An Introduction to Programming Using Alice [Paperback]

Charles W. Herbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1418836257 | ISBN-13: 978-1418836252 | Edition: 1

Alice: An Introduction to Programming Using Alice is designed to make learning programming easy for the novice user, with the help of Alice. Object-oriented programming can be much more challenging to learn than traditional programming. Alice is a software tool that was developed to help teach object-oriented programming in a less syntax-intensive and highly motivating environment. It addresses some of the barriers that currently prevent many students from successfully learning to program.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The author's writing style is excellent. Simple and easy to follow. Very readable and fun. I think the students will enjoy reading the book, and that's important. - Diane Zak, Course Technology Author

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology; 1 edition (March 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1418836257
• ISBN-13: 978-1418836252
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #683,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not detailed enough for beginners, December 11, 2008

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Introduction to Programming Using Alice (Paperback)

In my opinion, there is no better way to introduce young people to programming than with Alice. As a programming language, it combines the advantages of a visual developmental environment, a largely natural language command structure and the component-like nature of object-oriented programming. However, even the most intuitive of development environments is not completely self-evident, especially for students receiving their first exposure to programming. No matter how it is presented, programming is still an abstract, mental process.
Therefore, if the beginner is to be successful, the approach must be one of simple recipes, at least at the start. In comparison to other books, specifically "Alice 2.0: Introductory Concepts and Techniques", by Shelly, Cashman and Herbert, this one fails to be simple enough for most beginners. The instruction is largely textual in nature, which will be adequate for students with more experience with computers and programming. The breadth of coverage is also suitable only for a short course; it is impossible to present a thorough introduction to any programming language in 243 pages, especially when the pages are approximately 7" by 9".
If I were to ever be in the position to offer a course in programming with Alice, this is not a book that I would use as the text.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intuitive for object oriented programming, February 7, 2007

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Introduction to Programming Using Alice (Paperback)

For non-programmers who want to learn an object oriented language, Alice is a nice choice. At least as a pedagogic vehicle. As far as I know, there are no actual [or few] actual jobs for Alice programmers. But at the primary or secondary school level, Alice gets the main concepts common to many commercial OO languages across to students.

Herbert introduces these concepts at a deliberately slow pace. Suitable for most of the targeted audience. The screen captures of the user interface are quite pretty, and help to hold the reader's attention. As compared with learning C++, say, where there is no intrinsic GUI. Plus, the mapping of conceptual objects to graphical objects in Alice is its main attraction. Very intuitive.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not an introductory to alice!, February 18, 2009

By 

C. White - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Introduction to Programming Using Alice (Paperback)

This is the book we are using for an introductory course of programming and logic. I love Alice and learning about the program, but this book is way too complicated for the beginner.