<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A detailed reference guide for programmers.
Review: I had the opportunity to examine this book both in manuscript and published form, and I must say that I am quite impressed. It provides good overview and detailed implementation notes with source code examples for a variety of image formats. The chapters dedicated to JPEG explore many aspects of the standard and offer suggested implementation notes for both compression and decompression, and the book would be valuable based on this information alone. The remaining chapters discuss the common GIF format and its patent-free successor (PNG) as well as other compressed image formats in regular use. Source code examples in C++ are included in the enclosed CD-ROM along with sample images. In summary, Miano's book provides a sturdy reference for graphics programmers or anyone interested in the details of today's most popular image formats.
Rating: 
Summary: Author Response
Review: I thought I would respond to the negative comment regarding JFIF files. As the reader points out, the sample source code on the CD checks for the JFIF header. This reason for this is to be an educational excercise in file formats. As the reader points out, this causes the source code not to work with JPEG files from digital cameras that do not use the JFIF format. The difference between these formats is simply the use of APPn markers (essentially comments).To make the book source code work with these files you simply need to comment out one line of code -- the place where it checks for the existance JFIF header.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Time
Review: I was looking for a book on JPEG files so I could write a program to compress jpeg files for internet use. After reading this book I did come away with some insight on how JPEG compresssion works, however, the code examples in the book only work with JFIF JPEG files. The book says that JFIF format is the most commonly used, but I was unable to compress many of the pictures on my computer...
Rating:
Summary: Waste of Time
Review: I was looking for a book on JPEG files so I could write a program to compress jpeg files for internet use. After reading this book I did come away with some insight on how JPEG compresssion works, however, the code examples in the book only work with JFIF JPEG files. The book says that JFIF format is the most commonly used, but I was unable to compress many of the pictures on my computer...
Rating:
Summary: Very goof book for starters
Review: If you know very little about the technical aspects of file formats, and you want to write your own applications, then this is the book you are looking for. BUT, if you have limited experience in programming (visual C++ eg.) then this might not be the book for you. Don't expect full source code, it only shows you the way to do it (and adequatly at that). You really need to know the basics of data structures and dictionaries otherwise you won't go much further as reading/writing bitmaps. Also a bit of knowledge about discrete cosine (Fourier) transforms really helps, otherwise JPEG seems like a magic formulae (and I alway want to know what I'm doing :) But all in all this is a great book to start from, it really contains all the information you need to handle(read.write):
-BMP
-GIF
-JPG
-PNG files.
Another reviewer complained about incompleteness of the JPEG section, but this standard is so vast that a complete volume could be written about it. The book covers the JFIF file format which 99.9% of the file on the web are. Enjoy this book! and no, I'm NOT the author!:)
Rating:
Summary: Learning what are the subjects covered by this book
Review: JPEG compression and decompression, PNG and GIF
Rating: 
Summary: Rating correction
Review: Not helpful that the author reviews his own book and gives himself 5 stars! Before he did so, the average rating was 3.33 stars. Afterwards it became 3.75 stars. My rating aims to rectify matters. I have not, however, read the book.
<< 1 >>
| 
