Borland C++Builder Programming EXplorer: The Hands-On Guide to Mastering the Power of Borland's C++Builder

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and very accurate
Review: If you really want to learn, you must have this book. From simple examples to complex ones with full explanation of everything. Tips are available about what to do, and how to do it better. All explanations are done in simple English without too much complexity. I recommend it if you want to learn quickly+

Rating:
Summary: Look elsewhere for a good 'How To' manual for C++ Builder
Review: It's obvious that one of the coauthors, Jeff Duntemann, is not familiar with the C++ programming language. Examples: (1) The sprintf function he twice claims is part of the C++ library. ( It's in the C library ) (2) Use of the static modifier to hide functions instead of using private member access specifier. ( Static functions are used to access static data members. Static variables are contained in classes only, and not duplicated in the class's object ). Both authors use terminology before they define the terms, e.g. using the name of a saved file before they instruct to save the file. There's more but space does not allow. This book is better than nothing but other texts will take you further, faster.

Rating:
Summary: Humorous prose but too elementary and too many errors
Review: This book should be read while one is on a vacation. There are too much narrations that seem to be off topic. It does not cover enough topics for either beginning programmers or professional ones. There are many errors. The main one is the mortgage example codes. Try running it with mort amt of 100000, int 8.05% and periods of 180 and you get a junk row at the end of the string grid. The destructor call delete Mortgage w/o freeing the individual pointers, in this case, Items. One call to GetStringForm() passes parameters using commas instead of an array. The common dialog example forgets to show the code to execute the printer setup dialog. You'll have to peek at the CDROM source to follow along in some of the chapters. Type conversion or casting did not get proper treatment. It should note dynamic_cast and reinterpret_cast are C++ casting style for polymorphic behavior and should explain the difference between the two. The first illustration for the first chapter is WRONG! (What a way to start a chapter.) The mortgage chapter is peppered with Pascal-style comments. It even asks you to include SysUtils unit in your interface section, ha!On the plus side, the book is fun to read. The explanation is clear making it very readable. It will get you started, but you cannot live with this book alone--by far.