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From: [e-mail] (Marc Atkin)
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Amiga Related Books FAQ
***********************

This FAQ is compiled as a service to the Amiga community. It is an attempt to
give the Amiga programmer and user an overview of useful books for his/her
favorite computer. It is not complete. If you feel that a book should be
added to the list, want to comment on one of the books in the list, want to
point out mistakes or add missing information, please send e-mail to:

    [e-mail]

I think it is useful to hear people's comments about particular books. That
is why some book descriptions are followed by quotes that I picked up from
the Usenet Amiga news groups. If you want to have your comment removed or
want to say something about a particular book, please contact me. Anonymous
comments, content-free opinions, or remarks that I determine to be factually
wrong will not be accepted.

The most up-to-date text version of this FAQ can be found at:
http://eksl-www.cs.umass.edu/~atkin/amiga/books.faq.txt
There is also a HTML version available:
http://eksl-www.cs.umass.edu/~atkin/amiga/books.faq.html

This document is copyright (c) 1998, Marc Atkin . All rights reserved.
Permission is granted for non-profit distribution of this document as long as
it is kept intact. Inclusion of this FAQ in commercial publications
(including CDROMs) requires express written permission.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last changed: 7-September-1998

Changes since last posting to the comp.sys.amiga.* newsgroups:
  o none!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Contents:
=========

0. Terms and Conventions

1. Understanding the Amiga
1.1 Programmer's 'Must Haves'
1.2 Programmer's Reference
1.3 General Reference
1.4 AmigaDOS
1.5 Hardware
1.6 Important Older Material

2. Assembly Programming
2.1 Learning Assembly (680x0)
2.2 Reference

3. C Programming
3.1 Learning C
3.2 Reference
3.3 Amiga Specific

4. C++ Programming
4.1 Learning C++
4.2 Reference

5. ARexx Programming
5.1 Learning ARexx
5.2 Reference

6. Applications Programming
6.1 Compilers
6.2 Computer Graphics
6.3 User Interfaces

7. Using Applications
7.1 The Video Toaster
7.2 Telecommunications
7.3 Music

Appendix A: Ordering Information
Appendix B: Bookstores


0. Terms and Conventions
========================

Unless otherwise specified, all prices are in U.S. Dollars:
  o AUS: Australian Dollars
  o CAN: Canadian Dollars
  o UKP: English Pounds
  o DM: German Marks

Book comments without an attribution are my own (well, at least I take
responsibility for them).
I try to give information about the newest edition of a book. If a comment's
date precedes the publication date, it's probably referring to an older
edition.


1. Understanding the Amiga
==========================

1.1 Programmer's 'Must Haves'
-----------------------------

  o Amiga International:
    Amiga Developer CD V1.2
    1998, ICP-Verlag
    DM 24.80 (about $17)

    This CD contains all the material you need to start developing software
    for Amiga computers (aside from a C compiler).

    A summary of contents is taken from the Amiga International Website :
      o The original CDTV Developer Package
      o Developer Conference Disksets 1988-1993
      o The CD32 developer package + "BuildCD" CD writer package
      o Packages contributed by 3rd parties: PowerUP, WarpUp, WBPath,
        ActionFSSM, Envoy v2.0, INet 225 v2, Kiskometer, Enforcer v37.70.
      o BOOPSI gadget and image classes, the AmigaOS 2.04 example code, as
        part of the original 2.04 Native Developer Kit, the RKM 2.04 code
        examples, the complete set of registered IFF forms, IFF example and
        stress test files, all IFF packages released by Commodore-Amiga,
        Inc., the camd v37.1 MIDI developer kit, the SANA-II standard package
        and developer kit, the Installer v43.1 package.
      o International support material: Sample text using ISO-8859-1,
        translation guidelines.
      o 1.3, 2.0, and 3.1 Native Developer Kits: `C' and assembly language
        header files, linker and runtime libraries, system documentation and
        tutorial texts, example code covering the AmigaOS 3.0 and 3.1
        features, the NewIFF v39 package, the AmigaGuide and DataTypes
        documentation and example code.
      o Reference material: Amiga Mail Volume 1 (Spring 1987 - Jan/Feb 1989),
        Amiga Mail Volume 2 articles in AmigaGuide format (Jan/Feb 1990 -
        Mar/Apr 1993), hardware related articles, the Includes & Autodocs in
        AmigaGuide format.

  o Ralph Babel:
    The Amiga Guru Book
    1993, Ralph Babel (published by Ralph Babel, no ISBN)
    DM 79.00

    [e-mail] (Heiko Rath), 3 Dec 1993:
    "The Amiga Guru Book is a book about the Amiga and its operating system.
    It offers fundamental knowledge of the Amiga system and covers such areas
    as: guidelines for proper multitasking programming, ANSI C, Aztec C and
    SAS/C, debugging techniques, AmigaDOS, the file systems, the format of
    load and object modules, process creation, CLI and user shells, handlers
    and packets (more than complete list of packets), and many other areas.
    There are many useful bits and pieces about the OS that you'd have a hard
    time finding anywhere else."

    Further reviews are available in docs/misc/gurubook-info.lha on Aminet .

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Libraries
    (3rd edition; dark gray cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 0-201-56774-1
    $38.95

    Basic introduction to using the Amiga library functions for intuition,
    graphics, and exec. Many C examples. Suitable for the beginner, although
    some background in computer programming (especially C) would be helpful.
    Covers Kickstart/Workbench through version 2.0. All examples are
    available in executable and source code form from Fish disk #741 and
    #742.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Devices
    (3rd edition; dark gray cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 201-56775-X
    $28.95

    Basic introduction to programming Amiga devices and resources (basic I/O
    interface to the actual hardware). Many C examples which are available in
    executable and source code form from Fish disk #741. Covers
    Kickstart/Workbench through vesion 2.0. This book also contains the
    official IFF documentation, which covers the IFF format philosophy itself
    and many of its incarnations. The included IFF handling code has been
    superseded several times by publications on Fish disks. As of this
    writing, the newest version is 39.11 from Fish disk #985.

  o Commodore-Amiga, Inc.:
    The AmigaDOS Manual (3rd edition)
    Bantam, 1991. ISBN 0-553-35403-5
    $24.95, CAN 31.95, UKP 21.99

    Covers all AmigaDOS through 2.04. It contains a user manual style
    introduction to the AmigaShell and its commands (which actually is
    identical to some user manualy shipped by C=), a printout of the
    Autodocs, and covers the on-disk structure of OFS and FFS, the format of
    linkable and loadable binaries, packets, and some internal DOS
    structures.

    [e-mail] (Arno Eigenwillig), 27 Jul 1994:
    "I would not recommend it, though. It has a high redundancy w.r.t. other
    publications from C=, and its exclusive parts are often incomplete or
    incorrect."

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga User Interface Style Guide
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 0-201-57757-7
    $21.95

    Describes the philosophy behinds the Amiga graphical user interface.
    Presents guidelines for interface design ("look and feel") that all Amiga
    applications (and games!?) should adhere to. Covers Kickstart/Workbench
    version 2.x. Well suited for the beginner, with emphasis on general
    interface principles, and less on the actual programming.

1.2 Programmer's Reference
--------------------------

  o John Thomas Berry:
    Inside the Amiga with C (2nd edition)
    Waite Group Press , 1988. ISBN 0-672-22625-1
    $24.95

    "David Sowsy" [e-mail], 23 May 1996:
    "It has enough theory and explains adequately the Amiga's core messaging
    system and custom hardware accesses using C programming techniques. The
    code however is very out of date (1.2). [The target audience is] someone
    who has decent background in formal data structures, assembly/machine
    level programming, and CS arithmetic (bin, hex, and decimal conversions),
    as well as C. C++ programmers can benefit as well because the messaging
    concepts are fairly high level."

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Includes and Autodocs
    (3rd edition; dark gray cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 0-201-56773-3
    $38.95

    Covers Kickstart/Workbench through version 2.0. The book is basically a
    print-out of all the include (header) files and autodocs (on line
    descriptions) of all the Amiga library functions except DOS. The reason
    this book isn't listed with the "must have's" is that all this
    information can be obtained in machine readable form by contacting
    Commodore directly. Additionally, the include files come with most
    commercial compilers. They are also included on the FreshFish CD-ROM.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga Hardware Reference Manual
    (3rd edition; dark gray cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 0-201-56776-8

    If you want to access the hardware directly, this is the book to get.
    Descriptions of all the Amiga hardware registers. Be warned however that
    Commodore now officially dissuades "banging the hardware". This is to
    ensure compatability of today's programs with future releases of the
    operating system and Amiga hardware. This book covers the Enhanced Chip
    Set (ECS). There will be no manual for AGA (Advanced Graphic
    Architecture).

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    V3.1 Amiga Developer Update Disk Set
    Commodore, 1994.
    CATS part number: AMDEV3.1
    $30.00
    (superseded by the Developer CD .)

    Contents:

      o Docs: V40.15 Autodocs, and articles/notes about V38/V39/V40
      o Includes & Libs: V40.15C and assembler include files and linker libs
      o Examples1: General library examples including Locale, plus PCMCIA
      o Examples2: IFF modules and examples, Datatypes, AmigaGuide
      o SWToolkit3: The latest Amiga debugging tools

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    1989 Amiga Developers Conference Notes
    Commodore, 1989.
    CATS part numbers: NOTES89 & NOTES89D
    $75.00

    510-page manual and 2 disks created for 1989 Amiga Developers Conference.
    Subjects include: Intro to Programming the Amiga, Features Outline for
    V1.3 ECS Features and the Graphics Library, Janus Dual-Port Memory,
    Hi-Res Color Graphics Card, Interfacing to ARexx, Advanced Amiga
    Architechtures, The IFF parse.library, and more.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    1988 Amiga Developers Conference Notes
    Commodore, 1988.
    CATS part numbers: NOTES88 & NOTES88D
    $75.00

    400+ page manual and 4 disks created for 1988 Amiga Developers
    Conference. Topics covered include: Unique Amiga Techniques, Tips and
    Tricks for Programming in C, IFF, Autoboot and Kickstart V1.3, V1.3
    Printer Device and Printer Drivers, Amiga Audio and Sound, Overscan,
    Hi-Resolution Fonts, Programming for 16-Bit Amiga, A500 Expansion Cards,
    and much more.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    AmigaMail (The Amiga Technical Newsletter)
    Commodore, 1987-1993.
    CATS part numbers and prices below

    AmigaMail Volume I, P/N: AMVOL1 $75.00
    Back issues from January/February 1987 to July/August '90.
    (Binder and index tabs are sold separately.)
    AmigaMail Volume II, P/N: AMAILBI01 $75.00
    Back issues from September/October '90 to May/June '93.
    (Binder and index tabs are sold separately.)
    AmigaMail Binder, P/N: AMAIL1B01 (Vol. 1), AMAIL2B02 (Vol. II) $10.00 ea.
    AmigaMail Index Tabs, P/N: AMAILIND $5.00 ea.

  o Christian Kuhnert, Stefan Maelger, and Johannes Schemmel:
    Amiga Intern
    Abacus, 1992. ISBN 1-55755-148-0

    [e-mail], 08 Apr 1996:
    "It is out of print now, [...] but there may well be copies stored in
    warehouses around the world if people look hard enough (I managed to pick
    up a copy for a friend of mine about a year ago, after a bit of
    searching). The book is basicaly split in to 3 parts. The first part
    concerns the Amiga libraries, and gives a fairly comprehensive run down
    (including descriptions, parameters, usage, etc.) of all the functions
    (KS2.x) of all the main system libraries. The second part is an excellent
    guide and reference section for programming AREXX. I learned everything I
    know about AREXX from this book. It follows on in to details of how to
    write external programs that can interact with AREXX programs, etc. The
    third part is hardware related. This, nowadays, is less useful, mainly
    because (i) we are now forbidden to touch the hardware FTMP, and (ii)
    it's only the ECS hardware, not the AGA stuff. I still think this is one
    of the most useful books I've bought."

  o Sheldon Leemon:
    Inside Amiga Graphics
    Compute! Publications, 1986. ISBN 0-87455-040-8

    Charles Patterson ([e-mail]), 4 Oct 1997:
    "Graphics programming in C and BASIC. In depth and detailed information
    on using graphics."

  o Stephen Levy:
    Amiga Programmer's Guide
    Compute! Publications, 1986. ISBN 0-87455-028-9

    Charles Patterson ([e-mail]), 4 Oct 1997:
    "General overview of the Amiga and programming it in Basic, C, and
    Assembler. Handy for the beginner."

  o Eugene P. Mortimore:
    Amiga Programmer's Handbook
    Sybex, 1985. ISBN 0-89588-343-0

    Charles Patterson ([e-mail]), 4 Oct 1997:
    "Detailed information on programming the Amiga. A wealth of information.
    Very handy reference but quite dated."

  o Randy Thompson and Rhett Anderson:
    Mapping the Amiga
    Compute Books, 1993. ISBN 0-87455-267-2
    $27.95

    [e-mail] (Jonathan Gapen):
    "Alphabetical listing of all OS functions with descriptions, host
    library, offsets, syntax, prototype in C and ML, arguments, results and
    the OS version in which it first appeared. Alphabetical listing of all OS
    structures with size, include file and listing of the structure with C
    and ML types. Also includes a section listing all hardware registers with
    detailed descriptions. Covers OS versions through V39 and hardware
    through ECS."

  o [author?]:
    The 'Kickstart' Guide to the AMIGA
    Ariadne Software Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-9512921-0-2

    ajo1 ([e-mail]), 10-Nov-1995:
    "It details quite a few low level concepts on how to write stuff for the
    Amiga; it has some assumptions that you have come from programming a C64,
    but it still useable otherwise. It's quite old and only goes up to 1.2,
    and it talks about 1.1, but the basic concepts are there, which seem to
    be lacking from more modern stuff (where it is assumed you know it
    already). Overall, not a book I would buy new, but as it only cost me 2
    UKP, I'm not exactly going to argue about it."

1.3 General Reference
---------------------

  o Denny Atkin:
    Denny Atkin's Best Amiga Tips and Secrets
    Compute Books, 1993. ISBN 0-87455-275-3
    $19.95

    "Dale L. Larson" [e-mail]:
    "From the back of the book: `Whether you're a beginner or expert you'll
    find hundreds of handy tips for harnessing the power of your Amiga in
    this extensive guide.' I agree and wholeheartedly recommend this book.
    (Actually, I probably only found a dozen tips that were new to me, but I
    am a former Commodore Software Engineer.) It includes info on machines
    from the A1000 to the A1200 and A4000 and software for all of the above."

  o Paul Overaa:
    First Steps Amiga
    Bookmark Publishing Ltd , 1996, ISBN 1-85550-008-6
    6.99 UKP

    Bookmark Publishing, 10 May 1996:
    "Written and designed with the out-and-out newcomer in mind [...] No
    previous experience required, of the Amiga or of any computer! [...] It
    explains in clear, everyday terms how to operate your Amiga and the
    valuable Workbench programs that come with it."

  o David Tiberio:
    Amiga/Toaster Reference Manual
    Area52 , 1994. (published by Area52, no ISBN)
    $34.95

    [e-mail] (David Tiberio), 25 Mar 1994:
    "[The book] contains over 1000 pages and 80 pictures, all about the Amiga
    and computers. It covers AmigaDOS, Workbench, Lightwave, AdPro, hardware
    compatibility, some ARexx, and over 500 FAQ style questions. Also
    included are hundreds of charts and tables, and Index of things such as
    Light Refraction (3d users), GURU errors, screenmodes, color RGB values
    for over 300 colors, Hayes commands, and more. The dictionary included
    with it contains over 800 words, although the next revision will have
    over 3000 words in the dictionary. [...] also included is a 40 page list
    of people, movies, etc that use Amigas for various purposes."

    A demo is available from Aminet ( biz/demo/AORM_2.2.lha ).

1.4 AmigaDOS
------------

  o Commodore-Amiga, Inc.:
    The AmigaDOS Manual (3rd edition)
    Bantam, 1991. ISBN 0-553-35403-5
    $24.95, CAN 31.95, UKP 21.99

    see section 1.1: "Programmer's 'Must haves'"

  o Sheldon Leemon:
    AmigaDOS Reference Guide (4th edition)
    Compute, 1992. ISBN 0-87455-268-0
    $22.95, UKP 20.95

    [e-mail] (Paul Toyne), 9 Feb 1994:
    "...it is excellent, it covers all forms of pattern matching, the basics
    of DOS and then lists each command with complete description. It covers
    1.x ,2.x and 3.x."

  o [author?]:
    Mastering Amiga DOS, Volumes 1, 2, and 3
    Bruce Smith Books, [year?]. ISBN 1-873308-18-3
    UKP 21.95

    [e-mail] (Eric Balkan), 11 Feb 1994:
    "I just bought vol 1 and I wouldn't recommend it -- it's too basic and
    incorrect in spots. And when he gets to an interesting part, he says it's
    in vol 2."

1.5 Hardware
------------

  o Warren Block:
    A1200 Hardware FAQ
    A4000 Hardware Guide

    These two on-line documents answer common hardware problems with the
    A1200 and A4000, and how to go about fixing them. They are both available
    on Aminet ( hard/misc/a1200hardfaq.lha and hard/misc/a4khard.lha ).

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    A500/A2000 Technical Reference Guide
    Commodore, [year?].
    CATS part number: TECHREF01
    $40.00

    A 275-page reference manual that describes the technical features of the
    A500 and A2000, as well as those features that differ from the A1000.
    Table of contents includes: System Block Diagrams, Amiga Expansion,
    Designing Hardware for the Amiga Expansion Architecture, Driver
    Documentation, Software for Amiga Expansion, PC Bridgeboard and
    schematics.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga 1000 Schematics and Expansion Specifications
    Commodore, 1986.
    CATS part number: A1000SM
    $20.00

    Spiral-bound manual containing full Amiga 1000 schematics, timing
    diagrams, PAL equations, and documentation for the auto-configuration
    process.

  o Grote, Gelfland, Abraham:
    Amiga Disk Drives, Inside and Out
    Abacus, 1988. ISBN 1-55755-042-5

    [e-mail] (Lopaka), 7 Apr 1996:
    "Came with a disk and some programs, lots of info about how the old file
    system worked, ways to hack it, overcome copy protection etc. My gripe
    was that 'Inside and Out' should at least cover what the jumpers do, tips
    on fixing floppy drives, ways to make PC drives work on the Amiga etc. If
    I had a chance to glance at it first, I would not have ordered it, but it
    was mail order. I'm sure some coders would like the book, but ah well,
    it's too dated now, I think."

    [e-mail] (Luca DP), 25 May 1998:
    "It's simply a great book, and it covers everything from how the data is
    physically stored on the disks to everything a programmer should know
    about: programming under AmigaDos or directly `banging' on the hardware.
    It includes plenty of examples (and there are 3 working programs at the
    end of the book) and a disassembly of the ROM routines. Don't even think
    about making your own boot disk without this book! If you can find it
    now, even used, it's worth buying."

    [e-mail] (Randell Jesup), 20 Jul 1998:
    "I was in charge of the disk drivers and AmigaDOS at Commodore from 1988
    until the end. I did major rewrites on the floppy drivers, rewrote
    AmigaDOS in C/ASM (from BCPL/ASM), etc. This book has more technical
    errors and code-bugs than you can shake a stick at. Many of the specs
    given (or more normally assumed without comment) are just plain wrong and
    will fail on some subset of Amiga drives out there (people like this were
    the reason some program's copy-protection code failed randomly or on
    certain machines). I have a copy of it (in a box somewhere now) that had
    yellow post-it's for each major bug. It was full of them. I considered
    this book a hopeless case back in '88.

    If you must program the floppy hardware directly, respect the timing
    requirements. The code in the book was littered with busywait-loops that
    might work semi-correctly on an A500 - maybe. Take over from the OS
    correctly so you don't collide with it. [...] The [AmigaDOS] drivers come
    within a few percent of the theoretical max, and have extensive
    error-recovery code to manage to retrieve sectors off of damaged tracks.
    Use the OS."

  o [author?]:
    A1200 Insiders Guide
    Bruce Smith Books, [year?]. [ISBN?]
    UKP 14.95

  o various authors:
    Specification for the Advanced Amiga (AA) Chip Set
    1993.

    On-line document, available from Aminet ( text/hyper/aga_guide.lha ).

    [e-mail] (Dirk Kocherscheidt), 12 Apr 1996:
    [...] includes a complete list of the registers of the AGA-Custom-Chips.
    As far as I know, this guide is the only available documentation about
    AGA. It's pretty useful for demo/game coders who already know how the OCS
    works, because the guide doesn't give any real examples (except
    explaining how the new display and sprite modes work). The registers are
    both listed by address and by name. If you click on the register's name
    you get exact information about what each bit means and how it has to be
    used. All in all I'd say that this guide is pretty useful."

1.6 Important Older Material
----------------------------

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Libraries and Devices
    (1st edition; white cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1986. ISBN 0-201-11078-4

    Covers the Amiga System Software up to Version 1.2. Gives a good
    introduction to programming Amiga graphics and I/O. Many examples, mostly
    in C (Source Code can be found on Fisk Disk ???). Since the operating
    system has evolved quite a bit since 1986, this and the following books'
    value is now mostly nostalgia...

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga Intuition Reference Manual
    (1st edition; white cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1986. ISBN 0-201-11076-8

    Covers Intuition programming through Workbench 1.2. A wonderfully gentle
    introduction to programming user interfaces on the Amiga. Contains a lot
    of information on the philosophy of the Amiga interface. Basic knowledge
    of C required. Now superseded by the newer "RKM: Libraries" and "User
    Interface Style Guide".

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Exec
    (1st edition; white cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1986. ISBN 0-201-11099-7

    Covers Exec programming through Kickstart/Workbench 1.2. The nitty gritty
    of the Amiga kernel: Basic data structures, tasks, memory allocation and
    the like. Now superseded by the newer "RKM: Libraries".

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga Hardware Reference Manual
    (1st edition; white cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1986. ISBN 0-201-11077-6

    The hardware bangers manual for the original chipset (OCS). Explains what
    all the hardware registers mean and how to get them to work for you. Some
    assembly examples. Since Commodore now officially dissuades from directly
    accessing the hardware, and has no plans for publishing an AGA hardware
    manual, this book is actually still fairly useful for those who have to
    know how their computer works on the hardware level.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Includes and Autodocs
    (2nd edition; blue cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1989. ISBN 0-201-18177-0

    Covers version Kickstart/Workbench Version 1.3. A print-out of all the
    include files and autodocs (on-line documentation) for all the Amiga
    library functions (except DOS). Contains summaries and call parameters
    for all the functions. This information had previously been distributed
    amongst the Libraries, Exec, and Intuition Rom Kernel Reference Manual in
    the 1.2 release.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual: Libraries and Devices
    (2nd edition; blue cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1989. ISBN 0-201-18187-8

    All the introductory text and examples from the Kickstart Version 1.2 ROM
    Kernel Reference Manuals, revised and updated for Version 1.3. All
    examples are available in executable and source code form from Fish disk
    #344.

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    Amiga Hardware Reference Manual
    (2nd edition; blue cover)
    Addison-Wesley , 1989. ISBN 0-201-18157-6

    As far as I know, this manual is basically identical to the 1.2 release
    described above (although it claims to be updated to release 1.3).

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    AmigaDOS V2.0 Native Developer Update
    Commodore, [year?].
    CATS part number: NATDEV20
    $20.00

    The 2.0 Native Developer Update is a must-have for any Amiga programmer.
    This four-disk set contains the final 2.0 function Autodocs, final 2.0 C
    and assembler Amiga include files, linker libs (Amiga.lib, debug.lib,
    ddebug.lib) FD files, offsets, a great deal of 2.0 example code, and the
    "Software Toolkit II" disk full of the latest Amiga debugging tools.
    (This disk set has been replaced by the new V3.1 Amiga Developer Update
    but is still very useful for its 2.0 example code).


2. Assembly Programming
=======================

[also see the comp.sys.m68k FAQ ]

2.1 Learning Assembly (680x0)
-----------------------------

  o Gerry Kane, Doug Hawkins, and Lance Leventhal:
    68000 Assembly Language Programming
    Osborne McGraw-Hill , 1981. ISBN 0-931988-62-4

  o Stan Kelly-Bootle and Bob Fowler:
    68000, 68010, 68020 Primer
    Waite Group Press , 1987 (2nd printing). ISBN 067-224050-4

    [e-mail] (Bruce Parke), 27 Oct 1993:
    "The best book that I have found on the 68000 [...]. I have found it to
    be easy to understand, and has helped to make me understand the 68000's
    instructions without a lot of effort. Everyone I have loaned the book to
    says the same thing. It explains everything about the instructions."

  o Paul Overaa:
    Mastering Amiga Assembler
    Bruce Smith Books, 1992. ISBN 1-873308-11-6

  o [author?]:
    Amiga Machine Language
    Abacus, [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Andrew Roehrig), 15 Jun 1995:
    "It's a little old, but [the book] is a good starter. I picked up my copy
    for five bucks at a used book store. It's blue and white."

    [e-mail] (Ron Lyon), 18 Jun 1995:
    "This book is terrible, useless, incorrect, [expletive], no good, and
    guess what I dont like it. It is so old that it was written for Workbench
    1.2, it teaches you bad coding habits and the code in there never seemed
    to work for me. ;-( I had the misfortune to try and learn assembly from
    this book when it first came out. I've still got it but now it's in lots
    of small pieces, it's great therapy tearing yet another page to bits when
    some code doesn't do what it should. ;-) Try `Mastering Amiga Assembler'
    by Paul Overaa published by Bruce Smith Books. Also try a generic 68000
    programming book to learn the instruction set and register usage."

2.2 Reference
-------------

  o Motorola:
    MC68030 Users Manual (3rd edition)
    [publisher?], 1990. [ISBN?]
    document number: MC68030UM/AD Rev. 2

    [e-mail] (Reid Bishop), 31 Mar 93:
    "I think the best references are Motorola's own users manuals. I have the
    68030 manual, and it is excellent. I don't yet have the 68040 manual.
    Often you can get these manuals direct from Motorola."

  o Motorola:
    Programmers Reference Manual
    [publisher?], 1992?. [ISBN?]
    document number: M68000PM/AD Rev. 1
    $3.70

    [e-mail] (Doug Keller), 31 Mar 1993:
    "If you want to know about the hardware get the 030 or 040 Users Manual
    from Motorola. If you want to know about assembly language programming
    get the Programmers Reference Manual. The Programmers Reference Manual
    covers all the processors in the 68000 series."

    [e-mail] (Charles P Peterson), 8 Jan 95:
    "This manual covers 68000-68040, 68881, 68882, 68851 (not 68060 yet).
    There is no programmer's manual for the 68060 yet (as of December 1994)
    just a `User's' manual. I just got [the Reference Manual], and it's a
    very nicely bound large and thick softcover book. Obviously a bargain,
    and a necessity for anyone doing this kind of work."

    [e-mail] (Kenneth L. Young), 15 Mar 95:
    "The best source of information about instruction codes and timing
    sequences for the Motorola family of microprocessors that I have found is
    in a resource manual that Motorola publishes called M68000 Family
    Programmer's Reference Manual. [...] My catalog currently lists the cost
    at $3.70 plus shipping and handling. This is worth 500 times its weight
    in gold. This book also contains reference material for the `MC68330 -
    Integrated CPU32 Processor', `MC68340 - Integrated Processor with DMA',
    `MC68851 - Paged Memory Management Unit', `MC68881 - Floating-Point
    Coprocessor', and `MC68882 - Enhanced Floating-Point Coprocessor'."


3. C Programming
================

3.1 Learning C
--------------

  o L. S. Foster:
    C by Discovery [Cal State Long Beach]
    Scott/Jones Inc., [year?]. ISBN 0-9624230-2-5

    [e-mail] (Peter Dilley), 28 Jul 93:
    "Do buy. [...] learn from a Phd, not a freakin graduate of Computer
    Learning Center, or someone who read books like "Teach yourself... C".
    It's about 3 1/2" and thick and emphasizes ANSI C."

  o Dan Gookin:
    C for Dummies Volume 1
    IDG Books, 1994. ISBN 1-878058-78-9

    Charles Patterson ([e-mail]), 4 Oct 1997:
    "The basics of ANSI C in an easy to read and understand format. Very
    useful for the beginner."

  o Al Kelly, Ira Pohl:
    A Book on C (3rd edition)
    Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co. , 1995. ISBN 0-8053-1677-9

    [e-mail] (Jerry Heyman), 30 Jun 1995:
    "Another book that I would recommend (and in fact I teach from it) [...]
    It is [...] written with a new programmer in mind, and takes each example
    apart line by line."

  o Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis M. Ritchie:
    The C Programming Language (2nd edition)
    Prentice Hall , 1988. ISBN 0-13-110362-8
    about $35

    German edition:
    Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis M. Ritchie:
    Programmieren in C
    Hanser-Verlag, 1990. ISBN 3-446-15497-3

    The classical introductory C book, written by the people who invented the
    language!

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "If you don't know C, buy this book NOW. Great C reference, eminently
    readable. Wonderful wondeful book. If you do know C already, then you
    probably already OWN this book. If you are learning C and trying to do it
    with some lame SAMS/Que/MIS Press/M&T/Wiley/McGraw-Hill cheezy trade
    paperback with a title like "Using Borland C++" or "C++ in 21 days" or
    "Learning C" or "Using C" or "Learning C by Example" then you are doing
    yourself a disservice. Get this book instead."

    [e-mail] (Stephan Fuhrmann), 23 Jun 1995:
    "This one is great, it's written by the authors of the C language and
    covers ANSI and almost all C library functions."

  o Stephen G. Kochan:
    Programming in ANSI C (Revised Edition)
    SAMS Publishing , 1994. ISBN 0-672-30339-6
    $29.95

    [e-mail] (Jeff Blume), 16 Jun 1995:
    "I have been getting a lot out of [this book]. I wish I had found it
    years ago. I never would have gone near BASIC."

  o Paul Perry and Stephen Potts:
    Crash Course in C (2nd edition)
    QUE, 1994. ISBN 1-56529-940-X

    Charles Patterson ([e-mail]), 4 Oct 1997:
    "Quick introduction to ANSI C, but also contains a few MS-DOS specific
    conventions."

  o Herbert Schildt:
    C - The Complete Reference (2nd edition)
    Osborne McGraw-Hill , [year?]. ISBN 0-07-881538-X
    $28.95

    [e-mail] (Matt Hey), 22 May 93:
    "The best book I have found for [learning C] is not Amiga specific, but
    it does cover the entire ANSI standard (as well as Unix & some PC
    stuff)."

  o Herbert Schildt:
    ANSI C Made Easy
    [publisher?], [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Jeffery C. May), 29 Jun 1995:
    "Unlike the other books I have seen offered, this one is FOR beginners."

    [e-mail] (dave good), 3 Jul 1995:
    "I would hesitate to recommend Schildt's books, I don't like the way he
    presents things; I've seen a lot of things that would confuse a beginner,
    but I don't think they're obvious."

  o Charles Siegel:
    Teach Yourself... C
    MIS Press, [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Peter Dilley), 28 Jul 93:
    "Do not buy. [The book] is not good. Only as a blurb term introduction.
    The source code contained is extremely poor. Almost child-like. Besides
    most of them won't compile without massive errors on the Amiga with its
    ANSI C compilers."

  o Mitchell Waite & Stephen Prata:
    The Waite Group's New C Primer Plus
    Waite Group Press , 1990. ISBN 0-672-22687-1

    [e-mail] (dave good), 3 Jul 1995:
    "In my opinion, the best book for an absolute C beginner is the `C Primer
    Plus' [...]. Definitely the best beginner friendly book I have ever
    seen."

  o [author?]
    JAMSA'S 1001 C/C++ Tips
    [publisher?], [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Wendell P. Beckwith), 24 Feb 1994:
    "... the book is written for dos machines and comes with a source disk.
    Approximately 85% of the source code can be used by your Amiga without
    any modification. [...] Keep in mind that this book is not Amiga
    specific, but having the ability to load and compile complete examples in
    seconds is a real boon to the novice and mega-user, both young and old."

3.2 Reference
-------------

  o Samuel P. Harbison & Guy L. Steele Jr.:
    C: A Reference Manual (4th edition)
    Prentice Hall , [year]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Grant McDorman), 26 Jun 1995:
    "I much prefer [this book] [over Kernighan and Ritchie's `The C
    Programming Language']. It includes not only information on `traditional'
    (pre-ANSI) implementations, but discusses portability and related issues.
    The latest edition even discusses compatibility with C++. It *is* a
    reference manual, though. (They did add exercises in the 3rd edition).
    K&R's book, on the other hand, is a textbook. If you are just starting
    out (especially if you don't have a lot of experience programming in
    similar languages, such as Pascal), [K&R's book] will probably be a
    better choice to *learn* the language. It is not as good as a reference.
    [...] As a professional, experienced C (and C++) programmer, if I had to
    buy just one book, I'd buy the Harbison & Steele book."

  o Steve Oualline:
    C Elements of Style
    M&T Books, 1992. ISBN 1-55851-291-8

    [e-mail] (Grant McDorman), 26 Jun 1995:
    "Another very useful book is `C Elements of Style' by Oualline. This book
    has many useful things to say about coding style that will improve the
    readability, portability and reliability of your code. It also covers C++
    coding style. Once you have learned the fundamentals of C or C++
    programming, this is a good book to have."

  o P. J. Plauger:
    The Standard C Library
    Prentice Hall , 1992. ISBN 0-13-131509-9

    [e-mail] (Ken Rumsey), 14 Oct 1995:
    "This book show you how to correctly use all of the library functions
    mandated by ANSI and ISO Standards. Not only do they tell you how to use
    it, but they show you with 9000 lines of tested, working, highly portable
    code. If you program in ANSI C, you need this book!"

3.3 Amiga Specific
------------------

  o Anders Bjerin:
    The Amiga C Manual

    This is an on-line document on using C on the Amiga. It is available from
    Aminet ( dev/c/ACM.lha ) and on Fish Disks (691-695).

    From the "readme file":
    The complete boiled-down C manual for the Amiga which describes how to
    open and work with Screens, Windows, Graphics, Gadgets, Requesters,
    Alerts, Menus, IDCMP, Sprites, VSprites, AmigaDOS, Low Level Graphics
    Routines, Hints and Tips, etc. The manual also explains how to use your C
    Compiler and gives you important information about how the Amiga works
    and how your programs should be designed. The manual consists of 15
    chapters together with more than 100 fully executable examples with
    source code.

    [e-mail] (Wendell P. Beckwith), 24 Feb 1994:
    "This is a wealth of information, however, take note. [...] some of the
    examples use things which are no longer thought of as good programming,
    such as unprototyped functions. This is not really a strike against the
    ACM, since when those portions of the manual were written, using such
    oddities was the in-thing."

  o Paul Overaa:
    Mastering Amiga C
    Bruce Smith Books, 1991. ISBN 1-873308-04-6

    Charles Patterson ([e-mail]), 4 Oct 1997:
    "Takes you through ANSI C, then moves into Amiga specific C."

  o Dirk Schaun:
    Amiga C for Beginners
    Abacus, 1989-90. ISBN 1-55755-045-X

    [e-mail] (Peter Dilley), 28 Jul 1993:
    "Do not buy. [The book] is just plain crap. Poor Code + Poor textual
    information. It flies over 1/2 the needed information to do any good C
    and even worse than that. It is ANCIENT, UNUPDATED. Disgusting! We are
    programming in the 3.x 2.x rom era not 1.2/1.3..."

  o [author?]
    Amiga C for Advanced Programmers
    Abacus, [year?]. ISBN 1-55755-046-8

    [e-mail] (Dave Miller), 20 Apr 1993:
    "[...] it isn't worth the paper it's written on. (well it ain't quite
    that bad but...)"

    [e-mail] (Peter Dilley), 28 Jul 1993:
    "Do not buy. [The book] is just plain crap. Poor Code + Poor textual
    information. It flies over 1/2 the needed information to do any good C
    and even worse than that. It is ANCIENT, UNUPDATED. Disgusting! We are
    programming in the 3.x 2.x rom era not 1.2/1.3..."


4. C++ Programming
==================

4.1 Learning C++
----------------

  o Anderson & Heinze:
    C++ Programming and Fundamental Concepts
    Prentice Hall , 1992. ISBN 0-13-118266-8

  o Marshall Cline:
    C++ FAQ
    On-line document: http://www.cerfnet.com/~mpcline/C++-FAQs-Lite/

    Book version:
    Cline and Lomow:
    C++ FAQs
    Addison-Wesley , 1995. ISBN 0-201-58958-3.

    Marshall Cline "[e-mail]", 10 Jul 1996:
    "The book version is extensively cross referenced, plus it has a huge
    number of cross references to other standard C++ books. Plus it has lots
    and lots and lots of code examples, almost all of which are full working
    programs rather than just code fragments. It covers 470 topics in a
    FAQ-like question-and- answer style. [...] [It] is 500% larger than the
    on-line document."

  o James O. Coplien:
    Advanced C++; Programming Styles and Idioms
    Addison-Wesley , 1993. ISBN 0-201-54855-0

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "Great book on using C++ to solve real-world problems. Invaluable if you
    are trying to write a graphics package in C++ and need to balance ease of
    use, readability, "correctness", and efficiency."

    [e-mail] (Paul Gittings), 28 Mar 1994:
    "[...] not a beginner's book [...] This is a very well written book with
    lots of examples. It covers more advanced concepts than just 'getting the
    syntax right'. By discusing the various programming idioms available
    under C++ and their pros and cons, Coplien shows the reader how to design
    and build well written programs and avoid many of the problems that can
    result from poor design. To get a feel for the areas covered by this book
    here is a list of major chapter headings: 'Data Abstraction and Abstract
    Data Types', 'Concrete Data Types', 'Inheritance', 'Object-Oriented
    Programming', 'Object-Oriented Design', 'Reuse and Objects', 'Programming
    with Exemplers in C++', 'Emulating Symbolic Language Styles in C++',
    'Dynamic Multiple Inheritance', 'Systemic Issues'. Appendices: 'C in a
    C++ Environment', 'Shapes Program: C++ Code', 'Reference Return Values
    from Operators', 'Why Bitwise copy Doesn't Work', 'Symbolic Shapes',
    'Block-Structured Programming in C++'."

  o Bruce Eckel:
    C++ Inside and Out
    Osborne McGraw-Hill , 1993. ISBN 0-07-881809-5

    [e-mail] (By-Tor Blackwing), 23 Feb 1994:
    "It's a good one; it tries to teach C++ like a new language, not just an
    extension of C."

  o Bruce Eckel:
    Thinking in C++
    Prentice Hall , ISBN 0-13-917709-4

    [e-mail] (Allan Anderson), 16 Dec 1997:
    "[...] it's definitely meant to help C programmers learn C++...but it's
    not just a C book with C++ stuff in the back. It's pretty thorough in its
    attempt to teach object-oriented methods."

  o Allen I. Holub:
    C+ C++ (programming with objects in C and C++)
    McGraw-Hill , 1992. ISBN 0-07-029662-6
    $29.95

    Hesham Amiri, 31 May 1995:
    "This books assumes that you [know] C already [...] Well worth the
    money."

  o Stanley B. Lippman:
    C++ Primer (2nd edition)
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 0-201-54848-8
    $35-40

    German edition:
    Stanley B. Lippman:
    C++, Einfuehrung und Leitfaden (2. Auflage)
    Addison-Wesley (Deutschland) GmbH , 1991. ISBN 3-89319-375-8
    DM 89

    Intended as a first book on C++ programming. Some basic familiarity with
    programming (in any language) is assumed, however. The book is a tutorial
    through all the features of the C++ language. Many examples.

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "Everything that goes for [Kernighan and Ritchie's] 'The C Programming
    Language' above applies here also. I like this book a bit more than
    Stroustrup's 'The C++ Programming Language', but to each his own."

    [e-mail] (Paul Gittings), 28 Mar 1994:
    "IMHO this is the best C++ tutorial book around, nothing else comes even
    close."

    Hesham Amiri, 31 May 1995:
    "This is *THE* book about C++ and OOP in general, but it is not an easy a
    book to follow as [Holub's `C+ C++'], but still a must-have in my
    opinion."

  o Greg Perry:
    Moving from C to C++
    SAMS Publishing , 1992. ISBN 0-672-30080-X
    $29.95

    [e-mail] (John Marchant), 10 Aug 1995:
    "This book is not specifically for the Amiga, but I find this doesn't
    matter at all. It assumes you have a reasonable working knowledge of C.
    [...] I'm by no means a C expert, but I find it very lucid & easy to
    follow, and it's written in a friendly way. There are plentiful examples
    for each topic, showing how a task would be coded in C and then in C++
    and explaining the differences. Layout and arrangement of topics are very
    good."

  o Stephen Prata:
    C++ Primer Plus (2nd edition)
    Waite Group Press , 1995. ISBN 1-878739-74-3
    $32.95

  o Herbert Schildt:
    Teach Yourself C++
    Addison-Wesley , [year?]. ISBN 0-07-881760-9

    [e-mail] (Franz Hemmer), 23 Sep 93:
    "If you're a C programmer already, I recommend "Teach Yourself C++"
    [...]. It requires some familiarity with C, and takes advantage of that
    very fact. I found it very easy to go through the book. However, if you
    want information about templates too, you need to find another book, as
    this isn't covered in this particular book."

  o Al Stevens:
    Teach Yourself C++... (3rd Edition)
    MIS Press, 1993. ISBN 1-55828-250-5

  o Bjarne Stroustrup:
    The C++ Programming Language (2nd edition)
    Addison-Wesley , 1991. ISBN 0-201-53992-6

    German edition:
    Bjarne Stroustrup:
    Die C++ Programmiersprache
    Addison-Wesley (Deutschland) GmbH , 1992. ISBN 3-89319-386-3
    DM 89.90

    jpeacock@runner (Jason Lee Peacock), 24 Jun 1995:
    [responding to a comment by someone who wished there was an equivalent to
    Kernighan and Ritchie for C++]
    "I thought that `The C++ Programming Language, 2nd Ed.' [...] fit the
    bill. After all, Stroustrup is the guy who created the C++ language. The
    book seems to cover everything including templates and exception
    handling. It gave me enough information and was clear enough for me to
    pass a class last semester. And it was definitely a lot better than the
    trash my professor recommended (`On To C++' by Winston)."

  o Tom Swan:
    Mastering Borland C++ 4.5 (2nd edition)
    SAMS Publishing , 1994. 0-672-30546-1
    $49.95

    [e-mail] (Jose Elias), 24 Sep 1993:
    "I TRULY REALLY recommend from the botton of my heart "Mastering Borland
    C++" [...]. It's just AWESOME, even when it's meant to be used on IBMs.
    It has COMPLETE working examples for EVERY function provided by C/C++ at
    the end of the book, and he explains everything VERY well. The book is
    over 1,300 pages, and about 1/3 of them are USEFULL examples at the end
    of the book. Also, there's a course on learning C on the first few
    chapters, and then C++ is introduced. This is a real-world-use book. I
    HIGHLY recommend it. BTW, I spend one WHOLE day looking thru every single
    C++ book here at the bookstore before deciding on buying it. Also, don't
    be scared by the ibm-nature of the book, almost everything in the book is
    standard C++, he only touches ibm-specific stuff when talking about video
    memory, ram, and the bios, other than that it's standard C++."

  o Taligent:
    The Power Of Frameworks
    Addison-Wesley, 1995. ISBN 0-201-48348-3
    (CD-ROM includes frameworks for use with Windows and OS/2.)

    From the book cover:
    "Recent activity in object technology has extended beyond class libraries
    to focus on frameworks. Frameworks represents the next level of
    abstraction in programming and offer proof of the promise of reuse and
    increased productivity. [...] However frameworks can be used to solve
    virtually any design problem if programmers understand exactly what
    frameworks are and how to use them."

    [e-mail] (Kai Hofmann), 12 Oct 1996 (paraphrased):
    "OpenDoc and CORBA work with frameworks, as does all of Taligent's
    software. Frameworks is the direction software design is going in, and if
    the Amiga is to survive, we [the developers] will not be able to ignore
    it."

  o Mark Terribile:
    Practical C++
    McGraw-Hill , 1994. ISBN 0-07-063738-5

4.2 Reference
-------------

  o Margaret A. Ellis, Bjarne Stroustrup:
    The Annotated C++ Reference Manual (2nd edition)
    Addison-Wesley , 1992. ISBN 0-201-51459-1

    [e-mail] (Paul Gittings), 28 Mar 1994:
    "A must have for anybody who is involved in any major C++ work. In the
    annotations provide some useful insights into the language and its
    design."


5. ARexx Programming
====================

5.1 Learning ARexx
------------------

  o Merrill Callaway:
    The ARexx Cookbook
    Whitestone, 1992. ISBN 0-9632733-0-8
    Optional Companion Disk: ISBN 0-9632773-1-6

    A very good introduction to ARexx. The book uses examples to introduce
    the features of this programing language. The examples are often very
    useful themselves. This book is not a reference manual, but a tutorial. I
    would say it is very well suited for beginners but also for more advanced
    programmers.

    [e-mail] (Robert Byrne):
    "This book makes heavy reference to William S. Hawes Arexx and the
    Commodore Manual (Part No. 363313-05) and first time users are advised to
    have one of these handy, preferably Hawes."

  o Commodore Business Machines:
    The Programmers Guide to ARexx
    Commodore, 1991.
    CATS part number: AREXX01, disk: AREXX01D
    $20.00

    Manual (228 pages) and disk designed to allow you easy access to the
    power of ARexx. Includes information on how to make effective use of
    ARexx, how to conform to development standards and how to interface
    applicatations to the ARexx environment.

    [e-mail] (Reinhard Luebke), 7 Oct 1993:
    "This book covers all topics regarding 'how to program for ARexx in C',
    e.g. creating libraries and function hosts. Worth to say, that all
    examples in the book can be found on a disk that comes bundled with the
    book."

  o Michael Metz et al.:
    ARexx - Eine Einfuehrung und mehr
    Compustore Handelsgesellschaft fuer EDV & Werbung, 1994. ISBN
    3-930733-00-5
    535 pages, DM 89.00
    (Written in German)

    This book is divided into three the parts: the first covers the basics of
    ARexx (variables, operators, the instructions, etc., organized both
    alphabetically and by topic) and the ARexx environment. The second covers
    three common ARexx function libraries (RexxArpLib, APIG, and
    RexxSerDev.library), the third "hosts": the RexxPlus compiler, ExecRexx,
    writing ARexx scripts for application programs. A disk with all examples
    and libraries may be purchased separately for an additional DM 10.

    [e-mail] (Andreas Mixich), 26 Jan 1996:
    "All in all I must say this book is extremely useful. [...] It is perfect
    for beginners (well, you should have used your Amiga for some months...)
    and a nice reference for advanced. Of special interest are the parts II
    and III, which may not be found described like that anywhere else."

  o Paul Overaa:
    Mastering Amiga Arexx
    Bruce Smith Books, 1993. ISBN 1-873308-13-2

    ARexx programming, with information on adding an ARexx port to your
    program.

    [e-mail] (John Marchant), 15 May 1995:
    "Paul Overaa's book is excellent, but more of a tutorial."

  o Chris Zamara and Nick Sullivan:
    Using ARexx on the Amiga
    Abacus, 1991. ISBN 1-55755-114-6.

    [e-mail] (Dan Barrett), 24 Mar 1994:
    "This is a good book with a particularly good function reference section.
    It also gives examples of ARexx programming with some commercial
    products. The only bad part of the book is its terrible index."

    [e-mail] (Paul Gittings), 28 Mar 1994:
    "This is the only Abacus book that I have found to be of any use, I
    almost didn't buy it because it was an Abacus book but I'm very glad I
    did. This book is very well suited to a beginner ARexx programmer (more
    so than Callaway's book) and also very useful as a reference for more
    advanced users. The example code is very trivial and therefore easy to
    understand, for more complex and useful code examples get Callaway's
    book."

    [e-mail] (John Marchant), 15 May 1995:
    "I recommend the Abacus book for easy look-up of functions etc."

    [e-mail] (Stanley Anderson), 30 Jun 1995:
    "[This book] has proven invaluable to me in jamming together some Arexx
    macros for FinalWriter."

5.2 Reference
-------------

  o Robin Evans:
    ARexxGuide 2.0a
    1994. (no ISBN, published via shareware)
    $15 (suggested shareware fee)

    This is a complete ARexx reference guide in AmigaGuide format. It is
    available from Aminet ( util/rexx/ARexxGuide2_0A.lha ).

    From the "readme file":
    ARexxGuide is a complete ARexx reference with tutorials and dozens of
    ready-to-use examples. Done in AmigaGuide format, it includes argument
    templates and descriptions of all instruction keywords, of built-in
    functions, and of the functions in rexxsupport.library. The basic
    elements of the language are fully explained. Example programs -- some of
    them interactive -- answer frequently-asked questions about the language.
    Sample clauses are included with each function and instruction
    explanation. Error codes and possible solutions are explained.
    A help-system that will turn nearly any text editor into an online
    reference to ARexx is included. Working macros for three editors are
    provided as examples. A step-by-step tutorial explains the simple steps
    for making a new macro for a different editor.

  o William S. Hawes:
    Arexx User's Reference Manual
    [publisher?], 1987. [ISBN?]
    $49.95


6. Applications Programming
===========================

6.1 Compilers
-------------

  o Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, and Jeffrey D. Ullman:
    Compilers, Principles, Tools, and Techniques
    Addison Wesley, 1986. ISBN 0-201-10194-7 (paperback)

    [e-mail] (Paul Jewell), 9 Mar 1994:
    "Plenty of information about different methods of compiler construction,
    and how to put compilers together. Designed as a first course in compiler
    writing."

  o Allen I. Holub:
    Compiler Design in C
    Prentice Hall , 1990. ISBN 0-13-155151-5 (paperback)

    [e-mail] (Paul Jewell), 9 Mar 1994:
    "Excellent (IMHO) book containing detailed source code of a C compiler,
    with hints and tips on how to optimise the compiler both in terms of
    operation, and efficiency of code generated. [...] well worth the
    investment."

  o Niklaus Wirth, Joerg Gutknecht:
    Project Oberon.
    The Design of an Operating System and Compiler.
    Addison-Wesley , 1992. ISBN 0-201-54428-8 (hardback)

    [e-mail] (Frank Copeland), 12 Mar 1994:
    "I paid AUS 44.95, a good price for this class of book here. It describes
    in detail the design and implementation of an entire operating system and
    includes the complete source code of a compiler for the Oberon language
    (a descendant of Pascal and Modula-2). The code generated is for a family
    of processors reasonably similar to the Amiga's MC68K processors. Even if
    you are not interested in the language, it provides an example of a
    working compiler, which the Aho, etc. book at least does not."

  o Patrick D. Terry:
    Programming Language Translation
    Addison-Wesley , 1986. ISBN 0-201-18040-5. 433 pages

6.2 Computer Graphics
---------------------

[for a more complete list, see the comp.graphics FAQ ]

  o Leendert Ammeraal:
    Programming Principles in Computer Graphics (2nd edition)
    [publisher?], [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Nathan Dwyer), 10 Oct 1993:
    "A REALLY cool book. [...] It sort of skims over the math -- moves pretty
    quickly through the material, but covers a lot of ground. Also includes a
    lot of C++ code, but the text isn't occluded by it."

  o J. D. Foley, A. van Dam, S. K. Feiner, and J. F. Hughes:
    Computer Graphics - Principles and Practice
    Addison-Wesley , 1990. ISBN 0-201-12110-7

    [e-mail] (Stig Ove Johnsen), 20 Aug 1993:
    "It is the book we use in the course 'Computer Graphics I&II' here at the
    Norwegian Institute of Technology. It goes into depth in describing both
    2D raster graphics and 3D modeling (e.g. splines) and raytracing (incl.
    phong, gourad...). The programming eksamples are done mostly in Pascal.
    IMHO, it is a very good book. (And lots of nice ray-traced pictures!)"

    [e-mail] (Brian D. King), 10 Oct 1993:
    "The proclaimed bible in computer graphics algorithms and theory [...].
    It covers everything from line-drawing, circles and ellipses, pattern-
    filling, 2d and 3d vectors including transformations, filled polygons,
    shading, etc. etc. etc."

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "This is IT. THE bible of computer graphics, period. It covers just about
    every topic you need to know, however because of its scope it is very
    generalized and so information on any one specific topic may be lacking.
    Pascal-like pseudo code is strewn liberally throughout the book, which is
    a big help. Everything you would expect in three-D graphics is covered,
    including shading, ray tracing, radiosity, texture mapping, etc. Once
    again, it's very generalized and serves mostly as a good reference to
    other material and an overview of individual areas. But at over 1000
    pages, it's a must have if you do graphics. If you can afford only ONE
    book on graphics, get this one."

  o Andrew Glassner (ed.):
    Graphics Gems
    Academic Press, 1990. ISBN 0-12-286165-5

    James Arvo (ed.):
    Graphics Gems II
    Academic Press, 1991. ISBN 0-12-64480-0

    David Kirk (ed.):
    Graphics Gems III
    Academic Press, 1992. ISBN 0-12-409670-0 (with IBM disk)
    0-12-409671-9 (with Mac disk)

    [e-mail] (Robert Hooker), 20 Aug 1993:
    "These aren't much good to learn from, but once you know your stuff they
    are an excellent source of ideas."

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "Some people swear by these books. I don't know. They cover a lot of
    little tricks and tips for a lot of little things, but personally I
    haven't found much use for them, but I'm looking only at the interactive
    3d side of things. Every now and then a friend tells me 'Wow, this one
    little paragraph in Gems [X] gave me a huge insight into what I needed to
    do and now my [program] is MUCH faster'. So to be fair, a lot of others
    have found these books to be invaluable. They cover a bit too much ground
    for me, so I'm still kind of hesitant on recommending them to others
    since it's not readily apparent if they will be helpful to you. Your
    mileage may vary."

  o F. S. Hill Jr.:
    Computer Graphics
    Macmillan, [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Robert Hooker), 20 Aug 1993:
    "I can recommend "Computer Graphics" [...]. This was a text for my 3rd
    year Graphics course at University. All the ideas and examples are given
    in Pascal (which most everyone can understand) and are easy to convert to
    your prefered language. The book covers everything from simple 3D shapes
    thru Gouraud/Phong shading and onto the basics of RayTracing."

  o Christopher Lampton:
    Flights of Fantasy
    Waite Group Press , 1993. ISBN 1-878739-18-2

    [e-mail] (Richard Johnson), 6 Oct 1993:
    "It's very complete and it comes with source code written in C++ for the
    IBM PC. I didn't have much trouble converting it to SAS/C. You do have to
    transfer files from the IBM disk to an amiga disk, though. The book comes
    with the disk. The book is really GREAT because it's very thorough and
    easy to understand. It teaches you from the ground up. One thing though,
    is that the source code had a number of minor bugs which I had to fix.
    Also, I optimized some of the code to make it faster. For one thing, I
    replaced the 4x4 matrices with 3x3 ones. [...] It's so easy to
    understand, that if you can't understand it, you have no other recourse
    than to learn more math."

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "This book is a mixed blessing. On the one hand it gets you up and
    running with the simple concepts that more advanced text books don't
    bother explaining. On the other, it could REALLY stand to be improved.
    Lots of simple algorithms are completely ignored, such as shading.
    However, a lot of PC specific stuff is thrown in. If you would like a
    more comprehensive review of the book let me know and I'll mail you one."

  o David F. Rogers and J. Alan Adams:
    Mathematical Elements for Computer Graphics 2nd Ed.
    McGraw-Hill , 1990. ISBN 0-07-053530-2

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "Excellent book on curves, patches, and a lot of math. Does not cover
    rendering at all -- no shading, etc. It does a lot of theory on
    projections, however -- don't expect much on object databases or
    efficiency, though. Not a great reference to a 3d renderer, but for
    modeling in general and math it's wonderful. HOWEVER, it has an insane
    amount of stuff on curves, splines, Bezier curves, Coons patches,
    surfaces, etc. So if you want to do surfaces and things with soft edges
    in general, get this book. One of the few McGraw-Hill books I've liked
    (the other is 'An Introduction to Algorithms')."

  o Alan Watt:
    3-D Computer Graphics 2nd Ed.
    Addison-Wesley , 1993. ISBN 0-201-63186-5

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "This is also one of those classic texts. The new second edition covers a
    lot of ground. Watt's style is highly readable, and the same code is in
    Pascal. A complete rendering system (or two) is supplied in the
    appendices, along with the data file for the Utah teapot.

    "If you do 3d graphics, you MUST have this book. [...] Chapters include:
    Three-dimensional Geometry in Computer Graphics, Representation of
    Objects, Viewing systems, Reflection and Illumination Models, Rendering
    Algorithms, Parametric Representation and Practice, Shadows and Textures,
    Ray Tracing, Volume Rendering, Radiosity, Anti aliasing, Functionally
    Based Modeling Methods, Three-dimensional Computer Animation, Colour
    Spaces and Monitor Considerations, Viewing Transformation from a Simple
    Four-Parameter Viewing System, A Wireframe System, An Implementation of a
    Renderer, The Utah Teapot.

    "The book has a fairly decent mix of interactive and photorealistic
    stuff, and it is an excellent supplement to the 3d graphics section of
    Foley and Van Dam. Between the two you are pretty well set for 3d
    graphics."

  o Alan Watt and Mark Watt:
    Advanced Animation and Rendering Techniques
    Addison-Wesley , 1993. ISBN 0-201-54412-1

    [e-mail] (Brian Hook), 06 Dec 1993:
    "This book is by far one of the best books in the field of 3d graphics.
    Most of it covers rendering and ray tracing, which means it is not very
    useful for real-time graphics [...] the stuff it covers is invaluable and
    very difficult to find elsewhere. We are talking heavy rendering and ray
    tracing stuff, volume rendering techniques, shading languages,
    quaternions and Euler angles, radiosity, inverse/forward kinematics, etc.
    Excellent book, but not very useful if you are looking to write only a
    game (although the chapters on segmented object animation would be useful
    for robots/tanks)."

  o Andrew Tyler:
    Amiga Real-Time 3D Graphics
    Sigma Press (UK), [year?]. ISBN 781850 582755

    [e-mail] (Brian Skreeg), 22 Jun 1995:
    "I've had this book for a while and it's not worth the purchase. The
    example code is poor and would not run on my 030 A1200 no matter what I
    did. It also uses obscure algorithms for the simplest of calculations.
    Get the HowToCode package [from Aminet]. It has a much better explanation
    of 3d vectors and stuff. The book is punted as an easy way to learn
    assembly while learning 3d graphics. Not true. If you have had no
    experience with assembly before, then you've got little chance of
    learning it from this book. The book is divided into sections for each
    area of 3d graphics. Line drawing, filling, window clipping, perpective,
    rotations, depth sorting, etc. [...]"

  o [author?]
    Amiga 3D Graphic Programming
    Abacus, [year?]. [ISBN?]

    [e-mail] (Richard Johnson), 6 Oct 1993:
    "DO NOT get [this book]. The guy who wrote it should be whipped because
    this book is impossible to understand and is really just a documentation
    for the crummy little ray tracing program which takes up half of the
    pages."

6.2 User Interfaces
-------------------

  o William Horton:
    The Icon Book
    Visual Symbols for Computer Systems and Documentation
    Wiley, 1994. ISBN 0-471-59901-8
    US$ 39.95

    [e-mail] (Kai Hofmann), 12 Oct 1996:
    "Buy the original one, because the German translation is a bad one."


7. Using Applications
=====================

7.1 The Video Toaster
---------------------

  o David Tiberio:
    Amiga/Toaster Reference Manual
    Area52 , 1994. (published by Area52, no ISBN)
    $34.95

    see section 1.3: General Reference

7.2 Telecommunications
----------------------

  o Karl Jeacle:
    First Steps Amiga Surfin'
    Bookmark Publishing Ltd , 1996, ISBN 1-85550-007-8
    6.99 UKP, 128 pages

    Karl Jeacle "[e-mail]", 9 Jun 1996:
    "This book is a beginner's guide to getting connected to the Internet. It
    aims to be as Amiga specific as possible, and details basic hardware and
    software requirements to get your Amiga wired up. Topics covered include:
    buying and configuring a modem, installing AmiTCP and PPP step-by-step,
    choosing an Internet Service Provider, netiquete and FAQs, running the
    right software: 15 of the best Amiga Internet applications reviewed,
    creating a web page, a HTML tutorial, guide to Usenet news, ISDN
    explained, and the future of the Internet."

  o Dale L. Larson:
    Connect Your Amiga! (revised 2nd printing)
    A Guide to the Internet, LANs, BBSs and Online Services
    Intangible Assets Manufacturing , 1996. ISBN 1-885876-02-5

    "Dale L. Larson" [e-mail], 18 Sep 1994:
    "Connect Your Amiga!" is 256 pages packed with information for networking
    and for going online. From background information for the novice to
    networking hints and tips for advanced users, this book has something for
    every Amiga owner. [...] Topics covered include: What [the Internet] is,
    what's so great about it, how it works, how to access it, how to join it,
    how to use it; [...] Selecting and using modems and terminal emulator
    software; how to find and choose computer bulletin board systems and
    online services; finding, downloading, decompressing and using public
    domain and shareware software, the SANA-II standard, Ethernet, ARCNet,
    serial and parallel ports, selecting, configuring and using TCP/IP, SLIP,
    PPP, Envoy, DECNet, connecting to PCs, Macs and Unix, and more."

7.3 Music
---------

  o Paul Overaa:
    Making the Most of Midi
    Bookmark Publishing Ltd , 1996, ISBN 1-85550-006-X
    14.95 UKP

    Bookmark Publishing, 10 May 1996:
    "Although Making the Most of Midi explains the fundamentals of Midi and
    Midi sequencing for the beginner, it goes much further, dealing with
    issues that will be of help to more established users. [...] Paul has
    produced a book which looks at various Midi technical issues but explains
    them in terms that all Midi users will be able to understand. He has also
    examined some of the more complex issues, including details about fault
    finding and how Midi oriented computer programs are written."

    ST Format, April 1996:
    "... there is a great deal to be learned from this book, whatever your
    level of experience ... an indispensable manual for the technical side of
    Midi."

    Amiga User International, June 1996:
    "Thanks to his years in the business, Overaa knows the questions people
    ask, and he gives us the answers ... If you're into Midi you should get
    this book."

    CU Amiga, June 1996:
    "I was pleasantly surprised when the expected confrontation with highly
    technical MIDI matters was detailed and explained in relatively plain
    English."


Appendix A: Ordering Information
================================

Area52
------

    Area52
    6 Lodge Lane
    East Setauket, NY 11733
    USA

Ralph Babel's Amiga Guru Book
-----------------------------

You can purchase the book through:

    Stefan Ossowskis Schatztruhe
    Gesellschaft fuer Software mbH
    Veronikastrasse 33
    D-45131 Essen
    Germany

    Voice: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]
    E-Mail: [e-mail]

Bookmark Publishing
-------------------

    Bookmark Publishing Ltd
    The Old School
    Greenfield MK45 5DE
    United Kingdom
    Tel: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]

CATS
----

As of April 28th, 1994, CATS USA no longer exists. But you can still order
developer material from Hirsch & Wolf in Germany:

    Hirsch & Wolf oHG
    Attn: Hans-Helmut Hirsch
    Mittelstr. 33
    D-56564 Neuwied
    Germany

    Fax: ++49-2631-839931
    Tel: ++49-2631-83990
    UUCP:[e-mail] (Fax preferred)

Compute Books
-------------

Sheldon Leemon "[e-mail]", 18 Jun 1996:
"[...] as Compute books has been out of business for a while, most books are
available only from the authors. I still have about a hundred copies of my
AmigaDOS Reference Guide, 4th edition, which covers all AmigaDOS versions up
to 3.x. Those interested in purchasing the book can write to me directly:

    Sheldon Leemon
    26515 Hendrie Blvd.
    Huntington Woods, MI 48070

The price for the book is $15, postpaid in the U.S. If you are outside the
U.S., inquire to `[e-mail]' for rates including foreign
shipping."

Intangible Assets Manufacturing
-------------------------------

    Intangible Assets Manufacturing
    828 Ormond Avenue
    Drexel Hill, PA 19026-2604
    USA

    voice: [phone]
    fax: [phone]
    WWW: http://www.iam.com
    e-mail: [e-mail]

Motorola
--------

In the USA, write to the following address:

    Motorola Literature Distribution
    P.O. Box 20912
    Phoenix, Arizona 85036

Or call: 1-800-441-2447

You will need the document number, which can be obtained from technical
support: 1-800-521-6274.

In Europe, you can contact one of Motorola's Franchised Distributers (they
are all in England):

    Avnet Access
    Jubilee House
    Letchhworth, Herts SG6 1TP
    Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]

    Macro Group
    Burnham Lane
    Slough Sl1 6LN
    Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]

    Arrow Jermyn
    St. Martins Way Ind. Estate
    Cambridge Road
    Bedford MK42 0LF
    Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]

    Future Electronics
    Future House
    Poyle Road
    Colnbrook SL3 0EZ
    Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]


Appendix B: Bookstores
======================

(under construction)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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