3 comments about Programming in C with Numerical Methods for Engineers.

1. One of the best written books for beginners. Recommend without hesitation. Provides depth without pain.



2. If you already know C++ and would like to know C from numerical methods standpoint, get this book. It'd be easy for you to read a whole book within a few weeks. I use this book to learn C to apply these numerical methods toward bioinformatics applications but anyone who wants to learn C from the beginning should also be able to use this book. This book has lots of code examples and a experienced programmer should be able to read those examples and understand what C is like. I'm sure that C is better than Fortran in bioinformatics applications. Cheers!



3. I bought this book to look specifically into numerical methods and related 'C' code. As it turned out, some of the examples were drawn from civil and structural engineering but that apart the first half of the book can be used as an introductory C text. Dynamic data structures and preprocessors are clearly defined and explained.There are many examples and explanations are clear and detailed.The book covers with "good-working" C codes the solution of linear/non-linear equations,curve fitting and interploation,numerical differentiation and integration, and solution of ordinary differential equations.It ends with probablility, random walk problems and Monte Carlo techniques. Overall a good solid book that can be used any level of user.

5 comments about Optimizing C ++.

1. I think the book illustrated some useful implementations of speedy algorithms, but it is in no way is related to C++. When you see fopen, malloc, and free being used in every program, that should tell you something about how much useful C++ is contained within. I was disappointed with what I read within for the most part. The timings in the first chapter were performed on a 33 MHz i386, come on. That machine is ancient and does not represent any of some of the greatest computational architectural advances of all time. If you want to learn in limited scope, specific case speedups to C code, this book is for you. It is not for me.



2. This book is a collection of specific techniques, such as algorithms for sorting and data compression. Unless you have a very specialist need, these techniques are unlikely to be useful - these things are carried out by 3rd party products or using simpler, but perfectly adequate methods in most applications.

   The author also seems to demonstrate either an alarming lack of knowledge of C++ or the code within is the subject of a very basic C to C++ conversion. Basic errors abound, lack of variable initialisation is everywhere, C features are used where better C++ features exist.

   Additionally, the code typesetting is poor, indentation varies wildly from place to place.

   Not recommended, because i) the title is misleading and ii) the code within is very poor C++.

   Try Scott Meyers Effective C++ and More Effective C++ or Large Scale C++ Software Design by John Lakos instead.




3. Cons: As the guys have already mentioned this book has virtually (: nothing to do with C++ - specific optimization. Using the "class" keyword in the book a couple of times hardly justifies the title. What especially pisses me off is the "Based on the new ANSI Standard C++" quote on the cover. The poorly-formatted code which takes up 1/2 the book is really annoying, too. Pros: But aside that the book presents a bunch of useful specific techniques which are rarely covered in other books. If you find a place for these techniques in your code the book may be a life-saver. Source is included on disk. Overall: I would not reccomend buying the book before finding out whether the included material is relevant. For a good C++ - specific performance-issue book see Efficient C++ by Dov Bulka. It covers inheritance, inlining, templates, temporaries - REAL C++ issues, and I found it quite readable. max khesin.



4. An important book if you want to make the leap from 'programmer' to 'craftsman'. Steve Heller has written an advanced course in computer science using C++. By including some 'C' code, he shows that sometimes the best way to optimize C++ is to use a little 'C' (a bitter pill for many C++ purists).

   In an effort to eliminate 'code bloat' and 'CPU bottlenecks', the author has put the responsibility of program efficiency squarely on the shoulders of the programmer (where it belongs). With chapters on sorting, hashing, caching, compression and variable length records, he teaches the 'why's, not just the 'how's, of many important topics and algorithms.

   More then just an 'update' to his "Efficient C/C++ Programming", "Optimizing C++" is an 'Upgrade'. Full of useful code, diagrams and figures, you'll find many insights that can be translated into any language or project.

   Anyone can call a third-party library routine, this book shows you what you'll need to know to write the routines yourself. A must for serious programmers.




5. Steve Heller tries to teach about optimizing by giving specific examples and leaving it to the reader to find the generalizations. This is contrary to the normal method which would give general rules for optimizing, possibly with examples of specific techniques and let the reader find the uses. This book really consists of about six specific techniques which are good if they are applicable to your project but otherwise too narrow. Most of the space is one long technique (in excruciating detail) that Mr. Heller is particularly proud of.

   Steve Heller is noted for a clear and simple style (but be aware that one of ways he attains that is by belaboring simple points). His section pointing out the importance of measurement to optimizing (necessary to validate that an optimization that should speed up a program actually does result in improvement, rather than unexpectedly causing the reverse) is excellent and crucial.

   This is not an advanced book on optimization and is firmly grounded in a few specific techniques. This book can be of use to practical beginners but is of less value to experienced programmers.

2 comments about C and Unix Programming: A Comprehensive Guide.

1. I baught this book about 2 months ago and i'm about half way through it. There are many great things to say about this book so i'll start from the beginning.
   this book shows almost everything (minus the ASM) from the ground up, it shows memory and how C uses them when variables are declared, and explains references to memory blocks aswell.. it also as the name states is for learning C in *nix based systems, which helped me with problems i have had in the past with writing programs trying to use a windows C or dos C book for my reference.
   
   the reason why i'm not giving it a 5 star rating is the fact that much of the source code has errors.. usually errors that a beginner in C wouldnt recognize like a missing curly brace or missing semicolon. thats why i say its for someone thats wanting to advance their knowlege in C rather than being just an introductory book.
   
   other than that definately great Highly recomended for those who dont have ADD and have plenty of time on their hands.



2. This is exactly what I was looking for! N.S. Kutti's "C and Unix Programming: A Comprehensive Guide" can be used as a formal text or as a reference. The book covers basic to advanced C concepts on Unix. ANSI and Posix Standards are included. In my opinion, this book is a good model of what a formal college text should be. The book is heavy on theory without a lot of fluff, filler, or baby steps. I would recommend this book to C programmers or former enthusiasts who need a comprehensive review. A comprehensive C programming review can easily be done in 30 days using this book.

4 comments about C++ Gems: Programming Pearls from The C++ Report (SIGS Reference Library).

1. This book is excellent for a beginner and part time programmer. I especially appriciate the index, which I use frequently during programming to find out how it really works! The book covers the essential parts in c++ with a very good depth. This is the ONE book to use as handbook during c++ development to find out how c++ really works. I sometimes miss some more good examples to describe commands idears etc. Some programming experience and OO thinking is necessary to get the most out of the book.



2. C++ has reached maturity and still doesn't know exactly what it wants to be. This makes C++ both difficult and rewarding. One can approach C++ as a medium for expressing programs, but the richer rewards come when C++ is approached as a medium for expressing design.

   C++ Gems is an admirable collection of papers by masters of the art of balancing design against pragmatism. For those who want a comforting guiding voice, Koenig's "Ruminations on C++" is probably a better choice. But for those who want to cut a wide swath over all that C++ offers, at the level where each advance poses as poses as many problems as it solves, C++ Gems is hard to beat.
   
   

3. Though I like "Pattern Hatching" in it, I dislike this book.



4. Almost every article in there is still valid although it was written years a go. The greatest authors on OO programming and C++ edited by the GURU MARTIN, (Uncle Bob). If you consider yourself an OO P/A/D and C++ is of interest to you don't miss this book!! Oh and do yourself a favor get the more C++ gems too...

5 comments about Nitty Gritty Windows programming with C++ (Addison-Wesley Nitty Gritty Programming Series).

1. Finally, a book which treats programmers as programmers - this book walks through the win32 api for people who already know how to program. Unlike the Charles Petzold book, this book does not go into depth about history of the api and possible uses for it, it lets you, the creative, brilliant, smart, etc. programmer do thinking for yourself. It goes quickly but not so fast that it will lose you. One of the few books on win32 programming that is less than 700 pages long too. I really found this book nice, and I use it as a reference for how to do things now, because the source code provided is VERY clear, clean, and easy to follow. I do not, however, recommend this book to people trying to learn how to program for the first time - this book is not for you. This book is for people who are already programmers who want to write win32 code.



2. I am very surprised at the positive reviews given to this book by others here. This is a very skimpy book which barely scratches the surface of the 32-bit Windows API. The writing style is also not very good, in my opinion. When I was first investigating the Win32 API, I bought this book, (possibly ironically attracted by its skimpiness), but that was a big mistake. Unless you intend to write a very simple, run-of-the mill text editor, or something along those lines, this book is not going to be a very good help. I GREATLY recommend Charles Petzold's book, which is better for the beginner (lots of background on how and why), AND the expert (Petzold's book contains ALL the gory details between its covers). If you love programming, you will have fun with Petzold's book, but you will become bored with this one, wondering why they left the meat out.



3. This is one of the worst programming books I've ever read. Certain examples are incomplete or inaccurate (not even compiling), the actual "English" writing is so horrible as to be incomprehensible at times, and the author confuses various jargon words, proving he doesn't actually know what they mean. Steer clear of this book, shell out the money and buy a copy of Petzold.



4. This is a pretty advanced book. It will definitely help if you have a basic understanding of how windows works. I have Windows XP Pro and Visual C++ .net and some of the programs didn't seem to want to work "as advertised". However, there is a TON of information, and it is presented rapid-fire. This is a GREAT book if you are good at extrapolating information. If you need a step-by-step guide (or are just getting started), this book is not for you.
   
   I can't rate this book yet because I have not yet finished using it. I'm still trying to figure out how all the "windows" parts of the C++ program work. (I had to use a step-by-step book to get to that point; however very soon I think I will be able to get back into this book.)
   
   If you plan on getting serious about programming and like to know how stuff works, then this is a good book for you (even if you don't use it right away).



5. In my opinion, this is a very nice book aimed to any user level (may be not for the fully professional and experienced). It goes straight to the core concepts, the code listings are easy-to-try-and-run and it's a cheap book.
   Recommended if you want to have a quick overview or need quick answers. It's not for the fully experienced, remember.

No comments about Simple C.

No comments about A. B. C.'s of MUMPS: An Introduction for Novice and Intermediate Programmers.

5 comments about C++ Standard Library From Scratch (From Scratch).

1. After returning every STL book I've purchased I caught this book here on Amazon. Pablo Halpern does a great deed to the STL community by putting out a great book on STL topped off by the use of UML to help students understand the full cycle of developing an application. If you're new to the programming world this is a MUST have to quide you along analysis, design, and implementation with a concrete example. If you're a seasoned pro but are missing STL from your life ( much like I was til I read this book ) this book will get you going. Halpern does a great job of keeping the example on an open architecture, so for those of us who want more than in-memory persistence and a command line UI implement a database and our choice of UI for the example. I myself turned this into a great COM+ web application using ASP for presentation and an added layer of COM+ data objects from my collection to hit a SQL Server 2000 database...



2. Great intermediate explanation of the C++ Standard Library complete with a project from beginning to end. I especially liked the approach the book took by equating its premise to learning a foreign language by interacting with native speakers rather then memorizing the vocabulary.



3. This is a very good approach to teaching the standard library. The author has a style very similar to mine, so perhaps I'm biased... but I don't think so. He writes clearly and with a purpose in mind: to help the reader understand the material as thoroughly as possible. And he accomplishes his goal, with only a few typos along the way as minor distractions.

   One point I should clarify, though: as far as I can tell, Jesse Liberty's contribution to this book consists of having his name on the cover. While this is unfortunate for the actual author, whose real accomplishments are undermined by that association, it is much better for the reader than if Mr. Liberty had actually had anything to do with the writing of the book. In that case, I would have expected to see much less clarity in the explanations and hundreds of errors, as those are his trademarks.

   Kudos to Mr. Halpern! Keep writing... but under your own recognizance. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a publisher who will take you on without any "sponsorship". Good, clear technical writing is hard to find.




4. I am half way through this book and thoroughly enjoying it. The STL is incredibly powerful. I have read Josuttis' book, which is also a great book, but once I finished it, I felt that I had a obtained a great appreciation for the STL, but was still a little uncomfortable using it. With this book I feel that I am getting a better feel for the library because I'm actually using it in the context of a real application and am able to experience first hand the usage and trade offs of the different containers/algorithms contained within the STL. Between the two books, I think that I will be well on my way to becoming STL proficient. Simply by working through this book, you will gain many months worth of valuable programming experience.



5. I salute this author with his kind of patience to walk through the implementation of the tiny PIM with the STL and with very detail and clear explanation. He has started his plan well with the class diagrams. I have learnt and pickup a number of good programming techniques (as simple as the various way of string manipulation) from this book and going to try as many STL as possible in my project development using Borland Kylix 3 Professional (C++), GNU g++/gcc, Visual C++ Professional 6, Borland C++ 5.02 and Borland C++ Builder.

4 comments about Learn Java by Association with C Cobol Fortran Pascal Visual Basic.

1. I am a VB programmer who wants to learn Java. This book is nothing it claims to be. One can't learn Java using it. Basically book is just a series of code examples with almost no comments and no clear and full explanations. It might be used as a quick reference but many examples of incorrect VB code I found in the book prevent me from trusting Java code examples. I wouldn't recommend to by this book: in my opinion it's a waste of money.



2. A good reference for programming languages. Also, helped me learn Java from my Pascal familiarity. I found the tools on the CD also very useful. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Java.



3. This is a good reference book. I know several of these languages and I can quickly look up the syntax in the book. In my opinion, the book is more useful as a dictionary than for learning Java as the title suggests.



4. I found this book an interesting attempt to teach the Java language to those developers who know C, COBOL, Fortran, Pascal, and Visual Basic.

   With little text to explain anything, what you find is a guide that shows how to do 50 things in six different languages. So, if you are trying to go from say COBOL or FORTRAN to Java, 80% of the book is of no use, as that percent of the book shows you how to do things in the "other" languages.

   While I can't vouch for the code in the languages other than Java, the Java code looks to be well written and correct. You'll find examples of doing things like getting the date, working with math functions, or dealing with arrays.

   The way I see the book is if you are trying to translate code from another language, this book would help as a guide. If you don't know Java, you'll pick up some syntax but you'll need to get another book if your overall goal is to learn how to program in Java.

   The CD is full of some nice things, but you can pick them up for free off the web. Its funny that if you want to learn Java, you're better off with the free copy of Thinking in Java from the CD.

2 comments about Real Time Systems and Programming Languages: Ada 95, Real-Time Java and Real-Time C/POSIX (3rd Edition).

1. This book is no good for students, as it has exercises with answers only available to lecturers though a password system.
   The examples are ok but do not help for the exercises so it makes the book imcomplete and very dissappointing, If you need help for real time systems then this is not the book for you, If you just want to read a book this might be ok, but learning is not going to be done.
   (...)



2. This book is great because it covers all the important concepts quite well. I think it is a must for those into real-time programming.