chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach; Lord of the OtherRealms) (12/12/87)
I ran into this at Computer Literacy, the local computer specialty bookstore. What it is is a publication (I can't call it a book) about writing HyperTalk. It's $17.95, published by Walking Shadow Library [P.O. Box 2092, Saratoga, CA 95071]. It is a photocopied, three ring looseleaf manual that is an introduction to HyperTalk. Is this worth tracking down and buying? In a word, no. For any HyperCard book to be worth having, it not only has to be as good as Danny Goodman's tome (Bantam has said, by the way, that 100,000 copies of that thing have been sold -- SOMEONE is using HyperCard!), it has to be better. This isn't. I have trouble believing from the outset that an unbound set of looseleaf pages could be worth $18. The packaging is low cost and unprofessional. This implies that the material inside has to be that much better to make it worth my time. Unfortunately, as programming guides go, this isn't all that exceptional. It's basically a beginners tutorial. It actually covers less material than Goodman's book, and it never really ties it all together into a cohesive whole. The examples are trivial and not very useful or practical. If this had gone into more advanced topics, or had some examples, scripts or programming tips that weren't seen elsewhere, it might be worth having. I couldn't find a single topic that wasn't covered as well or better in Goodman's book. Since EVERY HyperCard hacker should have Goodman's book, there's no reason to have this. I can't even say "well, this is better organized, so you'll find things in it faster" -- not true. give this one a pass. chuq
twakeman@hpcea.CE.HP.COM (Teriann Wakeman) (12/15/87)
I talked with some one from Walking Shadow Press on the phone recently about their new book. For some reasion (he didn't say what) they wanted to get their new book out ASAP. They made the decision to release it as looseleaf version untill they could get it printed. The bound printed version is expected out sometime in Jan. They hope to have it at the MacWorld (they have a booth). It turns out that the bound book will be cheaper than the current looseleaf version. Evidently it cost them considerably more to have the pages photo- copied then to have it printed. I haven't had the oppertunity to look at the contents yet. Danny's book was a good introduction, but I have a difficult time finding things in it when I need it as a reference. Many important things show up in one line in a 700 page + book and isn't referenced in the index. I also sometimes get the feeling that there were some important things that didn't get adequatly addressed like multi string searches within muilt- lined, varible length fields.I think something is needed (at least by me) that builds upon the exellent work that Danny has done in introducing Hyperscript. I was hoping that the Walking Shadow Press book would be it. Oh well..... Anyone heard anything about Danny's new book on Hyperscript? TeriAnn Wakeman Hwelett-Packard Corp. Quality HPMUG co-ordinator (415) 857-5057