Learning Word Programming, Steven Roman, O'Reilly, £23.95
Once, programming a word-processor (WP) made as much sense as talking about programming the toaster. Toasters have come a long way since and a WP isn't at the races unless it can be customised, tweaked and programmed.
At first, this meant no more than recording macros - a series of keystrokes that could be replayed when required. Many users took their first steps into programming by recording basic sequences and then editing the recorded keystrokes. Microsoft swatted this sort of casual dabbling and at the same time increased enormously the power of Word programming when it moved from a simple macro language to Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), something much closer to a full, object-oriented programming language.
Steven Roman writes that his book is intended for those who want to learn to program Word, but he is scathing about the majority of such introductory books, which "take perhaps 400 pages of information and pad it with another 600 pages of irrelevant junk". True to this viewpoint, he "proceeds at a relatively rapid pace from a general introduction to programming, through an examination of the VBA programming language to an overview of the Word object model". He brings the experience of 20 years' teaching and writing 30 books to the task and his text is certainly taut, at times even terse.
Those who can hang on for the ride and cope without too much handholding and examples will get a good introduction to programming Word. This skill, in turn, opens up a new dimension to an already powerful program. The possibilities are endless, from customised publishing and document-handling systems, to linking into other Windows programs, down to simple automation such as generating fax cover sheets.
Fiachra O Marcaigh
Linux Configuration & Installation, Patrick Volkerding, Kevin Reichard, Eric Foster-Johnson, M&T Books, £36.99 Stg, (+CDs)
THIS is more than a how-to volume. It's the book of the operating system of the programming environment - a whole package, in fact. The two bundled CDs include the popular Slackware distribution of Linux, with hundreds of programs and utilities.
As creator of Slackware, Patrick Volkerding is well placed to give an inside view of getting this particular flavour of the free operating system running. Much of the text relates directly to the Slackware version included with the book. While the principles are similar across most flavours of Linux the details of some filenames and locations will probably vary, so the installation and configuration sections which make up half the book are of most use with the supplied Slackware. There is a whole chapter on running Linux on laptops and even a couple of pages on connecting a Palm Pilot to a Linux machine.
Other sections, such as the chapter on "Basic Linux Tools" are more widely applicable. At times there are references and comparisons with Unix generally which may not enlighten users coming from the Windows/Macintosh world very much. The book describes itself as suitable for a reader level of "all", but it is likely to be most useful to those who take it as a package with the supplied Slackware 3.5 as being their starting point with Linux.
FOM
Unix System Administrator's Bible, Yves Lepage and Paul Iarrera, IDG Books, £42.99 Stg, (+CD)
COMPARED with basic big books on Unix/Linux, this one starts with one major advantage. It more or less skips the headaches and hassles of installation, presuming instead that the reader is responsible for managing an existing system and its users.
This starting point leaves scope for detailed treatment of the system administration role. In five major sections it goes into considerable detail on a huge range of topics, with good, solid advice on keeping a system up and its users (and processes) happy. Before getting on with the main task, there is an excellent section on the building blocks of Unix itself and on TCP/IP networking. The style and presentation are clear throughout, making it easy to get the best out of the advice on offer.
FOM