Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: Walls and Mirrors (3rd Edition) [Hardcover]

Frank M. Carrano (Author), Janet J. Prichard (Author), Frank Carrano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0201741199 | ISBN-13: 978-0201741193 | Edition: 3

This classic book has been revised to further enhance its focus on data abstraction and data structures using C++. The book continues to provide a firm foundation in data abstraction, emphasizing the distinction between specification and implementation as the foundation for an object-oriented approach. The authors cover key object-oriented concepts, including encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism. However, the focus remains on data abstraction instead of simply C++ syntax. The authors also illustrate the role of classes and ADTs in the problem-solving process, and includes major applications of ADTs, such as searching a flight map and event-driven simulation. The book offers early, extensive coverage of recursion and uses this technique in many examples and exercises. It also introduces analysis of algorithms and the Big "O" notation. In addition, this text reviews, in an appendix, basic C++ syntax for those who either have studied the language previously or are making the transition from another language to C++.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The classic Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: Walls and Mirrors been revised to further enhance its focus on data abstraction and data structures using C++. It provides a firm foundation in data abstraction, emphasizing the distinction between specification and implementation as the foundation for an object-oriented approach. Professors Frank Carrano and Janet Prichard cover key object-oriented concepts, including encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism. However, the focus remains on data abstraction instead of simply C++ syntax.

The authors also illustrate the role of classes and ADTs in the problem-solving process and include major applications of ADTs, such as searching a flight map and event-driven simulation. The book offers early, extensive coverage of recursion and uses this technique in many examples and exercises. It also introduces analysis of algorithms and the Big "0" notation. New to this edition is an introduction to the Standard Template Library and the Unified Modeling Language.

Features

• Includes a lucid writing style, wide-spread use of examples, and flexible coverage of topics
• Provides a strong introduction to, and a continuous use of, data abstraction
• Presents the best coverage of recursion available in any textbook, starting in Chapter 2
• Focuses on coverage of data structures instead of language syntax-still, all C++ code has been updated to conform with ANSI Standard C++
• Contains coverage of the Standard Template Library (STL)
• Introduces the Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a tool for designing classes
• Provides an appendix on basic C++ syntax for those who are making the transition to C++ from another language

About the Author

Frank M. Carrano is Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rhode Island. 0201874024AB04062001 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 944 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 3 edition (August 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201741199
• ISBN-13: 978-0201741193
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,083,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Algorithms > Data Structures

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best intorductory book for Data Structures, November 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Data Abstraction and Problem Solving With C++: Walls and Mirrors (Hardcover)

This book does an excellent job of intorducing the mechanics of Data structures. A very useful book to refresh one's knowledge about data structures and get a rigororus insight in the subject in preparation for advanced studies in the area of Data Structures.

Good book for an introductory University course in Data Structures. This bok has been successfully used (and is still being used) as a standard textbook in an intro course in Data Structures at UT Austin

Prerequisites: Atleast 1 introductory programming course in any high level language (preferrably C++). A decent knowledge of C++. (no need of OOP knowledge). Reader should be prepared to seriously study this book. This is a full blown ACADEMIC book, not a tutoorial

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it and keep it near for reference, December 10, 2004

By 

Frank R. Carlsen "flare63" (Star, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: Walls and Mirrors (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best of its kind that I have read.

It is very descriptive and contains a lot of good examples on the subjects.

It describes the construction of a lot of the collection classes like lists, trees, queues etc. and how this is most efficiently sorted and structured.

Other subjects are graphs, the Big "O" Notation for evaluation of algorithm performance and a very good description on how and when to use recursion (The mirrors).

All subjects are described in detail with great examples.

To further test if the subjects have been understood a self-test section is at the end of each chapter (and the answers are in the back of book).

The reader of the book should have some knowledge of object-oriented design, but besides that the code is fairly easy to read.

In short it's a buy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good down to earth data structures, March 18, 2001

By 

Duwayne Sy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Data Abstraction and Problem Solving With C++: Walls and Mirrors (Hardcover)

If you want to learn data structures, this book has lots of good information. In fact, my university uses this book for its data structures class. This book also uses c++ but no STL. It would be nice to have STL since we want the code to be reusable for any objects.