A step-by-step approach provides practical, easy-to-follow instruction for mastering the AutoLISP programming language. Content ranges from basic to advanced programming techniques and includes all AutoLISP functions through Release 14. Complete instructions describe how to create useful and productive routines and programs.

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I decided to use this textbook in my classes for its straightforward reduction of the AutoLISP language to understandable English. Given this book, a computer lab to work in, and minimal instructor guidance, students who have never programmed in any language before can quickly begin to write simple programs to enhance their productivity with AutoCAD. Simple exercises both introduce the beginner to AutoLISP and at the same time start him/her thinking about "how this might be expanded just a little" to become extremely useful in a work situation.

The text covers some fundamentals of programming that can be carried over into any language one might tackle later (such as good documentation and error-trapping), and these practices are demonstrated in the sample programs. The lessons (chapters) are organized logically in bite-size portions, and have "professional tips" that students can keep in mind as they advance through the exercises. In addition, the book has several appendices of important information for AutoLISP programmers. Tables of DXF codes and a quick-reference for functions are vital for programmers (one can't possibly remember *everything*) but are left out of many books claiming to be AutoLISP references. However, Rawls & Hagen did include them, so I feel that my students are not just buying a textbook for class, but a reference they can continue to use as they cultivate their programming abilities.

With that said, I do have a complaint about this book. "Misteaks" happen in publishing, don't you know, but given that this was presented to the market as a potential textbook, I felt it should be held to a little higher standard than the average dime-store novel. There is a glaring ommission: the ENTDEL function is included in both the index and in the function-reference, but does not appear on the page the index points to, or anywhere else in the book, that I have seen. To avoid embarrassment, teachers should be aware of this before they tell a student to "look it up..." In addition, the TEXTBOX function is included in the entities chapter of the book, but you have to discover that through the function- reference appendix as it did not make it into the index. The coverage of ENTMAKE could have been more thorough, and delved deeper into creating *complex* entities.

However, those are only three functions out of the almost 300 available in AutoLISP under AutoCAD r13. While there are a few other minor errors, they are forgiveable, given the two chapters on dialog box programming and the inclusion of a chapter on debugging effectively and error-trapping. Hopefully the edition for AutoCAD r14 will be completely error-free. I adopted this textbook for my class some time ago and recommend it with very few reservations to my students and associates for its clear language, logical arrangement and good resources.

10 of 10 found the following review helpful:

highly suggest for the beginnerJun 17, 1999

I have suggested this book to many people in person and on the internet. It had a little of everything and is very good at introducing the reader to the world of Autolisp. As an experienced programmer of other languages I had many questions of how to go on, but was very pleased with it as an intro book.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Excellent ReferenceNov 09, 2000
By Craig Black
I have read the other reviews and agree with some and disagree with others. This book is an excellent reference, Appendix B is worthe price all by itself. Appendix A *IS* an alphabetized list of all the AutoLISP functions. Although it does not explain *all* uses of *all* functions, I challenge anyone to show me a book that does! A fine book that I have recommended hundreds of times to hundreds of students. When I sit down to write code, this book is always within arm's reach.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

My OpinionSep 18, 2000
By Eugene N. Kilmer
The first reference I ever looked at for writing AutoLISP code was this one, written for R12. I had enrolled in a class that was supposed to teach AutoLISP code, but the class was cancelled because there was only one student in it. When I heard that bad news, I asked the instructor what text he had planned to use and I went out and purchased it myself, it being this text.

I went from knowing nothing about AutoLISP code to writing dialog box driven routines to create 3D houses from a 2D floor plan. The text is clear and well written. There are examples illustrating the topics covered in each chapter. There are professional tips that go a step beyond the basics and provide advice for making your custom application look and behave like an integral AutoCAD command. The text moves at a good pace and in a good direction, making it a good one for a classroom environment. In fact, a couple of years after teaching myself basic AutoLISP code, I found myself the instructor for an advanced AutoLISP course at a community college and I chose this book as the textbook.

I have run across a few typographical errors and some coordination errors between the index and the text, but all in all I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to write AutoLISP code, as well as anyone who has written a little and would like to know more. I am eagerly awaiting the next release that will cover Visual LISP.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Basics only. Advanced concepts are sorely lacking.Jan 09, 1999
By Gabriel Pettit (GamesMstr@aol.com)
My biggest complaint with this book is the lack of examples. Readers are shown only the simplest uses for commands, and are left to fend for themselves when it comes to complicated concepts. Command syntax is never fully explored, so readers are left guessing what else can be used besides the examples given. This book is average for teaching basics, but fails to hit the mark for advanced concepts.

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