Product Description

An interactive and fun way to learn C++, one of the most popular high–level programming languages for graphic applications

• This unique, hands–on approach to learning C++ makes the experience fun and interesting by offering the opportunity for readers to get started on real coding
• Features numerous examples and project ideas as well as GUI and audio extensions so readers can get instant feedback – in addition to instant gratification from producing a program that works
• Written by one of the world′s leading authorities on C and C++, the book includes invaluable reference sections at the end of each chapter
• Discusses modern C++ idioms, which are often neglected in other publications

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #597762 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 388 pages

Review
"the book is a self–contained course, and as such, good value." (Visual Systems Journal, September 2006)

From the Back Cover
Learning C++ can be dry.  To enliven the process, Francis Glassborow, in his unique motivating style, introduces tasks and tools to enable you to get coding quickly.  His approach is inspiring and comes complete with hands–on examples and projects.  Graphic User Interface (GUI) extensions will provide you with instant feedback and will draw satisfaction from creating programs that work.  Chapters include reference material to help you.

You Can Program in C++ comes complete with an open source, fully portable compiler and IDE for Windows and Linux.  It makes extensive use of the author′s graphic library, bringing you an abundance of supplementary material so you can tackle your own programming tasks quickly and effectively.

If you′ve already grasped the fundamentals of programming through self–study or have learnt basic programming skills on the job, this book is a must!  It will take your programming to the next level and you′ll have some fun along the way...

The CD contains:

• Complete software versions for both MinGWStudio and JGrasp IDEs on PCs using Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and for Linux.  Apple users will be able to work using X11 and JGrasp. 
• Extracts from You Can Do It that supplement the material on using the ′my graphics′ library. 
• Installation instructions, the source code for ′my library′ and make files that allow ′my library′ to be recompiled for other compilers.

Top Marks for You Can Do It

"Excellent Read"  PC Utilities

"Enthusiastic self–help"  Focus

"An authentic programming experience"  C Vu – the Journal of the ACCU

About the Author
Francis Glassborow was chairman of the ACCU (Association of C & C++ Users) and edited the groups′ principle publication throughout the 90′s. He has published reviews of most C++ books on the market but doesn′t confine his wisdom nor interest just to this language. He was a regular columnist for .EXE. Until this year he chaired an annual Programmers conference that regularly attracts the heavy–weights in C++ as well as other languages. He heads the UK delegation to the ISO working group committees for C and C++ and is therefore considered to be one of the world′s leading authorities. He is the originator of much of the material aimed at making C++ easier to learn in the next Standard. His first book, “You Can Do It” is a motivational book teaching basic programming constructs to people with no background. It published with Wiley in 2003.

Customer Reviews

Not for the C++ beginner, but a good choice for readers with some prior, even limited, knowledge of C++ concepts and terminolog
This C++ text is considerably less verbose than most, as it makes some significant assumptions about the reader's prior programming knowledge.

These knowledge assumptions are the book's primary weakness for beginners. Early on the book presents concepts that many readers, even those with prior, but non-C++, programming experience, will not have previously encountered. For example, the author presents the term side-effect without explanation. As early as page 31 basic exception handling is presented in a small program. Iterators are first mentioned without an adequate discussion of what iterators are. Other items from the STL are also presented with explanations so limited that most novice C++ reader's will find the presentations very difficult, if not impossible, to follow.

The author spends too little time providing details for a reader completely new to C++ or object-oriented methods to properly understand many of the new concepts presented, and too little time presenting well-coded exemplars. In chapter 3, e.g., the author states, "I deliberately leave some of these problems in my code because I want you to check code rather than taking my word for it." For beginners, this approach seems fraught with problems. I would have preferred to see programs correctly coded in the presentation sections, with code demonstrating poor practices, explicitly identifying what those poor practices are and providing examples correcting those weaknesses. Otherwise, code with potential problems should be left to the exercises. What reader's need are appropriate examples of good coding practices that they can emulate, not poorly written code examples. Snippets of code can be an excellent approach to presenting key concepts, but fully coded examples should demonstrate appropriate coding practices.

Concepts are "fleshed-out" in later chapters, but "newbies" may find this book does not provide the solid understanding of the basics that they seek.

Additionally, the improved and updated software does not always respond in the same way the earlier software versions used by the author did. For example, in the author's first floating point program, he deliberately leaves off an #include statement and comments that the user will see the compiler complain about this. However, my version of the updated C++ compiler, which is a later release of the one used by the author in preparing the text, accepts this situation without a problem and successfully compiles and runs the program.

Many, in my opinion, unnecessary sections of the book relate to the author's inclusion of a graphic software package he developed called Playpen. This package provides extremely limited capabilities, and simply takes too much time and effort to learn. The package has essentially no value beyond the course. The author would have been better served to provide basic explanations of how to use the built-in graphics capabilities of the major OS systems currently in use. Perhaps he could have selected one, e.g., Microsoft's OS, and as he did for the IDEs mentioned earlier provided additional information on other OSs, e.g., Apple's, presented on the CD. This would have been far more helpful to readers, and have had real value beyond the course. I hope this approach will be followed for latter editions of this work, thus allowing the Playpen package to be removed. This package's limited educational value takes time away from important topics that could otherwise have been covered.

However, in spite of, or because of, the author's conclusion about his readers knowledge level, many readers with some, even limited, background in C++ will appreciate this book's "get to the point quickly" approach. The author is also excellent in presenting appropriate C++ idioms, and showing where idioms carried over from other programming languages, even C, are inappropriate for C++. The author also takes time to explain why they are inappropriate.

In summary, although the book indicates that it is appropriate for those with knowledge of another programming language, I don't concur. However, for those with prior C++ experience or knowledge gained from prior self-study of C++ basics, this is quite a nice book. It gets the reader programming from the start, and provides lots of short, complete, and easily understood programs illustrating key C++ concepts. It provides clear and appropriate short programming exercises throughout. It successfully brings many important advanced features of C++'s together in an authoritative manner.

Thus, although it is not recommended as a first C++ book, it may be a good choice for those with some prior C++ knowledge or experience.