Customer Reviews

C++ from Scratch with CDROM

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I like this book, I really do. I love the idea of working on one project through the entire book. Since I'd like to program games at some point, the project described in the book (a game based on Mastermind) is one that has some relevance to me. There are problems however:

1) Not completely appropriate for the target audience - Jesse Liberty at least implies that this book will teach you enough to learn C++ and be able to program in it. This is misleading. In the beginning, things move smoothly, concepts are explained and understood. As time goes on, more concepts are added and _usually_ incorporated into the growing project. This is where things get difficult. I much prefer understanding concepts in programs designed specifically to show how these concepts work before including them in a larger, 'holistic' project. Yes, he does this in some cases, but usually I find these cases inappropriate. Linked lists is one example he uses, and for the true beginner (or even one with programming experience) this is not an easy subject without some build-up.

2) Disjointed - The book is sort of like the 'X-Files' which has its 'Mythology' episodes (the ones that contribute to the overall story arc) and the 'One shot' episodes (monsters, weird occurrences unconnected with anything else). In the book you have the main project and every so often Liberty will jump off to the side to discuss a feature of C++ in some detail (linked list mentioned above). The effect is a disjointed one, often breaking the flow of understanding.

3) Restrictive - Probably my biggest worry is the effect on programming practices to a newcomer to C++. The concepts are taught, not with an eye for overall understanding, but rather in how they can be used for one very specific program. As new concepts are learned, often times the result is that a part of the project will be rewritten to use the new concept, leading to the impression that the earlier concept was obsolete and really has no purpose. I prefer being told not only how to use a concept, but when and where the concept is useful, what pitfalls there are, and see a few examples that show different ways to use the concept. Otherwise it's too easy to have tunnel vision, seeing the concept as only useful in limited circumstances.

So... I said I liked this book, didn't I? I do, but with a very specific recommendation for people who buy it. Get both a general Primer (I recommend the Waite Group's C++ Primer Plus) and an intermediate text (Thinking in C++ is the one I recommend). Learn C++ using those and then read C++ from Scratch to see how many different concepts can fit together. This book would probably have gotten 4 stars if I had not felt it inappropriate for its target audience.

Liberty needs to hire a competent proofreader. This book has quite a number of simple, obvious errors that broke my concentration as I was making my way through the examples. Most of the errors occur when the author was explaining a code sample. Keeping in mind that this is a book for C++ novices, I thought that the discussions of new concepts were lacking thoroughness. Also, some of the code examples include unintroduced syntax and concepts that weren't part of the current disscussion which distract and confuse. On the bright side though, I liked the teaching concept that Liberty used for this book. To bad continuity of learning was constantly interupted by so many errors (I found 11 errors between pages 61 and 115).

This is not the book to get if you have no C++ experience and no other C++ books, in my opinion. It is not comprehensive. By the second chapter, the terminology and concepts will probably be overwhelming to someone with zero C/C++ background -- not because the book itself is not well written, but because I don't think it's possible to introduce C++ in this manner within such a brief format. A moderate proportion of the 400 or so pages is occupied by source code samples so space for explanation is not as expansive as it would appear.

I recommend this book for intermediate beginners who have had an introduction to aspects of C/C++ through larger more in-depth books but do not have a good sense of how to take a programming concept and make a working model out of it.

This book is innovative in its presentation of C++ as described above. Certain parts could stand to be fleshed out some, but overall it is fun to use. Most of the code worked for me, but there were some rough spots which I am still not clear as to if it is due to the book or with errors in my Microsoft compiler.

I would really like to see more books of this type dealing with intermediate level programming projects of larger scale, with more detail in descriptions of methods used. The method of presentation is quite compelling.

This is a very nice approach to learning C++ but you'll also need a good primer on the language to really understand the basics of C++.

I consider myself a novice programmer. I have taken just enough classes to get myself into trouble. I was very excited to find this book since I really enjoy the "hands-on" approach.

My disappointment quickly surfaced when I started seeing all of the typos!! They are everywhere in the text. The book starts a c++ project using two constants, minPositions and maxPositions and then, in the next chapter they are changed to minPos and maxPos without any warning. The author also jumps back and forth between using #include iostream.h and #include iostream with little regard for the surrounding context.

This book is ONLY good if you already know how to write c++, because you can't learn the correct syntax when it changes randomly throughout the book.

Another reviewer pointed out that chapter 6 is labeled as chapter 1...this is the point that i started shaking my head and decided to post this review.

The book seemed to have a good concept: learn C++ from the very beginning by building an application (in this case, a terminal mode game).

It starts out nicely in the beginning chapters but then frustrates the reader with typos in the listings that prevents them from compiling. Add to that file names for the source code on the companion CD-ROM that don't match the names in the text and the results are a very dissappointing learning experience.

This is an awsome book on C++. From the very beginning no assumptions are made on the reader's knowledge or capabilities. You are made to feel that you can accomplish learning C++ easily and with confidence. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn C++ and Object Oriented Programming! The reading is light and keeps your attention. I have read and own many books on teaching yourself C and none of those grabbed my attention the way this book has on C++. I do not feel like I need to buy another book on C++. Keep up the great work Jesse!

I bought this book to refresh my C++ knowledge. It does a good job on this. I think this book is not good for newbies in programming, as some programming concept teached in this book will confuse them. I couldn't give a higher rating as there were too many typos and some small inaccurate statements that I found in this book. But I like the idea of this book. If you want to buy only one book to learn C++, then this isn't the right book for you.

The idea of this book is quite good.... However, you still need a good primer and a good reference, since this book failed to do in both aspects. For a complicated like C++, this book simply too short. Of course, it covers a lot of things and in the end you could create that game... but what's about the other things else that Mr.Liberty missed?

Anyway, the way of learning is depend on people, each people has his/her own style of learning. So, this one might worth a try.... read it first, in the library or bookstore somewhere... buy it if you like it. However, I still believe that if you buy this one, you will need a good primer and a reference.

I've found that this book is a good companion, but it really cannot stand on its own. If you've been working through some of the dry texts that have been written to teach C++ and want to actually learn how to create something, it's a good resource. It names and very briefly describes most of the most important concepts in the language so you better have some other C++ reference texts and books handy or you'll get lost quick. I found the typos to be a little annoying - but after you reach a certain point in your understanding of C++, they almost act like quizzes ("Hey - that ASSERT is declared wrong!") to see if you're really paying attention.