Customer Reviews

Using Delphi 2: Special (Using ... (Que))

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I haven't used this book much so I can't speak for it's overall quality. I would like to point out a significant error in the text which calls that quality into question. On page 363 it is stated that "A custom suppied constructor does not allocate memory" which is false. It also goes on to give an example which uses a constructor just for initializing an already existing object. An ordinary procedure would sufficed for this. In other words the author missed the point of the constructor keyword: it allows for custom methods which both create and initialize objects.

This Book, while covering a lot of ground only touches on each subject. The writing style is very terse, and generally left me more confused about a subject than before I began. In short, I found the delphi manuals more helpful

I have 10 books on Delphi, this is by far the worst. Nothing else even comes close. This book has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I've had it for a year and have yet to find anything useful in it. This was my first Delphi book and I got roped in by all the pretty screen snapshots. Yes, it has a pretty face, but nothing of any substance whatsoever.

This book is without any depth at all. Pick any topic and it just summarizes what's in the Borland manuals. And it doesn't do a good job at that either.

The cover has a title saying it's "The Most Complete Reference". I think that must have been a typo. It should have read "The Most InComplete Reference". It also has "Special Edition" on the cover in large italic letters. Lordie! I wonder what the standard edition must have been like.

It has very very few code examples for you to learn Delphi programming. It goes on chapter after chapter showing you the various windows in the Delphi IDE and a brief summary of what it does.

The appendix has 167 pages of useless tables that the average person would never use. I suspect they added this in order to make the book look larger than what it really is. You could read this book from cover to cover and I doubt you could learn to program a single thing in Delphi. The only redeeming feature of this book is the CD-Rom which makes for a good coaster for your coffee mug.<g>

This book will suck an incredible $49.99 (USD) out of your pocket. If you see this book lying on the floor in a book store, don't pick it up. To borrow a line from Monty Python, "Run away! Run away! Run away!"