AutoLISP Programming [Paperback]

Rod Rawls (Author), Mark Hagen (Author), Mark A. Hagen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1996

A step-by-step approach provides practical, easy-to-follow instruction for mastering the AutoLISP programming language. Content ranges from basic to advanced programming techniques and includes all AutoLISP functions through Release 14. Complete instructions describe how to create useful and productive routines and programs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 626 pages
• Publisher: Goodheart Wilcox Company (1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566374170
• ISBN-13: 978-1566374170
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,239,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teacher evaluates this as a textbook/learning guide., December 2, 1997

By 

"benwagg" (Pinellas Park, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Autolisp Programming: Principles and Techniques (Paperback)

This review of AutoLISP Programming: Principles and Techniques by Rawls & Hagen, 1996 ed. is being submitted by Ben Waggoner, an AutoCAD & AutoLISP instructor at Pinellas Technical Education Center, Clearwater, Florida.

I decided to use this textbook in my classes for its straightforward reduction of the AutoLISP language to understandable English. Given this book, a computer lab to work in, and minimal instructor guidance, students who have never programmed in any language before can quickly begin to write simple programs to enhance their productivity with AutoCAD. Simple exercises both introduce the beginner to AutoLISP and at the same time start him/her thinking about "how this might be expanded just a little" to become extremely useful in a work situation.

The text covers some fundamentals of programming that can be carried over into any language one might tackle later (such as good documentation and error-trapping), and these practices are demonstrated in the sample programs. The lessons (chapters) are organized logically in bite-size portions, and have "professional tips" that students can keep in mind as they advance through the exercises. In addition, the book has several appendices of important information for AutoLISP programmers. Tables of DXF codes and a quick-reference for functions are vital for programmers (one can't possibly remember *everything*) but are left out of many books claiming to be AutoLISP references. However, Rawls & Hagen did include them, so I feel that my students are not just buying a textbook for class, but a reference they can continue to use as they cultivate their programming abilities.

With that said, I do have a complaint about this book. "Misteaks" happen in publishing, don't you know, but given that this was presented to the market as a potential textbook, I felt it should be held to a little higher standard than the average dime-store novel. There is a glaring ommission: the ENTDEL function is included in both the index and in the function-reference, but does not appear on the page the index points to, or anywhere else in the book, that I have seen. To avoid embarrassment, teachers should be aware of this before they tell a student to "look it up..." In addition, the TEXTBOX function is included in the entities chapter of the book, but you have to discover that through the function- reference appendix as it did not make it into the index. The coverage of ENTMAKE could have been more thorough, and delved deeper into creating *complex* entities.

However, those are only three functions out of the almost 300 available in AutoLISP under AutoCAD r13. While there are a few other minor errors, they are forgiveable, given the two chapters on dialog box programming and the inclusion of a chapter on debugging effectively and error-trapping. Hopefully the edition for AutoCAD r14 will be completely error-free. I adopted this textbook for my class some time ago and recommend it with very few reservations to my students and associates for its clear language, logical arrangement and good resources.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars highly suggest for the beginner, June 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: AutoLISP Programming (Paperback)

I have suggested this book to many people in person and on the internet. It had a little of everything and is very good at introducing the reader to the world of Autolisp. As an experienced programmer of other languages I had many questions of how to go on, but was very pleased with it as an intro book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference, November 8, 2000

By 

Craig Black (Appleton, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AutoLISP Programming (Paperback)

I have read the other reviews and agree with some and disagree with others. This book is an excellent reference, Appendix B is worthe price all by itself. Appendix A *IS* an alphabetized list of all the AutoLISP functions. Although it does not explain *all* uses of *all* functions, I challenge anyone to show me a book that does! A fine book that I have recommended hundreds of times to hundreds of students. When I sit down to write code, this book is always within arm's reach.