Borland C++Builder 4 Unleashed

The authors give real-world advice for building reusable components while examining the Visual Component Library (VCL) standard for shared components used by both C++Builder and Delphi. This includes the creation of "property editors" for better design-time functionality.

Several chapters look at important advanced C++ and Windows programming topics, like C++ templates and Win32 multithreading. The excellent coverage of C++ templates soundly addresses STL containers as well as using templates with pointers for better memory management. Writing Windows NT services and exploiting the powers of the VCL "rich text edit" follows the discussion of templates.

The book provides a rich analysis of database programming using the C++Builder suite of tools such as the Database Desktop, as well as the fundamentals of relational databases. In a couple of standout sections, the authors present two versions of a working contact management database, one using a flat file model and the other following the relational model.

After touching upon topics such as COM and OLE Automation with C++Builder, the authors move on to working with the Internet using built-in controls (including the WinInet support and FTP). Later chapters cover DCOM and CORBA for distributed computing.

C++Builder and Inprise Corp's MIDAS architecture offer excellent ease of use for working with remote servers, and this book illuminates the key operations required for serious enterprise development using these tools. Final chapters concentrate on graphics programming with the VCL graphics classes and Microsoft DirectX, adding multimedia and gaming to the list of topics found in the text.

In all, Borland C++Builder 4 Unleashed makes a convincing case for trying out C++Builder. The authors mix expert commentary with practical sample code resulting in a book that will easily deepen your knowledge of C++Builder. --Richard Dragan