Using Kylix (for the first time)...

[Furmanek, Greg]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rob Wehrli [mailto:rwehrli@azpower.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 7:58 PM
> To: plug-devel@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> Subject: Re: Using Kylix (for the first time)...
> 
<SNIP>
> 
> I tend to recommend learning C and the mechanics of the 
> language before
> learning C++, especially under UNIX.  With C, you can do most 
> of everything
> that you'd want to do for UNIX and Linux.
> 
> I've often thought of writing a decent learning C book, but 
> there are so
> many out there that it is a tough sell to publishers.  To me, 
> the books on C
> are not the way to teach beginners to programming.  


I have to agree with you.  I have seen a lot of instructions and books
that do not represent the easiest approach to learining of this language.

> The basics of
> programming are in understanding data types and how important 
> it is that we
> manipulate them effectively.  Learning C is a good way to get started
> without all of the complexities of C++.  Remember that C++ is a vast
> superset of C, so it is nearly infinitely more involving.  

I think there is way more to C++ then just it's complexity.
The design approach is drastically different.  From what I have
seen most of the C++ books teach C with C++ constructs but do not
teach the OOD which is the whole idea behind C++.

> I'd by the first
> book and just start going through it, typing in line-by-line 
> everything in
> it.  By the time you get through the first couple of chapters, you'll
> probably be exploring things that aren't mentioned in the 
> book--or if they
> are mentioned, later in the book.
> 
> Most basic "learning C" books start out teaching about the 
> pre-processing,
> compilation and linking then jump into a "simple program" 
> then explain the
> program and then jump into basic data types and then 
> functions and then
> complex data types then pointers, file I/O, memory 
> management, etc.  My
> "introduction to C" would start with explaining why we need 
> places for data
> and ways to manipulate the data.  

I would be interested in contributing to a good C book if you ever want to 
wrtie one.  There is all too many junky books on C.  Most of them will 
teach you syntax of C but not many will show you the ideas on designs and
organization of data and functions.  They expect you come up with this on
your own....  figures.

> Too many books (IMHO) start 
> by telling you
> more of how to do it then why it is necessary.  What happens from this
> "bass-ackward" (to me) approach is that you have to learn how to do
> something before you understand why it is necessary.  That is 
> like telling
> someone; well, you cut a board in half, nail the two halves together
> then...after it starts looking like a _fill-in-the-blank_ oh, 
> and by the
> way, you can use it for...the, now obvious reason...and 
> rarely for other
> reasons that are less obvious.  I find that by explaining the WHY to
> someone, it opens up all sorts of possibilities and people 
> quit thinking of
> every thing as a nail simply because they have a hammer in 
> their toolbox.
> 
> Take Care.
> 
> Rob!
> 

Rob you are making excelent points here.  When are you strarting the
book????


Greg


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