If you`re building commercial software (or even software for your own company), there`s a reasonable chance you`ll need to make sure it runs on more than one platform. Brian Hook`s new book Write Portable Code An Introduction To Developing Software For Multiple Platforms (No Starch Press) should appeal to you. Contents: The Art Of Portable Software Development. Portability Concepts. ANSI C and C++. Techniques For Portability. Editing And Source Control. Processor Differences. Floating Point. Preprocessor. Compilers. User Interaction. Networking. Operating Systems. Dynamic Libraries. Filesystems. Scalability. Portability And Data. Internationalization And Localization. Scripting Languages. CrossPlatform Libraries And Toolkits. POSH. The Rules For Portability. References. Index Hook does a very nice job of writing a practical book that looks at software development techniques that aid the ability to port your code to multiple platforms. While it`s not possible to guarantee compatibility in all cases, you can take solid steps to reduce the chances of painting yourself into a corner early on in the game. From a language perspective, Hook focuses on the C/C++ language, so that`s the area where you`ll see the most advantage as a coder. But the other chapters are applicable to just about any environment. For instance, using a number of compilers set at a very strict message level helps weed out any coding practices that may work in one environment but not another. In another case, you should carefully choose supporting software libraries (like graphic packages) based on potential portability. A platform specific library might be easier to use, but it locks you into that environment. Porting code can then become a complete rewrite instead of a matter of tweaking. Very important stuff to know and take to heart... With the ongoing battle between Windows and open source environments, the ability to cater to both might be the difference between life and death in your business. Write Portable Code might be a really good investment in your survival...
