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CAMTA
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Brief details about each publication

M Programming: A Comprehensive Guide

Review available

This is a complete update to ABCs of MUMPS. While ABCs was an introduction for novice and intermediate M programmers, M Programming: has a new section containing advanced material. This new section addresses features such as transaction processing, networking, structured system variables and interfaces to other standards Five new chapters have been added, covering an overview of M for readers familiar with other languages; M and Windows environment; interaction between M and the underlying system; transaction processing; interfacing M with other statndards; and error handling. Sections on interactive programming and futures have been extensively updated. An invaluable resource for everyone who is learning or using M.

M[UMPS] by Example

Review available

Need to know how M can be used? Need lots of examples to show you how? M[UMPS] by Example is your answer!

This book can be used as a first step to explain the language of M[UMPS], as well as a source of reference for all language elements, including the most recent additions. Here you'll find out how to use the language and take advantage of its stong hints. You'll also be shown the sspectrum of M - from the very beginnings to the laatest - as well as developments that are currently being formulated. Created by Ed de Moel, currrent Chair of the MUMPS Development Committee (MDC), this book is up-to-date information.

M Programming Language ANSI/MDC X11.1 1995

This 1995 reference work contains a three-section description of various aspects of the M computer programming language. Section 1, the M Language Specification, consists of a stylised Engligh narrative definition of the M language. Section 2, the M Portability Requirements, identifies constraints on the implementation and use of the language for the benefit of parties interested in achieving M application code portability. Section 3 is a binding to ANSI X3.64 (Terminal Device Control Mnemonics).

Standard M Pocket Guide (7th edition)

Use this pocket-sized booklet covering the 1999 ISO Standard (same as 1995 ANSI one) for a quick reference or use it to refresh your understanding of the elements of the language. It's a practical guide for beginners and experienced programmers alike. And it's inexpensive enough to get a copy for everyone!

The latest edition is completely rewritten, including additional examples and describing the differences to the Standard, together with the additional facilities in:

• Caché
• GT.M
• M21

If you've got a previous edition this new edition is still required reading!

Book reviews

This page contains reviews of two of the books sold by the CAMTA. Details about how to order either of these, or any of the other publications are on our 'Order' page.

M[umps] by Example - Ed de Moel

Reviewed by John K Mitchell

If you look in bookshops and catalogues of computer books you will notice that there are not many books about M. When the MTA board asked if anyone would be able to review the book for the newsletter I therefore jumped at the chance.
In just over 350 A5 pages this book sets out to answer two questions - "What is the difference between the current version of M and a previous one?" and "Where can I find examples of how to use the commands and functions within M?". It is not designed for the beginner but is, I suspect, meant more as a memory jogger for programmers who already know M and want to know what is becoming available in the next standard.

Assuming that you know the command or function that you need, this book will tell you when it was introduced into the standard. You will also find at least one example of how to use each command or function. While the majority of the examples are useful, some could do with a little more description. One example of this is the $FN examples which do not cover all the parameter values.

The main problem with a book like this is the likelihood of errors, indeed this book has several, although an experienced 'M'umpster will spot these without too much difficulty.

The author homes in on an area that many sites restrict - mainly due to the problems that it gives programmers - that of naked global references. Great emphasis is given to the value of the naked reference indicator although some of the examples are a little obscure - the reviewer has never used an expression such as
S ^ABC(1,2)="",^(3,4)=$J(^(5,6),^(7,8),^(9,10)).
I suspect that code of this type would be frowned on in many M sites, even those that allow naked references in their code.

Having said that, I feel that this book suceeds in it's aims of answering the first question (what are the differences) and introduces the MDC type A amendments due to be in the next standard (in 2001?). It has a very comprehensive coverage of the standard commands, functions, special variables, system structured variables, errors and library calls - even including a $Miracle function (which always seems to return the value of 42, this being the answer to "life, the universe and everything") introduced in the 1999 standard which was first released on the 1st April 1988 !!!

The reviewer (with over 20 years M experience) is going to keep his copy for reference.

M Programming: A Comprehensive Guide" - Richard F Walters

Reviewed by Dan Sheehan

At last a teaching book with up-to-date language features. This is an updated ABC of Mumps and is divided into two parts. Part One is aimed at the novice and helps with the concepts of computing as well as providing well developed examples of M command syntax, functions, operators and variables