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Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, 2nd Edition

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Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Second Edition will help the reader understand what programming really is. The reader not only gets an overview of the job of programming, but also learns which specific skills are needed for certain jobs.

The reader will understand

  • How a computer interprets a program's instructions and gain insight into what goes on "under the hood" when a computer runs a program.
  • How programming can and does relate to the Internet and learn about the skills required for adding security to programs.
  • Compiled versus other kinds of programs such as interpreted languages like JavaScript and HTML, which are more formatting and hyperlink languages.
  • Job potential in the programming market.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Second Edition offers "hands-on" programming for the "absolute beginner." There are several texts for specific languages, and two offerings (IDG and Sams) that attempt to take an overview-to-programming attitude, but this is the only one that takes today's programming environments and explains why each is important and for whom they are important.

Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful "starter guide" to Programming, August 15, 2001
By 
Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming (2nd Edition) (Paperback)
This book takes the subject of programming from a beginner's point of view and instructs its readers quite well. Starting with a basic understanding of what a computer is, what it can do with the proper software, and a brief history, it then goes on to describe a program's "anatomy." There's also descriptions of the early programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL, even RPG and Pascal (which would later be the forerunner to C). And then on to "modern-day" languages like C, C++, and Visual Basic.

In fact, the book devotes much of its concept to Visual Basic (VB), stating that a lot of the concepts in learning VB can be applied to other programming languages. The book devotes several chapters about VB, along with numerous helpful diagrams that help to show the different concepts being described. Subsequent chapters take on other languages like C and C++, along with batch and scripting languages. I never realized how simple a scripting langauge could be to put... Read more

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Just a note on second edition, May 18, 2001
By 
Ronald J. Legere (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming (2nd Edition) (Paperback)
Most of the reviews here, including the editorial reviews, at the time that I write this, are for the first edition. The first edition used Qbasic. This edition uses Visual Basic for the most part (so you have to own at least the learning edition). I havent read it yet, but it seems to be based still mostly on the older text (which is a good thing...) but has also taken advantage of Visual Basic's capabilities. Hopefully someone just starting out will write a review here. I give it 4 stars, but only because that is the current average. The system doesnt let you abstain from voting ;)
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best beginner's guides to programming., July 11, 2001
By 
Achbaatar Oyungua (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming (2nd Edition) (Paperback)
This book is one of the best beginner's guides to programming. It will teach you from the very beginning point to the fundamental of programming. The book will teach you basic programming language Visual Basic and will mention C, C++, Java and Web Programming. It is wriiten quite understandable in Plain English. If you want to programm but do not know where to start this book can be your starting point. Good Luck.
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Table of Contents



Introduction.

I. PRELUDE TO PROGRAMMING.

1. Computers Are Tools.

Computers and Programming. What a Computer Does. Common Misconceptions. Ease-of-Use Matters to Programmers. People and Computers. It Takes More Than a Computer. A Quick Overview. Networking It All. Today's Computers. Types of Computers. Summary.

2. Anatomy of a Program.

The Programmer's Life. The Need for Programs. Programs, Programs, Everywhere. Programs As Directions. The Language Translator. Accuracy Is Everything. The Need for Design. The Program Language. Summary.

II. FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING.

3. Programming Languages: The Early Years.

Storage of Programs and Data. Binary Arithmetic. The First Programs. Enter the Keyboard. Getting Closer to English. Other Languages Through the Years. Summary.

4. Programming Languages: Modern Day.

Pascal's Importance and Demise. The C Programming Language. C++'s Impact on Modern Languages. Hypertext and Scripting Languages. The BASICs. Which Language Is Best? Summary.

III. HANDS-ON PROGRAMMING.

5. Your First Language: Visual Basic.

A Visual Basic Quick Start. Your First Visual Basic Program. Learning the Visual Basic Environment. The Visual Basic Screen. Help Is Close. Summary.

6. Input and Output.

A Quick Windows Program Analysis. Controlling Events. Application Specifics. The Interface Controls. Walking Through an Application's Development. Other Controls. Document with Remarks. Message and Input Boxes. Summary.

7. Data Processing with Visual Basic.

Adding Code. The Basics of Visual Basic Data. Expressions and Math Operators. Comparison Operators. Summary.

8. Working with Data.

Making Decisions in Code. Using Else. Other Forms of Decision Making. Nesting If...Else Statements. Selecting with Select Case. Looping in Visual Basic. Summary.

9. Having Fun with Visual Basic.

Using Shapes. An Aside About Controls. The Line Control. Mastering the Shape Control. A Sample Shape Application. The Picture Box Control. Summary.

10. Advanced Visual Basic Programming.

Application: Interest Calculation. Adding the Form's Labels and Text Boxes. Adding Code. Summary.

11. Online Visual Basic Programming.

Introducing Visual Basic Wizards. Using the Wizard for the Internet. Sampling the Internet Controls. A Preview of Advanced Issues. Summary.

IV. PROGRAMMING IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS.

12. Program Algorithms.

Counters and Accumulators. Swapping Values. Sorting. Nested Loops. Searching Arrays. A Brief Introduction to Data Structures. Summary.

13. Programming with.

Introducing. Analyzing a C Program. Using the main() Function's Format. Using the #include Statement. C Data. C Comments. Declaring Variables. C Functions. C Operators. C Control Statements. Summary.

14. Programming with C++.

Learning C++. Object Terminology. Fundamental Differences Between C and C++. Introducing Objects. Benefits of OOP. Summary.

15. Batch, Macro, and Scripting Languages.

Batch: The One That Started Everything. Macro Languages. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Scripting in Windows. Summary.

16. Internet Programming Concepts.

Internet Programming Considerations. The Need for Simple Navigation. HTML Programming. ActiveX Controls. Scripting in Internet Applications. ASP and .NET Technologies. Summary.

17. HTML Programming.

Understanding HTML. Simple HTML. Simple HTML Text Formatting. Simple HTML Graphics. Using Hyperlinks. E-mail HyperLinks. Summary.

18. DHTML Programming.

Introducing DHTML. A Sample DHTML Page. The Technology Behind DHTML. The Microsoft and Netscape Battle. The Rollover Effect. Summary.

19. Introduction to XML.

XML and Its Impact. Multiple Platforms. A Complete XML Example. Summary.

20. Java Programming.

Introducing Java. Java Provides Executable Content. Multiplatform Executable Content. The Java Usage Summary. The Security Issue. Give Java a Spin. Visual J++: A Sample Java System. The Java Language Specifics. Exception Handling. Summary.

21. JavaScript.

What JavaScript Can Do for You. Reviewing JavaScript's Objects. JavaScript's Events and Handlers. JavaScript's Language Is Complete. Summary.

V. THE BUSINESS OF PROGRAMMING.

22. The Importance of Maintenance.

Flowcharts. Pseudocode. Introduction to Structured Programming. Structured Programming Techniques. Proper Testing Is Vital. Debugging. Summary.

23. Distributing Your Applications.

Issues Surrounding Software Distribution. Distribution Used to Be Easy. Windows Application Distribution. Deploying Your Application. After Generating the Setup. More Helpful Tools. Summary.

24. The Programming Business.

Data Processing and Other Departments. Paying for the Data Processing Department. Computer Jobs. Job Titles. Consulting. Summary.

25. Your Programming Future.

Will Programming Go Away? Training Never Stops. From Beginner to Guru. Summary.

Index.

 

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