Aminet 18/aminetcdnumber181997.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/gurubook_info.lha/gurubook-blurb.txt

Text File | 1996-08-09 | 13.5 KB | 390 lines

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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:


"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 <[e-mail]>. 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-Vol10:Useful/reviews/other-reviews/books".]


"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 <[e-mail]>. It is
also included on the latest Fish CD in the directory
"FreshFish-Vol10: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.


"I just got through reading The Amiga Guru Book by Ralph
Babel. It is great. I highly recommend it!"

--- Boyd Edmondson, BIX, 20 May 1994


"Sobald man Amiga-DOS (ggf. noch etwas Exec) programmiert,
kommt man um das Guru-Book nicht herum. Ich behaupte mal
ganz frech, der Amiga ist auf diesem Level ohne Guru-Book
nicht sinnvoll nutzbar."

--- Andreas M. Kirchwitz, de.c.s.a.tech, 1 June 1994


"A book has been written with the intent to replace the DOS
Manual: Ralph Babel's Amiga Guru Book. It does not just
surpass the DOS Manual in all respects, it also addresses
several other shortcomings in the official documentation.
GET IT!"

--- Arno Eigenwillig, c.s.a.programmer, 15 June 1994


"Get Ralph Babel's 'The Amiga Guru Book'. It'll solve pretty
much all your DOS problems ever."

--- Heinz Wrobel, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, 31 July 1994


"Mit Ralph Babels 'The Amiga Guru Book' liegt den
Neugierigen nun eine regelrechte 'Bibel' vor. Sie handelt
indes nicht von Glaubensfragen - sie vermittelt wertvolle
Weisheiten bis in die tiefsten Interna des
Amiga-Betriebssystems hinein, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf dem
in anderen Publikationen eher schlecht dokumentierten
AmigaDOS liegt. In keiner anderen Literatur werden die
Themen mit ähnlicher Gründlichkeit behandelt. [...] Der
engagierte Amiga-Programmierer findet ein hervorragendes
Nachschlagewerk vor, dessen detaillierte Informationen
ansprechend präsentiert sind. Mein Urteil lautet: 'Sehr
empfehlenswert'."

--- c't 9/1994, page 266


"I love your _Guru Book_! It's wonderful. If anyone is into
the Amiga, buy it - period."

--- Dan E. Babcock, c.s.a.programmer, 1 December 1994


"Get 'The Amiga Guru Book' by Ralph Babel. It explains
devices/handlers and packets (and DOS stuff in general) in
great detail."

--- Ingo Wilken, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, 11 January 1995


"You shouldn't buy the Bantam book anyway. You should buy
Ralph Babel's 'Amiga Guru Book' instead. Much more/better
info. Well worth the price."

--- James Cooper, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, 13 January 1995


"Get Ralph Babel's Amiga Guru Book; it's the best, most
current documentation available on this sort of thing."

--- Doug Walker, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, 27 February 1995


"Das Bantam-DOS-Manual ist im Vergleich dazu ein Witz."

--- Oliver Kastl, de.comp.sys.amiga.misc, 8 July 1995


"I'd rather buy a book with some real info, like the 'Amiga
Guru Book'."

--- John Hendrikx, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, 31 July 1995


"Das Guru-Book von Ralph Babel ist die einzige öffentlich
verfügbare Quelle der Informationen, die nötig sind, um ein
komplettes FileSystem für den Amiga zu implementieren."

--- Bernhard Möllemann, de.comp.sys.amiga.tech, 10 Aug 1995


"The Guru Book was THE source of information for my generic
filesystem library, don't start without one."

--- Bernhard Fastenrath, c.s.a.programmer, 27 December 1995


"A better choice is to buy a very good book called 'The
Amiga Guru Book', which won't only give you the knowledge
you need to work on the Amiga to do WHATEVER you want with
it, but it'll show you efficient ways to do it correctly,
and it covers EVERYTHING about the Amiga 2.04+ OS, so it's
highly recommended. I have it, and believe me: it's worth
every dime."

--- Avi Lev, comp.sys.amiga.programmer, 26 February 1996



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:


Stefan Ossowskis Schatztruhe
Gesellschaft für Software mbH
Veronikastraße 33
D-45131 Essen
Germany
Voice:  [phone]
Fax:    [phone]
Web:    http://www.schatztruhe.de/
E-Mail: <[e-mail]>


If you have further questions regarding the Amiga Guru Book,
feel free to contact me directly. My preferred e-mail
address is <[e-mail]>.


Copyright © 1996 by Ralph Babel. Permission granted to
redistribute this file in unmodified form. All other rights
reserved.