Tomes of Delphi WIN32 Database Developer's Guide

Another title in the successful Wordware Tomes series targeted for advanced Delphi programmers and developers that provides state-of-the-art coverage of Delphi as a database development tool.

User review
A great project that wasn't finished
I have spent a lot of time studying this book. The early chapters are the best. The book needs work. It has a lot of valuable information, especially for a programming student who does not have much database experience. Unfortunately, it has a few glaring errors and omissions. The book has graphics that are labeled wrong. It refers to files on the accompanying CD that do not exist. I couldn't find an errata page on the Internet for the book. If the book were taken through a very serious editing process and re-published as a second edition, I might buy the new version.
However, the quality of the writing, the overall poor quality of the binding, and the annoyances of being mis-directed make this book a poor comparison to `Delphi 4 Unleashed` and the Tomes of Delphi `Algorithms and Data Structures.` Buy this book, only if you gave up trying to read database chapters in the Delphi 4 Unleashed. Also, be prepared to make a few mental jumps when you try to follow the projects.

User review
Text Is Slow, Sparse, Introductory; Save Your Money
If you do not know database, or you need a very slow introduction to both databases and how to use them in Delphi, this may be the book for you. The book touts itself as Advanced on its back cover level rating. I don't know what marketing manager came up with Advanced, but this book is not even Intermediate -- it is Introductory. Do you know relational databse design? Well, the table of contents divides this book into three parts, and Part One is relational database design. If you already know the basics, this is just a rehash of everything you already know. None of the examples in parts two and three could be called Advanced -- they are Introductory. This is a book for beginners. The only thing that might be a redeeming quality of this book is that the Appendix has an exhaustive list of BDE API calls, but if you don't need this text (sans examples, etc.), this book won't do you any good. I was very disappointed. CONCLUSION: LOOK ELSEWHERE.

User review
I found it useful
This book is probably not for the advanced Delphi programmer as it states, but I found it useful.

I come from an engineering background. Most of my prior programs are number crunching Fortran programs. I've switched to Delphi to do Windows programming. I had no database background.

This book got me started with database theory, and database practice with Delphi. I must admit if I was a Delphi database expert and bought this book I would probably be dissapointed. But it fit my needs with good discussion and examples for my level of database experience.

User review
This book is great
Contrary to the opinions of most of the other people who have written reviews on this book, I thought it was great. I have been developing applications in C++Builder for about a year or so (and in Delphi for a few years before that), but never had to do anything too complicated with databases. I especially found Part II of the book extremely valueable and easy to understand.

Even though this is a Delphi book it was invaluable to me in completing a C++Builder database application that I was required to write.

In my opinion, if you aren't advanced enough to know how to do database programming in Delphi (or C++Builder), but would like to be, this book is for you. If you are already an accomplished database programmer, then you probably wouldn't look for a book like this in the first place.

User review
Beginners Only
I got this because it was listed as for Advanced programmers. But it does little more the walk through some very simple examples of the basic database issues of Delphi. If you are a beginner and need some hand holding to get you started on topics you already have a detailed explanation on. Then this book might help. But don't expect to learn much from it by itself. I would get a copy cheap from someone experienced that got suckered in to buying it.