Simple Program Design [Student Edition] [Paperback]

Lesley A. Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1994

Softback textbook

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: South-Western Thomson Learning; 2nd edition (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877092834
• ISBN-13: 978-0877092834
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,169,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading this book is the best way to learn how to program, February 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Simple Program Design, Third Edition: A Step By Step Approach (Paperback)

This is the best book I have found about learning how to program. I have read lots of books about specific programming languages but I never felt like I understood how to program until I read this book.

This book is great because it explains the fundamentals of programming in a way that makes it easy to learn any other language. If a person wants to learn to program they should get a reference for whatever language they intend to program in such as one of the O' Reilly or WROX books on Visual Basic or Java and a copy of this book.

I have been doing a lot of database related programming and I found that the way this book explains program design helps in database oriented applications as much as it does in desktop VB or Java applications.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Orientates a Person to Programming, June 25, 2000

By 

Tan Kwan Seng (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Program Design, Third Edition: A Step By Step Approach (Paperback)

This book is good in that it explains in simple terms what designing programs is about. Design tools such as pseudocode, Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams, flowcharts, etc. which is good for the procedural way of thinking. Only two chapters that teaches the reader about object-oriented. As such, this book will help the reader more in the traditional approach of problem solving than the object-oriented way. I do not see two chapters as providing a solid, practical grounding for developing object-oriented solutions. Furthermore, there are no "Suggested solutions to selected questions". While it is true that there are different ways to solve a problem or expressing the solution, providing some "Suggested solutions" may, in effect be also providing further understanding if the solutions points out possible pitfalls or aspects which the student may overlook and thus produce something that isn't quite correct.

I think the book is not good at covering desk-checking. It is constructed in such a way that allows the checker to make mistake as to which step is under consideration or inspection. The first column of the desk-check table (or dry-run table) is labelled as "Statement" and under this column, "Read", "If", "Print", etc. appears. It would be better to number the lines in pseudocode (which can easily be done) and label the 1st column of the table as "Step No." so as to allow easy, and less error-prone cross-checking.

The other area that can be improved is "Appendix 3: Special Algorithms". It attempts to explain Bubble Sort, Insertion Sort and Selection Sort without using examples. Unsorted arrays with numbers and diagrams to show the swaps in the passes would be useful. This is done in many programming and algorithm design books. It is a pity that it is not done here. It would certainly support the textual explanation.

With this minor blemishes, it is still a very good book to teach people who do not know programming to get a good feel of how to think to solve programming problems in a computer language independent way. The teacher is the key to making this book useful as a concise text to the topic of program design. For example, the teacher can show a example of improper identation in pseudocode which may not be obvious to the beginner and explain why it is incorrect the consequences of it. Things like an "else" belongs to the nearest "if" should be highlighted. The book does not show an example, it merely states that it is important to indent pseudocode properly.

Overall, it is still a good text.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book BEFORE any other programming book, April 19, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Program Design, Third Edition: A Step By Step Approach (Paperback)

The problem with most books that purport to teach how to program, is that they really only teach the syntax of the programming language their book is about.

If you have never programmed before, you must FIRST learn how to think like a programmer before delving into the intricacies of a particular programming language. This is where this book excels. This books starts you out on the right footing and gently leads you to develop the proper frame of mind and method to become a programmer. Once you master how to think like a programmer, then you are ready to learn ANY procedural programming language.

If you rush into programming, you could develop bad habits that are almost impossible to break. A little patience now, and the road ahead will be much easier.