Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!mfci!hsi!stevens From: stevens@hsi.UUCP (Richard Stevens) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.ibm Subject: Re: New book about NetBIOS Summary: I just got a copy Message-ID: <1047@hsi.UUCP> Date: 29 Sep 88 10:18:27 GMT References: <8809281355.AA01943@jade.berkeley.edu> Organization: Health Systems Intl., New Haven, CT Lines: 35 In article <8809281355.AA01943@jade.berkeley.edu>, TRADER@cup.portal.COM writes: > A new book for LAN programmers will be available shortly. It is: > > "C Programmer's Guide to NETBIOS" > David W. Schwaderer > Howard W. Sams, Inc. > 400 pages, paperbound <----- wrong, its 299 pages (excl. index & biblio.) > ISBN: 0-672-22638-3 > U.S. $24.95 I just got my copy 2 days ago and have only given it a cursory look-over, but I'm not impressed with it. My main complaint is that every example program is 100% DOS-specific, complete with DOS registers, long and far pointers, etc. I was hoping that the author might try to hide some of these machine specific features, especially considering his statements that NetBIOS is being used on lots of other operating systems other than DOS. "There is a common misconception that NetBIOS requires some version of PC-DOS. Since NetBIOS operates on UNIX-based operating systems, this is clearly false." (p. 57) Boy, you could have fooled me just looking at all the programs in the book !! There is a 4-chapter "treatise" on CRC calculations, if you're interested in that. The author is with IBM San Jose, so I'd guess most of the technical stuff relating to NetBIOS is accurate. (The quote on the back of the book telling you what a good book it is from someone else at IBM - kind of tacky.) 40 pages of the book are excerpted from IBM's "Technical Reference, PC Network Manual". The cover art on the book is very nicely done. Richard Stevens Health Systems International, New Haven, CT stevens@hsi.uu.net ... { uunet | yale } ! hsi ! stevens