Windows 95 in a Nutshell

This book seems to be presented back-to-front, but I think I can see why. It offers both a detailed description of Windows 95, an analysis of its basic structure and functions, and a quasi-philosophic account of its evolution in software development.

It's aimed at intermediate to advanced users and concentrates on revealing the wealth of individual programs within the one operating system. Part I is a quick gallop through the Win95 interface, plus notes on filenames and different versions of the program, then we're on to an alphabetical tour through the features, from 'Briefcase' to 'Taskbar'.




The language used to describe quite useful features might inhibit any of their more timid readers - "Context menus exist for all of the major interface elements" - but fortunately there are plenty of reassuring screenshots. However, sometimes this insider knowingness produces perversely arcane references which will undoubtedly deter all but the most persistent. "The old Ctrl-Alt-Del 'three-finger-salute' is no longer a system-wide 'Vulcan nerve pinch'". I'm sure many people will be thinking 'What on earth does this mean?'

There are lots of tips and tricks - especially for customising the Win95 desktop and commands - and the approach is very thorough. Every command is matched with its keyboard shortcut; though they rather typically call them 'keyboard accelerators'.

The second main section describes the Control Panel functions in detail. In this they are quite keen to support command line equivalents for the Windows interface - on the basis that Microsoft buried these quite useful commands in an attempt to claim that Win95 superseded DOS. This is where their underlying strategy begins to show, and there's a useful six page list of commands for those whose hearts still have a corner for DOS. Text layout is user-friendly, consistent, elegantly presented, and typographically clear throughout.

The most interesting arguments come in Part III - 'Inside Windows', 'Windows Startup', and what amounts to a theory of Win95. This is where they really show their hands as the Caped Crusaders of DOS:

"Win95 can't survive without working DOS underneath it - even if you never run any DOS programs. You could argue that Win95 is really just MS-DOS 7 plus Windows 4 with a block and tackle used to hoist one on top of the other and a small amount of glue to keep it there."

They substantiate this claim with plenty of evidence, and I began to wonder if this was an oblique criticism of Microsoft or a very subtle claim for the archaeology of software development. Maybe this is how major programs actually evolve. A slow accretion of small novelties, with just the occasional genius-level breakthrough now and again.

They end, logically enough, with a section on the Registry. This is the nightmare zone of configuration settings into which only the most intrepid are usually advised to wander. However, they take a very robust attitude to these matters:

"If you aren't sure about the meaning of a specific registry value, don't be afraid to experiment...open the application whose data is stored there (eg, a Control panel applet) change a setting, and watch how the Registry data changes."

Well, yes, if you say so - but maybe next week. [It's significant that this chapter has boxed warnings on nearly every other page.] The book is finished off richly with six indexes: keyboard accelerators; filename extensions; default file and directory organisation; special or reserved characters; a task index; and the general index itself.

The Nutshell series from O'Reilly continues to be terrific value. This has 500-plus well-filled pages for half the price of books of its kind. I'm not going to edit a Win95 registry until somebody holds a gun at my head, but as a work of reference this has already found a permanent place on the shelf, right next to my OED.