5 comments about ATL COM Programmer's Reference.

1. This is a really handy ATL COM reference book explaining both programming techniques and syntax. At just over 360 pages it is a book to carry around and keep about you all the time while you write your code. It explains the features of ATL 3.0 and how these can be applied to develop your lightweight COM components using Visual C++. However, this is no book for a novice ATL programmer, since it assumes a fair knowledge of Visual C++ and COM. Probably, since the author's aim was to write a handy Programmer's Reference, topics on COM security, IDL, MIDL and compiler COM support have been left out. However this is a very well written, small, handy, consise book on ATL COM programming which you will always want keep around while are developing your ATL COM components.



2. The book does an excellent job presenting ATL COM and OLE DB, as it relates to ATL COM. I rated this lower though because the editors put the source code available for download, but failed to mention that if you want chapter 5's examples to work you must first load and compile the examples from a previous chapter. The editors also failed to include the access database that goes with the source code. This might be a trend at Wrox, as the editors on several of their recent books have omitted one or more files mentioned or used by the source code.



3. This book contains good information, and the price is right, but it isn't usable as a reference book. The index is short and incomplete, making finding needed material difficult. Further, when I'm looking up something specific in a reference it is because I have a need to solve a problem immediately. However, there are very few code examples in this book: so much for solving my problem immediately.

   As a book about ATL it would have rated 3 stars, as a reference it rates 1.




4. This book makes an attempt to be both a reference guide to ATL programming and a tutorial as well, and fails miserably at both. It constantly and throughout the book refers to concepts not explained until leter chapters. The tutorial example is hopelessly complicated by issues unrelated to the topic at hand, and the overall organization will leave you spending more time hunting for the section a particular topic is covered in than would have taken to sit down and read through full chapters in a good narrative.



5. I really liked Professional Atl Com Programming, so when I found this book and read reviews I decided to check out the source code before purchasing it. The example source code is incredibly primitive. Unicode - non-Unicode issue is totally ignored. Author did not even bother to build all the configurations. It is something average programmer can hack up together in one afternoon. If this book as primitive as the examples, I would not recommend it to any one.

5 comments about Database Programming with C#.

1. The worst computer book I have ever read...I not going to waste my time (or yours) giving countless examples.



2. I'm pretty fanatical over anything relating to database technology as well as .NET. So I'm probably quite biased but I think this book is really great. It's written such that a total beginner could pick it up and get going, but there's a lot of great material intertwined that I think intermediate developers would enjoy it too.

   My number one criteria for a book is that it's interesting. I read the whole thing and never got bored even though I was already familiar with much of the material. That's a big plus in my book. The content is good and the examples are practical and well discussed. On the other hand, I think he does a great job of discussing things in proportion to how important they are. Let's face it, twenty examples of using the DataAdapter Configuration wizard is silly and there's a title or two out there that goes down that road. This is what I really enjoyed because he shows you both ways of doing just about everything (using code or doing it with UI tools) and explains the what's and hows.

   I've liked every book he's written and this is no exception.




3. Carsten Thomsen, Database Programming with C# (Apress, 2002)

   Now this is a C# book (unlike the last one I reviewed here). Thomsen gets into the nuts and bolts from the get-go and starts the reader developing a real application. He gives us the underlying application logic, explains how it works (and tries to instill good coding practices along the way), all with an eye towards actual development rather than stand-alone sample programs that teach only a very few.

   I wish he'd spent more time in the book's final chapter going over some of the code explicitly rather than just referring us to the code in the online zip files, but what's here is pretty fine. *** ½




4. A bit of an "old" book but still rock solid information presented in an easy to read fashion. I did find a few minor inconsistencies but not enough to deviate from the 5 star rating.



5. This is a great book I must say!
   
   First I like how down to earth Carsten Thomsen is, it makes this book a joy to read. A little bit of dry humor is peppered throughout this book and I enjoy that! At first I was a little bit nervous about diving into this book because on the back it says the user level is intermediate-advanced and I felt that I was still in the beginner stages of developing ADO.NET apps. Well, even if you are a beginner (with ADO.NET that is... if you are brand new to programming then you should look for other books tailored for your needs and pick this one up later) but even if you are a beginner then I still recommend picking up this book. Although the book does cover advanced topics, it never seems like it's too much to handle. Thomsen does such a great job at introducing new concepts that before you know it your learning a great deal more then you ever thought!
   
   If you are looking for a book aimed a database programming then look no further!!!

2 comments about Numerical Recipes Example Book C (The Art of Scientific Computing).

1. If you just see Numerical Recipes ,you will annoy the exact usage of codes. It is the practical book for the usage of codes in "Numerical Recipes". For real world, this is more helpful than "Numerical Recipes"



2. If you need to see programming examples on how to use the numerical algorithms that have been transformed into C code in Press' classic Numerical Recipes in C, then this is a very handy little book. Every chapter in this book has a one-to-one correspondence with the chapters in Numerical Recipes. The code is clear and well-commented. However, there is one draw-back. The code in this book is written in the same annoying Fortran style as Press' other book. Press codes like a Fortran programmer who just won't give up the ship and do things like start his arrays at zero instead of one. However, assuming you have waded through Numerical Recipes prior to this, understanding his programming style is one of the skills you should have already mastered. Just remember there is nothing complex going on in this book. You are just being shown examples on how to use the subroutines in the other book. If you took the trouble to go through Numerical Recipes in the first place, it is likely you already know how you intend to use the subroutines it contains.

2 comments about Using C-Kermit: Communication Software.

1. if you want more from your computer communications than justdialing your IP this is the book and software for you. long but detailed...



2. The book was received in a timely fashion and was in the condition advertised. It was a good transaction.

5 comments about Introducing C++ for Scientists, Engineers and Mathematicians.

1. I have the second edition of this book, and have found it to be the best book of its type on the market (and I have bought several...). Though it may not suit undergraduates being exposed to C++ for the very first time, for research scientists and engineers actually wishing to use C++ in practice it provides an excellent grounding, and reasonably comprehensive coverage of all parts of the language. Also, unlike some books with similar titles it doesn't just present C type code with a chapter on classes (objects) tacked on as an afterthought. If I have a slight criticism, it is that perhaps there should be some in-depth examples of scientific/engineering problems programmed in an object-oriented way (i.e. as in Barton & Nackman's useful but now rather dated C++ textbook).



2. I think those who love this book are probably familiar with C++ and are impressed by the coverage of topics. I admit that the book has excellent scope, but there are many other books about which the same can be said. What makes this book very poor is that the author doesn't seem to understand the notion that one must explain something in the order in which it is used. For example, many examples in the book use the standard library and employ the 'using' namespace operator, but the author glosses over this until much later in the book. In fact, even though it is used throughout, stream IO is only substantially covered in the last chapter. Odd choice!
   
   I'm not sure why this book is entitled '... for Scientists, Engineers and Mathematicians' unless the publisher was just trolling for readers. Except for a slight nod in the choice of examples, there is NO significant effort dedicated in this book towards scientific computing. It's basically just a C++ primer, and a rather mediocre one at that. In fact, the author only spends two pages on the standard library complex data type! Finally, there is no mention of optimization techniques to make numerical code run faster, a subject of specific importantance for any book that purports to be dedicated to scientific computing.



3. This book is fantastic for learning C++ using numerical-analytic examples. It is not exactly an easy introduction to the C++ language, which is admittedly vast and profound. Especially someone with little or no programming background would be rather disappointed with it.
   
   I recommend coming to it after doing a first course in C++ itself using something like Deitel & Deitel (C++ How to Program) or Ivor Horton's Beginning C++. Once that preparation is in place, this book will not only provide a very useful revision of the basics (first learnt elsewhere), but also prove exceedingly successful in teaching numerical applications. C++ is so vast that it is impossible to digest many of its aspects from a single source only. Therefore, the "introductory" tone of the author is incredibly useful (for a second pass, I must stress).
   
   Somewhat equal weight is given to both the procedural and object-oriented aspects of the language with coverage of legacy C concepts such as function pointers as well as state of the art OO concepts like encapsulation, inheritance, overloading. Moreover, there are dedicated chapters to such quintessentially C++ issues as namespaces, exception handling and STL. Last but not least, the treatment is fully ANSI/ISO compliant, so the code should run on most modern compilers.
   
   A broad menu of numerical examples are illustrated ranging from simple arithmetic to root-finding, interpolation and matrix-algebra based computations. Most exercises are do-able and quite illuminating.



4. It is missing the first 16 pages, and I bought it new. Needless to say, I am very angry.



5. This book is brilliant for anybody that has an interest in the implementation of numerical methods in C++. I bought this book at the start of my PhD. I knew virtually nothing about C++ and within a week of getting this book I was fluent in pointer aritmetic, dynamic memory allocation and classes.
   
   This book is great because it is geared towards people who just want to start programming numerical applications and are not too bothered with the finer points of computer programming. With the aid of this book I coded a 3d finite element solver, amongst other things. It also has plenty of examples and exercises to get you going.
   
   This book is by no means perfect. It falls down in a couple of areas namely graphics and file I/O. It has nothing on graphics, which are essential for numerical applications. The file I/O that is discussed is great for an introduction. It introduces streams and how to import and export simple sets of data. But apart from these two applications the book is fine.
   
   I would recommend it highly to anybody that wants to start programming in C++ with emphasis on numerics.

No comments about Confluent String Rewriting (E a T C S Monographs on Theoretical Computer Science).

1 comments about Migrating to .NET: A Pragmatic Path to Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++ .NET, and ASP.NET (Integrated .NET Series from Object Innovations).

1. Since no other book covers the vc++ migration issues in details, this book is must for the VC++ programmers out these who wants to migrate to VC++.NET.

3 comments about The Elements of C Programming Style.

1. This book goes beyond simple rules and gives sound reasons (and drawbacks) for each element of style it show.



2. This book was very readable and concise. It gave small sample code throughout the book and included helpful macros for debugging. I recommend this book to anyone who understands C code but is unsatisfied with how readable thier code is. This book is like a grammar book for those who want to write more concise and clear code.



3. Many of the short articles in this book could form the basis for C programming standards of a project team or a whole organization. 95% of the authors' recommended techniques are beyond controversy. The perceptive reader will notice a few, however, that conflict with modern practice in C++ and Java (e.g. mixing boolean and integer expressions).

   Every programmer using C, C++, or Java should be acquainted with everything in this book and either comply with it or have a good reason for not doing so.

5 comments about C++ Program Design.

1. I rate this book 1 out of five stars ONLY because i cannot rate it lower than 1 out of five.
   I bought this book because it was the required text we were using for a c++ class in college. Honestly, this has got the be the worst computer-related book I've ever laid hands on. I don't know how this book can sell, let alone have any good reviews.
   For the people who rated this book good, claiming it isnt for newbies, and teaches you how to design c++ program properly. Dont listen to them. I consider myself fairly computer literate. Ive had experience with several languages, and I am an active Linux user, in which i write perl and bash scripts often. This book is still confusing as ever. And I thought some of the Linux HOWTO's were written poorly. Not compared to this book. The author writes in an extremely technical, bland way. He uses functions in his source and doesnt explain them until 3 chapters later. He constantly uses poor coding techniques, by declaring variables in the middle of the program.

   If you don't beleive what everyone else said, listen to this.

   If you buy this book, you will be wishing you hadnt. Don't waste your time. There are many better books out there that not only claim to show you c++ program design, but actually do in a real manner. At this point im not sure if cohoon was actually serious about writing a book, or wanted to torture and scare people away from learning c++.
   (hes probably a java developer)

   I suggest buying "The C++ Programming Language" Its much better written, and is written by the creator of the C++ language himself.




2. Would not suggest the book to a C++ novice, I found it very useful being a full time C++ programmer.



3. I am a self taught programmer. When I first read some of the reviewes I was initially discouraged to buy it. Now that I have bought this book, I have no regrets. It is a well thought out book with plenty of examples to try out. As regards EzWindows, though I haven't yet laid my hands on it but by reading through the texts I do not find it that bad.Some reviewer have complained of declaring variables in the middle of the program! but by hind sight that is not only perfectly valid but I believe it is a good method in coding. Instead of going back thousand of lines to the begining of the prog to find a variable, it is far more easier to locate it where it is declared provided it is well commented there! I like the history bits in the book to be pretty smart. Not a bad book either for the beginner or for the experienced.



4. Avoid adding this book to your collection. I found it lacks a consistent logical structure, is dry and makes relatively easy concepts seem impossibly complex.



5. This is a shocking example of how not to teach programming - numerous listings of boring code explaining HOW to do things, but no mention of WHY they are the way they are. If you are required to buy this as a textbook for a course, please complain loudly. There are some far better alternatives out there - for example Bruce Eckel's two-volume Thinking in C++ which is also available for free download.

5 comments about Neural Networks in C++: An Object-Oriented Framework for Building Connectionist Systems.

1. The book purports to teach object oriented programming AND neural networks, but does neither. (However, it does teach bad programming habits.) The text doesn't explain any of the math or theory beyond the bare equations and the code listing is EXTREMELY unreliable. I've had to make several revisions (variable names and types, function parameters, extra functions, etc) just to get it to compile. This book is NOT recommended



2. This looked like a good book, with code listings for several neural net programs, and examples. But when you get down to the details, the examples lack clear explanations of how the data should be input, and the code listings are full of errors--functions are defined in one section of code, but are not declared in the classes they are supposed to be members of. There are several typographical errors, and portions of the code are out of order. A file is #included in one of the sections of code, but is not available among the listings. Overall, a shabby book



3. Perhaps he really does understand linear separability and how it applies to the exclusive or problem in neural networks. However, Mr. Blum's ludicrous excuse for an explanation of this classic problem fails to demonstrate anything, including that he knows what he's talking about. Unfortunately this is an exemplar for the entire book.

   Wiley should be ashamed for continuing to peddle this




4. This book must be my worst investment. The code is full of mistakes. The theory side is even worse. I bought this book for the code, to see how one does implement neural networks in an object-oriented manner - after reading the book i knew how not to implement! BAD!!!



5. In short, this is a good book for an experienced C++ programmer who has no experience in Neural Networks.

   For somebody who has no experience whatsoever in Neural Nets, this book is a nice primer. It won't get you a Ph.D. (or an A in your undergrad AI class, for that matter), but if you've never been introduced before and want an overview that explores the concepts enough to get you started and whet your appetite for more, this book is a good place to start. It is short and easy to read, while still having enough substance to prepare you for more thorough books.

   A major downfall of this book is, as others have mentioned, that the code provided is of poor quality. This book is definately not a good place to learn C++, the book contains some obvious mistakes like function definitions with no declaration, etc. Many more errors in the code are, I suspect, a result of the age of this book, it was written prior to the ANSI C++ standard: syntax and logical structures have changed significantly since 1992. It is, however, nothing a good coder can't handle.