Product Description
Based on Big Nerd Ranch’s popular iPhone Bootcamp class, iPhone Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide leads you through the essential tools and techniques for developing applications for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. In each chapter, you will learn programming concepts and apply them immediately as you build an application or enhance one from a previous chapter. These applications have been carefully designed and tested to teach the associated concepts and to provide practice working with the standard development tools Xcode, Interface Builder, and Instruments. The guide’s learn-while-doing approach delivers the practical knowledge and experience you need to design and build real-world applications. Here are some of the topics covered:

• Dynamic interfaces with animation
• Using the camera and photo library
• User location and mapping services
• Accessing accelerometer data
• Handling multi-touch gestures
• Navigation and tabbed applications
• Tables and creating custom rows
• Multiple ways of storing and loading data: archiving, Core Data, SQLite
• Communicating with web services
• ALocalization/Internationalization

Customer Reviews (35)

Easy pickup for existing programmers
Haivng experience as a real-time embedded systems programmer who works strictly in C, I was weary about picking up a book that focused on iPhone programming without having gone through any Objective-C training.My object oriented programming skills have not been used since college almost 10 years ago.This book explains the Objective-C language in a way that any programmer can understand.As it explains the elements of the Objective-C, it offers some comparisons to how things are done in other languages, particularly C.This is a great help.Also, it does not do too much hand-holding which can just interfere with what you need to know.I would HIGHLY reccommend this book to anyone with some programming expierence who is looking to get into iPhone programming.

A great book to get hands on programming experience on ipad
This is really a very good book and a must-have if you are writing apps for iPad or iPhone. I have a programming background, and did find this a very easy to read. Examples provide a very good learning as you get hands on programming experience. Highly recommend this book for any beginner. Very well organized and covers basic concepts and does provide the relevant information on why it is done that way. A must read for any beginner.

Highly Recommended
Learn by doing.One example is worth a dozen lectures.This book is full of examples and you will learn by reproducing them yourself.

This book is great for either a beginner or an experienced developer.There are many ways to use this book (reference, refresher, tutorial), but IMO, the best way is to just go through the step by step instructions to reproduce the apps as written.If you do, not only will you have learned a lot, you will have a wealth of working sample apps that you can use to build on and modify.

No book can stay current with rapidly evolving SDKs and this one is no exception.If you are looking for info on the very latest SDK updates, you are on the bleeding edge and should be looking at the Apple Web site instead.If you are looking for solid information on how to program the iPhone, then this is a terrific book.I highly recommend it.

If you want to develop for iOS you need this book
Two months ago I knew nothing about iOS programming.Today I am putting the finishing touches on my first major app, with plans to create several more apps in the near future.All of this is possible because of this book.It covered all the core concepts of the iOS API in a simple, easy to understand way.

The publisher also has a forum that covers the book chapter by chapter in case you run into problems, or just have questions.I cannot recommend this book enough.If you want to develop apps look no further.You have found the only book you will need.

Code needs updating for latest SDKs
I am still working my way through this book and while it seems to be a pretty good tome on iPhone developing....it needs a code update for the latest SDKs.

The forums have some information on what is broken and how to fix it for 4.0, but being on 4.1 already I find it disappointing that code as simple as the code in chapter 5 doesn't work with 4.1.

Some of this I realize can't be helped, the book is published then Apple makes changes...but the forums should be the place where one can go to get code that works.I downloaded the latest code there and it has the same problem (doesn't ever find a new location after one is entered).FYI this is testing on an iPhone 4.0, running version 4.1, I realize this won't work on the simulator. Not the end of the world but frustrating to have code that doesn't work 80 pages into the book, and no working update available from the forums. ... Read more

Product Description
Programming Interviews Exposed
2nd Edition

The pressure is on during the interview process but with the right preparation, you can walk away with your dream job. This classic book uncovers what interviews are really like at America's top software and computer companies and provides you with the tools to succeed in any situation. The authors take you step-by-step through new problems and complex brainteasers they were asked during recent technical interviews.

50 interview scenarios are presented along with in-depth analysis of the possible solutions. The problem-solving process is clearly illustrated so you'll be able to easily apply what you've learned during crunch time. You'll also find expert tips on what questions to ask, how to approach a problem, and how to recover if you become stuck. All of this will help you ace the interview and get the job you want.

What you will learn from this book

* Tips for effectively completing the job application
*

Ways to prepare for the entire programming interview process
*

How to find the kind of programming job that fits you best
*

Strategies for choosing a solution and what your approach says about you
*

How to improve your interviewing skills so that you can respond to any question or situation
*

Techniques for solving knowledge-based problems, logic puzzles, and programming problems

Who this book is for

This book is for programmers and developers applying for jobs in the software industry or in IT departments of major corporations.

Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (86)

Not the best, but still darn good.
This book is a really good guide to use as a review of many different topics that you'll face during an interview as a software engineer.

This book will make you think about areas you might not have considered since college if you've been in the industry for a while.It will give you an overview of data structures, bitwise operations, multi-threading and

I would love to see more problems to solve in the book and more discussion on algorithms and higher-order data structures (DFS, BFS, Binary Trees, Graphs).But the book is well-written and easy to read with very comprehensive examples.

The great thing about this book is the way it gets you to focus on the fact that the easiest solution is probably not the best one...nor is the most complex solution the right one (you seldom have time to do such elegant and involved solutions as rolling your own mergeSort function as part of bigger solution during an interview...so it's probably the wrong idea!).

The way it breaks down the examples, details what sort of dead-end solutions might first pop into your head, then shows you at least one optimized solution is awesome!

If you can afford it, get this book and "Cracking the Coding Interview" if it were down to just one...I'd still get "Cracking the Coding Interview".Especially if you're going to interview with MSFT, Google, Yahoo, Apple or Amazon.

And either way, practice, writing on a white board and talking through your solutions (don't worry if the dog or your spouse looks at you like your crazy!They'll thank you later!).

Happy Coding!

Average for average interviews
Good starter book if you have never interviewed for programmer positions before. Be warned, this is not about any particular skills. It skims through several technologies to get you started to read more (I guess that's authors' intention, but I may be wrong).

I have the first Edition. I was surprised to see there are not many updates in the new Edition.

I have unfortunately had interview experience with many big tech companies: microsoft, google, etc... and even got offers from some of them. I can say this book alone won't help you much in the interviews with those companies. It may work for less picky companies; but I have never tried it myself. It's an interesting book to read, if you like playing puzzles. But then again, these are not sophisticated puzzles. Prepared to be bored if you like challenges.

Just what you need
This book is excellent. It would have been great if it could have been more extensive. For example, problems involving more DFS, BFS, and Dijkstra solutions are missing. However, the excellence of this book lies part on its content, but mostly on its approach. The authors take the time and the effort to show the reader the reasoning behind each and every one of the problems and issues contained in the book. It is very instructive. If you are planning to go for a coding-related interview, don't go without going over this book. It is more than worth its price. My gratitude goes to the authors.

Great book for experienced professionals back in the job market
I have over 20 years of software development experience and have been at my current company for over 10 years.And that job was through a friend.So I hadn't interviewed or written a resume in quite some time.I found out pretty quickly that things had changed since my last job search.

Given today's competitive market, I find that more employers are looking not only at experience (as they did in my prior job searches), but also are testing applicants on college level computer science.It's true that professionals have taken these courses, but it's been a very long time since I had to write a binary tree algorithm.Once you have experience, you still need to understand data structures and algorithms, but I'd seriously worry about a programmer that wrote their own btree functions.Part of software engineering is understanding what you need, where to find the libraries and tools to support your selection, and understanding how to apply them.So I was taken by surprise when asked about btree algorithms and red/black tree traversal.I remembered these concepts, but wasn't prepared to sit down and code one.

This is where this book came in handy.It sets the stage for interviewing in today's marketplace, covers all those CS101 concepts that some of us are rusty at, and provided good examples to practice working through those low level concepts.

I found it very helpful for my second round of interviews at a very technical company.

For those people that say there is no silver bullet, or that you can't learn to be a computer scientist from one book, I totally agree.But that is not the intended audience.This book is great for those of us that have all that knowledge, but are a bit rusty on some of the data structure internals.It's also great for experienced professionals who have been out of the market for a while.

Great book
Great investment if you are back in the job market, being rusty during an interview can easily be perceived as not knowing about a topic which may cost you dearly, this book gives you a great outline on what to prepare for a programming interview. I would definitely recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a complete guide to ANSI standard C language programming. Written by the developers of C, this new version helps readers keep up with the finalized ANSI standard for C while showing how to take advantage of C's rich set of operators, economy of expression, improved control flow, and data structures. This 2nd edition has been completely rewritten with additional examples and problem sets to clarify the implementation of difficult language constructs. 7 x 9 1/4.Amazon.com Review
Just about every C programmer I respect learned C from thisbook. Unlike many of the 1,000 page doorstops stuffed with CD-ROMsthat have become popular, this volume is concise and powerful (ifsomewhat dangerous) -- like C itself. And it was written by Kernighanhimself. Need we say more? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (285)

the seminal book on c is .... small?
I don't know why I haven't read/seen this book before but I was surprised when I opened up the package and saw such a small book, don't get me wrong -- it covers a lot but I felt it could have been expanded on a bit

Great for Unix Hackers
The C Programming Language is a classic text within the realm of computer science and, if programming languages were religions, this would be C's holy book. Within the community of hardcore, bearded C hackers, the book is known simply as "K&R." In fact, if you follow the coding guidelines in the text, your C code is said to be "K&R style." The guidelines for the Linux kernel even go so far as to say "if it's good enough for K&R, it's good enough for us."

It's important to note that the original incarnation of this text is more than 30 years old, written before the era of personal computers, more than a decade prior to Microsoft Windows! With that in mind, this book is a must have for any individual serious about hacking on Unix-like systems. I use what I have learned from this text on a daily basis when developing on Linux, OSX, and FreeBSD.

However, individuals with a background only in Microsoft Windows will find this text significantly less useful than those on Unix-like systems. Most programs mentioned in the book are provided by default on Linux distributions, but simply cannot run on Microsoft Windows. If you only use Microsoft Windows, you would almost certainly be better served purchasing a book geared towards the Windows development platform.

Unfortunately, the high quality of the material in this book is not reflected in the text's typesetting. Things you take for granted in modern documentation, like examples with syntax highlighting, are not present in The C Programming Language. The text is also significantly less crisp than modern offerings and it can, at times, be difficult to distinguish between characters.

While this book is definitely worth it for anyone interested in Unix-like systems, it's definitely beginning to show it's age. The text is also not geared towards beginners, so amateur programmers may be happier with a more introductory text.

Best book in my collection
This is probably the best book I have ever bought.I had to pick it up for an advanced Unix and C class.I am an infant in the IT world, as I have only been taking computer classes for the last 4 years.I have had to learn several languages though, and I can say without a doubt that this was the most clear, most logical book which I have learned from.

As you may have read from other reviewers, this book may be daunting if you are unfamiliar with programming or programming in an object-oriented language.However, if you really want to master C, then this is the book to have.

Learning C
This is the perfect book for anyone wishing to learn C. Written by he creators of C, it covers all the features of the language systematically with many examples and programming exercises. This book is well organized and succinct enabling it to function as a good reference manual for the C programming language.

Great help from the people who wrote the language!
This is the book when it comes to knowing C. It's well written and an invaluable tool for anyone learning or using C. ... Read more

Product Description

THE #1 BESTSELLING BOOK ON OBJECTIVE-C 2.0

Programming in Objective-C 2.0 provides the new programmer a complete, step-by-step introduction to Objective-C, the primary language used to develop applications for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS X platforms.

The book does not assume previous experience with either C or object-oriented programming languages, and it includes many detailed, practical examples of how to put Objective-C to use in your everyday iPhone/iPad or Mac OS X programming tasks.

A powerful yet simple object-oriented programming language that’s based on the C programming language, Objective-C is widely available not only on OS X and the iPhone/iPad platform but across many operating systems that support the gcc compiler, including Linux, Unix, and Windows systems.

The second edition of this book thoroughly covers the latest version of the language, Objective-C 2.0. And it shows not only how to take advantage of the Foundation framework’s rich built-in library of classes but also how to use the iPhone SDK to develop programs designed for the iPhone/iPad platform.

Table of Contents

   1    Introduction

Part I: The Objective-C 2.0 Language

    2    Programming in Objective-C 

    3    Classes, Objects, and Methods

    4    Data Types and Expressions

    5    Program Looping

    6    Making Decisions

    7    More on Classes

    8    Inheritance

    9    Polymorphism, Dynamic Typing, and Dynamic Binding

  10    More on Variables and Data Types

  11    Categories and Protocols

  12    The Preprocessor

  13    Underlying C Language Features

Part II: The Foundation Framework

  14    Introduction to the Foundation Framework

  15    Numbers, Strings, and Collections

  16    Working with Files

  17    Memory Management

  18    Copying Objects

  19    Archiving

Part III: Cocoa and the iPhone SDK

  20    Introduction to Cocoa 

  21    Writing iPhone Applications

Part IV: Appendixes

  A    Glossary

  B    Objective-C 2.0 Language Summary

  C    Address Book Source Code

Customer Reviews (114)

Repetition is key
Not since the Learning Visual Basic 6 Step by Step book I read nearly a decade ago has a programming guide been so well thought out and written.

Mr. Kochan starts out by explaining that he set out to write a book to teach the Objective-C language in a way that would be comprehendable to those that have no prior language with any programming language.Again, having had some experience with Visual Basic may have helped so that I could skip certain areas of the book (i.e., the Decision-Making chapters with if...then, for...next, and do...while loops), but I have to say: Mr. Kochan hit the target on the mark.Not once did I ever feel like anything was being left out, and the only time that I felt particularly thick was during the chapter on various math-related concepts (I'm no math major, and I never will be).

The chapters are laid out in perfect order, each building upon lessons taught by the previous.And at the end of each chapter, you're given various exercises to solidify your grasp on the content you just learned.Adding further insult to injury over my severe lack of math prowess, the ongoing project that you're adding to through each chapter is a calculator that becomes increasingly complex, though not without more than sufficient explanations en route to the final product (which looks to receive a GUI makeover in the final chapters).

I have yet to finish the book, but from what I've seen through actual reading as well as skimming through various points of interest, I think that this was money well spent.

HIGHLY recommended.

This is my first try at programming in any language.This book is AWESOME!
I tried reading a few other books that teach objective-c via iphone development before picking this book up.I think this book is a better way to go for Newbies and Beginners.I had no previous background in programming and I was able to follow along with each example with relative ease.If you are just starting out with objective-c or OOP in general you can't go wrong with this book.

The only thing that prevented me from giving this a 5 star rating is because of the many typo's and error's in coding.When you are like me and completely trust the printed code you will be VERY frustrated when you click "Build and Run" and your code contains multiple errors.Yes, I know there is a website with corrections and the errata, but it's a maze like forum environment and very difficult to find out if the code you typed actually has an error or if you are just doing something wrong.

Don't let this prevent you from getting this book.I knew absolutely nothing about OOP and Objective-c and I'm well on my way to writing my first app for my iphone/ipod touch..

One other thing.I skipped some of Chapter 4.After reading only a few pages I had the biggest headache..Read Chapter 4 at your own risk.(grin)

A good book for the beginner and as a resource
I am new to objective C, and I found this book to be quite informative. It starts from the beginning, assuming no knowledge of objective C and very little knowledge of C and C++. It is a very comprehensive book, and therefore I can see it as being a good reference. The examples are nice and short, but cumulative and well explained. At the end of the book you get to build an iphone fraction calculator that you developed throughout the book. At the end of each chapter are questions to test your knowledge, and

The book does not touch on Xcode. It only shows you enough information to get the code to running. Like the cover says, it is only about the language. The book got four stars out of five because I am not in love with it; however, I would recommend it.

The best you can get !!!
Well my review is not English native and even when my English is not native I can rate this book as 5 stars which means that EVERY one can read learn and implement code in Objective c when reading this book. If "classes", "object oriented programming" and such terms make you dizzy and sick, this book is certainty for you. This book is well written, flows and everything is understandable, amazing job. On chapter 3 you will start your object oriented programming (classes) and after completing this chapter you will actually code in object oriented, again amazing. Thank you Mr. KOCHAN.

Very good book for beginner
I was a developer knowing C and C++. I have never known how to program in Objective C. I am interested to learn developing iPhone applications. Reading from blogs and reviews, I learned that the first step is to build a solid foundation on Objective C, and this is how I came to purchase this book. I must say this book has enabled me to achieve my goal. It starts with programming basics, leading to concept of OOP, and eventually dive deep into the foundation framework. I want to give this book a 5 stars. If you are in same situation as me, I strongly recommend this book ... Read more

Product Description
The first edition of Programming Pearls was one of the most influential books I read early in my career, and many of the insights I first encountered in that book stayed with me long after I read it. Jon has done a wonderful job of updating the material. I am very impressed at how fresh the new examples seem." -Steve McConnell

When programmers list their favorite books, Jon Bentley's collection of programming pearls is commonly included among the classics. Just as natural pearls grow from grains of sand that irritate oysters, programming pearls have grown from real problems that have irritated real programmers. With origins beyond solid engineering, in the realm of insight and creativity, Bentley's pearls offer unique and clever solutions to those nagging problems. Illustrated by programs designed as much for fun as for instruction, the book is filled with lucid and witty descriptions of practical programming techniques and fundamental design principles. It is not at all surprising that Programming Pearls has been so highly valued by programmers at every level of experience.

In this revision, the first in 14 years, Bentley has substantially updated his essays to reflect current programming methods and environments. In addition, there are three new essays on * testing, debugging, and timing * set representations* string problems All the original programs have been rewritten, and an equal amount of new code has been generated. Implementations of all the programs, in C or C++, are now available on the Web.

What remains the same in this new edition is Bentley's focus on the hard core of programming problems and his delivery of workable solutions to those problems. Whether you are new to Bentley's classic or are revisiting his work for some fresh insight, the book is sure to make your own list of favorites.Amazon.com Review
Fourteen years after it was first issued, C++ expert Jon Bentley reinvents a true classic with the second edition of his Programming Pearls. Completely revised and brought up to date with all new code examples in C and C++, this book remains an exceptional tutorial for learning to think like a programmer.

The "pearls" in question center not only on choosing the right algorithms (like binary searches, sorting techniques, or sparse arrays) but also on showing how to solve problems effectively. Each chapter frames a particular programming task--such as sorting numbers, creating anagrams, or counting the words in a block of text--many drawn from Bentley's experiences in his long career as a developer. The book traces the process of arriving at a fast, efficient, and accurate solution, along with code profiling to discover what works best. After refining the correct answer, each chapter enumerates programming principles that you can use on your own.

The author also challenges you to think like an engineer, and each chapter ends with about a dozen problems to get you thinking creatively about design issues. (Sidebars on such historical topics as the first computer solutions to computer chess, spell-checking, and even architectural design help create a perspective on successful problem solving and make for a truly educational and enjoyable tour of how to become a better programmer.) Bentley also asks the reader to think analytically about the world with "back of the envelope" estimation techniques drawn from engineering. Appendices list the algorithms and code rules covered in the book, plus some sample solutions.

Fans of the first edition of this title will be pleased to see this favorite computer text brought up to date for today's faster hardware. Whether you want to improve your command of algorithms or test your problem-solving skills, the new version of Programming Pearl is a challenging, instructive, and thoroughly entertaining resource. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Programming and problem-solving tutorial, sorting algorithms, merge sort, bit vectors, binary searches, program correctness and testing, improving performance, engineering and problem-solving techniques, performance estimates, designing for safety, divide-and-conquer and scanning algorithms, tuning code, tips for more efficient memory usage, insertion sort, quicksort algorithms, sparse arrays, searching algorithms, binary search trees, heaps, priority queues, searching text, and generating random text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

great book
This short book is very inspiring. It is reshaping the way I do coding in the best way. I recommend it to those who want to do serious programming.

Good topic, very poor language
I was really puzzled by some of the language in this book. Many books use example from real life to make a problem easily understood. But this book uses real example to complicate the problem. Many problems in this book can be summarized or formulated by concise and easily understood sentences. But this book use examples to make the problem complicate. Sometimes I feel that I have walked a long way to reach what I can reach by one step after reading the verbose examples; sometimes I just want to say "what at hell are you talking about".

Little book of gems
If you want to learn about the latest web programming frameworks, design patterns, J2EE, .NET, CSS, RoR, etc. then please stay away from this book. Once you think you mastered it all, became a professional programmer with also a nice CS degree under your belt come back and start to read this book for pure pleasure and wisdom. It is with high probability that you'll have both and more than you could have imagined.

Bentley's classic work is still relevant but not in ways most programmers will imagine at the beginning. You'll probably never go and write your own search routines and re-implement classical data structures (you'll use the one that comes with the standard libraries of your language of choice) but you'll always meet some problems which will puzzle you with interesting constraints. This is what Programming Pearls is all about. Study the examples for fun and maybe laugh at them for their simplicity but then remember to applied the strong principles in that book to your daily technical problems (programming related or not).

Neat Ideas
At first I didn't enjoy the book.However, the more I read it the more I find neat little things (pearls!!?!).I find that I can dive in anywhere and just get lost there.I'm just a programmer and not a computer scientist.I very much appreciate the ideas I'm finding here.

Good topics, flawed presentation
"Programming Pearls" summarizes many important topics in Computer Science, usually in a sub-par manner. About 10% of the book is dedicated to "thinking outside the box," and I'd say these parts really shine. Unfortunately, the other 90% isn't nearly as good. There are inconsistencies in notation, improperly explained terminology, and incomplete analyses. For example, his chapter on structured testing leaves out randomized testing (which I would argue is just as important), despite the fact that it takes little space to explain. I felt most chapters had deficiencies.

While I have a long list of complaints, my biggest one is his chapter promoting a colleague's work on the n-body simulation problem, which at times reads like an advertisement. He discusses each speed optimization without discussing the impact on the error rate. Although he states his focus is on performance, I can't imagine any good programmer ignoring something as important as the error rate (a fast answer may be worthless if it is incorrect)! He could have used this opportunity to have a great discussion of the trade-off between speed and accuracy. Ignoring this aspect struck me as odd because this kind of critical thinking (examining all aspects of a system) is a key tenet to being a good programmer. It felt like a very poor example, where the author was more concerned with promoting a colleague than teaching the reader how to think critically.

I'm sure this book will definitely be helpful to neophytes. However, I think there are better treatments of these subjects out there. No good book in its 2nd edition should have some of the mistakes that are present in "Programming Pearls". ... Read more

Product Description
Practical Programming offers a different approach to exercise programming. Based on a combined 70+ years of academic expertise, elite-level coaching experience, and the observation of thousands of novice trainees, the authors present a chronological analysis of the response to exercise as it varies through the training history of the athlete, one that reflects the realities of human physiology, psychology, and common sense. Practical Programming explains the differences in response to exercise commonly observed between athletes at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, explains these differences in the context of the relevant science, and presents new training models that actually work for athletes at all levels of experience. Complete with new, innovative graphical representation of cutting edge concepts in exercise programming, Practical Programming has become a standard reference in the field of exercise and human performance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

Great book for athletes of all levels
I'm impressed with how this book covers several training programs for novices, intermediates, and advanced athletes. Not only does it have the programs but it explains reasons why the programs are arrange as they are. Although the information is primarily for powerlifters, Olympic weightlifters, and strongman competitors, the information can guide a strength training program for someone focused on another sport.

First thing anyone starting out with weight training should read
This book has plain, understandable language, no BS and loads of good advice on how to program your weight training effectively. Quite frankly it's the only thing you need. I'm not going to write a long, structured review. I just think this book deserves 5 stars :)

Trustworthy, great book
I learned useful things from this book. It is one year now that I go to a bodybuilding gym. This book is not specifically for bodybuilding, still I learned important things. When you read it, I think it is good to take some notes of things that interest you (and then review them), because in the book there is a lot of material, good material.
If you are interested on nutrition, I could suggest Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. This book completely changed the way I eat. Very nice to read too.

Fantastic Read, Lots to Learn!
This book covers a lot of topics. Once you have read the prequel and even if you have not, but you're looking for some well founded direction and advice towards lifting at any level, you will likly learn a great deal towards future success. They go into a lot of detail regarding overtraining, including the signs of it (which can be many and hard to determine, at least it was for me) and what to do if you encounter it, with numerous options. It also talks about what to do if you have simply hit a sticking point for a while. Much attention is given to different, time-tested, programs. After reading this book, I knew better what I should and should not be doing in terms of sets, reps, and frequency of training, both weekly and longer. And it also reaffirmed a lot of things that I had read and noticed in my own training. Get this book and pay close attention to the content, it could save you a lot of time, especially if you haven't had a lot of direction in the past.

Excellent For Novice and Experienced Weightlifters
This is a fantastic resource for lifters at all stages of experience and strength development.Novices should check this volume out in order to start their weightlifting off correctly and avoid the bad habits and wasted time that often come with being self-taught.More experienced lifters will also find plenty in this book that is new to them, whether it is an understandable explanation of metabolic pathways, a discussion of the adaptation process, or the actual programming tips themselves.Rippetoe, et al., provide a wonderful antidote to the "Bosu Ball" school of fitness theory that dominates in so many gyms these days.Get this, read this, re-read this, and arm yourself with all of the information that you need to strength train correctly. ... Read more

Product Description
If you are new to programming with Python and are looking for a solid introduction, this is the book for you. Developed by computer science instructors, books in the "for the absolute beginner" series teach the principles of programming through simple game creation. You will acquire the skills that you need for practical Python programming applications and will learn how these skills can be put to use in real-world scenarios. Throughout the chapters, you will find code samples that illustrate concepts presented. At the end of each chapter, you will find a complete game that demonstrates the key ideas in the chapter, a summary of the chapter, and a set of challenges that tests your newfound knowledge. By the time you finish this book, you?ll be well versed in Python and be able to apply the basic programming principles you?ve learned to the next programming language you tackle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

Best book I've found
This book is the only programming book that didn't bore me to death!I've read 20-30 programming books and never made it through them.I always find it too much writing and not enough hands on.This book uses one program after another to show you how and why the code is written.

Every time I finished a section I really had a firm grasp on the concepts and was working the challenges at the end of the chapter with only minimal reference to the book.The programs are simple, fun, and perfect to teaching.The book is laid out well and you keep rushing through the chapters to get to the next section which is more advanced and more fun.I like that it includes GUIs and graphics.

I would disagree that this book is only for those without any Python.I knew a little and had written some scripts before I read it.The simple and structured approach is great.

Buy this book and you will have a solid foundation for expanding into the more advanced areas like graphics, networking, etc.

Fine Choice for First Programming Book
I am a beginner with respect to programming, and do not have a particularly technical background:I know almost no math though I know formal logic pretty well.I was interested in learning something about computer programming just for fun and have looked through a number of books about a number of languages.I even spent some time with C before I decided on Python.To an absolute beginner, it seemed a relatively intuitive language without some of the messy detail required by C, for example, about memory allocation.I chose this book simply because it looked fun and very clear.Each chapter focuses on tools needed to create games.I do not have any interest at all in playing computer games of any kind, but it is a relatively painless way to learn Python.I also found the exercises at the end of each chapter very good.They are hard enough but not too hard.They generally required a fair amount of time and effort, but I was able to finally figure out all of them. This is important since I am doing this on my own.

The Cons:The book aims to be simple and brief, but sometimes it is too simple and brief.Yes I learned to get the computer to do this or that, but I did not fully get some of the concepts.In fact, I think the book moved on to fancy stuff like graphics before I got down all I needed of the basics such as file control.Perhaps someone who already knew something about programming would have had less trouble. For example, the material on writing to a file stored on the hard drive for future use was fine, as far as it went.But I realized, when trying to write a program of my own, that I did not understand a key point.If you have recorded some data to a file, and then want to revise that data, Python rewrites the entire file.Huh?What about my original data?It gets over written. There has to be a solution to this problem, but I did not find it in the book.After hours of work I devised a way to get the right result, but it was very messy and, when I posted a question on a Python forum, I found there was a simple way to do what I wanted.Maybe I am a bit thick, but I think this could have been directly covered in the book.There were several other topics that needed more discussion.

Still, keeping in mind that this book only goes so far, it is a very good introduction to Python.But if you are serious about learning Python, at some point, you are going to need one of those big fat and far more boring books.

Best Intro To Programming Yet...
I work as a software tester and deal with programming constantly. I have a minimal understanding of programming and have written basic scripts in Perl, C#, and Ruby. Oddly, for the testing I do, I have come across a lot of tools written in Python. To utilize those I decided to try this book out. I have to say that if you are new to programming in any way this book is great. The author literally breaks down every line of every program you write and explains what each line does and how they interact. I have never seen that in any programming books I have seen. Normally there is that point in the book where the author makes a huge leap and I cannot seem to find how he/she got there from where we just were. That has not happened in this book yet.

I will update my post as soon as I have completed the book.

Very Easy
Wonderful easy to ready book. Just what you need to get started in Python. Great examples that actually work. Clearly explained for the beginner.

Excellent book to teach programming.
First, to correct some misconceptions:

The Python language environment is available for free at python dot org.To get the latest version, this is where to get it from.
It comes pre-installed on Mac's, and most versions of Linux.HOWEVER, this book (3rd edition) requests that you do the exercises in version 3.1.x.
The Mac, and most Linux machines come with version 2.5.x or 2.6.x right now.So you will want to download 3.1 even if Python is pre-installed on your machine.

Windows doesn't come with Python pre-installed, so just select the 3.1.x version for x86 computers.The installer is EXCELLENT.
I tested it on WinXP, Vista, Win7, Mac OS X, and Ubuntu Linux, and all are usable.
Note that with WIN and Mac, when you save a file, you must put the .py extension when saving.Linux does it for you.

The digital version exercises are hard to find.The book points you to the website, but not where they are on the site.One of the menu picks on the bottom of the screen will get you headed in the right direction.This is why I gave it 4 stars.Something like that should not be busted on a fairly new book.

====================================================================

Review:

I was a commercial programmer from 1977-1992.So I had some experience with programming and know several languages.My children are 10 and 12 with no programming exposure.I wanted to teach them programming since it is not offered at their school.I picked Python since it's a high-level language that supports OOP (object oriented prog) yet can be used without it.

From the first day, it had the kids begging for more, and Dad wasn't bored either.Yes, some of it is a bit (yawn) for me, but it was necessary for the kids to avoid confusion.The tasks use games as examples, which makes the lessons less tedious, if not outright fun.There are homework challenges at the end of each chapter, and working source code for the lesson tasks should you get lost.

Whether there is a better book, I cannot say.But I do know it's about as good of a textbook as they come in my experience.

If you are an experienced programmer, just make your tasks a bit harder, but do read every page.There is often a bit of humor, or a little insight that makes it worth the read. ... Read more

Product Description
Learn C programming from one of the best. Stephen Kochan’s Programming in C is thorough with easy-to-follow instructions that are sure to benefit beginning programmers. In its third edition, the style in this book remains true to the simple, instructional style of previous editions. It provides you with updated and relevant examples of how C programming can be used with small, fast programs, similar to the programming used by large game developers such as Nintendo. If you want a one-stop-source for C programming, this book is it!

Programming in C, Third Edition is a revised edition of a classic programming title. Author Stephen Kochan's style and thorough explanations have earned him a place among the most respected of computer book authors. Although the C programming language hasn't undergone any major changes, it's enjoying new life among game programmers and small device programmers, where its simple elegance makes it the ideal choice for small fast programs. Large game developers, such as Nintendo, use C almost exclusively. This edition combines the time-tested instructional style of Stephen Kochan with updated and relevant examples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Hallelujah!
I wanted to learn C so that I could program microcontrollers.This is the book I chose after scouring almost every modern C book on the market.I looked at several books for about two months and was really discouraged from programming, because i had no faith in my text choices. They were either disorganized/scattered, too terse, or lacked a thorough linear approach that was presented with confidence.

This book was truly a godsend for me.I went through the first two chapters and I was hooked immediately to the writing style, flow, coverage/explanations, examples, etc.It took me about two months to finish the entire book and all of the problems at the end of each chapter.

All i had to do was read this book and do the problems.That simple.

Why can't all books be like this!?
----

Even a dum dum like me can learn C, so can you!

A very easy understand Programming book, I would give another star if I could.
-Like I stated above.-
-This book does an excellent job of building you to more and more advanced concepts.The book is well written for first time programmers, with little to no experience.The author really can't make it any easier than he did in this book.Many of the first few chapters can be skipped if you are only using this book to quickly learn C, and have some basic knowledge already.
-All the positive reviews are on point.
-This book is an excellent book for really learning C.

Great reference covering aspects K&R do not well enough
Face it, too many books, electronic and in print, that cover this language.What I enjoy most about Kochan's book is the presentation of material from a digestible introduction onto more complex topics but with the presentation of the core code first.

What I would expect that K&R do not always bring.I own both texts in print if it is not obvious by now and recommend both for understanding basic and essential concepts, especially about pointers and structs.For the price and heft, Kochan's book can not be beaten and his coverage of OOP especially in this time is appreciated.

No, C is not Object Oriented but I am looking at diving into Objective C (Kochan published a book) when I have learned more data structures.I am using this book for a class now that is Systems Programming and heavy with UNIX and, of course, C.If you buy it, I am certain it will retain value as a reference beyond completion of study.

More theoretical/academic than practical
Having not seen too many textbooks on this topic I'm not sure if it's considered very well-written. The explanations are mostly easy to follow but examples seem more theoretical/ academic than real world/practical. For someone out of college and working in the real world, it's not as practical and easily accessible as other popular titles on the shelves thesedays.

Review of Programming in C
This text book starts with the very basics of computer programming and is a good learning tool for people with a wide range of programming experience, from the no nothing to those who might already know a few languages. ... Read more

Product Description
BEGINNING C++ THROUGH GAME PROGRAMMING, THIRD EDITION approaches learning C++ from the unique and fun perspective of games. Written for the beginning game developer or programmer, the book assumes no previous programming experience and each new skill and concept is taught using simple language and step-by-step instructions. Readers will complete small projects in each chapter to reinforce what they've learned and a final project at the end combines all of the major topics covered in the book. Featuring twenty five percent new material, this third edition covers all the latest technology and advances. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

3rd edition? Doesn't look any different from the previous edition
This sounds like a good racket to get into. Just write a book and every other year or so add a paragraph and call it a new edition. I liked the second edition but see no reason what so ever for justifying a 3rd edition. Its the same stuff almost verbatim. Nothing new of value is being added.

Total ripoff for a Kindle book
I bought the Kindle version of this book, so there is no companion CD-ROM.When you go to the website recommended for download of files for the CD-ROM, you are immediately redirected to a site that will sell you the CD-ROM (a company called Delmar Cengage Learning).Lucky me, I can pay $29.99 for the online companion, and I can't get the files, source code for the programs or games, will have to go elsewhere for the Bloodshed Dev-C++ (easy enough), and won't get the "useful links."I don't give a dang at this point if this is a good book or not, I feel completely ripped by the fact that I can pay nearly double for the "companion" information than I paid for the Kindle book.Total ripoff.

Not bad as an introduction to C++
This book does a fairly decent job of introducing new programmers to various C++ topics such as data types, flow control, functions and object-oriented development. It was pretty easy to absorb (with the obligatory struggle on pointers, of course), and I feel it gave me a pretty good start to learning more about C++.

On the other hand there were a few places in the book where the flow seemed to be just right, when all of a sudden a concept would be introduced that kind of seemed out of place or plugged in after the book was finished, as it was not nearly as well presented or explained as the reader had grown accustomed to seeing in the rest of the book. It would usually be only a brief departure, but each time it left me scratching my head and flipping back through several previous pages, wondering what I had missed. One example is the discussion regarding memory usage and the heap. I saw the disclaimer (paraphrasing) "This example is shown as an abstract diagram, because we are talking about an object, rather than a string literal." Used several times throughout that chapter, without ever being provided any explanation on why that point is even significant.

While the example code was straightforward enough and did serve to demonstrate the author's points, it often lacked enough context to provide a thorough understanding of the topic. For example, seeing the way pointers and references behave differently is good information, but no clue is given as to why or how you would determine which you need in a given situation.

All in all I found the book useful, but I'm certain there are better options out there.

Excellent learning material
This was a great choice for me to purchase this book and I have to thank all the positive reviews on Amazon for it. Some people were apparently confused by the title on the first edition and so it was altered on the second. This book is for people who want to learn C++ as opposed to people wanting to learn game programming. This is the perfect choice for absolute beginners. The author explains things really well and assumes you know very little about programming. His writing style is concise yet light and quite methodical, starting off with basic programming structures and building his way up to classes. This book alone will not teach you everything you need to know but it surely was an excellent introduction for me into the world of C++ and the fact it used game creation as a vehicle, this made it even more interesting for me.

GREAT
Great book it is written simplistically but not too simplistically he writes like he would teach it in a class and unlike some reviewers it was not written for computer illiterate just a person with no programming experience, for the people who are looking to get this book IT DOES NOT USE GRAPHICS there is no animation because with out something to supplement C ++ it has no graphics function it need direct x or something along those lines i personally recommend this book to anyone looking to learn c ++ but if you want to go more in depth and make a graphical game then get a follow up ook that will build on this one. ... Read more

Product Description

The best-selling introduction to Cocoa, once again updated to cover the latest Mac programming technologies, and still enthusiastically recommended by experienced Mac OS X developers.

“Aaron’s book is the gold standard for Mac OS X programming books—beautifully written, and thoughtfully sculpted. The best book on Leopard development.”

—Scott Stevenson, www.theocacao.com

“This is the first book I’d recommend for anyone wanting to learn Cocoa from scratch. Aaron’s one of the few (perhaps only) full-time professional Cocoa instructors, and his teaching experience shows in the book.”

—Tim Burks, software developer and creator of the Nu programming language, www.programming.nu

“If you’re a UNIX or Windows developer who picked up a Mac OS X machine recently in hopes of developing new apps or porting your apps to Mac users, this book should be strongly considered as one of your essential reference and training tomes.”

—Kevin H. Spencer, Apple Certified Technical Coordinator

If you’re developing applications for Mac OS X, Cocoa® Programming for Mac® OS X, Third Edition, is the book you’ve been waiting to get your hands on. If you’re new to the Mac environment, it’s probably the book you’ve been told to read first. Covering the bulk of what you need to know to develop full-featured applications for OS X, written in an engaging tutorial style, and thoroughly class-tested to assure clarity and accuracy, it is an invaluable resource for any Mac programmer.

Specifically, Aaron Hillegass introduces the three most commonly used Mac developer tools: Xcode, Interface Builder, and Instruments. He also covers the Objective-C language and the major design patterns of Cocoa. Aaron illustrates his explanations with exemplary code, written in the idioms of the Cocoa community, to show you how Mac programs should be written. After reading this book, you will know enough to understand and utilize Apple’s online documentation for your own unique needs. And you will know enough to write your own stylish code.

Updated for Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5, this revised edition includes coverage of Xcode 3, Objective-C 2, Core Data, the garbage collector, and CoreAnimation.

Topics covered: Brief history of the Mac platform (from NeXTSTEP to Mac OS X), basic Cocoa development in Objective-C, using Project Builder and Interface Builder tools, tutorial to Objective-C (instances, variables, using classes, arrays and other containers, custom classes), the Objective-C debugger, basic Cocoa controls (building user interfaces), tables and data sources, event handling and delegates, archiving documents (encoding and decoding, saving and loading documents), Nib files, window panels, saving and retrieving user defaults (including using dictionary classes), notifications (observers and more on delegates), alert panels, localization (including string tables, a English and French example, the nibtool utility), custom views and drawing, drawing images and mouse events (plus coordinates systems and autoscrolling views), responders and keyboard events, fonts and strings (including attributed strings and PDF support), pasteboards and nil-targeted actions, using Objective-C categories (a code reuse feature), drag-and-drop support, timers, sheets and drawers, formatting strings, printing support, on-the-fly menu updating, text editing with text views, basic tutorial for using Java with Cocoa, and custom Interface Builder palettes (and inspectors). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (114)

Fantastic book but totally obsolete
The book is very well written, with pragmatic approach that will get you going with Mac Apps quickly. Nonetheless, it's impossible to follow it coherently since most of Xcode and Interface Builder has changed drastically since this book was written. For me it was too much.

It needs an update.

A great place to start ...
This book is really spot on if you have no Cocoa experience.I find that as I progress with Cocoa I really don't use this book much.The first 10 chapters are really good.I feel like some of the chapters in the middle go on and on and on.It's very difficult to make examples that are compact yet informative, but for the most part the book achieves that.Worth a read for sure.The AmaZone app example is great, although you'll have to make an extra NSURLConnection call to [...] to get your request signed before sending it to amazon.com.

Not for beginners
Despite the accolades by some, this is not a book for beginners.To learn programming you need lots of examples, lots of exercises in a defined problem space (so you can solve them! and learn...) and good explanations not only of what a particular feature does, but what it is for and how to use it, practically, and in your own programs.This book fails on all these criteria.Further, some of the examples don't work, and they are so complex that a beginner is baffled as to where even to start looking to fix them.

If you don't know Objective C (which was my situation - my background was self taught programming in C and the GEM GUI on the Atari Falcon) or even don't know C, Steve Kochan has written an excellent book, "Programming in Objective C 2.0", on these issues and also on the Foundation Kit.His book satisfies all the criteria mentioned above.We need him to write a similar book on Cocoa.Don't waste your time, or your money, on Hillegass.

After spending several fruitless months on Hillegass's book, I found free help elsewhere: my friends, the sad news is that there is no avoiding reading Apple's guides to XCode and Interface Builder, and above all, the Cocoa Fundamentals Guide, and dipping into other guides, as necessary.I recommend working through Apple's Cocoa Application Tutorial (much to learn there) and Apple's sample programs in the Image Kit Programming Guide (even more to learn, not just image-kit specific stuff) - and note that these programs DO work.The Wikibooks "Programming Mac OS X with Cocoa for Beginners" is another excellent tutorial, with excellent explanations. I also found the Cocoa tutorials by Julius Guzy (start at:[...]) to be invaluable. These have the great merit of focusing on just one topic at a time - so if you stuff up, as invariably happens sometimes, you have a defined problem space which, yes, you can indeed solve with some ingenuity and perseverance, and learn from having solved.

Strange and Difficult
I did a lot of research before buying this book, and the overwhelming accolades seemed to assure me that my [...] bucks would be money well-spent.Personally, I feel very let down by it. The way the author jumps into code without explanation, routinely giving you half a page of calls with absolutely zero previous discussion of what they do or where they come from, is both baffling and frustrating.

Most of the exercises are conducted with a tone along the lines of "Just do what I tell you and it'll make sense later," which doesn't suit my learning style.

Much of the book is focused on multi-chapter projects, which can be problematic for someone who has a project in mind and simply wants to learn how different aspects of Cocoa work.

Also, the text really fails at answering any questions you might have about anything. Seriously, if you have a question in your head, you will never find the answer unless you muddle through the assignment. The book has a tendency to never talk about anything in particular with any depth, and only explains things in as much as they apply to the current example.

For future editions, here are some recommendations:

1) When you introduce a new object, give us a list of methods near the beginning of the chapter, so we aren't constantly guessing what you're talking about. There are times when every new line of code feels like a surprise.

2) Cover some basic things that actual people want to know. Here's a big one: "How do I open and parse a file?"

3) Take it easy on the line drawings. They sometimes make things seem a lot more complex than they actually are.

4) The cavalier handling of Bindings is often infuriating. I've re-read sections literally a dozen times without figuring out why things are bound to this thing instead of that.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. This book is decent, and it will tell you how to do a LOT of things, but you really have to earn it. It's a textbook, and it expects you to follow a course from beginning to end. If you're not willing to do that, you really shouldn't pick up this book, as it will drive you nuts.

Also, once it starts getting into writing code, you have to be patient enough to roll with it when you're confused. For me, the book left so many unanswered questions while I was working through it that I was almost perpetually filled with angst over things. I'd rather learn one thing at a time, learn it well, and move on to another thing.

Overall a good book, worthy of getting as a primer for Cocoa Programming
I own this book and worked through it fairly diligently.Having come out the other end of the book, I would say it provides a good foundation for continuing on, but I don't think this book is enough to start writing your own apps without some more assistance.I think it *almost* gets you there, but falls short in a couple of areas.I think if you buy this book with the intention of picking up one or more additional books to continue on, then this book will serve it's purpose, but I do think if you try and start programming just from this book, you'll be a bit lost when your done.I myself picked up Cocoa Design Patterns, which seems like a good next step so far.It provides a LOT less hand holding, but if you've gone through Hillebrands book, you should be ready for that anyway.

I think if I could sit down with Hillebrand and make any recommendation it would be to either have put more into this book, or break it up into 2-3 books, with some additional details along the way.In many cases as I diligently typed in the code examples I was often somewhat lost as I went along.Some things became more clear as the book progressed, but others remained somewhat murky.For instance the chapter on drag-drop.There was a lot of code there, and not a lot of explanation.I see that there is a follow up book to this by him coming out in July, which I intend to purchase, and I recently bought his iPhone book, which while I haven't gone through it in detail appears to be improved over this in it's flow, or perhaps it's just that I know more about Cocoa in general that it's not overwhelming me.

I can't say how difficult this book would have been without extensive OOP experience, but if your considering this as a starting point for programming, don't.This book, Cocoa itself is *not* for beginners.I would say you really need to cut your teeth with some general OOP concepts and put your time into programming them before you try and tackle Cocoa.PHP could be a pretty good way to build up your knowledge.It would allow you to learn programming and OOP while not getting bogged down with having to try and tackle interfaces, messaging etc.If you do already have oop experience, but don't know Objective-C, it's certainly different than other OOP languages I've used (Java, C++, PHP) but it's more syntactical than anything else.This book provides a decent primer on Obj-C and by the time I got past those primer chapters I was pretty set with regard to Obj-C itself.


I did really like this book. I have a good foundation on Cocoa now and while I am still in need of more books to start filling in the gaps and continue on my journey, this served as a good start for that, and I would most definately recommend this book.You should definately goto the book website and download the example/source code, I found on some of the challenges that I didn't figure out, it was helpful to see his examples and then move on, rather than spend time trying to find the needle in the haystack, at some point you do need to punt and move on...

It's worth mentioning that while I'd say 80-85% of what he talks about re: the Interface Builder was still relevant, this being from 2008, the IB has changed with the most recent version just enough that when I started this book as a complete newbie, I got stuck in a couple places until I could gather the knowledge to understand where his instructions were no longer accurate.In the end for me some googling solved my hickups.So for anyone starting with this book and using XCode 3.2 or newer, know that you'll find a few things work differently, and also know that once you see what you need to do differently and understand it, the differences are pretty minor, it's just when your totally new and don't know the IB well enough, it can seem impossible at first.A little perseverance will get you through.It would have been nice if the author had provided a bit more updates on his website about the differences, he gave some info, but it was pretty cursory.

FInally, even with my criticisms, I want to say I didn't intend the criticisms to be reasons not to get the book, but rather heads-up about where you would need to find other resources to keep you chugging along, and also to say that as good as this book is, I do think additional more advanced books are required afterward to ensure you move along on your journey. ... Read more

Product Description
Want to learn computer programming but aren't sure where to start? Programming for the Absolute Beginner provides a gentle learning curve in programming for anyone who wants to develop fundamental programming skills and create computer programs. The primary focus is on teaching the reader how to program using a free implementation of BASIC called Just BASIC. As such, the book focuses on developing programs that run on Microsoft? Windows?, but also presents programming principles that apply to different environments, including other operating systems and the Internet. Additionally, the book provides a solid foundation for advancing to different programming languages as you gain confidence in your newly acquired programming abilities. As part of the for the absolute beginner series, Programming for the Absolute Beginner teaches all the concepts through the creation of simple computer games, making the learning process much more fun and enjoyable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Best book for the ABSOLUTE beginner, ABSOLUTELY love it.
The title says it all. I've tried to learn programming for a long time, and this book has helped me a LOT. It gives you the basic foundation to start learning programming. Don't feel discouraged because it uses Just Basic to teach you. You'll find that after learning Just Basic, you can learn Visual Basic or any other basic dialect much faster. Also Just Basic is FREE, which I think is very important if you are a beginner and don't want to spend a lot of money from the start. More importantly, the programming techniques that you will learn here, can be applied to any programming language like Java, C++, etc. If you are an absolute beginner look no further, this is the book for you. And when you finish the book, you can visit the Just BASIC website and forums to learn even more.

NOTE:
Finding the downloads for the book is a little tricky if you use the address provided by the author, as the navigation of the website is not very well designed (not the author fault, is the book's Publisher website). I tried to publish the correct link here, but apparently is not permitted. Hint: search for the author's name in the website, then click on the book's name, and then on "Companion Contents: Bonus Section". You'll be directed to the download page where you can find the JBWebContentJF.zip file with all the material you'll need.


ANOTHER NOTE: Another very good book for beginners (though more theoretical) is "Sams Teach Yourself Beginning Programming in 24 Hours (2nd Edition)". I recommend it as a complement to this one.

snail pace leaving out the logic
For kids that want to learn how to play around this book is fine.For anyone looking to build a foundation upon which to build, this book leaves much wanting.

The title speaks well
Programming for the absolute beginner is exactly that! Anyone can pick up this book and easily learn C programming or programming fundamentals. It was used in one of my college courses to introduce fundamental programming techniques and I was easily able to grasp the basic concepts of programming. I also noticed a great improvement in those students who were having a difficult time with grasping the concept of pseudocode. This book is very helpful when using it as one of the first steps in learning programming. After completing and understanding this book, I recommend learning either advanced C or another language derived from C (C++, Java, etc.).

... for the Absolute Beginner.
The author explains programming concepts very well, despite the material making use of the relatively obscure Just BASIC language (a.c.w. BASIC, VB, and other well-known "exemplary" languages). The book also does some explaining of other programming languages (such as Perl and C++) to show differences between programming languages. Its style of training is one of many, so it will not please everyone, and it is not intended to train the reader specifically in Just Basic (which is just a stepping stone to other languages of choice). Novice programmers will have had more experience and knowledge than absolute beginner programmers, so the book's title is apt and therefore gets a high rating for its intended target audience.

Good Beginner Book
I bought the book for my 6th grade grandson, who was trying to learn scripting using a book he had purchased that employed a language other than BASIC.He was having trouble with the book and the software from the start.He couldn't get anything to work and found the book confusing.I've been doing programming for years, first using FoxPro then Visual Basic, so I thought I could help.Well I too found the book confusing starting with Chapter One and couldn't get the software to run.

I suggested that if he's interested in learning scripting that he try another book and perhaps consider starting with BASIC.He agreed, so I did some research of available books on Amazon.com, reading comments and passages that were available, and that led me to select this book.From all indications it was a good selections.My grandson told me that the book is very clear in it's explanations and that so far all the software and scripting programs he has tried work.He is happy with the book and believes it to be a very good learning tool.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A keeper
I received a copy of this from the publisher, and boy am I glad I did.It's a wonderful book that's an absolute keeper.

I've done quite a bit of systems level programming with POSIX systems and Linux and I wish that I'd had this book earlier primarily because its descriptions of systems-level programming on Linux are incredibly clear and detailed.Critically, the book is well written and never boring.I found it a pleasure to dip into different sections where I did know the subject (e.g. TCP and sockets) and where I did not (e.g. memory mapped files).

I then passed the book around in my office and a couple of days later got feedback from people that it had been very useful and that people thought it was well worth getting an office copy.

I was worried when the back cover claimed that the book was a 'new classic', but I think it's likely to be justified.It's nicely written and fun to read, and covers topics in depth.The most important thing is that the author has achieved the right balance in his descriptions and is able to explain clearly a huge variety of topics.

An outstandingly good book
"Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment" by Richard Stevens (2nd Edition updated by Stephen Rago in 2005) has been THE standard for UNIX system programming since the first edition came out in 1992. It is clear, correct and comprehensive. Another really excellent book is the updated edition of Marc Rochkind's "Advanced UNIX Programming." So it is unexpected that a new UNIX system programming book should come out that stands head and shoulders above the Stevens and Rochkind books, but Michael Kerrisk's "The Linux Programming Interface" does.

Kerrisk's book is more thorough, more comprehensive and just as well written as the Stevens and Rochkind books. It covers over 500 system calls in the SUSv3 and SUSv4 specification in 64 chapters, using 200 example programs, 88 tables, 115 diagrams and 1506 pages. It's a monumental work, and it's really very good. It is now easily THE standard book on Linux/UNIX system programming.

No work, no matter how good, is perfect, and I do have two small niggles, neither of which detract from its 5 star rating. (1) Some chapters have only one exercise. I wish there had been more. But, on the plus side, most chapters have at least one solution to an exercise. And, (2) the only treatment of debugging is a two page appendix on strace(1). I would have like to have had some discussion on the use of systemtap, gdb and other tools in debugging programs that use system calls.

All in all, an outstandingly good book and unreservedly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

• This book is a single reference that’s indispensable for Excel beginners, intermediate users, power users, and would-be power users everywhere
• Fully updated for the new release, this latest edition provides comprehensive, soup-to-nuts coverage, delivering over 900 pages of Excel tips, tricks, and techniques readers won’t find anywhere else
• John Walkenbach, aka "Mr. Spreadsheet," is one of the world’s leading authorities on Excel
• Thoroughly updated to cover the revamped Excel interface, new file formats, enhanced interactivity with other Office applications, and upgraded collaboration features
• Includes a valuable CD-ROM with templates and worksheets from the book

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Excellent Book
I am semi new to VBA. I have some basic experience with languages such as php and javascript. I purchased this book after buying a "begginning VBA" type book. The beginners book was far to basic (and poorly laid out) for my needs. I bought this book (excel 2007 power programming) and within a few hours of getting it, I was able to complete a few unfinished projects. This is a fantastic reference book, this is the first book EVER where I felt the included CD was worthwhile (in fact it has a ton of great examples from each chapter, and even some useful tools). It is clear enough that even a novice can use it, especially if the first few chapters are read beginning at page 1.

Excel 2007 Toolkit
This book really assists with the unique tools and programmable features to design that are not offered with the Excel built-in functions.I am able to develop my specific functions and subroutines to make my applications and data on my spreadsheets come together quickly and easily.

The best resource that I have found for VBA and creating scripts
This is the second version of this book that I have bought.My old version had become a little too out of date. I have found this book to be invaluable any time working on a VBA script for Excel and even other application.

Too much for me
I bought this book along with Excel Macros 2007 Made Easy, hoping it would be the logical next step up. Unfortunately, it is over my head! I was hoping to use it as a reference to look up VBA Statements and Functions and find examples of how to use them. So far, it has just pointed me to the Appendix that lists the Statement/Function along with a brief description. I really need an intermmediate book...

Course book rather than a reference book
If you are new to VBA and want to learn it well, or want to understand the structure of the language and its terms, this book is excellent.
However, it is not ideal as a reference book, which you would consult from time to time for specific topics. ... Read more

Product Description
So you want to be a programmer? Or maybe you just want to be able to make your computer do what YOU want for a change? Maybe you enjoy the challenge of identifying a problem and solving it. If programming intrigues you for whatever reason, Beginning Programming All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies is like having a starter programming library all in one handy, if beefy, book.

In this practical guide, you’ll find out about compiling, algorithms, best practices, debugging your programs, and much more. The concepts are illustrated in several different programming languages, so you’ll get a feel for the variety of languages and the needs they fill. Seven minibooks cover:

• Getting started
• Programming basics
• Data structures
• Algorithms
• Web programming
• Programming language syntax
• Applications

Beginning Programming All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies shows you how to decide what you want your program to do, turn your instructions into “machine language” that the computer understands, use programming best practices, explore the “how” and “why” of data structuring, and more. You’ll even get a look into various applications like database management, bioinformatics, computer security, and artificial intelligence. Soon you’ll realize that — wow! You’re a programmer!

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Beginning programming
i got item shipped to my office on time and the service is very good.

A Book on Programming-That Makes Sense!!!!!!
I am not a big fan of the Dummies Books or any "how to " book in which the author injects so called "humor"This book-however-written by a part time comedian no less-is outstanding!Why??? Because he can tell you in a few short sentences of plain concise English just what object oriented programming is.

This is no small easy feat!And I am dead serious. 99% of programming books are total incomprehensible gibberish for the non-programmer, for they are never written through the eyes of the reader for whom they are intended.One so called reviewer gave this fine volume two stars! He would rather have you read a book on the "Psychology of Programming"!!!The Silver Edition I should mention.

Beginning Programming is a very fine book for anyone wanting an overview of programming written in a clear concise style.This one previous sentence is high praise indeed for it is a rare occurrence.

Mixed bag -- useful but seriously flawed.
Okay, this book is well-written, it covers a lot of very basic programming concepts in a way that I think most people would find user-friendly, but it is also full of blips of technical inaccuracy.Because of these problems, I can't really recommend the book.

If you really want a really fast, easy to read intro to programming and you don't care if you learn a lot of little inaccuracies on the way, well, you might find this useful.But you might find a whole lot of intro to programming books useful. Just sayin.

As to the inaccuracies: let's take Book I, Chapter 1.Wang states that assembly language is easier to use than machine code because "one assembly language command can replace a dozen or more machine language commands."Um, sorry, but assembly languages have an exact one-to-one correlation with machine language.The reason assembly language is easier is because it will say something like "mov b3 b4" (move whatever is in b3 over to b4) instead of "10001 1110 0001 1100."But each assembly language command replaces just one machine language command.

Then, in Chapter 2, we have the statement that "structured programming teaches programmers that any program can be divided into . . . sequences, branches, and loops."Um, actually, spaghetti code also includes sequences, branches and loops.None of that stuff is in any way unique to structured programming, nor is it a sign that a program is structured.

Okay, I could list a bunch ofstuff like this, andyou'd say, "If I'm never going to program in assembly language, why would it matter?" "If I'm never going to have to tell anyone whether my code is structured or not, why would i care?"Well, it just seems that an entry level programming book should not give you inaccurate data.It's always a pain to be in a conversation about programming and find you are accidentally spewing out wrong "facts."It can easily make you look bad on the job or in a social situation.Not to mention the fact that the more serious you get about programming, the more of a pain it is to find you have to unlearn stuff you so carefully learned before.

Which leads me that other problem with this text.Serious students of computer science, including those with PhDs, can often be unduly dismissive of "amateurs," people who have learned to code without taking formal classes or being hyper-qualified mega-geniuses. And yes, that's a drag, because the proof of a programmer is in his/her code, not the degree(s) earned.

But Wang seems so determined to correct for this that he goes overboard.Talking about how "desire beats technical training every time" and how many important programs were written by people in other fields (some of whom had been intensively studying computer science for years on their own) does not correct the error of assuming that "amateurs" are, well, amateurish.Yes, Mr Wang does admit occasionally that computer scientists do some cool stuff, but he really seems determined to prove that education and study count for little to nothing in the real world.

The reality is that this is a field where both the serious academic and the passionate amateur can make amazing contributions -- but putting down the first does not effectively balance things out.

Plus, the attitude that "anyone can program" may be okay for most readers, but heaven help the poor reader who either can't program or the experienced programmers who must deal with the fellow who thinks that he's an expert because he's learned a few algorithms. The first will feel like an idiot, since after all "everyone" can do this, so he must be dumber than "everyone."The second is not in much trouble *unless* he's a programming manager.Nothing slows down, bogs down, and destroys programming projects like a member of non-programmer management who believes that "it's easy -- anyone can do it."

For details on that last, check out The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition (2nd Edition)and/or The Psychology of Computer Programming: Silver Anniversary Edition.Heck, check them out anyway -- they give brilliant insights into the world of programming, and can tell you a lot about what makes a programming project succeed or fail.Plus, they are rumored to ward off pointy-haired management for miles around.

For beginners
This book explains simple programming very clearly for someone who last worked with BASIC in the 1980's. After borrowing a library copy, we wanted a copy to keep.

Just what I needed
I've been programming in a high level language for years without having a CS background and have been looking for a "principle of programming & languages" type of book to round up the self-education. There are expensive textbooks around but this inexpensive and gentle alternative fills the bill nicely! ... Read more

Product Description
com/~bs/) have been added. The result is complete, authoritative coverage of the C++ language, its standard library, and key design techniques. Based on the ANSI/ISO C++ standard, The C++ Programming Language provides current and comprehensive coverage of all C++ language features and standard library components.

For example:

abstract classes as interfaces class hierarchies for object-oriented programming templates as the basis for type-safe generic software exceptions for regular error handling namespaces for modularity in large-scale software run-time type identification for loosely coupled systems the C subset of C++ for C compatibility and system-level work standard containers and algorithms standard strings, I/O streams, and numerics C compatibility, internationalization, and exception safety

Bjarne Stroustrup makes C++ even more accessible to those new to the language, while adding advanced information and techniques that even expert C++ programmers will find invaluable.Amazon.com Review
This classic work shows a care and understanding of C++ thatonly Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer of the language, can achieve. Italso conveys the punctilious and sometimes suffocating detail thatonly Stroustrup would desire to communicate. The novice programmerwill have difficulty distinguishing between the essential and thedispensable material. However, experienced C++ programmers willappreciate the reference manual portion of the book, which contains anexact definition of C++ that even numerous examples cannotexpress. Stroustrup's book has several chapters on classes and thereference manual component of the book contains the complete grammarof classes. This is a book that every experienced C++ programmer needsto own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (284)

The right c++ book
Being a java programmer, I was searching for a book giving me more insight in the c++ programming language. Before reading this book, I had good conceptual knowledge and practical experience of object oriented programming in java and c++.

This was not my first c++ book and I also successfully followed, during my bachelor studies, courses on data structure and algorithms based on "Algorithm in Java 1-5" by Robert Sedgewick (Addison Wesley books). However, the STL was quite new for me.

This book was definitively the right book to purchase. Yes, it is not an easy read: every sentence seems to contain important information and so it has to be read slowly to get the maximum benefit of it.

Bjarne-Stroustrup makes a magnificent job at explaining the c++ language from a compiler perspective, language design perspective and software design perspective. He helps you understand that the design of c++ is based on a series of choices and carefully taken decisions.

I have although very much liked the structure of the book which supports well its difficulty: every chapter start with a list of concept to be explained and end with advices and exercises. I found the advice section very useful to test the understanding of what you read. Moreover, every time the author makes a reference to an example - particular topic (already seen or to be seen), there is a paragraph reference. This is of a great help!

Finally I found the part on the Standard Library very understandable despite the fact that my knowledge of it before reading the book was limited.

Many thanks to Bjarne-Stroustrup for this book!

C++ is not what it should be
C is Unix and C++ is just another Multics in the programming language world.
I would consisder C++ a testbed for language design and implementation, but
not a successful language.

It has lots of features, and most of programmers would be misled and get confused(
this culminates in c++0x)
Bajarne told people to focus on techniques not features, it's really hard
to follow in the real world though. I think a good programming language should
be simple and elegant, and won't cause confusion for any level of programers.
C does a better job, and Java is ok. If I have other choices of OO programming
languages, I would give it a try. C++ is really a dilemma for me.

Pretty good.
Good book.He did write the language.Perhaps a bit of a personality would make learning more enjoyable.
No offense to the author.All the information is in the book, just so darn hard to stay awake.

Sorry.Buy it if you have lots of coffee!

This is the definitive reference
Great book, and I believe an absolute must for any serious C++ programmer. Great as a reference, and a very informative (if a little involved) read. Nothing beats the thoughts of the language designer/creator when it comes to understanding how C++ works.

C++ by the Man Himself
There is nothing to review about this product. This is THE reference for C++ programming by the man who is behind the development of the language. His insight into the process of programming and what developers need is astounding. This book is the only book you need for C++ programming. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (26)

Good Principals - Bad Timing - Poor Focus
The programming principals in the book are sound and valid.However, the book was written based on Python 2.5 instead of Python 3.0 which is a sticking point; I say this because the original release date in late 2008 would have allowed for for at least Python 2.6, but I digress.Each project in the book builds upon the previous module that was covered which is good, however the opportunity to teach core programming principals at one time in the beginning is missed.The text is easy to read and the syntax is explained well with relevant explanations.By the end of the book, the reader should be able to make a text-based programs, a windowed program, and different forms of arcade games.I was very pleased to see the layout for a card game which no one else has done to date.However, the author presents a lot of various graphic user interface mechanisms and doesn't really focus enough on them before moving on.Several editors for python are covered as well; some are challenging to install and configure which could be discouraging.I would like to point out that the author's use of EasyGUI is great because it is easier to use than Tkinter that comes standard with Python and allows the user to make text based programs more user friendly.However, he moves from EasyGUI to Pygame (which could be a book unto itself) and then to Python Card (which needs another module wxpython).My point is that it would have been better if he had stuck with EasyGUI and focused more on one of the graphic modules instead of dabbling with all of them.I was fortunate that the book was offered at my local library.If you dont get this book, then I would recommend "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, 2nd Edition" by Al Sweigart which is written in Python 3 (and available as a free PDF) or "Game Programming: The L Line, The Express Line to Learning" (The L Line: The Express Line To Learning) by Andy Harris even though it's written with Python 2.

Great book! Important subject
Computer science is a very important subject in our continuously evolving world. This book is great for beginners and I think would be a welcomed challenge for any child eager to learn programming. This book does not teach python but it uses it to teach general programming skills. I am just about to start computer science at the university level and had no previous programming experience. I am half way through this book and already am amazed at how much I half learned. I will add more to this review when I begin school in August to see if this book did give me a jump start or not. This book also came with a PDF version which is very nice to use when having to type up the examples the book gives you. (So you can keep your eyes on the monitor and not look away towards the printed book)

Out-dated
This book looks great for kids, but it is out of date for the current version of Python (3.1.2). My 11-yr-old couldn't even run the first program (hello world) without tech support from his professional-computer-programing uncle. Who told us how to change the code so it would work. The simplest program needs to be changed! I can't imagine how frustrating this is going to get. The website recommended in the book is less than helpful. I would not recommend buying this book unless you have a family/friend who can offer tech support.

Great introduction programming book for kids, and adults too!
My 10 year old found this book to be fun and challenging.It is a great starter book for teaching the basics of computer programming. It has many example programs and step by step instructions for each new concept.It also includes solutions in the book and on the website that can be referred to when you just can't figure out the error in your program.Highly recommend this book.

my son is learning how to program
I bought this book for my 13 yr old son who has been wanting to learn how to do programming. So far the book has kept his attention and he has tried and is learning some of the things in the book. I think its the best money I have spent. ... Read more

Product Description

"This is the definitive reference book for any serious or professional UNIX systems programmer. Rago has updated and extended the original Stevens classic while keeping true to the original."

—Andrew Josey, Director, Certification, The Open Group, and Chair of the POSIX 1003.1 Working Group

The same trusted content from the Second Edition, now in paperback!

For over a decade, serious C programmers have relied on one book for practical, in-depth knowledge of the programming interfaces that drive the UNIX and Linux kernels: W. Richard Stevens' Advanced Programming in the UNIX® Environment. Now, Stevens' colleague Stephen Rago has thoroughly updated this classic to reflect the latest technical advances and add support for today's leading UNIX and Linux platforms.

Rago carefully retains the spirit and approach that made this book a classic. Building on Stevens' work, he begins with basic topics such as files, directories, and processes, carefully laying the groundwork for understanding more advanced techniques, such as signal handling and terminal I/O.

Substantial new material includes chapters on threads and multithreaded programming, using the socket interface to drive interprocess communication (IPC), and extensive coverage of the interfaces added to the latest version of the POSIX.1 standard. Nearly all examples have been tested on four of today's most widely used UNIX/Linux platforms: FreeBSD 5.2.1; the Linux 2.4.22 kernel; Solaris 9; and Darwin 7.4.0, the FreeBSD/Mach hybrid underlying Apple's Mac OS X 10.3.

As in the first edition, you'll learn through example, including more than 10,000 lines of downloadable, ANSI C source code. More than 400 system calls and functions are demonstrated with concise, complete programs that clearly illustrate their usage, arguments, and return values. To tie together what you've learned, the book presents several chapter-length case studies, each fully updated for contemporary environments.

Advanced Programming in the UNIX® Environment has helped a generation of programmers write code with exceptional power, performance, and reliability. Now updated for today's UNIX/Linux systems, this second edition will be even more indispensable.

Customer Reviews (18)

Top Unix Programming Book
If you are a serious Unix Systems Programmer or just learning to program on the Unix platform, this is the book you need. It is the bible of the Unix API. The 2nd edition covers all relevant topics and more. I reference mine so much it is starting to show some wear. It is a classic.

Excelente book
The explanations are very good
Very good examples (you can find the codes online)

A lot of proffesors recomended this book

APUE is a classic
nice, old school manual.
it is priceless for any Unix programmers.
many thanks to Stevens and Rago.

Efficient book
Despite of the book's size I have read more than a half in a short period of time. This book can be used as a reference and a textbook.

A book every serious programmer should have
This is the best $52 I have ever spent in my life. This book is really great. It provides very detailed information about UNIX functions.
I think every one should have this books at their desk. I love this book. :) ... Read more

Product Description
Master the problem-solving skills and techniques associated with object-oriented program development using this hands-on, reader-friendly text. C# Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, Second Edition, introduces a variety of basic programming concepts, from data types and expressions to arrays and collections, all using C# as the programming language. Ideal for both novices and programmers with experience in other languages, this book goes beyond traditional programming books by including new, advanced software development features that are often only found in specialized books. Full chapters are devoted to ADO.NET and ASP.NET. The second edition has been revised to include new features of Visual C# 2005, including generics and partial classes, so readers receive an up-to-date education on programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not Such A Good Programming Book
I am surprised to see the few people here that are raving about this book. This is not my first programming class, but this is one of the worst textbook we have had to use. I don't just base this on my experience but it has actually been a topic of conversation within our discussion boards. The college is using this book as our textbook for an online class. The problem with the book is the author appears to talk in circles. I would prefer a more direct approach of this is and that is and this is why this does that, period, then some examples. But the author goes on, starts to cover information then says it will be in a chapter in the future? I also have the power point presentations that are a real hit and miss with the data. Not all the data in logically covered in the presentations from the book, I have found large portions completely not included in the presentations.

Personally I have ordered another book to help enlighten me from the circles this author has left me in. I have found better explanations at Microsoft direct than this book.

Great for first time learner
This was my first class with C# and this text really helped me to understand the basics.It was easy to read and comprehend the ideas presented.

Great book
I obtained this book via a programming class I am taking. It is easy to follow and very informative.This is based upon the little bit of programming experiece I have done over the past few years and reading multiple programming books that I own.It is worth the read.If the price is too much you can ask your local library to purchase a copy.

Excellent book. Delivered quickly.
The book came quickly and as advertised. Excellent text for beginning programmers in the C# language.

Exceptional book on C#
I used this book for a class I took and it is exceptional.Outstanding organization and quite deep in explanations.I found the examples and exercises to be especially useful. ... Read more

Product Description
Perl is a powerful interpreted programming language thathas matured steadily since it first appeared in 1988.The first edition of this book, Programming Perl, hit the shelves in 1990, and was quickly adopted as theundisputed Bible of the language. Since then, Perlhas grown with the times, and so has this book.Programming Perl provides a unique introduction to thePerl language and its culture, as you might expect onlyfrom its authors. This third edition of the book has beenexpanded to cover version 5.6 of Perl. New topics includethreading, the compiler, Unicode, and other features thathave been added or improved since the previous edition.Amazon.com Review
Larry Wall wrote Perl and he wrote Programming Perl. Better yet, he writes amusingly and well--all of which comes across in this latest edition of the definitive guide to the language.

Like Topsy, Perl just grew, and as a result the need for a third edition came about. It's now over 1,000 pages, which it needs to be, as it performs several different duties. First, it's an introduction to the Perl language for those who are new to programming; also, it's a guide for those who are coming from other languages; and, finally, it's a Perl language reference.

Among Larry Wall's other pursuits is being a linguist, and it's perhaps for this reason that Perl is a peculiarly flexible language with many routes to achieving the same ends, as the authors ably demonstrate. It's also extensible in several ways, designed to work with many other languages. Also, as it's largely interpreted, programs written in Perl tend to run unmodified on a variety of platforms--although platform-specific Perl modules and programming practices are also discussed.

A major strength of Programming Perl is the way subject areas are approached from several directions. This constant shift of viewpoint eliminates blind spots in the reader's understanding and provides a pleasing echo of the way Perl itself can take many routes from here to there.

Because the Perl community is both knowledgeable and active, the language covers much more ground here than in the previous edition. Even if you have both previous editions, you'll want this latest version--if only for the new jokes. --Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (122)

still a gem
I have owned this book for almost ten years.I haven't been using Perl much for the last few years, but I have recently been inspired to use it for a couple of projects.I pulled out my old Camel to give myself a refresher...I had forgotten what a great book this is.It is a surprisingly enjoyable read, and presents the information in a very understandable way.Anyone who does anything with Perl, or administers a system with Perl on it, should do themselves a favor and get this book.I wish I had a book of this quality for every language I use.

Your Even-Numbered Perl Book?
This is THE Perl book, but unless your style of learning is very different from mine, I wouldn't recommend it as your FIRST Perl book. For that, try Learning Perl.

But after you've spent some time writing simple Perl scripts, this is an excellent choice for your SECOND Perl book. Don't be alarmed if you don't understand everything; this can also be your fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth Perl book. As your experience grows, this is the book you'll keep coming back to -- and not just for the reference material. You'll learn more each time you read it, but only the parts you're ready for NOW will stick with you.

Challenging and rewarding.

Great book, desperately needs updated
This book covers Perl in great detail. It's extremely useful, almost mandatory, for any Perl programmer. However, it is also out of date. It covers Perl 5.6. We are now on Perl 5.12. A lot has been added to the language since this book was released. In addition, a number of topics in the remaining O'Reilly Perl books, such as best practices, should be rolled back into this book.

Excellent book, a true classic
This is an excellent book and not just the best book to learn Perl with but also a true showpiece of technical writing. This takes a slightly unconventional approach compared to other Perl books you may find and some may find that it focuses on obscure language features a tad too much.

But all that is more than made up for in the way it covers the Perl philosophy, culture and it's overall style and tone. It is not often that you find yourself laughing out loud while reading a programming language book.

Highly recommended.

Good book if you can get past the language.
Make no mistake about it, this is the Best book to learn to Program Perl. It teaches you the Language in the best manner and teaches you what Perl iswhich is - There is more than one way to do it.

But the problem is the writing which is a bit boring and confusing.

It will take some effort on your part but once you ignore that it is a Great Book No doubt about it.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (35)

Wonderful Subject. Wonderful Book.
I was familiar with Dave Flanagan through his Javascript book. Seeing his name on the cover of this book was all I needed to buy it. And of course it doesn't hurt that Matz -- Ruby's creator -- was the other author. But to be fair, I had seen Matz' work in O'Reilly's "Beautiful Code" -- an essay called "Treating Code as an Essay." It was not only the best piece of writing in that book, but one of the best essays on programming I've ever read. It prompted me to scour the Internet for more of his writing, which lead to some great interviews on artima.com.

Although I could not tell you who wrote what, the combination in general is perfect. Flanagan's writing is always concise, practical, and to the point, with good examples. Like the late W. Richard Stevens -- he has a knack of anticipating your questions as you read and answering them. Matz insists on breathing life and humanity into what could otherwise result in dry technical treatment. His personality is to make things fun, which is why Ruby is such a wonderful language. While I am hardly a language aficionado, of the few languages I do know -- C/C++, Lua, Perl, Python, Ruby and Javascript -- Ruby is by far the most enjoyable, readable, concise, powerful, and overall easy to use of them all.

The book is solid all the way through. And it lived up to Ruby's prime directive: it made this programmer happy. There are some other Ruby books out there that are very good indeed. But if I was limited to only one, this would be it.

fantastic!
This book is everything a technical book should be! Clear, succinct, not too big ... not too small. Probably not for beginners, but for anyone intermediate and above, this will be the first and only book you need. The authors say they based it on"The C Programming Language" by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie and I think they've achieved the same sort of quality. You don't need a tomb to learn a programming language, you just need an author/authors who know how to elucidate their subject. A win for the forest amongst the trees ...

Excellent primer for experienced programmer
This book is both a great primer and reference while starting out with Ruby. The text is clearly written with little 'fluff.'

Good solid reference
This is one of those books that you just need to have. I have both this and the 1.8 Pick Axe book (Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmers' Guide, Second Edition). I use this one for quick look-ups as it's much smaller and packed with good information.

H

Excellent programming language book
This is a great book for experienced programmers trying to learn Ruby.It doesn't waste time explaining concepts you already know, or setting up silly examples, it just explains the language and how to use it.

The writing is clear and does a good job explaining even the more complicated features of the language.The code snippets are helpful and to the point.The pace is quick, but it covers everything well.

It also does a good job of pointing out differences between Ruby versions 1.8 and 1.9. ... Read more