An Introduction to Programming with C++, Third Edition

Rating:
Summary: Great Primer for Non-Programmers
Review: C++ is not an easy language to master and many basic programming concepts are difficult to grasp when you are starting out. But this book makes learning it easy. I normally program in Visual Basic, but I picked up this book to challenge the Colorado Technical University CS104 course and worked through it during the evenings in just one week. This book is chuck full of wonderful exercises to help drill C++ basics home. And the layout is easy to understand and follow. The code examples are straight-forward and match up to the chapter lessons. This book does not get into programming techniques, only the basics of the C++ language syntax. Coincidently, CTU uses the Deitel and Deitel book (mentioned by Barlowe below) in their followup class CS115, the basics are discussed in the first few chapters of Deitel's book as well, but Deitel's doesn't have the exercises to practice with.

Rating:
Summary: I'd rather have a root canal than learn programming...
Review: I am a student who entered a Computer Graphics program and was a victim of a "new, more programming oriented" curriculum.

Her C++ book actually put me in the position to ask professor the right questions and even show some other members of the class a trick or two.

I am not an expert, but this book definitely rescued me from failing my C++ class when it was nothing but pain and suffering. This book clearly steps the way for a beginner to develop understanding and skill, a task which should NOT be underrated.

This book did wonders teaching me in a field where, as my professor put it "If you don't know everything, you don't know anything."

Rating:
Summary: Great for beginners -- Doesn't go far
Review: I just finished an introduction C++ programming course, where this book was the required text and I found the book to be great! As a "newbie" to the programming venue, Zak's book clearly spelled everything out, with clear and concise examples. There were also plenty of exercises to complete to help the student gain the confidence and understanding of this language!

Even though I felt that I was learning a "foreign language", I felt like I really came away with a thorough understanding of an foundational aspects of C++.

Some students, I am sure, will find the book too "simplistic" or maybe even beneath them, but as a "newbie" I found the book perfect for what I was trying to accomplish.

This is actually a book where once could sit down and teach oneself the fundamentals of C++ and one will feel confident as one completes the programming exercises. I thought the book was excellent and I came away from the course with a great foundation of intro C++.

I thoroughly recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction Book
Review: I just finished an introduction C++ programming course, where this book was the required text and I found the book to be great! As a "newbie" to the programming venue, Zak's book clearly spelled everything out, with clear and concise examples. There were also plenty of exercises to complete to help the student gain the confidence and understanding of this language!

Even though I felt that I was learning a "foreign language", I felt like I really came away with a thorough understanding of an foundational aspects of C++.

Some students, I am sure, will find the book too "simplistic" or maybe even beneath them, but as a "newbie" I found the book perfect for what I was trying to accomplish.

This is actually a book where once could sit down and teach oneself the fundamentals of C++ and one will feel confident as one completes the programming exercises. I thought the book was excellent and I came away from the course with a great foundation of intro C++.

I thoroughly recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: If you want to learn how to program in C++, this is the book
Review: I purchased this book as a requirement for my Summer Term C++ class and I have to tell you that there wasn't one person in class that had anything but admiration and thankfullness (LoL) that a book was written with the (imagine this now, lol) beginner in mind.

If I could give it a 10 I would.

------------

Here is the Contents (I typed it right from the book):

An Overview of a Microcomputer System, An Introduction to Control Structures, Beginning the Problem-Solving Process,

Completing the Problem-Solving Process and Getting Started with C++, Variables, Constants, Arithmetic Operators, and Assignment Statements, Built-In Functions, Program-Defined Value-Returning Functions, Program-Defined Void Functions, The Selection Structure, More on the Selection Structure, The Repetition Structure, Manipulating Characters and Strings, Classes and Objects, Sequential Access Files, and Arrays.

------------

All necessary concepts for the beginner. She explains things thoroughly, consistently, and best of all CLEARLY. It may seem elementary and TOO easy for those who already have the above-mentioned concepts--but understand that there is a great need for books written like this one. Why does it have to be difficult to understand?

She does an excellent job on all of her books. Students at the college I attend love her books and learn a firm, clear understanding of concepts necessary to learn not only this, but other languages.

Throughout this book she makes references to the similiarities and differences between C++, Visual Basic, and Java. There are student data disks you can download from the publishers website that are necessary for the completion of most of the exercises AND you get a working copy of Microsoft's Visual Basic C++ to use to compile, build, and run your programs.

The only thing you may not be aware of is this book focuses (except for two chapters where Object-Oriented concepts are introduced) almost entirely of procedural programming concepts.

Make no mistake, this book is awesome.

Rating:
Summary: OK but too simple
Review: The explanations are good, and the book is very easy to read. Just as its name suggests, it is really a introduction book. It seems to me that the book is more suitable for high school students rather than college students.

Rating:
Summary: Simplistic, poor index
Review: This book seems to do its job which is to give you an introduction to C++ as it is appropriately titled. However, I think it's better suited to those with very little or no programming experience (in any language). That's why I find it strange that she has examples for certain functions written in other programming languages (particularly Visual Basic). It seems to be an advertisement for her other books. Note: You'll want to use MS Visual C++ if you can since you may need to modify some of the code for use in other compilers.

It's filled with a good number of projects to do. Functions are covered pretty well. However, it lacks basic shorthand like changing "count = count + 2;" to "count+=2;" or even the simpler "count = count + 1;" to "count++;". Also, I'm not too sure about some of the terminology like the way she uses "memory location" pretty much interchangably with "variable." IMHO, a variable is a named reference to a memory location. A memory location is not a variable. The order is a little weird with structures and classes coming before arrays. It would be OK if she had examples of arrays of data structures or classes but she doesn't. (Somewhat technical explanation ahead.) Instead, she introduces you to the silly concept of "parallel arrays." You use two or more arrays to hold different data but use the same subscript since it's in reference to the same thing. (Ex. number[1] is associated with person[1]) Since you're introduced to data structures first, it would make more sense to have an array of a structure instead.

I don't recommend this book for those who have moderate programming experience and it doesn't make a good reference either since the index is so poor. The chapter summaries lack some information that was covered so you'll want a HiLiter too.

If you're a beginner looking for a step-by-step guide with lots of programming exercizes in MS Visual C++, I think it would be a decent book to use but you may want a reference book to go with it.

Rating:
Summary: Programming Intro, Then a C++ intro
Review: This book starts by explaing the history of Programming languages and then abstract programming theory. The first three chapters should be skipped by anyone with previous programming experience. The rest of the book moves at a snails pace introducing concepts at extremely slow pace, and at the end you can write a program that can factor pie and return it to the command prompt! Yeah! There are better books on the Learning C++, However if you have no concept of how to program, and need a very "hold your hand" approach this book would do well for you. Just don't expect to write any useful programs after reading it!

Rating:
Summary: Takes the tears out of learning C++
Review: Wanna learn C++? Buy Zak's book!

Zak's "Introduction to Programming with C++" is an easy to understand and follow book that will help beginners quickly grasp and begin using the major concepts of C++. The explanations are very thorough, and each lesson contains several programming examples that reinforce the new concept, each explained thoroughly, line by line. By following Zak's lessons and doing a handful of the exercises included at the end of each lesson, an absolute rock bottom beginner will quickly be creating 2 dimensional arrays and whipping up classes just as if they'd been doing it their whole lives.

While this is an outstanding text for learning, it's lousy as reference for later on when you want to quickly review a concept or some syntax. Buy Zak's book first and invest in a good reference book when you're done. You'll be glad you did.