9fans archive / 2001 / 09 / 380 /    prev next

From: Andrew Simmons <andrew.simmons@xtr...>
Subject: [9fans] Way off topic - for pressed flower fans only
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 11:14:37 GMT

Should this get past the moderators (and if it does, I think we should all
agree that they are not doing their job properly), I thought that the
results of a survey concerning the suitability of various computing books
for pressing flowers, carried out after perhaps just one gin and tonic too
many, might be of interest to all members of the group with an interest in
pressing flowers.

[Moderator's note:  I do detect a tenuous link to articles by yourself
                    and Rob Pike in the "Plan 9 versus CORBA?" thread.
                    And a touch of levity doesn't go amiss.  That's
                    enough for approval!]

Winner:

Appleman, "Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API", 2.4kg

Runner-up:

Balena, "Programming Visual Basic 6.0, 2.2kg

Honourable mentions:

Stroustrup, C++ Programming Language Special Edition: 1.82kg
Vinoski & Heming, Advanced CORBA Programming with C++, 1.66kg
McConnell, Code Complete, 1.49 kg

Must try harder:

Kernighan & Pike, The Unix Programming Environment, 0.57kg
Kernighan & Pike, Practice of Programming, 0.50kg
Kernighan & Ritchie, C Programming Language, 2nd edition, 0.40kg


Clear loser:

Kernighan & Plauger, Elements of Programming Style, 2nd edition, 0.24kg


All in all, a clear demonstration of the superiority of the Visual
Basic/Windows world.