reviews/developer_to_designer.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<page title="Developer to Designer: GUI Design for the Busy Developer " keywords="">
<item>
<p>Author: Mike Gunderloy</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sybex.com/sybexbooks.nsf/booklist/4361">ISBN:078214361X </a></p>
<p>Publisher: Sybex International</p>
<p>Reviewed by: <a href="http://www.unixdaemon.net/">Dean Wilson</a></p>
</item>
<item>
<p>
Having an easy to use, consistent and intuitive user interface is an
incredibly important part of today's software, but for every experienced
UI, usability and human-computer interface professional there are
legions of beginning Windows GUI developers (VB developers, Coders
working with MS Office etc). Unfortuantly they are often left alone to
struggle through the basic do's and don'ts of building an acceptable and
consistent, both with other applications and the OS itself, GUI.
</p>
<p>
Mike Gunderloy's follow-up to Coder to Developer is the perfect starting
point for those very legions and a pretty good accompaniment for the
first book. The book itself can logically be separated into three
sections; the chapters on Windows applications (thick client), the web
chapters and the Longhorn / Avalon Appendix.
</p>
<p>
The first section, which makes up the bulk of the book, is also the best
of the three. It's here that the authors experience driven (and common
sense filled) guidelines can be seen most clearly. While there are very
few light bulb activating moments the coverage of the different controls
is comprehensive and the advice will help the reader shortcut a lot of
the more common mistakes.
</p>
<p>
I didn't like the second section of the book, which consists of four
chapters on web GUIs. The first of these opens up with a basic
introduction to HTML, which felt very out of place to me after reading
the previous section. The writing changed in tone and it didn't seem to
contain the same number of useful tidbits as the first eleven chapters.
</p>
<p>
In my opinion, it focused too heavily on the underlying technology and
the how's of web GUIs and less on the why's and best practises. The single
Appendix also felt a little out of place but did seem to fit better than
the web coverage. It provides an early look at Avalon and Aero but, like
most Longhorn literature, it failed to excite me. Although that may be
more the fault of the MS hype machine than the author.
</p>
<p>
So what's the ideal audience? Developers new to Windows apps and with under
a year's worth of practical experience will gain the most from reading
Developer to Designer; it'll save them a lot of trial and error. However
I wouldn't expect most people to read it from front to back as the topic
itself is quite a dry one. If, however, you're inexperienced when it comes
to Windows GUIs then it makes a great reference you'll find yourself
frequently dipping into.
</p>
<p>
While this book has a more limited target audience than Coder to
Developer, although when you consider the number of people designing
small Access based or VB applications it might not be much smaller, it
will serve as a very handy reference for the GUI building beginner.
</p>
<p>
Summary: This book should come bundled with a coder's first copy of
Visual Studio. If you're new to Windows GUIs then the first section of
the book alone is worth the cover price; despite the weaker web section.
</p>
</item>
</page>
reviews/developer_to_designer.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<page title="Developer to Designer: GUI Design for the Busy Developer " keywords="">
<item>
<p>Author: Mike Gunderloy</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sybex.com/sybexbooks.nsf/booklist/4361">ISBN:078214361X </a></p>
<p>Publisher: Sybex International</p>
<p>Reviewed by: <a href="http://www.unixdaemon.net/">Dean Wilson</a></p>
</item>
<item>
<p>
Having an easy to use, consistent and intuitive user interface is an
incredibly important part of today's software, but for every experienced
UI, usability and human-computer interface professional there are
legions of beginning Windows GUI developers (VB developers, Coders
working with MS Office etc). Unfortuantly they are often left alone to
struggle through the basic do's and don'ts of building an acceptable and
consistent, both with other applications and the OS itself, GUI.
</p>
<p>
Mike Gunderloy's follow-up to Coder to Developer is the perfect starting
point for those very legions and a pretty good accompaniment for the
first book. The book itself can logically be separated into three
sections; the chapters on Windows applications (thick client), the web
chapters and the Longhorn / Avalon Appendix.
</p>
<p>
The first section, which makes up the bulk of the book, is also the best
of the three. It's here that the authors experience driven (and common
sense filled) guidelines can be seen most clearly. While there are very
few light bulb activating moments the coverage of the different controls
is comprehensive and the advice will help the reader shortcut a lot of
the more common mistakes.
</p>
<p>
I didn't like the second section of the book, which consists of four
chapters on web GUIs. The first of these opens up with a basic
introduction to HTML, which felt very out of place to me after reading
the previous section. The writing changed in tone and it didn't seem to
contain the same number of useful tidbits as the first eleven chapters.
</p>
<p>
In my opinion, it focused too heavily on the underlying technology and
the how's of web GUIs and less on the why's and best practises. The single
Appendix also felt a little out of place but did seem to fit better than
the web coverage. It provides an early look at Avalon and Aero but, like
most Longhorn literature, it failed to excite me. Although that may be
more the fault of the MS hype machine than the author.
</p>
<p>
So what's the ideal audience? Developers new to Windows apps and with under
a year's worth of practical experience will gain the most from reading
Developer to Designer; it'll save them a lot of trial and error. However
I wouldn't expect most people to read it from front to back as the topic
itself is quite a dry one. If, however, you're inexperienced when it comes
to Windows GUIs then it makes a great reference you'll find yourself
frequently dipping into.
</p>
<p>
While this book has a more limited target audience than Coder to
Developer, although when you consider the number of people designing
small Access based or VB applications it might not be much smaller, it
will serve as a very handy reference for the GUI building beginner.
</p>
<p>
Summary: This book should come bundled with a coder's first copy of
Visual Studio. If you're new to Windows GUIs then the first section of
the book alone is worth the cover price; despite the weaker web section.
</p>
</item>
</page>