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Re: Beginner

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On 9/6/2015 9:44 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 9/6/2015 8:30 PM, F. Berisha wrote:
>> In article <33e782a9-792d-44f1-ab5f-4cdc2a7b8174@googlegroups.com>,
>> arya.neelan@gmail.com says...
>>> Am a beginner in java programming and would like to know about books
>>> that can teach the basics of java. Keep in mind i know nothing about
>>> java
>>
>> I have been using
>>
>> D. Schmidt, Programming Principles in Java: Architectures and Interfaces
>>
>> for teaching Java as a first programming language. It is freely
>> available at
>>
>> http://people.cis.ksu.edu/~schmidt/CIS200
>>
>> and has been used as an introductory coursebook to Java in many
>> universities.
> 
> I may be somewhat picky.
> 
> But I don't like it.
> 
> http://people.cis.ksu.edu/~schmidt/CIS200/ch2V9.html
> 
> "The Java designers use the term application to describe a program that
> is started by a human user."
> 
> I consider Java programs started by a job scheduler to be applications
> as well.
> 
> The diagrams are very home made in style - far from UML.
> 
> The code is formatted in a very non-standard way.
> 
> "Java is a wordy programming language, and we must tolerate distracting
> words like public, static, void, which will be explained in due course."
> 
> is not a language I would expect at university level - even though
> the intention may be to just say that their meaning will be explained
> later.
> 
> "The program's spelling and grammar must be checked by the Java
> compiler; that is, the program must be compiled."
> 
> compilation does more than that.
> 
> "The JDK can be obtained from Sun Microsystems's Web Site at
> http://java.sun.com. "
> 
> the URL still works but it is many years since Oracle acquired SUN.
> 
> "The keyword, public, indicates that the class can be used by the
> ``general public,'' which includes other objects and human users, to
> build objects on demand."
> 
> again wording I would not expect at university level. And not
> very accurate.
> 
> "Figure 3 has an interesting architecture: NameAndDate is the
> controller, because it controls what will happen; System.out is the
> output view, because it presents the ``view'' of the program to its
> user; and GregorianCalendar is the model, because it ``models'' the
> computer clock---this is our first, simplistic example of a
> model-view-controller (MVC) architecture---see Chapter 1."
> 
> I would not call a main class with System.out and a data class for MVC.
> 
> Wildcard imports is used.
> 
> "2.5 Repairing Compiler Error Messages"
> 
> hmmm....
> 
> "our application sends messages to a pre-existing object, named
> System.out, which is Java's name for the command window"
> 
> again a highly questionable wording.
> 
> It is not easy to write good beginner books. And I am not sure that
> I could write one myself.
> 
> But this is a very good reason to pick an existing book written
> by someone good at writing beginner books instead of trying
> to write something.
> 
> Arne
> 

Arne,

I haven't read this book, but I have to agree with every criticism you
have about it.  I've never written a book (beginner or otherwise), but I
have written courses on programming.

I admit the latter is much easier, but I would never use the wording
this book uses in a course, much less a book.

-- 
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================

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Beginner arya.neelan@gmail.com - 2015-08-31 05:39 -0700
  Re: Beginner e.d.programmer@gmail.com - 2015-08-31 06:27 -0700
    Re: Beginner Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2015-08-31 10:08 -0700
      Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-03 20:04 -0400
  Re: Beginner Ramon F Herrera <ramon@conexus.net> - 2015-09-02 16:33 -0500
    Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-03 20:13 -0400
    Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-03 20:15 -0400
  Re: Beginner Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-09-03 10:39 +0000
    Re: Beginner Gordon Levi <gordon@address.invalid> - 2015-09-04 01:16 +1000
      Re: Beginner Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-09-03 18:50 +0000
        Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-03 20:11 -0400
          Re: Beginner Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-09-04 08:38 +0000
            Re: Beginner e.d.programmer@gmail.com - 2015-09-04 05:21 -0700
              Re: Beginner Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-09-04 09:43 -0700
                Re: Beginner e.d.programmer@gmail.com - 2015-09-04 10:35 -0700
    Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-03 20:06 -0400
      Re: Beginner Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-09-04 08:41 +0000
  Re: Beginner "F. Berisha" <fmberisha@gmail.com> - 2015-09-07 02:30 +0200
    Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-06 21:44 -0400
      Re: Beginner Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2015-09-06 21:53 -0400
      Re: Beginner Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-09-07 08:43 +0000
        Re: Beginner Eternal Hope <laughingspam99@gmail.com> - 2015-09-07 13:02 +0100
          Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-07 11:17 -0400
        Re: Beginner Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-09-07 11:11 -0400
      Re: Beginner e.d.programmer@gmail.com - 2015-09-08 05:25 -0700

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