Asking for feedback for book (in German) about the Boost C++ libraries
I've written a book in German about the Boost C++ libraries and uploaded it to http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boost/. As this is the very first version it's currently only available in HTML. I would appreciate any feedback about the content, presentation, examples, typos :) etc. Thanks, Boris
Hi 2008/12/14 Boris <boriss@web.de>:
I've written a book in German about the Boost C++ libraries and uploaded it to http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boost/. As this is the very first version it's currently only available in HTML. I would appreciate any feedback about the content, presentation, examples, typos :) etc.
I really appreciate the idea! I directly looked at the asio chapter, because I am interested in that topic right now. Defining a new service for asio is a very good idea to for an advanced asio introduction. Maybe you could do some beginner stuff before doing that. Furthermore you should really rework the timer service example: "[...] Während eine synchrone Operation wie wait lediglich auf die Dienst-Implementation zugreift, um eine blockierende Methode aufzurufen, erfolgt dies für eine asynchrone Operation wie async_wait mit Hilfe eines Threads. Der Trick bei asynchronen Operationen ist also der, dass eine blockierende Funktion einfach in einem Thread aufgerufen wird." Instead of advertising worker threads for blocking function calls as "the trick" for asyncronous operations, you should explain why this is a rather dirty and expensive fallback - only required if no other solution can be found. Doing it the right way is not as easy as in the current example from the book, but far more interesting. kind regards Anreas Pokorny
On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:52:15 +0100, Andreas Pokorny <andreas.pokorny@gmail.com> wrote:
[...]Furthermore you should really rework the timer service example: "[...] Während eine synchrone Operation wie wait lediglich auf die Dienst-Implementation zugreift, um eine blockierende Methode aufzurufen, erfolgt dies für eine asynchrone Operation wie async_wait mit Hilfe eines Threads. Der Trick bei asynchronen Operationen ist also der, dass eine blockierende Funktion einfach in einem Thread aufgerufen wird."
Instead of advertising worker threads for blocking function calls as "the trick" for asyncronous operations, you should explain why this is a rather dirty and expensive fallback - only required if no other solution can be found. Doing it the right way is not as easy as in the current example from the book, but far more interesting.
Thanks for your feedback! But to what other interface in Boost.Asio are actually referring? I can only think of posix::stream_descriptor and windows::stream_handle which make it possible to integrate a simple file descriptor or Windows HANDLE which are used by many API functions on those platforms. Do you mean these classes? Then I guess I should add another section first before I use the helper thread as a last resort? Boris
2008/12/14 Boris <boriss@web.de>:
I've written a book in German about the Boost C++ libraries and uploaded it to http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boost/. As this is the very first version it's currently only available in HTML. I would appreciate any feedback about the content, presentation, examples, typos :) etc.
Hi Boris, I've browsed the intro of your book and some of the chapters briefly. It seems to be a very valuable contribution. Sometimes I think that the effective communication about boost libraries is as important as the software itself, because it helps to build the bridge from the software to the developer who needs it. Your book will contribute to this goal especially for the German user community. Have you thought about maintaining the book as a boost wiki book in German language? On the long run, this might be more sustainable than to do all the work on your own. Thank you for your contribution Joachim
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:18:16 +0100, Joachim Faulhaber <afojgo@googlemail.com> wrote: Hi Joachim,
[...]I've browsed the intro of your book and some of the chapters briefly. It seems to be a very valuable contribution. Sometimes I think that the effective communication about boost libraries is as important as the software itself, because it helps to build the bridge from the software to the developer who needs it.
I agree. As developers also have a look at the documentation first before they look at a library's code and start to use it their impression of a library's quality is shaped by the quality of the documentation. I don't think that the documentation of the Boost libraries is bad but it's diverse and not integrated.
Your book will contribute to this goal especially for the German user community. Have you thought about maintaining the book as a boost wiki book in German language? On the long run, this might be more sustainable than to do all the work on your own.
I'll continue to add more chapters in the coming months. If there are developers who want to contribute a section or even a chapter they are definitely invited! However I want to make sure that the book is integrated and is not a loose collection of Wiki pages. There is a concept behind the book. A reader might not notice and indeed he shouldn't notice. :) He shouldn't think about the presentation or structure while he reads the text but concentrate on the topic. That said while a contribution to the book is welcomed I'd definitely go over it to make sure that it fits into the bigger picture. Boris
participants (3)
-
Andreas Pokorny -
Boris -
Joachim Faulhaber