A welcome addition to the somewhat sparse literature available for the OS/2 operating system, this book consists of seven chapters, an appendix, and a disk containing the C code for all of the examples from the text together with associated “.h” files and make instructions. In most cases, there is also a standalone, already compiled version of the program.

Each chapter starts with a statement of objectives, has a number of small illustrative example fragments and screen displays, and concludes with a full running version of the program and appropriate comments. The topics discussed are the standard OS/2 window, selection and use of fonts, multitasking, multi-language-compatible dynamic link libraries (DLLs), communications (two chapters), “Making Your Applications Look Professional,” and communication with system peripherals. The appendix explains the layout of the associated disk and gives biographical sketches of the authors. There is also a good index.

Perhaps the most notable of the book’s exceptional features is the quality of the C code and its plethora of comments. Together with the text, this code provides one of the best sets of instructional material for programmers that I have seen. The full text editor given in chapter 6, for example, appears identical to the editor “E.C” provided with OS/2, which suggests that the style of coding is that used by IBM.

A second virtue is that the examples are useful. As the text points out, much programming time can be saved by incorporating them directly into one’s own programs. A final point is that the authors have used C rather than the currently popular C++. They emphasize a point that is usually ignored: C++ code is usually larger and runs more slowly than C code. It is nice to note, however, that they are not doctrinaire: they use useful features of C++, such as the “//” comment allowed by most compilers.

The authors have used the CSET/2 IBM compiler, and state that they have tested the examples on Borland C/C++. I tried to compile with Watcom C 10.6, which showed up some incompatibilities. The authors’ email addresses are given in the appendix, and it is pleasant to note that a query to the senior author brought an immediate and helpful reply. I strongly recommend this book both to programmers and as a textbook.