C++ or Java later. Basically, the book is a good start. If you have any programming experience - skip it. Otherwise, it will get you in the rate frame of mind to move toward OOP.



5. This book was the text for one of my intro to programming courses. I had no choice. You do. Run while you can.

5 comments about Beginning ASP.NET Databases using C#.

1. It is not until you read a book that is dedicated to using databases in ASP.NET that you realize just how much there is to learn. This is a very readable & well structured book with excellent `Try It Out' examples that provide easy to follow step-by-step guides.

   Obviously understanding data readers, datasets, command objects and web server controls is vital but there are some rare and extremely useful chapters: componentization - leveraging class libraries for data access, performance, and a chapter that discusses Data-Driven ASP.NET application in the Real World that raises some very interesting issues; for example security tips, raising your own database errors & organizing your code.

   The authors not only provide information that you would expect but they offer every encouragement to raise the bar by discussing ways to do things even better; for example `A Better Connection String', creating Data Access classes, and fine tuning dataset & datareaders.




2. I went through this book. It is great for the beginner to ASP.Net. However, I think it is because there are many authors worked on this book. Its contents is NOT so integrated.

   I felt I gain a lot from chap 1-6, however after ch7, it seems worked by another author. The concept between two of them has conflict. For example, the author ch1-6 said using ADO.net data adapter you don't need to open and close the data connection, but in ch7, the author said, you must close the connect obj after you used DataAdapter??

   Their writting style are also different, after ch7, the contents is not so good and has a log of mistakes.




3. on the whole this is a very good book for beginners
   The last two chapters which i thought were the
   most useful was RUSHED!!

   The performance chapter should not have been a chapter
   since it was non-existent

   The most important chapter of all the bidding web site
   construction, I failed to get it to work!! one error
   after the other. For a book with so many authors, I
   would have thought at least one of the would have had the
   time to review the code for the last chapter.

   I give this book a 3 but it deserves a 4.
   Unless the code in the last chapter works, the last chapter
   might as well not be there either




4. This one gets you up and running with database prograaming with ASP.NET in a matter of few hours. In the process, it also provides you with useful real-world tips. Great book for getting your feet wet with ADO.NET.
   The treatment is to-the-point and precise.
   All the sample codes work.
   The pathway followed is quite logical, starting from establishing connection to database, to various ways of reading and displaying records, followed by inserting and updating records, all using ADO.NET. Each chapter builds on the previous one, and the net effect is a coherent, easy-to-follow, enjoyable book. It really takes the complexities out of ADO.NET and helps us understand the simplicity behind the model.
   The later chapters on componentization, performance etc are a real bonus.
   Good value for money.



5. This book is very readable and very well suited for beginning asp.net programmers. It makes you feel at ease with asp.net. Too bad the examples don't always work. For instance, the final chapter 12 makes you write an application with all the stuff you've learned in the previous chapters. The code that is provided, doesn't work at all. I get error after error and that's a shame because I really want to see the information being used in a real world example.

2 comments about Absolute C++ CodeMate Enhanced Edition.

1. I have been using Absolute C++ in my college Data Structures and Algorithms course for a couple of years now.

   I searched long and hard for a good book on C++. This book has the clearest writing and has the best examples of any I reviewed.

   The author takes a C++ novice from no experience to advanced concepts in C++ without skipping steps. He also does the steps in the correct order. This is not true of all texts.

   I thought I had found a minor mistake in this book but when I wrote to Walter Savitch, I found that it was my error not his.

   The new Code Mate edition includes the .net IDE. This 6 CD set is expensive to purchase. If you want your students to use .net or if you want .net yourself, this book is a way to go.

   My students constantly compliment me on my choice of texts.

   I use it as the basis of a distance learning course. Those students never come to class and must rely primarily on the text.
   They do well with this text.

   Kenneth L Moore
   Associate Professor




2. I have used the Absolute C++ text successfully for teaching OO/C++ as a second language at the undergraduate level and also for teaching introductory OO/C++ programming at the Masters level for several years. I consistently receive feedback from students that the textbook is a very high quality and is "a keeper".
   
   Dr Justin Rough
   Lecturer

2 comments about Practical Ray Tracing in C.

1. This book is a excellent source of information on Ray tracing. It is written to help novice as well as expert to sharpen their knowledge on the subject. I personally have gained a lot after reading this book which helped me professionally to implement HLR algorithm for my product.



2. This is a good book but just realize that its a bit dated and there may be better and more up to date books out there. If you can get this cheap then go ahead, otherwise, look for something more up to date.

5 comments about Visual C++ .NET Bible.

1. I got this book as our development team was moving from Visual C++ 6 to Visual C++ .NET and I wanted to get a little ahead of the game. I had read and heard that VC++.NET was significantly different to VC6 so I decided to go for the Bible from Visual C++ .NET Bible as I've always like the bible series from Wiley.
   
   I was definitely not disappointed.
   
   The book covered all aspects of Windows C++ development from menus in MFC to creating dll's. The main area I was interested in was ATL and I'm glad I got this book before I switched to VS.NET. ATL development has changed significantly in VS.NET as attributes have been introduced. VC.NET Bible give an excellent overview of ATL in VS.NET.
   
   I haven't read this book in its entirety, but it's one book that i'll definitely have near my machine in work. Topics are easy to find, and all chapters explain how to do something and why you should do it in a certain way.
   
   Well worth the price.



2. I've been working through this book for a while now, and overall the material is presented in a decent format. For the most part you can pick the topic to work on (ie. Menus, Dialog boxes, etc) and focus on that chapter to learn it. For someone like myself who needs a point solution (very specific app with very narrow GUI requirements) this works well.
   
   However that said, one thing that is driving me nuts in this book are the bug-ridden examples. I've been through quite a few chapters now, and I've come to the expectation that its not a question of -if- a given example has a bug, but where it is located (since it almost certainly has one or more).
   
   To give an example I just read over the Modeless dialog example in chapter 11. It starts off having you throw down a dialog and a bunch of controls, without exactly telling you what IDs to give them (after a while you get used to this, because the author does this a lot). Its important because by the time you get to step 7 in the example you realize that the ellipsis button should have an ID of IDC_FILEOPEN if you want your function call to line up with the demo (again not such a problem since you can change the IDs at anytime - but I'm just getting started). At step 10 you get to enter in a global function (huh? what the heck happened to the class?). Moving on - Step 12 has you adding in member variables to a class which won't exist until step 13. Yeah good job there. Step 19 has an erroneous structure definition. And to top it off, steps 21 and 23 have you add message handler functions without actually telling you how to map them in the message map. Whew! and this is just one example program. Typed in exactly as the steps in the book describe, this example compiled with something like 20+ errors. Fixing the structure and the map problems (which required downloading the code off the website to figure out what to do), eventually got it to work.
   
   Overall I think the content and the way the material is broken up is good, however this book needs a complete overhaul and proofing on the examples.



3. As another reviewer pointed out, it has a lot of errors in the code. If you just follow the instructions you would most probably not get your code compiling.
   
   Author omitted many things that you need to know. He states, for example, "create SDI project" in step 1. In step 10 or so you find out that you had to give it a specific name which he failed to indicate in the beginning. Same with IDs and so on. Author also fails to give the code for the header files and you just need to think what each variable does (and still write the header file code, of course) or download the solution from the web.
   
   Also, author asks to call the function with one name, and in the code he changes the name to a different one. Adds confusion.



4. This is a regurgetation of C++ and MFC. .NET and managed C++ are only briefly addressed. There are better books.



5. Enriched information on the MFC, ATL framework, plus some extra knowledge on .Net, ATL Server, COM+ etc. It can be treated as the extra references on the development of the above technologies stated. Look for others if no experience before.

5 comments about Roger C. Parker's One Minute Designer.

1. A paper design is self-explanatory and self-maintaining. This is why Roger Parker was able to write this superb book on design for paper. Web publishing involves collaborative maintenance of a collection of material. So one can never achieve such clarity. Anyway, this is a great book if you want to design some paper stuff and it is also good to think about why you'll never have it this easy in the Web world.



2. This book is amazing. It lists 200 examples of good and bad design in a text/title/image/graphic perspective for business documents (which is just like a website). This book is a bible for begining or intermediate graphic designers who want to make the perfectly organized data (newsletters, website, newspaper, etc). Instead of long chapters of boring theory and idealism, it points out common design mistakes and shows a better way to do it and throws in a couple sentences of theory to it. In my opinion this is a must in anyone's library of books.



3. One-Minute Designer Revised edition Roger C. Parker MIS:Press, 1997

   Like it or not, if you use a computer you are a typographer, and that's anyone who arranges words within a given space: letter, report, bulletin, brochure, ad, billboard, book, sign etc. You don't have to be a graphic designer to create good typography because Roger Parker makes it easy to communicate clearly. The book is methodically organized. Each page is devoted to one subject, i.e. column width, placement, type sizes, word and letter spacing, font choice-all 204 of them. Parker writes easily, clearly, succinctly, and is always on the side of the reader, and the absence of verbiage and posturing is refreshing. Each page has direct, easy-to-understand two color illustrations that unambiguously define the text. Unlike program manuals that have incomplete or misnamed subjects, I'm impressed with Parker's contents page and glossary, which makes it easy for the reader to find information quickly. The soft cover book is a comfortable, easy to hold 7" x 9" portrait format. For quick review, the italic captions are printed in red. Text is set in one of my favorite fonts Minion, designed by Robert Slimbach one of the world's great type designers. The generous 11-point size makes is easy to read. This is a book that makes it easy to produce good looking, well organized layouts that communicate, a rarity in manuals. Parker's book should be within arm's length at a workstation, and [for the money], it's money in the bank.

   Doyald Young, teacher and author: Logotypes & Letterforms and Fonts & Logos




4. I adore this book! It is one of those books that I just pick up and flip to a random page, and absorb the wisdom. It is full of tiny little things you can do to make your work look more professional. This guy is amazing.



5. I bought this masterpiece after I read 'The Non-Designers Design Book' by Robin Williams. The content is much the same, but explored much more thoroughly, with clear examples and well-thought layouts.

   If you want to get only one book on Desktop Publishing, THIS IS THE ONE! Don't waste your time with other books.