taylorj@yvax.byu.edu (03/15/89)
There have been a few requests for recommendations on HyperCard books, so I'm posting a review I wrote for our users group newsletter. All opinions are mine ( but, of course, I take no responsibility for any of them). General HyperCard: ------------------ Using HyperCard: From Home to HyperTalk by Tay Vaughan. Que, 0-88022-340-5, $24.95. Comprehensive coverage of HyperCard, from simple basics to advanced scripting. A good introduction, as well as a thorough reference. Covers basic elements, graphics, HyperTalk, testing and debugging, XCMD's and XFCN's, and even AppleTalk access. This is my personal favorite. It actually has seventeen authors, whose combined experience covers a much broader range than any of the other books. It's written in a conversational style, and though a bit wordy at times, manages to convey a wealth of information and good ideas in a pleasantly palatable form. The reference section is adequately detailed and is fleshed out with sensible advice and caveats. The Complete HyperCard Handbook by Danny Goodman. Bantam, 0-553-3477-X, $29.95. An all-around introduction to and explanation of HyperCard. Covers the basics as well as painting, authoring, and programming. Works through a number of "real-world" examples. Not very useful as a reference. This was the first HyperCard book, and is touted by the publisher as a best seller. Goodman used HyperCard long before it was released, and draws on this experience to take you on a complete tour of HyperCard. There's a lot of good stuff in here if you can get through the overly chatty and pedantic text. Make sure you get the 2nd edition, which tacks on a section covering version 1.2. HyperCard QuickStart: A Graphics Approach by Richard Maran. Que, 0-88022-350-2, $21.95. A very basic introduction to HyperCard. Great for someone with little or no Macintosh or HyperCard experience. Nothing about HyperTalk. This is a somewhat unorthodox, step-by-step initiation into the world of HyperCard. Unlike other books, which jump right in, this one thoroughly explains how to get HyperCard up and running. It has an extremely nice section on painting, with hundreds of graphic examples. The author is more of a "typical user" than the other authors, which makes the book very suitable for those of us who aren't very computer literate. Unfortunately, the author's lack of in-depth knowledge is revealed by the many little mistakes and bits of misinformation. Danny Goodman's HyperCard Developer's Guide by Danny Goodman. Bantam, 0-533-34576-1, $24.95. Covers stack design issues such as user interface, graphics, and marketing. More of a :how to create stacks: book than a :how to use HyperCard: book. Danny Goodman thinks he's famous. He's got his own smiling mug on the cover, his name in the title, and he drags the reader through his own commercial stacks in order to point out the true and correct way to develop stackware. (Oops, is my prejudice showing?) Actually, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is creating stacks that other people will use. Goodman introduces key issues that stack :developers: should be (but usually aren't) aware of. Many of these apply directly to the type of educational development going on at BYU. There are also good sections on resources (icons, pictures, etc.), and creating XCMD's and XFCN's in LightSpeed Pascal, LightSpeed C, Turbo Pascal, and V.I.P. HyperCard Power by Carol Kaehler. Addison-Wesley, 0-201-06701-3, $17.95. An intermediate-level tutorial. Lots of hints, ideas, and complete examples. Contains a brief reference to commands, supplemented with short examples. Carol Kaehler wrote the on-line help system that comes with HyperCard, so she knows what she is talking about. The best part of this book are the copious hints and suggestions. There's even a :hint index.: Carol has consolidated her extensive experience into step-by-step instructions on how to modify existing stacks or create new ones. The book is full of useful suggestions about graphics, user interface, and other pragmatics that concern the serious stack creator. Hands-On HyperCard by Mimi Jones. Wiley, 0-471-61513-7, $22.95. Another intermediate-level exploration of HyperCard and HyperTalk. Has a lot of good examples. This is a lackluster clone of Danny Goodman's original HyperCard book. It improves on it with more useful examples, more tips and tricks, and a skimpy reference, but it's not very well written and just doesn't measure up to some of the other books reviewed here. Understanding HyperCard by Greg Harvey. Sybex, 0-89588-506-9, $24.95. An overall introduction to HyperCard. (Obviously, I'm not very familiar with this one.) HyperCard Made Easy (2nd ed.) by William B. Sanders. Scott/Foresman, 0-673-38577-9, $19.95. A simple introduction to HyperCard. Get's a little silly in spots. Has a unique section on using HyperCard with MultiFinder. HyperTalk: ---------- HyperCard Script Language Guide: The HyperTalk Language by Apple Computer. Addison-Wesley, 0-201-17632-7, $22.95. The definitive HyperTalk reference. A complete definition of the language, including XCMD and XFCN specifications. Not for the casual HyperCard user, but a must for the serious HyperHacker. This is an official Apple publication devoted solely to HyperTalk. It has complete definitions and examples of almost all aspects of the HyperTalk language, including goodies like control key parameters, the Macintosh extended ASCII table, a syntax summary, and an alphabetical listing of HyperTalk's vocabulary (commands, functions, keywords, constants, etc.) HyperTalk Programming (revised ed.) by Dan Shafer. Haydn, 0-672-48439-0, $24.95. A hands-on introduction to using HyperTalk. The first, and still one of the most popular guides to the programming side of HyperCard. Understanding HyperTalk by Dan Shafer. Sams, 0-672-27283-0, $17.95. A programming-oriented introduction to HyperTalk. Provides a :conceptual understanding: of the HyperTalk language. Includes exercises at the end of most chapters. This is probably the best introduction to the fundamentals of HyperTalk. However, because of its slightly technical approach and paucity of examples, it may not be appropriate for those who are not reasonably familiar with computers. Dr. Dobb's Essential HyperTalk Handbook by Michael Swaine. M&T, 0-934375-98-4, $24.95. Presents the basics of HyperTalk, as well as principles of good programming and hundreds of useful examples. The last two thirds is a detailed reference. Suitable for all but beginning HyperCard users. Having enjoyed Michael Swaine's columns in programming magazines for years, I expected to really enjoy this book, but I still haven't decided if I like it or not. Swaine's writing style is delightfully entertaining, and his manner of teaching by example works well, but he doesn't seem to have quite pulled all the elements together. Nevertheless, it's a good reference and is worth reading just for the excellent advice on proper programming and design. HyperCard Scripting by Jeff Stoddard. Walking Shadow (Computer Co-op), 0-945217-01-3, $19.95. The :underground: HyperTalk book put out by people connected with Apple. There's a wealth of good stuff, especially technical goodies, but it's organized and has too many errors. Partly superseded by Apple's own reference. Mastering HyperTalk by Keith Weiskamp & Namir Shammas. Wiley, 0-471-61593-5, $24.95. Yet another book solely about HyperTalk. Has a lot of good examples and a better index than most. HyperTalk (Programmer's Quick Reference) by Lon Poole. Microsoft, 1-55615-137-3, $5.95. Very convenient pocket reference. Alphabetically organized concise descriptions of all the elements of HyperTalk. Unless you've been scripting so much that you do it in your sleep, this book comes in extremely handy when you can't quite remember how ReturnInField works, or what number gives you a slanted brush. Indispensable HyperTalk Instant Reference by Greg Harvey. Sybex, 0-89588-530-1, $10.95. An almost useful pocket reference. Not nearly as good as Microsoft's, and almost twice its price. This book has a major flaw that isn't made up for by its nice page layouts and comprehensive coverage:it's not in straight alphabetic order. The silly thing is broken up into eleven alphabetized sections, making it difficult to look things up quickly; which, after all, is what references are for. There's also Gary Bond's "XCMD's for HyperCard" that is a great reference if you want to write your own XFCN's and XCMD's. --------------------------- Jim Taylor Microcomputer Support for Curriculum, Brigham Young University BITNET: taylorj@byuvax.bitnet INTERNET: taylorj@yvax.byu.edu