##### # # ##### # # # # # ##### #### # # # # # # # ##### ### # # ### #### ### # # ## ## # # # # ##### # # # # # ## ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # ### #### # # #### # # #### # # #### ### ### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## # # #### # # #### # # # # ### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #### ### # # ### #### ### ### # # 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 . 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 . 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. "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 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. :-)] Stefan Ossowskis Schatztruhe Gesellschaft für Software mbH Veronikastraße 33 D-45131 Essen Germany Voice: +49 (201) 788778 Fax: +49 (201) 798447 E-Mail: Intangible Assets Manufacturing 828 Ormond Avenue Drexel Hill, PA 19026-1604 USA Voice: +1 (610) 853 4406 Fax: +1 (610) 853 3733 Web: http://www.iam.com/iam E-Mail: NBG USA, Inc. 482 Holly Avenue St. Paul, MN 55102 USA Voice: +1 (612) 290 9447 +1 (800) 624 8729 Fax: +1 (612) 290 9449 E-Mail: Almathera Systems Limited Southerton House Boundary Business Court 92-94 Church Road Mitcham, Surrey CR4 3TD England Voice: +44 181 687 0040 Fax: +44 181 687 0490 E-Mail: Someware 27 rue Gabriel Péri 59186 Anor France Voice: +33 27596000 Fax: +33 27595206 E-Mail: If you have further questions regarding the Amiga Guru Book, feel free to contact me directly. My preferred e-mail address is . Copyright © 1994 by Ralph Babel. Permission granted to redistribute this file in unmodified form. All other rights reserved.