EDITORIAL

Through the Past, Digitally

There are some common misperceptions concerning those of us in the magazine biz: that we keep odd hours, don't return phone calls, take long lunches (usually paid for by somebody else), and hightail it to the woods as soon as the current issue's out the front door. I'm here to set the record straight. At Dr. Dobb's, we return phone calls as promptly as possible.

Leisurely, granola-laced, yogurt-laden lunches not withstanding (hey dude, this is California), we spend the interlude between polishing off one issue and rolling up our sleeves for the next by thinking up special projects and making long-range plans. Here's a taste of what we've been up to.

The 1994 Dr. Dobb's Journal Editorial Calendar

It sure sounds strange saying "1994," but then it sounded even more Orwellian saying "1984" a decade ago. Nevertheless, we're planning for next year, where, as the following editorial calendar shows, you'll be exploring both familiar and new topics with us.

 January     PC Supercomputing
 February    Software Design, Testing, and Optimization
 March       Portability and Cross-Platform Development
 April       Algorithms
 May         Operating Systems and Microkernels
 June        User Interfaces
 July        Graphics Programming
 August      C/C++ Programming
 September   Data Structures and File Formats
 October     Object-oriented Programming
 November    Database Programming
 December    Communications

If you've followed DDJ over the years, you know we'll also be covering embedded systems, network computing, programming toolkits, cognitive computing, distributed computing, encryption, books, and a raft of other useful and fascinating programming-related issues.

We'd love to hear your ideas for articles on these or other real-world programming techniques. If you've come up with a unique algorithm, or a new twist to a tried-and-tested one, you might want to contact contributing editor Tom Swan who writes our "Algorithm Alley" column. Or if you've run across an undocumented feature in DOS, Windows, Netware, or other programming interface, contributing editor Andrew Schulman will work with you in his "Undocumented Corner." In any event, Mike Floyd, Ray Valdes, and I will be glad to talk with you about your article ideas and send you copies of DDJ's author guidelines.

Dr. Dobb's Sourcebook of Windows Programming

Every year, we publish a bonus issue or two to supplement your regular Dr. Dobb's. In the last few months alone, we've published a special issue devoted to database development, another covering C++, and a special section on scientific and engineering computing.

This month's special project is Dr. Dobb's Sourcebook of Windows Programming, an issue packed with programming pearls for Windows 3 and Windows NT developers. Among the articles included in it are those examining:

We're taking a different approach with this Sourcebook. Unlike previous supplemental issues, you won't automatically receive it with your regular issue. Instead, you can buy the $4.95 issue on the newsstand or order it by calling 800-433-0700. This tack makes it possible for us to provide you with much more detailed information than we would have been able to otherwise. We hope you enjoy the issue and find it to be a valuable and lasting resource. As always, let us know how you put the articles in the Sourcebook to good use.

Dr. Dobb's/CD

Another special project we're really excited about is Dr. Dobb's/CD, the first electronic version of the magazine on CD-ROM. Dr. Dobb's/CD pulls together more than five years worth of DDJ--from January 1988 to June 1993--and includes hyperlinked text, listings, figures, tables, and examples for all regular and special issues. The CD lets you flip through individual articles just as with the paper-and-ink version now in your hands, or you can search across the entire CD for a specific topic. You can copy information to your PC, print to a printer, or whatever. Dr Dobb's/CD, which initially is available for DOS and Windows PCs, sells for $79.95; call 800-228-3141 for more information.

Jonathan Erickson

editor-in-chief


Copyright © 1993, Dr. Dobb's Journal