Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming
3rd Edition
Published on 29. November 2002
Book
Paperback/Softback
432 pages
978-0-7897-2905-7 (ISBN)
Description
No prior programming experience necessary!
Absolute Beginner?s Guide to Programming helps readers understand what programming really is. Readers not only get an overview of the job of programming, but also learn which specific skills are needed for certain jobs. Coverage includes how a computer interprets a program?s instructions with insight into what goes on "under the hood" when a computer runs a program, how programming can and does relate to the Internet and the skills required for adding security to programs, and compiled versus interpreted languages like JavaScript and HTML. Absolute Beginner?s Guide to Programming offers "hands on" programming for the "absolute beginner". Though there are hundreds of books for beginners about specific languages, this is the only book that takes today's programming environments and explains why each is important and where each works best.
Absolute Beginner?s Guide to Programming helps readers understand what programming really is. Readers not only get an overview of the job of programming, but also learn which specific skills are needed for certain jobs. Coverage includes how a computer interprets a program?s instructions with insight into what goes on "under the hood" when a computer runs a program, how programming can and does relate to the Internet and the skills required for adding security to programs, and compiled versus interpreted languages like JavaScript and HTML. Absolute Beginner?s Guide to Programming offers "hands on" programming for the "absolute beginner". Though there are hundreds of books for beginners about specific languages, this is the only book that takes today's programming environments and explains why each is important and where each works best.
More details
Other editions
Previous edition
Greg Perry
Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming
Book
04/2001
2nd Edition
Que Corporation,U.S.
€42.27
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Greg Perry has personally taught thousands of people how to program in the classroom and lectures, as well as impacted the computer world through the sale of more than two million computer books internationally.
He has been a programmer and trainer for the past 20 years. He received an undergraduate degree in computer science, followed by a master's degree in corporate finance. After working as a supervisor of financial systems for a Fortune 500 company, he turned to teaching at the college level, where he remained until he began to write full-time and lecture at programming conferences.
Some of his other book titles include Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 in 21 Days, C by Example, and several books in the 24 Hours series, including Sams Teach Yourself PCs in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself Office in 24 Hours, and Sams Teach Yourself Windows Millennium in 24 Hours. He has also written articles for several magazines, including PC World and Data Training. He is fluent in several computer languages and speaks a little Italian as well.
He has been a programmer and trainer for the past 20 years. He received an undergraduate degree in computer science, followed by a master's degree in corporate finance. After working as a supervisor of financial systems for a Fortune 500 company, he turned to teaching at the college level, where he remained until he began to write full-time and lecture at programming conferences.
Some of his other book titles include Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 in 21 Days, C by Example, and several books in the 24 Hours series, including Sams Teach Yourself PCs in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself Office in 24 Hours, and Sams Teach Yourself Windows Millennium in 24 Hours. He has also written articles for several magazines, including PC World and Data Training. He is fluent in several computer languages and speaks a little Italian as well.
Content
(NOTE: Each chapter concludes with a Summary.)
Introduction.
Who Should Read This Book? Conventions Used in This Book.
I. PRELUDE TO PROGRAMMING.
1. Computers Are Tools.
Computers and Programming. What a Computer Does. Common Misconceptions. Ease-of-Use Matters to Programmers. People and Computers. It Takes More than a Computer. A Quick Overview. Networking It All. Todays Computers. Types of Computers.
2. Anatomy of a Program.
The Programmers Life. The Need for Programs. Programs, Programs, Everywhere. Programs As Directions. The Language Translator. Accuracy Is Everything. The Need for Design. The Program Language.
II. FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING.
3. Programming Languages: The Early Years.
Storage of Programs and Data. Binary Arithmetic. The First Programs. Enter the Keyboard. Getting Closer to English. Other Languages Through the Years.
4. Programming Languages: Modern Day.
Pascals Importance and Demise. The C Programming Language. C++s Impact on Modern Languages. Hypertext and Scripting Languages. The BASICs. Which Language Is Best?
III. HANDS-ON PROGRAMMING.
5. Your First Language: Visual Basic.
A Visual Basic Quick Start. Your First Visual Basic Program. Learning the Visual Basic Environment. The Visual Basic Screen. Help Is Close By.
6. Input and Output.
A Quick Windows Program Analysis. Controlling Events. Application Specifics. The Interface Controls. Walking Through an Applications Development. Other Controls. Document with Remarks. Message and Input Boxes.
7. Data Processing with Visual Basic.
Adding Code. The Basics of Visual Basic Data. Expressions and Math Operators. Comparison Operators.
8. Working with Data.
Making Decisions in Code. Using Else. Other Forms of Decision Making. Nesting If...Else Statements. Selecting with Select Case. Looping in Visual Basic.
9. Having Fun with Visual Basic.
Using Shapes. An Aside About Controls. The Line Control. Mastering the Shape Control. A Sample Shape Application. The Picture Box Control.
10. Advanced Visual Basic Programming.
Application: Interest Calculation. Adding the Forms Labels and Text Boxes. Adding Code.
11. Online Visual Basic Programming.
Introducing Visual Basic Wizards. Using the Wizard for the Internet. Sampling the Internet Controls. A Preview of Advanced Issues.
IV. PROGRAMMING IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS.
12. Program Algorithms.
Counters and Accumulators. Swapping Values. Sorting. Nested Loops. Searching Arrays. A Brief Introduction to Data Structures.
13. Programming with C.
Introducing C. Analyzing a C Program. Using the main() Functions Format. Using the #include Statement. C Data. C Comments. Declaring Variables. C Functions. C Operators. C Control Statements.
14. Programming with C++.
Learning C++. Object Terminology. Fundamental Differences Between C and C++. Introducing Objects. Benefits of OOP.
15. Macro, Batch, and Scripting Languages.
Batch: The One That Started Everything. Macro Languages. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Scripting in Windows.
16. Internet Programming Concepts.
Internet Programming Considerations. The Need for Simple Navigation. HTML Programming. ActiveX Controls. Scripting in Internet Applications. ASP and .NET Technologies.
17. HTML Programming.
Understanding HTML. Simple HTML. Simple HTML Text Formatting. Simple HTML Graphics. Using Hyperlinks. E-mail HyperLinks.
18. DHTML Programming.
Introducing DHTML. A Sample DHTML Page. The Technology Behind DHTML. The Microsoft and Netscape Battle. The Rollover Effect.
19. Introduction to XML.
XML and Its Impact. Multiple Platforms. A Complete XML Example.
20. Java Programming.
Introducing Java. Java Provides Executable Content. Multiplatform Executable Content. The Java Usage Summary. The Security Issue. Give Java a Spin. Visual J++: A Sample Java System. The Java Language Specifics. Exception Handling.
21. JavaScript.
What JavaScript Can Do for You. Reviewing JavaScripts Objects. JavaScripts Events and Handlers. JavaScripts Language Is Complete.
V. THE BUSINESS OF PROGRAMMING.
22. The Importance of Maintenance.
Flowcharts. Pseudocode. Introduction to Structured Programming. Structured Programming Techniques. Proper Testing Is Vital. Debugging.
23. Distributing Your Applications.
Issues Surrounding Software Distribution. Distribution Used to Be Easy. Windows Application Distribution. Deploying Your Application. After Generating the Setup. More Helpful Tools.
24. The Programming Business.
Data Processing and Other Departments. Paying for the Data Processing Department. Computer Jobs. Job Titles. Consulting.
25. Your Programming Future.
Will Programming Go Away? Training Never Stops. From Beginner to Guru.
Index.
Introduction.
Who Should Read This Book? Conventions Used in This Book.
I. PRELUDE TO PROGRAMMING.
1. Computers Are Tools.
Computers and Programming. What a Computer Does. Common Misconceptions. Ease-of-Use Matters to Programmers. People and Computers. It Takes More than a Computer. A Quick Overview. Networking It All. Todays Computers. Types of Computers.
2. Anatomy of a Program.
The Programmers Life. The Need for Programs. Programs, Programs, Everywhere. Programs As Directions. The Language Translator. Accuracy Is Everything. The Need for Design. The Program Language.
II. FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING.
3. Programming Languages: The Early Years.
Storage of Programs and Data. Binary Arithmetic. The First Programs. Enter the Keyboard. Getting Closer to English. Other Languages Through the Years.
4. Programming Languages: Modern Day.
Pascals Importance and Demise. The C Programming Language. C++s Impact on Modern Languages. Hypertext and Scripting Languages. The BASICs. Which Language Is Best?
III. HANDS-ON PROGRAMMING.
5. Your First Language: Visual Basic.
A Visual Basic Quick Start. Your First Visual Basic Program. Learning the Visual Basic Environment. The Visual Basic Screen. Help Is Close By.
6. Input and Output.
A Quick Windows Program Analysis. Controlling Events. Application Specifics. The Interface Controls. Walking Through an Applications Development. Other Controls. Document with Remarks. Message and Input Boxes.
7. Data Processing with Visual Basic.
Adding Code. The Basics of Visual Basic Data. Expressions and Math Operators. Comparison Operators.
8. Working with Data.
Making Decisions in Code. Using Else. Other Forms of Decision Making. Nesting If...Else Statements. Selecting with Select Case. Looping in Visual Basic.
9. Having Fun with Visual Basic.
Using Shapes. An Aside About Controls. The Line Control. Mastering the Shape Control. A Sample Shape Application. The Picture Box Control.
10. Advanced Visual Basic Programming.
Application: Interest Calculation. Adding the Forms Labels and Text Boxes. Adding Code.
11. Online Visual Basic Programming.
Introducing Visual Basic Wizards. Using the Wizard for the Internet. Sampling the Internet Controls. A Preview of Advanced Issues.
IV. PROGRAMMING IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS.
12. Program Algorithms.
Counters and Accumulators. Swapping Values. Sorting. Nested Loops. Searching Arrays. A Brief Introduction to Data Structures.
13. Programming with C.
Introducing C. Analyzing a C Program. Using the main() Functions Format. Using the #include Statement. C Data. C Comments. Declaring Variables. C Functions. C Operators. C Control Statements.
14. Programming with C++.
Learning C++. Object Terminology. Fundamental Differences Between C and C++. Introducing Objects. Benefits of OOP.
15. Macro, Batch, and Scripting Languages.
Batch: The One That Started Everything. Macro Languages. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Scripting in Windows.
16. Internet Programming Concepts.
Internet Programming Considerations. The Need for Simple Navigation. HTML Programming. ActiveX Controls. Scripting in Internet Applications. ASP and .NET Technologies.
17. HTML Programming.
Understanding HTML. Simple HTML. Simple HTML Text Formatting. Simple HTML Graphics. Using Hyperlinks. E-mail HyperLinks.
18. DHTML Programming.
Introducing DHTML. A Sample DHTML Page. The Technology Behind DHTML. The Microsoft and Netscape Battle. The Rollover Effect.
19. Introduction to XML.
XML and Its Impact. Multiple Platforms. A Complete XML Example.
20. Java Programming.
Introducing Java. Java Provides Executable Content. Multiplatform Executable Content. The Java Usage Summary. The Security Issue. Give Java a Spin. Visual J++: A Sample Java System. The Java Language Specifics. Exception Handling.
21. JavaScript.
What JavaScript Can Do for You. Reviewing JavaScripts Objects. JavaScripts Events and Handlers. JavaScripts Language Is Complete.
V. THE BUSINESS OF PROGRAMMING.
22. The Importance of Maintenance.
Flowcharts. Pseudocode. Introduction to Structured Programming. Structured Programming Techniques. Proper Testing Is Vital. Debugging.
23. Distributing Your Applications.
Issues Surrounding Software Distribution. Distribution Used to Be Easy. Windows Application Distribution. Deploying Your Application. After Generating the Setup. More Helpful Tools.
24. The Programming Business.
Data Processing and Other Departments. Paying for the Data Processing Department. Computer Jobs. Job Titles. Consulting.
25. Your Programming Future.
Will Programming Go Away? Training Never Stops. From Beginner to Guru.
Index.