Customer Reviews

Sams Teach Yourself Borland C++ Builder 3 in 21 Days

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There simply aren't very good learning books out there for C++ Builder. This book glosses over too much like different types of Edit components and such and spends a wealth of time on database programming with C++ Builder. Make no mistake, Riesdorf knows the subject well. He just doesn't cover enough of the basics of form based development with VCL and too much on standard C++ (does he really need to cover that? A book on standard C++ would do a much better job and not waste space.). I really wish someone would come out with a book on the subject similar to the style and quality of the Deitel/Deitel books on Visual Basic, C, C++, and Java.

This book contains about 200 pages of C++ tutorial, myself, I dont like that stuff repeated in all books I have. The C++ part is always too brief, you have to buy a real C++ book anyway. The rest of the book is explaing very thoroughly how to navigate the menu's in the C++ Builder 3.0 IDE and various settings. Thats good, kind of. But its all in the help files, I think. The book later shows you how to write components, that part is nice to read for the beginner. Then there are some examples of how to do various things but not as many as I would have liked.

The book takes you from the total Builder novice to a level right under newbie Builder programmer. You cant actually code much after reading this book, but you have a very good understanding about the compiler and that helps when you are advancing.

I'd like to compare Builder and conventional compilers with languages like english and german. You learn english by using it, but german by studying it hard, particularly grammar.

What I mean is, get a book containing lots of examples and blaze away. I have looked at all the Builder books on the market. C++ Builder How-to will give you a kickstart. But if you aren't clever enough to learn the Builder interface by using examples and helpfiles, you are better off buying the Teach Yourself book. Or better still, buy both, and you have the dynamic duo. I rate it 4 stars because its so well written and because its the best choice for real newbies.

If Reisdorph would write a "Teach yourself MORE C++ Builder" for intermediate programmers I'm sure it would be a bestseller, cause his books are very well written.

This book was a very good introduction to the C++ Builder environment. It clearly explained the basic features of C++ Builder, and also had some information on the program's history. Not only was the information in this book helpful for learning C++ Builder 3, but most of the information I learned was also applicable to other Borland programming environments such as Delphi. The only part I didn't like about the book was that the first part was too much devoted to basic C++ programming, which I was already familiar with.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is unfamiliar with Borland tools, or who has never used Delphi or C++ Builder. I would NOT recommend this book to anyone who is familiar with Delphi or VCL (the Visual Component Library). This book seems to be designed primarily for people who have never used the Delphi/C++ Builder environment.

Although this book is a little outdated,if you are beginner with Boland C++ Builder,this book is just for you.
It provides the fundamentals of C++Builder much enough.
If you finish reading it, I recommend "C++Builder HowTo" as second step.
PS. Day19, which explains DLL, is exceptionally bad, because some sample codes is not able to compile on BCB5.
See "C++ Builder5 Developer's Guide".

This was my first book and it is the best for learning C++ in CBuilder. I had no background in programming i was greener then green but it is true that you can get the basics of C++ from this book. It guides you step by step from the Hello World program to your own designs. If you want to learn C++ and use CBuilder then get this book it will teach you the basics

This book is ok for beginners to introduce them to the BCB environment, but it does not teach you the c++ language. It will not take you a long time to learn BCB and after a while you will wonder why you spent so much money for a book that really doesnt teach you that much.

This book was not very thorough. The author rushed through it. He apparently did not think the subject out very well before he wrote the book. It is more of the same of Teach Yourself C++ Builder 3 in 14 days. It is just a beginner's book and very skimpy at that.

This book is great for new people starting with C++ Builder 3. First of all teaches you the main things about the C++ language, so you know the language syntax before starting to develop in C++ Builder 3. Then you will learn how to use the IDE and the RAD tools that makes C++ Builder 3 the best and intelligent choice for serious developers. Very readable and easy to follow.

This book is an old book, but Kent Reisdorph is a good author to learn C++, after you have studied this book you can use the intertet to actuallize your skills.
No es un libro actualizado, pero Kent Reisdorph es un excelente autor para aprender C++, después de estudiar este libro puedes usar el internet para acualizarte.

This is a Great Book. I've had it I guess for 2-3 years and have read it cover to cover twice and just recently finished it the second time. Like most computer books, it is thick book with a lot of information in it. If you want to learn how to program in C++ and use the Borland BCB RAD, this book is what you should consider. I really cannot say anything negative about this book that is worth writing - its a very good and easy to read survey of C++ Builder 3 and is applicable to BCB 4 which I have also.

Most of the reviews here are generally positive and I think that the negative points are minor. Mastering a RAD device like C++ Builder is *not* something you will accomplish in one reading - there is just so much there. After reading this book, you should definitely be able to program in C++ and develop applications using C++ Builder - AND then you will have enough background to learn more. Your second book then should be the "Unleased" book or the "Developers" book. I found that my second reading opened up a better understanding of C++ classes and uses of the VCL (Visual Component Library - i.e. the use of Edit controls, DBGrid controls, data base Tables, etc.).

No book is an end all on a subject like this - but this is *definitely* the book you want to launch yourself from basic familarity to no familarity of BCB all the way up to being able to write some impressive C++ GUI applications using this marvelous RAD environment.

My observation - Borlands C++ Builder is much easier to master, and more productive when you are doing your programming versus the more cumbersome VC++. If you consider the Microsoft product over BCB, do it only because you favor Visual C++ not on its merits but instead on the influence that Microsoft has on the marketplace.