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Beginning Programming (Wrox Beginning Guides)
by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Kathie Kingsley-Hughes
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Wrox (2005-04-15)
ISBN: 0764584065
EAN: 9780764584060
Dewey Decimal #: 005.1
Paperback: 479 pages
SKU: 111408000401
Condition: New
Comments: 0764584065 New, never read, may have minor wear on cover.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
- Programming allows developers to create a sequence of instructions that enable computers to perform certain functions and tasks
- Offering the basic best practices and skills for novice programmers, this book helps readers gain new skills for writing programs and developing applications
- Teaches programming using C++ and explores scripting with JavaScript and VBScript, which are all free and don't require the reader to purchase any software
- Includes programming projects and real-world code examples that can be modified and expanded upon
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Customer Reviews
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Good book for intro to programming
Rating  (4)
Date: 2008-03-22
So you're interested in programming? Then this book is a good start to get an idea what programming is all about. I finished the book in 3 days!
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Programming entry level
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-02-24
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
'Beginning Programming' is an entry level introduction to programming, about as dumbed down as it can possibly get - and that is what is so great about it.
There are not many books targeting readers with absolutely no previous knowledge of programming, wanting to learn the very basics before moving on to an introduction course or book using one specific programming language. 'Beginning Programming' fills the gap nicely.
The book starts off with outlining the history of programming, explains what benefits programming skills will give you, discusses some common myths in a real honest way, and thoroughly details learning paths. Exercises are plentiful, the tools and language code samples shown (Java, C++, VB, JavaScript) are highly relevant.
In the following section authors Katie and Adrian Kingsley-Hughes move on to meticulously teaching the fundamentals of computers and machine language, coding, number systems, interfaces and tools required for a programmer. The paragraphs on the importance of picking a good chair and keyboard (!) illustrate just how deeply their book delves into detail.
Describing problem solving, compiling and debugging, file and registry interaction is done, before wrapping the book up with a great section on programming from problem identification to the distributed product. The brief appendixes provide a glossary and information on further resources, and how to obtain every needed kind of tool.
What I most appreciated while reading 'Beginning Programming', was that the authors took time to introduce the fundamentals before moving on to actual coding (which was very simple). Coding is not introduced until half way into the book. It is sad colleges and universities do not allow students to acquire a thorough grasp of the basics, but dive straight into learning the first programming language. Students would benefit from starting off with a book like this.
On the down side, 'Beginning Programming' does not mention the important subject of object oriented programming at all, and the description of graphic user interfaces is just too short, not even showing code samples. I missed a demonstration of tools like NetBeans or MS Visual Studio Express Edition (both are free). Also, the publishers have not bothered to proof read the book properly. Language is sub standard, and the errata is a wee bit long.
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My Opinion - "Beginning Programming"
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-05-14
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think this would make a good text for a beginning programming class. The authors touch on various programming languages, though I would prefer to see sample code in all languages (or at least have it available online) so an instructor could choose which to use.
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Takes deciphering
Rating  (3)
Date: 2007-04-30
I am about half-way through the book and I am frustrated with its incomplete references, errors, and ambiguities.
One of the problems I have encountered was getting the recommended C+ compiler to work. That problem is discussed both here and on the WROX website. The book fails to give a simple explanation of how to configure the computer to make it run. Thankfully, I had enough independent knowledge to prepare the required configuration files and to restate the path, but that may not be so trivial for a complete tyro.
There are ambiguities that arise from unqualified uses of "it" and "this." For example, on pages 141-42, there is a suggestion that a very basic block of code be prepared in an editor and saved. The discussion then shifts to compiling the code, but the example provided confusingly shifts to a different file (test.cpp) and then shifts back to the file that started the discussion (template.cpp). The references are imprecise.
There are careless comments such as the one appearing on page 153: "To make the others run, you put all of them in the code." That statement would be clearer if the word "code" was replaced by "in the code for the main function."
There are troubling typographical errors such as the block highlighting on page 164 which should be limited to the first four "cout" and "cin" lines and should exclude the last "cout" line.
Other matters that bug are mismatches between code and the output illustrations. Precise copying of the code on pages 176-177 does not produce the output in the accompanying illustration. The same comment can be made for the material on page 180.
My impression is that this book was not carefully proofed, and precision is essential in any book that purports to be a fundamental, introductory text.
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Buggier than a porch light. Novice beware!
Rating  (1)
Date: 2007-02-18
5 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is likely to frustrate true beginners. In attempting to work through the excercises, the C++ complier the authors recommend refused to compile the sample code. Two frustrating hours later pursuing solutions on the Borland web site, I managed to create two configuration files, edit my environmental variables, and finally get the code to compile. Such geek gymnastics are certainly beyond most "beginners," and are likely to cause them to give up the whole idea of learning to code.
Shame on Borland for providing a compiler that was apparently never beta tested on XP(!), and shame on Wrox for failing to provide adequate instructions. There are a few answers of varying quality and coherance on their forum, but you shouldn't have to resort to the forum to run the very first compiled program in the book.
If you aren't familiar with how a compiler works BEFORE reading this book, you are likely to run aground sometime around Chapter 7. Save your money.
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