Microcomputer disk techniques. (book reviews) Stephen Gray.

Microcomputer Disk Techniques, by Paul Swanson. Byte Books/McGraw-Hill, Peterborough, NH. 243 pages, paperback $15. 1982.

This slim but expensive paperback "will help the micro-computer user squeeze every bit of use out of a disk system," according to the back cover, which adds that "the authors show how sophisticated methods used on larger computers may be implemented on a personal computer."

The 23 chapters are divided into two parts; the first consists of three introductory chapters on the disk and disk drive, DOS, and Taking Care of the Disk. The four sections in Part Two have no titles, but might be called Random-Access Files, Three Types of Key Files, Parameter-Driven Subroutines, and The Key-File Program. The five appendixes contain several expected items, along with a listing of the program used to create the glossary, and a 44-page supplement that explains the differences between the Apple and the TRS-80 the book's examples are written with.

This detailed, highly knowledgeable, and apparently unique book is very well written in a clear, simple style. It is recommended to any amateur programmer who really wants to learn how to make the most effective use of a personal computer ndisk drive.

Review Grade: A