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- The Amiga Guru Book - a reference manual - by Ralph Babel
-
-
- If you're an Amiga programmer, then by now you've probably
- heard of the Amiga Guru Book, or - more likely - you already
- own a copy. For the few still left in the dark, :-) here's a
- brief overview:
-
-
- The Amiga Guru Book is both an indispensable reference
- manual and a text book. Containing many concise examples,
- ready-to-use listings, and comprehensive tables, it presents
- fundamental knowledge of the system that all Amiga
- programmers - regardless of the programming language used -
- must have at their disposal and be able to apply if they
- wish to create reliable and compatible software. This
- includes: information about the data types supported by the
- processor, the operating system, and the compiler;
- guidelines for proper multitasking programming; the meaning
- of Guru messages; and an introduction to the peculiarities
- of C and assembly-language programming on the Amiga.
-
- Experienced C programmers will find information about ANSI
- C, memory models, compiler specifics, and how to employ the
- special features supported exclusively by Amiga C compilers
- so as to create more efficient programs, as well as an
- overview of all compiler and linker options, libraries, and
- much more for both Aztec C and SAS/C.
-
- Included for advanced programmers are explanations of
- amiga.lib, debugging techniques, and ROM-Wack, along with
- overviews of the hard- and software memory map, the
- real-time clock, and start-up diagnostics, as well as an
- in-depth look at the programming of boot blocks and
- reset-protected programs.
-
- For AmigaDOS pros, this book reveals everything about the
- dos.library, its error codes, the CLI and user shells,
- handlers and packets, BCPL, the Global Vector, processes and
- their creation, and the data structures employed by
- AmigaDOS. Special features of this book include: the
- documentation of the structure of executable files as well
- as the extended object module format, and a thorough and
- easily understandable explanation of the on-disk block
- layout of the Fast Filesystem (FFS).
-
- The book takes the recent developments in the Amiga's system
- software into account and also pays attention to the
- peculiarities of the MC68020/030/040 processors and of the
- MC68881/882 floating-point units. It is concluded by a
- glossary, a list of recommended readings, and an extensive
- index.
-
-
-
- What the critics said about the Amiga Guru Book:
-
-
- "The Amiga Guru Book is probably the ultimate programming
- reference for the Amiga. [...] The level of accuracy and
- detail maintained throughout the book is amazing. [...]
- There have been many other attempts to write reference books
- for the Amiga, but not a single one matches the Amiga Guru
- Book in the richness of detail and depth of background.
- [...] Along with the ROM Kernel Manuals, The Amiga Guru Book
- is one of the essential reference works every serious Amiga
- programmer should own. [...] if you need in-depth
- information on the workings and usage of the OS and
- especially AmigaDOS, this book is a must. With more than 700
- pages, it sets the new standard for quality in Amiga
- references. [...] 5 stars out of 5."
-
- --- Th. Bätzler, M. Illenseer, c.s.a.reviews, 3 Dec 1993
-
- [Full review available via ftp. Host name: math.uh.edu
- [129.7.128.1]. Directory: "/pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.-
- reviews/other-reviews/books/GuruBook_2" (13243 bytes). Or
- send mail to <amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu>. It is
- also included on the latest Fish CD in the directory
- "FreshFish-Mar94:Useful/Reviews/other-reviews/books".]
-
-
- "There are many useful bits and pieces about the OS that
- you'd have a hard time finding anywhere else. [...] It comes
- with a 31-page index, so it's very easy to find a particular
- subject. Obviously, the TeX typesetting system was used in
- preparing the book and it really shows. There's just one
- description of the quality: excellent. [...] It is more fun
- than the Amiga ROM Kernel and Hardware Reference manuals and
- has a better form factor."
-
- --- Heiko Rath, comp.sys.amiga.reviews, 3 Dec 1993
-
- [Full review available via ftp. Host name: math.uh.edu
- [129.7.128.1]. Directory: "/pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.-
- reviews/other-reviews/books/GuruBook" (10294 bytes). Or send
- mail to <amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu>. The review was
- reprinted in Amiga-Report 2.04, which can be found on Aminet
- and its mirrors, e.g. ftp.uni-kl.de [131.246.9.95]. The path
- name is "/pub/aminet/text/mags/ar204.lha" (61464 bytes). It
- is also included on the latest Fish CD in the directory
- "FreshFish-Mar94:Useful/Reviews/other-reviews/books".]
-
-
- "Kein gewissenhafter Programmierer kommt an diesem Buch
- vorbei: als Lehr- und Referenzwerk von unschlagbarem Nutzen
- in der täglichen Praxis, übersichtlich, kompakt und optimal
- gegliedert. Insgesamt eine rundum empfehlenswerte
- Anschaffung ohne Reue."
-
- --- Amiga-Magazin 12/1993, page 130
-
-
- "Ralph is one of the most knowledgable Amiga experts there
- is and his book has long been compulsory reading for all
- serious German programmers. This revision has been rewritten
- from the ground up, and because of the massive demand from
- non-German programmers it has been translated into English."
-
- --- Just Amiga Monthly #40 (January 1994), page 6 f.
-
-
- "La seconda sorpresa è l'Amiga Guru Book: uno splendido
- libro scritto da Ralph Babel - un famoso programmatore Amiga
- che ha collaborato anche con la GVP - che sviscera in più di
- 700 pagine gli aspetti più oscuri (e peggio documentati) di
- Amiga. Il libro è scritto in un elegantissimo inglese
- 'europeo' e traboccante di citazione di personaggi collegati
- ad Amiga e non."
-
- --- Amiga Magazine 12/1993, page 22
-
-
- "It's what the Bantam manual should have been."
-
- --- Michael B. Smith, comp.sys.amiga.misc, 7 March 1994
-
-
- "Wer sich diesem Thema bisher nur über Commodores hauseigene
- Dokumentation 'The AmigaDOS Manual' genähert hat, stellt
- spätestens beim vergleichenden Studium der entsprechenden
- Abschnitte im Guru-Buch fest, welchem Informationsdefizit er
- bislang ausgesetzt war. Zu diesem leider schon traditionell
- hoffnungslos unterdokumentierten Thema trägt das Guru-Buch
- nämlich einiges bei: umfassende und korrekte Information,
- präzise Fakten sowie Konzentration auf das Wesentliche. Mit
- gleichbleibender Genauigkeit behandelt das Guru-Buch alles
- Wissenswerte zu den Themen DOS-Handler und Packet-Interface,
- Programmausführung und -umgebungen, Filesystem, Disk- und
- Binärfileformate, alle Funktionen der DOS-Library sowie
- Fehlermeldungen und Datenstrukturen."
-
- --- Franz-Josef Reichert, Amiga-Plus 1/1994, page 72
-
-
- "How refreshing to come across a new technical reference
- that is not only detailed, accurate and comprehensive, but
- well-written and entertaining as well. [...] In essence,
- this is a reference guide which takes up where Commodore's
- ROM Kernel Manuals leave off. [...] Although it weighs in at
- a hefty 736 pages, including a comprehensive 30-page index,
- there is very little waffle, just solid information on a
- range of topics hitherto confined to the realm of black
- magic. [...] If you're serious about programming your Amiga
- at the system level, or simply curious about how things
- operate under the hood, you need this book.
-
- --- Eddy Carroll, JAM #43 (April 1994), page 35 f.
-
-
- "Bei der mittlerweile großen Anzahl der Veröffentlichungen
- zum Amiga sucht man vergeblich ein Werk, das es mit dem
- 'Guru Book' in Bezug auf Detailkenntnisse und
- Hintergrundwissen des Autors aufnehmen kann. Es läßt sich
- nicht verkennen, daß der Verfasser sein Fachgebiet voll und
- ganz beherrscht."
-
- --- Amiga Special 4/1994, page 54 f.
-
-
- "J'ai aimé:
- - les citations humoristiques qui émaillent la lecture
- - les listings numérotés
- - les anecdotes sur l'histoire de l'Amiga
- - l'éventail impressionnant des connaissances de l'auteur
- sur l'Amiga
- Je regrette:
- - qu'il y ait si peu de pages :-)"
-
- --- Cédric Beust, AmigaNews #67 (Avril 1994), page 16 f.
-
-
-
- The following reviews refer to "Das Amiga-Guru-Buch", the
- German-language predecessor published in 1989:
-
-
- "Endlich gibt es ein für jedermann zugängliches und
- preiswertes Nachschlage- und Lehrwerk, in dem man sich über
- die richtige Art, den Amiga 'legal' zu programmieren,
- informieren kann: Das Amiga-Guru-Buch. [...] Für den
- ernsthaften Programmierer ist das Amiga-Guru-Buch ein
- unentbehrliches Nachschlagewerk und eine ideale Ergänzung
- zur Neuausgabe der Reference Manuals von Addison-Wesley.
- Lassen Sie es sich nicht entgehen."
-
- --- Amiga Special 10/1989, pages 54-56
-
-
- "Durch das ausführliche Inhaltsverzeichnis und den großen
- Index eignet sich dies Werk wahrlich als Nachschlagebuch für
- Extremsituationen."
-
- --- Kickstart 10/1989, page 34
-
-
- "Das Buch verfügt über eine Fülle von Informationen, die man
- bislang vergeblich suchte. [...] Das Guru-Buch ist für jeden
- Programmierer uneingeschränkt empfehlenswert."
-
- --- Amiga-Magazin 11/1989, page 120
-
-
- "Na endlich! Dieses Buch ist der Hit für jeden
- Amiga-Programmierer, der bisher über das rätselhafte DOS des
- Amiga den Mut verlor, das Kochbuch-Deutsch der Werke
- bekannter Verlage nicht mehr lesen will und obendrein Witz
- und Ironie zu schätzen weiß. [...] Jedem, der ernsthaft
- programmiert, sei dieses Werk wärmstens empfohlen."
-
- --- c't 11/1989, page 374 f.
-
-
- "Insgesamt ist das Amiga-Guru-Buch ein echtes
- Nachschlagewerk für den erfahrenen Programmierer."
-
- --- Amiga-DOS 1/1990, page 83
-
-
-
- Interested? The Amiga Guru Book is available from:
-
-
- Hirsch & Wolf OHG
- Mittelstraße 33
- D-56564 Neuwied
- Germany
- Voice: +49 (2631) 8399-0
- Fax: +49 (2631) 8399-31
-
- [Hirsch & Wolf will also accept international orders. Yes,
- they _do_ speak English. :-)]
-
-
- Periscope Discs, Tapes, Books
- Attn: Cody Lee
- 1717 West Kirby Avenue
- Champaign, IL 61821
- USA
- Voice: +1 (217) 398 4237
- Fax: +1 (217) 398 4238
- E-Mail: <periscope@cei.com>
-
- [For more information about Periscope (ordering information
- etc.), telnet to "prairienet.org" [192.17.3.3], log in as
- "visitor", and then - at the prompt - type "go periscope".]
-
-
- Someware
- 27 rue Gabriel Péri
- 59186 Anor
- France
- Voice: +33 27596000
- Fax: +33 27595206
-
-
- If you have further questions regarding the Amiga Guru Book,
- feel free to contact me directly. My preferred e-mail
- address is <rbabel@babylon.pfm-mainz.de>.
-
-
- Copyright © 1994 by Ralph Babel. Permission granted to
- redistribute this file in unmodified form. All other rights
- reserved.
-
-