December 2009
Intermediate to advanced
1170 pages
28h 4m
English
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PREFACE
This book is an introductory text in computer science, focusing on the principles of programming and software engineering. Here are its key features:
Teach objects gradually.
In Chapter 2, students learn how to use objects and classes from the standard library. Chapter 3 shows the mechanics of implementing classes from a given specification. Students then use simple objects as they master branches, loops, and arrays. Object-oriented design starts in Chapter 8. This gradual approach allows students to use objects throughout their study of the core algorithmic topics, without teaching bad habits that must be un-learned later.
Reinforce sound engineering practices.
A focus on test-driven development encourages students to test their programs systematically. A multitude of useful tips on software quality and common errors encourage the development of good programming habits.
Help students with guidance and worked examples.
Beginning programmers often ask "How do I start? Now what do I do?" Of course, an activity as complex as programming cannot be reduced to cookbook-style instructions. However, step-by-step guidance is immensely helpful for building confidence and providing an outline for the task at hand. The book contains a large number of "How To" guides for common tasks, with pointers to additional worked examples on the Web.
Focus on the essentials while being technically accurate.
An encyclopedic coverage is not helpful for a beginning programmer, but neither is the opposite—reducing ...
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O’Reilly covers everything we've got, with content to help us build a world-class technology community, upgrade the capabilities and competencies of our teams, and improve overall team performance as well as their engagement.Julian F.
I wanted to learn C and C++, but it didn't click for me until I picked up an O'Reilly book. When I went on the O’Reilly platform, I was astonished to find all the books there, plus live events and sandboxes so you could play around with the technology.Addison B.
I’ve been on the O’Reilly platform for more than eight years. I use a couple of learning platforms, but I'm on O'Reilly more than anybody else. When you're there, you start learning. I'm never disappointed.Amir M.
I'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.