5 comments about C For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

1. What is C without pointers? I am not sure but it is not C. Someone at work suggested it would be C--. That might be a better title for the book. It might be OK for a very very very beginner but it would probably leave even them hungry. In all fairness it does have 2/3 of one page on pointers. The classic K&R book on the C language by the people that invented it spends about 20% of the book on pointers.
   
   This book mostly skips structures also with a mere 1.5 pages on them. If you combined pointers and structures probably 1/3 of K&R is on them.
   
   I really like the Dummies series. They have a unique feature that is missing in most computer books. You can read them and not fall asleep before the end of one page. I recommend you skip this book and get "C All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies". Also, (not recommended for beginners) the classic "The C Programming Language" by Kerningham and Ritche, 1988, is still in print and surprisingly readable.



2. This is the best introductory book on C. If you are not a beginner C programmer do not buy this book, buy it's companion C All-In One Desktop Reference For Dummies. If you want to know C,C++,Java,Perl or Python read this book and it's companion and you will know C and be familar with how everything in those other languages work. Dan Gookin is one of the greatest authors of his day he breaks everything down to make you understand it easier. This book is the funniest computer book I've ever read, it is a good break from watching "Ice Melt" with other hard to understand programming books.



3. This book is good for people who want to learn C, but if your running a Windows Vista (specifically 32 bit) your going to have some problems in setting up the stuff. You might have to run the compiler installations a bit differently. If anyone goes so insane as I did in trying to get past the first chapter on a Vista pc/laptop, this site helped me get through some pc issues: "http://phy225.dept.shef.ac.uk/mediawiki/index.php/Running_devcpp_under_Vista " Also helpful if you want to save the trouble of admitting yourself to a mental institute. Regardless, buy the book if you want a good intro to C programming. As far as the first program, somewhat of a pain as he tries to make the popular "Hello World" program into something unique.



4. C for Dummies, as with all of the Dummies offerings, is premised on the idea that you have to be fed a laugh on every line in order to learn anything. The fact is a little humor goes a long way and this one goes way too far. This is not to say that the information offered is either bad or lacking but it is hidden in a jungle of low-grade knee-slappers that do nothing to advance the cause. Worse, a first book on a subject like this tends to become the preferred reference source and this is so cluttered with cutesy corn that it will fail to serve the reader.
   
   If you really need corn with your lessons, try Kellogs. If you are serious about the subject and want to get the straight skinny, go buy a K&R.



5. The idea behind the Dummies books - put the reader at ease - is taken to extremes here. The style is not only very distracting, but a waste of time. This book is almost 400 pages long, but if you took out the dumb jokes and other irrelevant material, you could condense it down to about 50 pages. For a good introduction to C programming, and an excellent example of concise technical writing, spend fifteen bucks to download Coronado's C tutorial:
   
   [...]
   
   I have a total of three introductory books on C programming and none of them is as useful as the Coronado tutorial.

5 comments about Starting Out with C++: From Control Structures through Objects (Formerly "Standard Version") (5th Edition).

1. This book is used as the textbook for the class in C++ I am taking. It makes no assumptions about previous knowledge in programming and is very thorough in testing your understanding as each concept is presented. It has obviously been tested in the classroom as it anticipates many of the questions a beginner would have about programming and the C++ language.
   
   The book includes a C++ compiler by Borland so if you have a Windows computer you can follow along with the programming exercises. There is another version of the book that has a Microsoft compiler instead of the Borland compiler, but you have to make a special arrangement with the publisher to purchase it (according to information in the book).
   
   I would recommend this book to people who are new to programming as well as to the C++ language. I have tried to learn C++ on my own with other books and was frustrated--they would start too basic (how to turn the computer on) and would introduce subjects in a haphazard manner ("here is a list of all C++ operators and what they do"). This book develops its topics in digestible chunks of information with each chapter building upon the previous chapter.
   
   This book won't teach you everything you need to know about programming or the C++ language, but it will give you an excellent start.
   
   I would like to add to my review that the book does have errors in the exercises that could seriously frustrate a reader who doesn't have an instructor or other resource for outside help. Some exercises can only be solved using concepts taught in later chapters, which I believe is an important flaw.
   
   There are also typos in the example programs that could derail someone studying without assistance from an instructor. I still believe this is a very good textbook, but now I believe it should either be avoided by people learning programming on their own, or be used with other C++ reference works.



2. I purchased this book for a C++ course I am taking. I have found it very easy to follow. I also like how the author does not get bogged down in minutiae or jargon but quickly gets into topics that are usually reserved for later--such as file processing.



3. I bought this book a month back.Its an amazing book for beginners. Its well written and have good examples.



4. It will bring you trouble if you are new to programming.
   By "trouble" I meant the book is very successful in teaching u how to build a solid programming foundation, thus you will have hard time with your teacher's assignments.
   
   I have read some other books about C++ before and found "no problem" in them because after reading, I have no clue... and of course, I don't do the assignments.
   
   The choice is yours.



5. I am a computer Science student. Like any other computer science curriculum , C++ is the main programming language that is taught in any University .This is an excellent book for anyone who is starting to learn C++ programming. The language , examples and the content of this book are better than any book available in the market . I actually learned C++ reading this book , as prior to this i had no experience in programming. This book will teach you everything that u need to know in C++ programming. Well ofcourse C++ is really vast , you really dont need to know everything that is on the book , so anyone who buys this book should get a syllabus or discuss it with someone who has had prior experience in C++ programming to what to study or what not to .
   Highly recommended if you are serious about becoming a programmer.

5 comments about Modeling Derivatives Applications in Matlab, C++, and Excel.

1. Derivatives are not simple things. It almost seems that complexity was a design goal when they were being set up. In order to determine their real value either today or in the future you almost have to model them on a computer.
   
   This book covers dozens of different types of derivatives, including the common ones and some of the new even more esoteric ones. It talks about the structure of the derivative, and then presents models of them. The models are presented in the most common modelling 'languages' in use today. There is a lot of code involved, but there is not a CD included with the book. Instead, an access code providing a one time download for the code. Note, a one time download. Be sure and save the code quickly and on several media. This procedure allows the models to be updated as needed without regard to the time it takes for the book to move from being written to being published, but if you have a disk crash....
   
   The biggest things this book provides are: first, you get to see what an expert in the field has done, and second, you get the code to run his models on your system, and of course you can modify them if you find some other aspect suits your needs better.
   
   This is a new book, first printed in December 2006, so it is current with the derivatives being marketing at that time.



2. Great book. But the code downloading process is a bit weird. Don't know why they just attach a CD.



3. This book was my ultimate go-to resource on several financial engineering projects (on the buy side). It covers many different derivatives and provides example MatLab and C++ code that is easy to modify and extend.
   
   The instructions for setup and downloading the code could be more clear, perhaps on a CD.



4. This book offers prebuilt, modifiable code that you can use for energy, power, weather and many other derivatives applications. The download process is fast and easy. For those who use Matlab, C++, or Excel, there is no competition. A great book with unique content and code.



5. I highlight two points:
   
   1. The inclusion of Matlab and Excel code in almost all topics of the book.
   2. All the content is new and more advanced, there is no recovered topics of his previous book.

5 comments about Essential COM (The DevelopMentor Series).

1. All vetran C++ programmers should learn this along side MFC, it assumes a minimal knowledge of COM so it is easy to pick up, and gets you familiar with the common elements of this widely used standard (CLSIDs, IIDs, COM Functions, etc) Shell programmers will want to read this first. See my other reviews for more good books in COM.



2. I have learned a lot with this book. I would not qualify the book an introduction book because unless you have some background knowledge and practice, you are going to find the last chapters hard to digest. What the book does is to covers the essential principles of COM with great details. This will make the first reading very interesting and it will make you come back from time to time to seek back specific detail.



3. I read Essential COM almost 10 years ago, and revisited it recently, out of curiosity. It's tough sledding, but if you *must* know this stuff, this is probably it.
   
   However, throughout the book the phrase "the source code that accompanies this book" occurs repeatedly. As far as I could ascertain after an hour or so of googling and searching, there *is* no such source. I assume it stopped working 5 years ago or something, and rather than continuing to provide it somewhere on the web with a disclaimer -- which I assume would be embarrassing to Mr. Box -- it has been silently "disappeared". I consider this mildly unethical, and certainly annoying, since many perhaps minor points are supposedly demonstrated by this non-existent source.



4. If you want to learn COM I dont think this book is a good start. It is a great book and I think every COM developer should read it, however; it is not a step-by-step into. It also doesn't have small projects which let's your get feet wet w/COM. I would recommend "Inside COM" by Dale Rogerson to start learning COM.



5. I read this book about ten years ago first time. When I have to deal with a COM problem, I still find it useful.

5 comments about Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices (Alan Apt Series).

1. In my role as an architect and a J2EE evangelist, I have to teach a lot about OOAD principles, the Java language and Agile techniques. There are lots of books in my armour that capture the gist of many of these practices and techniques. But none in my opinion better than this book.
   
   Robert Martin is a master at explaining OOAD concepts and applying them to the Agile methodology. For instance, the Agile practices mandate certain practices that need to be implemented in the upfront design and conception of the project. This is in contrast to the methodologies that were hitherto used that emphaisized methodology over design.
   
   This book provides that point of fusion. A great achievement indeed! Concepts such as dependency injection and the Single Responsibility Principle were explained before they became mainstream design tenets.



2. This book covers the most common, and usefull design patterns. Each patter is presented in plain egnlish, with full examples.
   
   In addition to patterns this book covers the principles surounding patterns that make them truely usefull.



3. After reading this text, I feel it deserves the attention of other great texts such as Design patterns and Refactoring, even though much of it's content expounds upon the ideas of these two classics. It's my opinion that this text has two strong points: it explains the ideas and details of agile development very clearly, and it does an excellent job of explaining the most popular patterns originated by GOF, plus a few more. The authors style was very good, with most of the examples in Java. Being a C++ programmer, I would have liked to see more examples in that language, but this is not any fault of the author.



4. I bought this for my brother. Got for a good deal on Amazon. Very happy with the fast delivery by Amazon.



5. It's a great book. As a senior developer with more than 5 year's experieces of Object-Oriented Design, I think this is a valuable pragmatic book about how to do in a practical project.

5 comments about C++ All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies.

1. In the first section, I found TOO MANY geeky jokes and I found that very annoying. I know I read Sams teach yourself C++ in 21 days a few years back, and I felt at that time I got a pretty decent understanding. Now, even though I'm just trying to refresh my memory on C++, I feel the book does not do a good job of teaching me...
   
   That said, I like that the book has lots of topics, if I get only a general idea of stuff.
   
   I would recommend, though, to check out other books and get a glance through this book to see if you can follow it before buying this one...



2. The Title of this book is "C++ All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies".
   However after reading this book it is quite obviously aimed at users of Microsoft products on Microsft systems. C++ is a multi-system language and any book calling itself a "C++ All-in-One Desk Reference" should be demonstrating the language in a pure form, such as the excellent "C All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies" book by Dan Gookin.
   This book either needs to be rewritten to accurately reflect the title or the title needs to be changed to accurately reflect the content, maybe "C++ on Microsoft All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies".
   If you need to learn C++ in a pure form then find another title.



3. The very first program in this book fails in XCode on OS X for it uses a Windows-specific subroutine: system("PAUSE"); will not work on a Mac since this subroutine does not adhere to ANSI C++. The worst part is that the routine is being used in several other programs in the book. If you're thinking of learning C++ on a Mac, this is not your book. I don't understand how the author can claim the book teaches ANSI C++ when its first few programs clearly show it doesn't.



4. This book is a great book for begginers as it teaches many of the begginer topics. I think he writes easy to understand language and teaches you well. If you are just begging programming i highly recommend this book although a 2nd edition is going to be needed soon as some of the software may be getting dated. anyways excellect book i recommend it for new comers. ( also note i code as a hobby so im no expert)



5. I just bought this book and now realize I should have paid more attention to the copyright date (2003)! I tried running the very first program and it does not work. The compiler log refers to programs or directories missing? I installed all of the files from the CD that came with the book as instructed. Being completely new to C++, I have no idea how to fix this problem! Anyone else experience this?

5 comments about The Art and Science of C: A Library Based Introduction to Computer Science.

1. I borrowed this book from library and believed I had made a right decision.

   Quoted from the book, Mr. Roberts have been teaching computer science for over 20 years, I'm not sure how long he has taught C language but I suppose this book is written in a way that he believes is most beneficial to the readers, based on his teaching experience.

   C is a cryptic and complex language, so the author teaches in a stepwise manner, he hides the complexity by introducing his private libraries and data abstractions. So the readers implement the functionality of C, which is independent from the complexity of C; once the readers have enough grasp at C, they may move on to explore the complexity of C.

   The author have done these with good intention because data types in ANSI C are limited in size, for example, the data type int is different from our perception of integer in daily life. The address operator & may be confusing as well.

   How did I use the book? I rewrited all the examples presented in book without his private libaries. I did the exercises in the book without his private libraries as well. Instead of copying all his codes and getting them work, I tried to make errors: for example, in the simple hello world program, omitted the preprocessor operator #, then read the error messages. I also tried to improve the efficiency of my algorithm.

   This maybe a good introductory book for people who have experience in programming in languages other than C since the syntax of C may confuse them, but owning it is not recommended.




2. I thought this was a wonderful beginners book. It gave me the basics and then allowed me to go on and try new things by myself. By the end I really felt like I could write my own programs in C.
   
   I only gave it four stars because I think five would have to be a textbook that really brought the information to life, while this one was rather dry.



3. I have read and worked through both of Eric Roberts books on C.
   Of all the programming books I have read, and there are many, his two are the best.
   
   My only regret is that he has not written books on C++.



4. This book is annoying with the way the author asks the user to write programs using his custom library functions, as opposed to the standard C commands. Because of this, I did not learn about scanf until probably the 7th or 8th week of the C programming course I was in. I feel like that alone warrants a 1-star rating. If you buy this book, you will be learning to program in "Roberts," not C.



5. I was frightened when I opened the book... The characters in the book look like a copied-material of a very very old 8-pin dot-printer output...

5 comments about C++ Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design.

1. If you're new to programming, this book may be too long-winded for you. I certainly think anyone who reads through the text and spends time on the examples could manage to learn the language, but for the absolute beginner, I would suggest something shorter with simpler examples. Each section is covered in copious detail and I would imagine many new students would not be interested in reading it all.
   
   If you've programmed before, I highly recommend this book. It covers all the basics of the C++ language and many intermediate topics. Breezing through certain sections while looking through examples and their output, you can quickly pick up on the differences in C++ and other programming languages; however, if you come across something that doesn't seem familiar, the incredible detail provided in this book can certainly clear it up. The book also provides useful appendixes for reference as well as an index.



2. I have just completed my order with Amazon.com for a copy of this book, so I don't have the book yet. Why the decision to purchase ? Well, I read the reviews here and decided to download the source codes from the author's website and see what the fuzzes are all about. I opened up my Ultra Studio and start going over the codes. Holly smoke, these stuffs can saved you hours of programming, the author's got items on stacks, queues, linked list, etc. I read some sample writing from the website, and the writings do seem more accadamical than an easy read on a Sunday afternoon. For me, this is fine, as I am used to this type of writings.
   
   Overall, seem like a safe purchase.



3. I took an introductory c++ class a few years ago and the textbook for that class was much more difficult to follow. Malik does a great job going over things so that difficult concepts are easily understood. If you are a beginner you may have a hard time understanding some of the concepts in this book. However, learning to program takes effort to learn well and the lengthy code examples in this book are an excellent way to see overall programs instead of just snippets. Some reviewers complain about the math in the book. There is actually very little and what there is fairly basic algebra. You can skip through most of the math problems and be fine. A good use of color as well.



4. This book presents C++ programming in a fairly rigorous fashion. Many of the examples are somewhat long, however, this is what happens when you need to move beyond simple stuff like finding the maximum number in an array, counting a series of numbers with a loop, printing a triangle of asterisks, and so on. Such problems are examined in this book but the author doesn't stop there. This is one of the few books that actually demonstrates the kind of programming skills that the "real world" demands.



5. Whenever I go to learn a new language, I always look to see whether there is a book from Thompson's, 'From Problem Analysis to Program Design' series available on that language. This style of textbook always seems to get it right when it comes to academic learning.
   
   After trying a couple of C++ texts, I found that with this particular book, I could understand those niggly bits of the language that can be very hard to explain/learn. This book has brought me much further than I was able to go with other texts. Clear explanations and useful case studies make for the best way to learn a language. Especially the case studies, as they show you how you can use what you have learnt constructively.
   
   My advice: learn C++ with this book, and use C++ Primer Plus (5th Edition) as a reference companion.

5 comments about Practical C++ Programming, Second Edition.

1. Overall, the book offers a balanced and well-presented introduction to C++. However, there are too many typos and mistakes for a programming text. O'Reilly needs to kick their editing team into gear. In addition, many topics could and should be explained more in-depth. As is, many topics are only lightly touched on and more of the nuts and bolts of the language (i.e. characteristics that really lead to a quality understanding) are omitted.



2. This is the first time I am actually writing a review for a book, coz I find this book the best I have ever read for C++ programming. It serves great for sophomore level C++ programming class at my univ. and otherwise as a great book to have on your reference shelf too. It starts with an intro to setting up your programming enivroment in .NET and Borland enviroment. After that it delves into programming styles and techniques in general and then goes C++ fulltime. The chapters about pointers,advanced pointers and the debugging/optimisation are some of the best readings I have ever done on the respective topics. Throughout the book the material stays relevant to the title of the book and thus is a great reading for anyone who is making transition from java to c++ or from a beginner C++ programmer to advanced level. The book is great reading for strengthening C++ concepts. If you look through the contents of the book you might notice the only thing that the book lacks is a chapter on data structures. However dont let that fool you. You will be in a better position to perform pointer manipulation on your linked lists and trees after reading advanced pointers chapter in this book, than any other book that just has the code for the entire implementation printed. Besides the book is about letting you loose to do it yourself (rather than hand feeding you) which I believe is what programming books are about.The book has something about almost everything in C++ and lot more like using the gnu debugger .Highly recommended for anyone who wants to have a strong conceptual knowledge of C++.



3. This is not the one. The book is just swarming with typos and programming errors. But don't take my for it, just check out O'Reilly's errata page. The most astonishing thing is that they accidentally omitted an entire chapter. Even after I painstakingly marked every correction in the errata list, I was finding more errors constantly. The other major fault is that it is just too full of ideology, which has its place of course, but he's gone way overboard with it in a book that should be primarily about the language. If you happen to find a copy in the trash, you might give it a skim, but otherwise, I'd avoid it.



4. Stay. Away. From. This. Book.
   
   This book covers a great deal very quickly, and does so in an easy-to-understand way. Unfortunately, it is riddled with novice programming mistakes, has a poor and unmaintainable programming style, and displays many of the things that are widely considered to be "worst practise" in C++ programming. The coverage of the STL is poor and its proper use is not encouraged as it should be. I'm glad I never had the misfortune of ever having bought it. There are many, many other books that cover C++, and nearly all of them cover it better.
   
   If you're looking for a good book to learn C++, buy anything but this one. It is by far the worst O'Reilly book ever released, and I'm amazed that such poor code quality was ever approved by the editorial staff.



5. It's very difficult to write a good and clear computerbook, that's proven over and over again when I order books about the various subjects. Enter O'reilly and enter this book. It's follows a clear, logical path. Since programming is all about doing it and experiencing it on your own the many exercises (without them being worked out at the back) help tremendously. The author knows his subject and can translate this very well into easy to read, and lively chapters that are not boring in the least. For everyone that wants to learn C++. Also a note that the buildup of the book is such, that the very beginner can start with this, but also experiences C-programmers of C++ programmers can find this excellent (directions are given at which chapter to start for them). Excellent and truly deserves 5 stars.

5 comments about Thinking in C++, Volume 2: Practical Programming (Thinking in C++).

1. In this book i found everything about the standard c++ library.
   Recommended if you wanna do something serous with c++



2. Bruce Eckel, Thinking in C++, vol. 2 (Mindview, 2004)
   
   
   I was a big, big fan of Volume I of this two-volume set. I first read it four or five years ago, and it was a big part of the foundation that helped me to understand why some of the newer pieces of the C++ architecture are useful (read "newer" as "when I was your age, boy, we had to walk to school, `cause we didn't have none of them new-fangled templates to ride on!"). It took me a while to get round to reading the second volume. It's more of the same, but different. Volume 2 seems more like a reference book, and far more of it is devoted to bleeding-edge (at the time) concepts than was vol. 1--design patterns, threading, that sort of thing. Of course, these days, they're all relatively common (thanks in no small part to Microsoft having already implemented most of this stuff in .NET), so this one's better thought of as a refresher course, or a book for people like me who are hopelessly backed up trying to keep pace with the Joneses (or the Redmonds). ***



3. This book is a must! It is not that visually appealing but in pair with the Vol. 1 it is a mandatory book that will help you featuring out all the brighter and dustier corners of C++. The text is quite clear and the examples very appropriate. It is written with a nice scientific background and the author doesn't limit himself to just expose all the C++ features.



4. Amazon delivered on its promise. Great pricing with quick shipping. Can't beat that.



5. Have to say "a bit boring" but absolutely a must if you want to learn C++.