From: "Rob Slade, Social Convener to the Net" <roberts@mukluk.decus.ca>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.reviews
Subject: Review of "Encyclopedia of Graphics Files Formats" by Murray/vanRyper
Followup-To: alt.books.technical,misc.books.technical
Date: 29 Dec 1994 17:55:39 MET
Organization: University of Colorado at Boulder
Reply-To: roberts@mukluk.decus.ca
Originator: brock@ucsub.Colorado.EDU
BKEGRAFF.RVW 941026
"Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats", Murray/vanRyper, 1994, 1-56592-058-9,
U$59.95
%A James D. Murray
%A William vanRyper
%C 103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472
%D 1994
%G 1-56592-058-9
%I O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
%O U$59.95 800-998-9938 fax: 707-829-0104 info@ora.com or nuts@ora.com
%P 894
%T "Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats"
"Aha!" cry those who know me well. "Rob is trying to review a book on
graphics. Rob doesn't know anything *about* graphics!" Basically, true. The
last graphics programming I did was a vector plot of the Canadian flag on an
Apple II. I did learn a bit about file formats in my efforts to "fill" it with
a paint program and add text (usually not possible in the Apple Hi-Res screen)
with a Logo utility. My current work doesn't involve much in the way of
graphics. I don't read alt.feelthy.peechers on Usenet and I don't even like
GUIs. So what use do I have for a book on graphics formats?
As it happens, at the time I received it, the virus research community was
looking into a purported virus in a GIF file. The consensus was that the virus
was a hoax, but the question remained as to whether it was possible. In very
few minutes I had the information that GIF 89a format files may contain an
application extension Block. Depending upon the file reader, it could be
possible to generate an executable program.
All of which is by way of saying that this work truly is encyclopedic. The
promotional material states that it is a resource for graphics specialists, but
the book has great worth for others, as well.
The ten chapters in part one offer a brief but wide-ranging overview of
computer graphics. Part two gives descriptions and specifications (where
possible) for eighty-seven graphics file formats. Bibliographic information is
given at the end of each chapter in part one, while an appendix lists further
resources. (Note that you may have some difficulty in finding items--this
first printing has disordered pages in the Table of Contents.)
The book also contains a CD-ROM which provides detailed specifications, sample
code, sample images, as well as viewers and utilities. The appendix describing
the disk also gives directions for accessing the files on the Internet if you
do not have a CD-ROM reader.
(One absolutely minor quibble. The authors state up front that file formats
are forever. If they do have information on my dusty old Apple formats,
however, I can't find it.)
The authors definitely give value for money: that, and then some. They are
also to be commended for an enormous and major work which should become a
standard reference.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKEGRAFF.RVW 941026
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