No comments about Writing Open VMS Alpha Device Drivers in C, Developer's Guide and Reference Manual.

2 comments about C++: Memory First.

1. I am a professional software engineer specializing in C++, and am always looking for new ideas for efficient and maintainable memory management schemes. I went out on a limb and bought this book without having any reviews available on Amazon.
   
   I had high hopes for this book, but quickly upon skimming through it I discovered that the accuracy and general correctness of this book is quite lacking. Too many times I read a statement written by the authors and said to myself "well, that's not quite true" or "there are some important and relevant details they're leaving out here". The first clue something was awry was that the right-margin on the front cover is completely chopped off.
   
   To some extent, the title of the book is misleading. Even in the introduction they tout the book to be focused on memory management. Why, then, is there an entire chapter devoted to function pointers? The entire chapter seemed to be completely out of place in a memory management book. A couple other chapters are also of questionable relevance.
   
   One of the more misleading comments I found in this book is found in section 3.2.5: "Still, in C and C++, no constraint requires null to be represented by zero." However, in section 4.10 of the C++ Standard, it says "A null pointer constant is an integral constant expression (5.19) rvalue of integer type that evaluates to zero." A similar contradiction can be found in the C Standard.
   
   I was quite surprised to see nothing in the book relating to small object allocation, memory pools, or memory allocation in a multi-threaded environment. They do mention re-entrancy, but only from an extremely high-level academic perspective.
   
   As for the code examples, they're shockingly bad. They have an example code snippet of a function that takes an enum, and depending on the enum value will return a pointer to a different type. Sure, you can do it, but does an example like this belong in a "best practices" book?
   
   Also, several of their examples use std::cout. However, the authors apparently forgot to put a newline on any of their output statements. Quite an oversight!
   
   I saw another code example that declared a local variable without a type. Hmmm ...
   
   They also gave some examples of casting pointers of different types. For example, they cast a char* to an int*. However, they didn't mention anything about memory alignment. I pity the poor programmer that tries this and gets a nice bus error.
   
   In addition, the authors generally use C-style casts, which (in my opinion) is unacceptable in a "best practices" C++ book.
   
   Finally, a couple times they had function names with underscores. Sure, the functions in the library do it as well, but generally speaking its not considered to be proper C++-style.
   
   All in all, this book is far too misleading for a novice programmer, and far too lacking of real information for an experienced programmer. Don't waste your money!
   
   If you're looking for good books on "best practices" in C++, stick to the books by Sutter, Meyers, Alexandrescu, Lippman, and Dewhurst (probably in that order).



2. I've found this book to be an excellent refresher on C++ development. I normally develop in higher level languages such as C#, Java, Ruby, etc. at my day job but occasionally I need to fix a bug or add a feature to one of our legacy products that were written in C++ and I found this book very helpful in getting back up to speed on native development or for quickly referencing a specific topic. Despite the convenience of HL languages, they often require some C++ code to make a useful application in the real world - shims to startup the .NET runtime, creating or extending controls in other products like NSIS, etc. This book was very helpful when I had to do those sorts of things and I would highly recommend it.

5 comments about Palm OS Developer's Guide.

1. Using code (and Active Server Pages) the book presents, I was able to write code that retrieves documents (word, excel, images, palm stuff too) my PC.

   Accessing my home PC was easy (no firewall). I changed the Active Server Page code some to work in the firewall environment at my office.

   Good stuff. The apps port easily to other handhelds such as the PocketPC




2. The book showed me how to send faxes from my Palm OS device--within applications and Web clippings ... Very easy ... I'm using the capability in several Web pages for my sales folks.



3. If you create Web clippings, this book is filled with tons of code that will save you time.

   I am making great use of the code that lets users create their own "custom" PQAs on the fly!




4. The title and book description are both misleading, and frankly, I think deliberately so, given that the book does _NOT_ even attempt to address Palm development. This is _NOT_ a Palm OS developers guide at all, it is a Palm Web Clipping develoepr's guide. If that's what you're looking for it's not a bad resource.



5. This book covers web-clipping and related topics almost exclusively. It is in NO way an overview of Palm Programming. I had to return my copy. The Palm OS Bible is vastly superior.

No comments about Learning C: Programming Graphics on the Amiga and Atari st.

2 comments about Introduction to Game Programming with C++ (Wordware Game Developer's Library).

1. "All books have an intended audience... most likely to benefit from this text are perhaps students taking courses in computer science or software engineering... someone focusing on the game industry to work freelance or to run his or her own business making games... I have attempted to keep the reader in mind and the chapter content based upon those assumptions." - Utter Crap
   
   Chapter Review:
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Chapter 1 - 3
   If you have taken a math class or watched Sesame Street when you were little, skip these chapters.
   Chapter 4 - 12
   If you are taking a course in C++ then you don't need these chapters of the book.
   Chapter 13
   If you have taken and passed a beginning course in C++ you can throw out this chapter unless you want to refresh you memory.
   Chapter 14
   Good descriptions of certain software and resources and the best chapter so far.
   Chapter 15 - 17
   If your not an expert developer then don't bother with these because getting ClanLib to run is one of the hardest things I have tried to do, due in part to the poor documentation on how to install the SDK. I found one link that showed me what to do but I still got an error and couldn't install it.
   Chapter 18 - 20
   If you still want this book I can't help you.
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   He says clearly that the intended focus is game development on the windows platform. Really what he should have said is that the book intends to glance over everything from, what a number is to particle systems. For Christ's sake if I can understand the use of constructors and destructors without and example why the hell would I need to know what division is. Literally he explains what division is.
   
   "There are no real requirements as to what sort of knowledge is necessary to understand this book." - Utter Crap
   
   He really should have said, "You must what to know everything but desire to understand nothing." It is kind of Zen if you think about it. In my travels I have heard of this thing you call a "number" and something called a "pointer" but could you explain them to me in the same amount of detail?
   
   Plus...
   While glancing over sections I already knew enough about I found errors in the explanations of code. Not good for a beginner.
   
   DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!



2. This book does not make any assumptions about the prior knowledge of the user, and covers very thoroughly all the key information needed to become an effective programmer.
   
   In the debate whether game programmers need to learn fundamentals or tools, the answer is "both". This book covers the basics for a strong foundation, and it also shows how to code and compile using multiple tools (Microsoft Visual C++, DEV++, etc).

5 comments about Professional Visual C++ 5 Activex/Com Control Programming (Professional).

1. The book starts well. The scene is set nicely in the first two chapters and the authors promise you the earth. Then they seem to loose the plot. Not only do they get bogged down with too much detail and not enough overview, but lots of little mistakes seem to creep into the text. It's a pity but it seems that the book was never passed by an editor. For instance, in Chapter 4 on page 136 the authors promise to 'have a lot more to say about threading models at the end of this chapter (see the section named COM Threading Models)'. The only problem being there simply isn't a section named COM Threading Models in this or any other chapter! Furthermore, one might pardon one broken promise in one page but to do it twice is unforgiveable! Later in the same page, the authors refer to the same imaginary section!!

   But such mistakes and omissions are not confined to this chapter. The authors simply leave the reader bewildered and disappointed. I don't recommend it.




2. I'm a very experienced developer who's been programming since most of you were still in public school. Technical books are generally not a challenge for me but this one certainly was. Not because of the complexity of the subject, but because of the overwhelming amount of irrelevant information. Showing countless screen shots of behind-the-scenes code generated by the various Microsoft tools used to create COM objects is a collosal waste of time. 99% of the readers will never need to know any of this nor should they. Their explanation of this code, besides a waste of time, is also limp and extremely incomplete. Countless details are missing even when it's highly relevant (for example, the basic syntax of IDL files is nowhere to be found). Coupled will countless snapshots of COM API calls which look as if they've been copied straight from the compiler documentation, and huge bloated examples that spend more time dealing with non-COM related issues than anything practical (and which can take weeks to wade through), this book is a prime example of an experienced developer but a neophyte author (whose programming skills, based on some of the examples I saw, also need sharpening regardless of his knowledge of COM).



3. After reading Inside Com, I read this book and found it easy to understand and full of useful programs and tips of how to generate files from IDL. One of the best books in market.



4. If you seek a book that provides real solutions to programming challenges, skip this one. If you're looking for ways to impress your friends by baffling them with useless detail and confusing presentation, by all means buy it! Basically, you get the generic plagiarization of COM overview, and then a rambling, incoherant dissertation on the benefits of micro-analyzing binary code dumps while investigating everything of irrelevance. These guys are the type that want to rewrite the world's entire software base in assembler.

   There are some good treatments here, but I'm interested in applying knowledge to solutions, not bit-busting everything down to the Nth degree to prove I'm an MSEE. Soaking up 465 pages of digression to wind up with one control is not my idea of producing results. HTML references, historical treatises of intranets, treatment of security issues, sales pitches, obtuse examples ineffectually explained, and missing imperatives conspire to make this book one of the great paperweights of its time.




5. I am an entry level developer and I am trying to grasp this COM/DCOM stuff. This book was recommended but it just doesn't help. The book starts off with what looks like a nice easy intro to COM and DCOM then jumps to a hole lotta hoopla, what is going on? The code examples are difficult to follow and do not make sense unless you know what you are doing. They jump from topic to topic and mainly confuse the reader. I do not recommend this book unless you have a good understanding of ActiveX and COM already. And if you are not experienced with Visual C++, don't even bother.

4 comments about Topics in C Programming, Revised Edition.

1. This is an excellent book in advanced C programming techniques. Although it is an advanced text, the author explains each method in detail and strengthens understanding of key elements in C programming. A number of weaknesses prevent this book from rating 5 stars: the last chapter is number 9 (which makes it harder to use in a 16 week semester), the second chapter is really about four chapters (structures, pointers, linked lists, other topics), the chapter length ranges from 4 pages (chap 1) to 82 pages (chap 2), and it hasn't been updated since 1991. This book is relatively easy to read, but sometimes runs into awkward sentences. The awkward sentences can be directly attributed to required nomenclature (returns...returns...returns...) which can leave the reader wondering if returning to that sentence will improve understanding of the concept. The examples and exercises are wonderful. The examples build a base of programs that should be useful to every programmer. The examples also show the differences in methods achieving the same result and explain the reasoning behind methods that are better (fewer clocks, more efficient use of memory, etc.). I really enjoyed reading this book and wish an updated edition was available, which led me to this website and book review.



2. This is a GREAT book. The book starts off with pointers and arrays none of this "intro to variables" you get in other books. Definately not for beginners but if you know C then this will help you leap to the next level.



3. This is the perfect book for those who have grown beyond the infantile "printf/scanf" stage. Most of the books on C I have seen before dwell on needless details of trivial stuff that few people would use anyway. Kochan gives all the intricacies of C illustrated with higly educational examples.



4. I would reccomend everything this cat writes, but especially this tome. For some scary reason every page of this book address topics that are exactly relevant to my CS coursework in school, and which other books dont address or explain poorly. This guy can make any advanced topic easy.
   

   
   1. Pointers to pointers, arrays of pointers, pointers to structs, and function pointers are all covered better then anyone.
   

   
   2. Dude Unix system calls and process control made easy. Great for OS classes.
   

   
   Even now in 2003 this remains my favorite code book of all time. A great writer.

No comments about Hackish C++ Games & Demos.

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.

3 comments about Learn Encryption Techniques with BASIC and C++.

1. Enough money and time applied to a long enough message will break almost any enciphering job. If you LEARN ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUES WITH BASIC AND C++ keywords, phrases or pseudorandomly sequenced characters, you should see a longer work week for interceptors. Author Gilbert Held's book locks arms with William R Cheswick's FIREWALLS AND INTERNET SECURITY, Marcus Goncalves' FIREWALLS: A COMPLETE GUIDE, Scott Oaks' JAVA SECURITY, Kaustubh Phaltankar's PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTING SECURE INTRANETS AND EXTRANETS, and Bruce Schneier's E-MAIL SECURITY.



2. If you would like to see really poor programming style buy this book. Information about the encryption techniques could have been summarized in one chapter. Not worth a penny.



3. On finit par dechiffrer tous les codes, suffit-il a profiter de l'argent, des messages plus longs, et du temps. Mais le travail peut couter cher and fatiguant a ceux qui interceptent. On n'a qu'a lire le livre LEARN ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUES WITH BASIC AND C++. Et puis que l'on se serve des caracteres, des mots et des phrases - secrets, mis au hasard, cles - qui s'y trouvent. Mais gare a ceux qui interceptent et a ceux qui les engagent. Car les deux sont des lecteurs, eux aussi!