Powerbuilder 5: A Developer's Guide

Rating:
Summary: A good reference, perhaps, but a poor introduction.
Review: I am still looking for a good introduction to Power Builder, but this isn't it. Perhaps for someone with extensive experience in another very similar visual tool, this would do as an only reference. However, it is of little use to someone attempting to learn the environment and the PowerBuilder methodology. For example, I have worked my way through almost 500 hundred pages and still have not seen how to connect a data window object to a data window control or how to bind and script the control with a program. Since these (amongst other missing) concepts are key to fishin' with PowerBuilder, the reader is left cuttin' bait.

Rating:
Summary: Too much fluff, not enough code
Review: This book continues the tradition of large margins, lots of screenprints that don't reflect what the IDE actually does, and not giving the information you need where you need it. For example, on page 722 under the heading "Distributing Applications," McClanahan writes, "An important fact that you may not be aware of is that you must distribute a set of PowerBuilder DLLs with your EXE files." He then proceeds NOT to tell you what those files are, leaving you to your own devices. Gee, thanks David.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best PowerBuilder introduction
Review: We used McClanahan's Developer's Guide for the training of our entire staff when converting programmers to client/server development with Powerbuilder. Most of the programmers became certified Powerbuilder developers using only this book.I have purchased and read most of the PowerBuilder books, and this is easily the most informative and pratical introduction. Every concept is explained with a working code example. A number of typos, all minor and obvious. Advanced concepts are explained in more detail than most of the "advanced" PowerBuilder books