No comments about Migrating from Pascal to C++ (Undergraduate Texts in Computer Science).

5 comments about Object-Oriented Design & Patterns.

1. I came away from this book wondering just who was meant to read it. It starts with "A Crash Course in Java." (Somehow, I never learned to like any "crash" in the context of program design.) This is much too brief to teach the language, or even summarize it well. Any of many other books would be better for teaching Java to C++ programmers.

   Next, the book goes through two chapters of object oriented design. These chapters are over in about 100 pages - again, not nearly enough time to address OO design in with any real insight. The OO paradigm is truly different from previous generations of software design, and can not be summed up in a few pages of rote rules.

   Worse, the author identifies "javadoc" as a design documentation tool! It is not. Javadoc does a very good job of documenting implementation, but it documents design very badly. If you're not a programmer, trust me - implementation and design are as different as carpentry and architecture. Neither is better than the other, and both are needed to build a house. Implementation is not design, though, and the two require very different documentation.

   The rest of of the book continues in an odd pastiche including:
   -- ideas the programmer already needed to understand the earlier material,
   -- afterthoughts on the Java language, scattered among other topics,
   -- a weak discussion of design patterns, and
   -- a severely flawed discussion of multithreading.

   Only this last deserves attention. Multithreading is a subtle topic. It's easy to write multithreaded code, but very hard to write it correctly. The author actually does a good job of discussing interruption in threads. However, the book's description of synchronization and deadlock is so brief that it leaves me worried - student programmers might read that material and come away thinking they understood the topics. Insufficient knowledge may be worse than none at all, in this case. Most distressing, the author makes no apparent mention of "volatile" data in Java. Multithreaded applications don't need to use volatile data. The programmer MUST understand when volatility is a problem, though, and avoid it or address it directly. It is unacceptable to ignore the risks addressed by "volatile" declarations.

   I can not recommend this book. It claims to address object oriented design, Java, and design patterns. I feel that it does an inadequate job on all counts.




2. This is my textbook from the OOD course I am currently taking with Dr. Horstmann. The course along with the text has completely transform the way I think about programming in general. The book teaches OOD Design process in the first few chapters and goes into more in-depth focusing on Design Patterns and using the JAVA API to illustrate them. I also have the classic "Gang of 4" Design Pattern text, which I had tried to read with no avail before. For a novice programmer, without enouogh programming experience, one does not appreciate the utilities of the Design Patterns. In Horstmann's text, he poses interesting programming tasks, and solves them by using design patterns. This provides a context that a novice programmer can appreciate and learn from. He also references other texts, and tools to help you get more information. The book is not meant to be an in-depth study of any particular topics, but rather, it interwovens many important concepts of medium level difficulty and present a rich and entertaining view on the subject. This is excellent text for a second or third course on programming.



3. The previous reviewer sounds like he is looking for an all in one reference. Indeed, if you are a professional programmer and need a reference book, this one is not for you. However, if you're a student, new to OO programming/design or just want to add to your programming knowledge, this is a perfect book. It's designed for the classroom first (see the preface and exercises!), but is also useful for anyone who learned to program in C++ or Java and wants more sophisticated OO coverage. It is certainly not intended to teach the entire language. Rather, it assumes you already know how to program and want to learn more about Object-Oriented Design, including UML and design patterns. This is an important topic and it's never been introduced in a clearer, more intersting way than it is in this book.



4. OK, in spite of the fact that I develop in C# versus Java and the price is steep, I still think this is a great purchase. Horstmann provides an insightful introduction into serious software development. The book provides a lot of detail that is aimed at increasing your understanding of the language (or related languages) versus simply conveying languge semantics. His introduction to patterns is fairly light (I'd recommend Metsker's "Design Patterns in C#") but solid enough. Although in many respects the material was "refresher" stuff, the prose was entertaining and I found myself picking the book up time and time again just to read a few pages.



5. Reviewer: Dr. Alexander Yakhnis, ayakhnis@brockport.edu
   
   I like the book and have taught Spring 2004 Object-oriented Development (CSC 429 ) course at SUNY College at Brockport, New York. I have taught the material from Chapter I through 6. I have also used the material from Ch. 8 Object-Oriented Frameworks for 2 Independent Study Courses with 2 students during Summer 2004.
   
   I find chapters 4 and 5 the best hands on introduction to Design Patterns that makes the corresponding material of The Gang of Four book quite understandable and it is better by far than many other attempts to introduce design patterns. The author plays to an advantage the use of Java and its libraries already based on some of the design patterns that many other authors have not exploited despite existence of Design Patterns presented in Java.
   
   I also find the choice of 5 patterns: Iterator, Strategy, Observer, Composite and Decorator very tasteful as well as very useful. The author's problem examples illustrating the use of design patterns, particularly, the Invoice example is excellent.
   
   The material in Ch. 4 on Interface Types leads to design patterns gracefully, and one can obviously recognize Strategy patter playing important role unnamed yet. This looks to me a good arrangement. Exercises reinforce the ideas very well. If some more exercises will be added that would be a nice improvement.
   
   The author succeeds in making clear the concept of Object-Oriented Frameworks in introductory textbook. Separation of a framework and applications built on it is very well presented. Use of sequence diagrams helps to understand OO Framework. I would suggest that the concept of a Use Case and collaboration diagrams as alternative to sequence diagrams helps to get into the heart of how a framework achieves a goal relevant to a user. An excellent example of such a goal is presented in Ch. 8 for the Graph Framework.
   
   When I was teaching the course I have attempted to replace The Object-Oriented Design Process from Ch. 2 by elements of Craig Larman textbook Applying UML and Patterns (Completely different patterns there than the 5 mentioned above). It helped me to reinforce software engineering concepts taught by Craig Larman that I have taught in software engineering course and also provided good point of view for understanding the OO Frameworks where some of the goals served by an OO Framework are viewed as Use Cases.
   
   I would use the book again for CSC 429 Object-Oriented Development without hesitation should I be teaching this course again. Also, I continue to use OO Design and Patterns as a source of material for Independent Studies.
   
   Finally, I congratulate the author for making available and understandable the concept of Design Patterns as practical way of building OO software at undergraduate level.

1 comments about Efficient C.

1. Vax, PDP/11 and detailed examples of c programming, probably dated, text is nice and big, easy to read, if the discussion didn't center around specific (and now obsolete) technologies, it would probably be worth a read. But the pages are aesthetically pleasing to look at.

5 comments about MCSD Visual C++ 6 Distributed Exam Cram (Exam: 70-015).

1. I used this book as my main source in preparing for exam 70-15, and succesfully passed on my first attempt. I had only two issues with this book: It does not cover MTS in enough detail, and the index is not nearly detailed enough. Other than that I found the book excellent.



2. I just took the 70-015 exam using this book as one of my source for preparation. This book does not address the main requirement, COM, enough. The 70-016 version of this book has even more coverage on COM. If you want to pass 70-015, I would suggest you either take 70-016 first, or use both this exam cram and 70-016.



3. I recently passed both the Visual C++ 6 Desktop & Visual C++ 6 Distributed Exams in one month using Mr. Lacey's exam cram books. I can't tell you how impressed I am with the quality of the material he (and the team at Coriolis) put together for the cram guides. I purchased "study guides" from two other publishers that did not cover the material in 1/10th the depth that these "cram guides" covered the material.

   I have to agree that the coverage of COM and Aggregation are about as good as you can can get. I have been recommending his coverage of COM to co-workers who are just beginning with COM and want a clear, consise overview of what COM is all about.

   I found the material recommended in the "Need To Know More?" sections to be invaluable. I believe his recommendations to be the best material available on each topic.

   For the Distributed exam I didn't even bother buying anything but the Coriolis cram guide for the exam and one of the database books recommened in the "Need To Know More?" recommendations.

   I've probably read 30 computer-related technical books in the last 5 years. I've read four that I was actually impressed with--two of those four books are Mr. Lacey's. The books were useful, accurate and well-written.

   Truly excellent!




4. I don't know if this book is a good prep for the test. I haven't taken it. It is, however, a very good reference book. When I need to know how to do something, I constantly find myself turning to this book. It gives you a good level of detail in a very short space.



5. I just passed the 70-015 exam, after reading (only) this book. It has quite a lot of detail, despite the small size.

   Most topis are well covered, but some are a little thin. COM is one of these, but after all it _is_ a huge topic, and even most COM-only books don't cover it that well. MTS, particularly security is not covered in enough detail. I had to guess on some MTS questions during the exam that I thought should have been mentioned in the book.

   Overall, this book is quite comprehensive, I managed to write over 180(!) pages of notes from it. With it, and some help from the MSDN documentation (and, of course, some braindumps) you should be well prepared for the exam.

   Good luck! :)

No comments about C++ mit dem Borland C++Builder 2007: Einführung in den C++-Standard und die objektorientierte Windows-Programmierung (Xpert.press).

No comments about Fundamentals of Computing I: Lab Manual: C++ Edition: Logic, Problem-solving, Programs and Computers (Lab Manual).

2 comments about A Small C Compiler: Language, Usage, Theory, and Design.

1. This book,
   explaines how to build a compiler,
   from practical point of view,
   It let us to watch how we should reach the goal,
   instead of theortical expressions.

   Practicly it helps to build your own compiler,
   rebuil proposed to your own needs.
   At least effectively use already existen compilers,
   even in the case if you do not plan to build or rebuild any compiler.
   Just look about all that bloved code,
   done in last years.
   I guess most of modern programmes code their
   programs without picturing out how their programs
   will be looking like in final machin code.




2. If you want to see how a compiler is written for the C programming
   language, this is the book for you. this book shows how to construct a C compiler for a subset of the C language. The book lists all the source codes

No comments about PC Learning Labs Teaches Foxpro 2.5 for Windows: Logical Operations/Book and Disk (P C Learning Labs).

No comments about The Advanced C++ Book.

No comments about Programacion En C - Metodologia.