Using Delphi [With *]

If you have programmed in another language before, but not Delphi, this is the book for you. After a quick overview of general programming concepts, Pascal data types, etc., it goes into a thorough description of the Delphi 3 language and features. I did wish that it had more info on database programming--5 chapters wasn't enough for me!

This is one of my favorite Delphi 3 books, as it covers material not easily found elsewhere. This is not a beginner's book by any means. The coverage of DLLs, COM, and threading is outstanding. This is a book for those who want to delve more deeply into the relationships between VCLs and the WinAPI.

I purchased this book with a view to learning more about OLE and COM which is covered very comprehensively. But I found that once I started reading the other chapters I could not put the book down. Some people have commented that this book is a poor teaching aid. This is not what this book sets out to do. QUE's guide puts this book at Accomplished to Expert level. If you are an experienced, professional programmer who needs an excellent reference book, buy this. You will not regret it.

I own nearly every Delphi 3 book available and my favorite is _Special Edition Using Delphi 3_ due to its unmatched comprehensiveness. _Mastering Delphi 3_ is also good and it is probably a better book for those new to Delphi, but _Special Edition Using Delphi 3_ covers more ground and is thus more useful as a general reference. For example, it is the only book I have seen that covers TClientDataset in detail enough for the reader to harness the considerable power of this new control. If you are going to buy only one Delphi 3 book and you intend to use it as a genearal reference, then this is the book to get.