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Delphi 4 Bible
by Swan, Tom

Publisher: IDG Books Worldwide  Buy it Now!
ISBN: 0764532375
Format: Paperback, 984pp

Tom Swan has written over 30 books on computer programming and is a former contributing editor and columnist for PC World, Dr. Dobb's Journal and Visual Developer.

Delphi 4 Bible helps you create a wide variety of powerful applications for Windows 95, 98, and NT platforms. Providing step-by-step instructions, expert tips, and over 100 sample applications, this book shows you how to take full advantage of Delphi 4's capabilities to develop software in different categories, starting with basic programming topics and ending with problems related to complex Windows applications. Delphi 4 Bible includes the CD-ROM containing all code from the book.

First part of the book, titled Introduction, concentrates on familiarizing the reader with the key features of the Delphi environment and the basics of using the Delphi Visual Component Library (VCL). This part is ideal for novice Delphi programmers. In part II, Swan presents the user interface programming with much attention to keyboard and mouse, menus, buttons, checkboxes, toolbars, list controls and dialog boxes.

Chapters of the first and second parts are nearly independent so you can jump around if you need expertise in a particular area. The second half of the book covers some advanced topics.

The Application is the subject of part III. Sections cover graphics programming, printing, MDI development, database programming and working with the Clipboard, DDE and OLE. The author also looks at Delphi's charting and reporting capabilities.

The book concludes with three chapters in a section titled Advanced Techniques. These chapters present more expert material on Pascal language features, such as exception handling, callback functions, method overloading, dynamic arrays and advanced message handling. The author will also show how to build dynamic link-libraries (DLLs), custom Delphi and ActiveX components along with a tour of building Internet components.

At the end of each chapter, Swan provides a list of quick shots and insights into Delphi programming. This mixture of hints, ideas and fixes is an extremely valuable resource.

With Delphi 4, a powerful and simple-to-learn programming environment, anyone can write Windows software. Delphi 4 Bible shows you how. However, this is a book for an intermediate audience, there is little here that will help the novice programmer advance.