Read the full review of this book.C++: An Introduction to Data Structures, by Larry Nyhoff, is an undergraduate course text on data structures and associated algorithms as expressed in the C++ language.It is an extraordinary textbook forming an excellent introduction to the discipline of programming.
Writing textbooks is much harder than writing general computing books. While authors writing for general publication can cater to their own tastes, textbook authors must strive for both orthogonality and breadth, knowing the reader's exposure to the matters under discussion may be limited for years to those encountered in the textbook. At the same time, the presentation must make the topics memorable.
Nyhoff, of the Calvin College Department of computer science (Grand Rapids, Michigan), succeeds in satisfying these goals. The presentation is both rich and well targeted to undergraduates. It is written in a style surprisingly engaging even for the expert. This is the clearly one of the best volumes of its genre.
The book is about data structures in the classic sense: Nyhoff might have titled the book Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs if Niklaus Wirth hadn't already used the title in the 1960s. C++: An Introduction to Data Structures deals broadly with basic computational algorithms, examining in painstaking detail the data structures that empower the algorithms, from scalars to members of the Standard Template Library. --Jack Woehr, Dr. Dobb's Journal -- Dr. Dobb's Journal
This text is designed for the course CS2 as described in the curriculum recommendations of the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery). It aims to meet the major objectives of this course as spelled out in these recommendations, one of which is: To continue developing a disciplined approach to the design, coding, and testing of programs written in a high-level language. This text continues the Object-Centered-Design paradigm developed in the C++ text of which I am one of the authors-C++: An Introduction to Computing-and culminates in true OOP (Object-Oriented Programming), which has become the modus operandi in programming and system development. It also continues the coverage of C++, including more advanced topics not usually covered in a first course and that students need to learn such as recursion, function and class templates, inheritance, and polymorphism. Standard C++ as prescribed in the final November 1997 ANSI/ISO draft is used throughout.
Two other objectives of CS2 are: To teach the use of data abstraction using as examples data structures other than those normally provided as basic types in current programming languages; for example, linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees. To provide an understanding of the different implementations of these data structures. This text emphasizes abstract data types (ADTs) throughout. It is a study of data structures in the spirit of OOP. All of the usual data structures are covered as recommended. It also treats the containers and algorithms from the Standard Template Library, which are up-to-date and powerful standard data types and tools in C++. In addition, some of the C-style topics appropriate in a data structures course are included, because many students will get jobs as C programmers; many libraries are written in C; C-style data structures are usually implemented very efficiently; and they are often used to implement some of the more modern standard data types.
Another objective of the CS2 course is: 8To introduce searching and sorting algorithms and their analysis. Both searching and sorting are covered in detail in the text. It also covers algorithm development, analysis, and introduces algorithm verification, thus providing a first look at important tools for later courses in computer science. The curriculum recommendations also include the following objective for the CS2 course: To provide an introduction to the various areas of computer science and thereby provide a foundation for further studies in computer science. This text continues the portrayal of the discipline of computer science begun in C++: An Introduction to Computing by including examples and exercises from different areas of computer science in an attempt to provide a foundation for further study in theoretical and/or applied computer science. The topics include:
A description of the software development process. Abstract data types Object-oriented programming Computational complexity of algorithms, illustrated by the analysis of standard searching and sorting algorithms An introduction to correctness proofs Data encryption schemes (DES and public key) Data compression using Huffman codes Doubly-linked lists and large integer arithmetic Random number generation and simulation Lexical analysis and parsing Reverse Polish notation and generation of machine code Simple systems concepts such as input/output buffers, parameter-passing mechanisms, address translation, and memory management SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
A number of supplementary materials have been planned for this text: A solutions manual containing solutions to all of the exercises and many of the programming problems (available from the publisher to instructors who adopt the text for use in a course) A companion website (prenhall/nyhoff) containing presentation slides, source code, and additional resources. A lab manual containing tested lab exercises that coordinate with the text (sold separately) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I express my sincere appreciation to all who helped in any way in the preparation of this text. I especially thank my editor Laura Steele, whose support and encouragement have kept me going and whose friendship over the past several years has made textbook writing for Prentice Hall an enjoyable experience. My gratitude for friendship, perceptive suggestions and directions, and unflagging support and encouragement goes to Alan Apt, a publisher respected throughout the publishing and academic communities. I also appreciate the management of reviews and mega-many other details handled so promptly and with pleasant demeanor by Assistant Editor (extraordinaire) Kate Kaibni. I must also thank Assistant Managing Editor Eileen Clark, Art Director Heather Scott, Production Editors Sharyn Vitrano and Ann Marie Kalajian and all the others who did such a fantastic job of designing this attractive book and actually getting it into print. Their attention to details has compensated for my lack thereof and their cooperation and kind words were much appreciated. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Ralph Ewton (Univ. of Texas-El Paso) whose thorough, painstaking, and perspicacious comments, criticisms, and suggestions have strengthened the presentation immensely. I also appreciate the following reviewers of the manuscript for their many valuable observations and recommendations: Adair Dingle (Seattle Univ.), Jens Gregor (Univ. of Tennessee), Bob Holloway (Univ. of Wisconsin), Robin Rowe (SAIC, Pt. Loma Research Center), Andrew Sung (New Mexico Tech), and Mansour Zand (Univ. of Nebraska). Of course, I must once again pay homage to my wife Shar and our children and grandchildren-Jeff, Dawn, Rebecca, Megan, and Sara; Jim; Greg, Julie, Joshua and Derek; Tom and Joan-for their love and understanding through all the times that their needs and wants were slighted by my busyness. Above all, I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity, ability, and stamina to prepare this text.
Larry Nyhoff
From the Back Cover
“The presentation is excellent, good writing style, supportive and well-placed illustrations; and a variety of exercises reinforcing the concepts.” —Adair Dingle, Seattle University
“This is one of the very few books that I have seen that combines foundations of software engineering with an introduction to computer science in some detail and introduces topics that are only covered in advanced courses. It is very important that our students start to learn these fundamental issues as early as possible.” —Mansour Zand, University of Nebraska
KEY FEATURES:
- Covers the data structures recommended in the ACM curriculum guidelines
- Problem-solving methodology is used consistently in examples and applications
- Incorporates an Object-Centered Design paradigm developed by the author that culminates in true object-oriented programming
- Includes coverage of containers and algorithms from C++'s standard library
- Advanced C++ features such as recursion, function and class templates, inheritance, and polymorphism are covered
C++: An Introduction to Data Structures is a superior learning tool that includes numerous examples, applications, exercise sets, programming projects, quick quizzes, programming pointers, and ADT tips. Supplements for an instructor teaching a data structures course include a solutions manual, PowerPoint lecture presentations, source code, electronic art files, companion Web site, and a lab manual.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
This text is designed for the course CS2 as described in the curriculum recommendations of the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery). It aims to meet the major objectives of this course as spelled out in these recommendations, one of which is: - To continue developing a disciplined approach to the design, coding, and testing of programs written in a high-level language. This text continues the Object-Centered-Design paradigm developed in the C++ text of which I am one of the authors-C++: An Introduction to Computing-and culminates in true OOP (Object-Oriented Programming), which has become the modus operandi in programming and system development. It also continues the coverage of C++, including more advanced topics not usually covered in a first course and that students need to learn such as recursion, function and class templates, inheritance, and polymorphism. Standard C++ as prescribed in the final November 1997 ANSI/ISO draft is used throughout.
Two other objectives of CS2 are: - To teach the use of data abstraction using as examples data structures other than those normally provided as basic types in current programming languages; for example, linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees.
- To provide an understanding of the different implementations of these data structures. This text emphasizes abstract data types (ADTs) throughout. It is a study of data structures in the spirit of OOP. All of the usual data structures are covered as recommended. It also treats the containers and algorithms from the Standard Template Library, which are up-to-date and powerful standard data types and tools in C++. In addition, some of the C-style topics appropriate in a data structures course are included, because many students will get jobs as C programmers; many libraries are written in C; C-style data structures are usually implemented very efficiently; and they are often used to implement some of the more modern standard data types.
Another objective of the CS2 course is: - 8 To introduce searching and sorting algorithms and their analysis. Both searching and sorting are covered in detail in the text. It also covers algorithm development, analysis, and introduces algorithm verification, thus providing a first look at important tools for later courses in computer science. The curriculum recommendations also include the following objective for the CS2 course:
- To provide an introduction to the various areas of computer science and thereby provide a foundation for further studies in computer science. This text continues the portrayal of the discipline of computer science begun in C++: An Introduction to Computing by including examples and exercises from different areas of computer science in an attempt to provide a foundation for further study in theoretical and/or applied computer science. The topics include:
- A description of the software development process.
- Abstract data types
- Object-oriented programming
- Computational complexity of algorithms, illustrated by the analysis of standard searching and sorting algorithms
- An introduction to correctness proofs
- Data encryption schemes (DES and public key)
- Data compression using Huffman codes
- Doubly-linked lists and large integer arithmetic
- Random number generation and simulation
- Lexical analysis and parsing
- Reverse Polish notation and generation of machine code
- Simple systems concepts such as input/output buffers, parameter-passing mechanisms, address translation, and memory management SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
A number of supplementary materials have been planned for this text: - A solutions manual containing solutions to all of the exercises and many of the programming problems (available from the publisher to instructors who adopt the text for use in a course)
- A companion website (www.prenhall.com/nyhoff) containing presentation slides, source code, and additional resources.
- A lab manual containing tested lab exercises that coordinate with the text (sold separately) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I express my sincere appreciation to all who helped in any way in the preparation of this text. I especially thank my editor Laura Steele, whose support and encouragement have kept me going and whose friendship over the past several years has made textbook writing for Prentice Hall an enjoyable experience. My gratitude for friendship, perceptive suggestions and directions, and unflagging support and encouragement goes to Alan Apt, a publisher respected throughout the publishing and academic communities. I also appreciate the management of reviews and mega-many other details handled so promptly and with pleasant demeanor by Assistant Editor (extraordinaire) Kate Kaibni. I must also thank Assistant Managing Editor Eileen Clark, Art Director Heather Scott, Production Editors Sharyn Vitrano and Ann Marie Kalajian and all the others who did such a fantastic job of designing this attractive book and actually getting it into print. Their attention to details has compensated for my lack thereof and their cooperation and kind words were much appreciated. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Ralph Ewton (Univ. of Texas-El Paso) whose thorough, painstaking, and perspicacious comments, criticisms, and suggestions have strengthened the presentation immensely. I also appreciate the following reviewers of the manuscript for their many valuable observations and recommendations: Adair Dingle (Seattle Univ.), Jens Gregor (Univ. of Tennessee), Bob Holloway (Univ. of Wisconsin), Robin Rowe (SAIC, Pt. Loma Research Center), Andrew Sung (New Mexico Tech), and Mansour Zand (Univ. of Nebraska). Of course, I must once again pay homage to my wife Shar and our children and grandchildren-Jeff, Dawn, Rebecca, Megan, and Sara; Jim; Greg, Julie, Joshua and Derek; Tom and Joan-for their love and understanding through all the times that their needs and wants were slighted by my busyness. Above all, I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity, ability, and stamina to prepare this text.
Larry Nyhoff
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