The original spreadsheet, Visicalc, created for the Apple II, launched the personal computer revolution. Lotus 1-2-3 put it on the IBM PC, and a number of other products have taken it from there. One of the most successful is Quattro Pro.

This book uses version 5.0 of Quattro Pro for Windows. The product has come a long way from the original spreadsheet. The enhancements have taken the basic electronic ledger metaphor and added so many new features that it can now be used as a document creator, database server, and graphics manipulator, among other possibilities. The spreadsheet lying within can be so well hidden that it is invisible.

The price paid for these new features is the set of functions and macro capabilities that the user must learn. Doing so can require a lot of study and much reading of the manual. This book can provide a lot of help.

The author assumes a good knowledge of the basic use of the Quattro Pro spreadsheet capabilities. Indeed, many computer users will never want to progress beyond this stage. However, many users will be interested in making custom applications that may be complex, require the use of graphs and images, and use other programs. At this stage, the aspiring developer will take this book down from the shelf.

Complete custom application design and implementation using Quattro Pro, complete with scroll bars, push buttons, menus, photographs, and the like, are described in great detail. After some introductory material stressing the importance of application design and planning, the use of macros is introduced quickly. Other chapters cover aspects of custom menus, SpeedButtons, dialogue boxes, and SpeedBars. The last chapters describe complete applications for credit card control and stock and bond portfolios. Three appendices cover macro basics, dialogue box property settings, and click commands.

Provided that the user has a good basic command of Quattro Pro, this book will furnish the advanced material required to create custom applications. It is densely written and thorough, and requires much thought to understand and use. This requirement is not a fault of the author’s style; it is a consequence of the complexity of the product. Indeed, the style of the text complements the material well, being neither condescending nor too lofty. The material is easy to read and shows a large amount of experience and familiarity with the subject.

The book’s major fault is the lack of an overall abstract model of Quattro Pro, something that I find useful in understanding a complicated product. The user may tend to get lost in a forest of detail, as the author provides no overview of the terrain. With this one reservation, the book admirably fulfills its goal of explaining how to implement custom applications using Quattro Pro.