"For my money the graphics capability of a microcomputer is usually its most attractive feature" - Garry Marshall. I would put my money with Mr. Marshall as far as the most attractive feature of a microcomputer goes. Most people - I would guess - are attracted to home computing by the graphics potential. It would folld that a book dedicated to graphics programming is likely to be of interest to many, perhaps too many for the text is not specific to any one machine: strange, given that "there is almost a total lack of standardisation in the way that graphics facilities are provided by microcomputers". Is then the "great advantage over most books on this subject of being mchine-independent" an advantage more to Mr. Marshall than the reader...?

A strange contradiction; but stop being an old cynic, Cain, get inside further and see what the book's about.

Chapters 1 and 2 introduce and explain how the three graphic display types - block, pixel and line graphics - are produced and what their requirements on the computer system are. Three chapters are dedicated to each type of display and give a general, but easily understood, account of resolution, movement, shapes, magnification and reduction, lines, curves, squares and 3D graphics. A sixth chapter deals further with the subject of 3D, turtle graphics and speaks on the requirements for a graphics package.

I found the read through the 100 or so pages informative and enjoyable and a lot of light was shed on things I had never before really questioned. The text was clearly written and should offer little problem to the reader. Each chapter was concluded with a summary. The author has been aware of the mathematical nature of the subject and has made allowances so that seldom is a familiarity with maths beyond school level necessary.

Unfortunately, in spite of an appendix that lists the graphics facilities present on most popular home micros, I still feel that potential readers might best be served by a book aimed at their own machine.

Programming With Graphics is published by Granada, written by Garry Marshall and costs £5.95.