greg@titn.TITN (Greg Altman) (09/22/88)
I have recently started reading "The Waite Group's C++ programming" and have the following suggestion to the beginning C++ users: Do not believe all the examples - follow your common sense. Some of the examples are bugged and will never work or even compile. Do not rely on this book to provide you with all the information needed to successfuly create C++ code. The book is incomplete and in some places very vague. Why don't authors follow an accepted practice of actually trying to compile their examples before incuding them in the main text?
collin@hpindda.HP.COM (Collin Park) (09/24/88)
greg@titn.TITN (Greg Altman) writes: >> [stuff deleted] >> >> Why don't authors follow an accepted practice of actually trying to compile >> their examples before incuding them in the main text? >> ---------- ... and, once they do, ensure that the working code is copied _by_machine_ (*NOT* by hand/eye) into the text of the book, so as to avoid typos. - my opinions don't necessarily reflect - - those of my employer or anyone important - collin park
johnm@trsvax.UUCP (09/29/88)
>I have recently started reading "The Waite Group's C++ programming" and >have the following suggestion to the beginning C++ users: > > Do not believe all the examples - follow your common sense. > Some of the examples are bugged and will never work or even > compile. > > Do not rely on this book to provide you with all the information > needed to successfuly create C++ code. The book is incomplete and > in some places very vague. > >Why don't authors follow an accepted practice of actually trying to compile >their examples before incuding them in the main text? This particular author (John Berry) has a history of this. His Waite book on programming the Amiga with C is a real mess due to just this exact thing. Examples that don't work, poor coding style, etc. What I am surprised at is that Waite is willing to accept his work. Considering the number of C books that they publish it seems that they would have all work go through some kind of review process that quickly reveal that Mr. Berry just does not have enough C knowledge to go around writing books for others on the subject. John Munsch "The above in no way reflects the views of my company"
sarima@gryphon.CTS.COM (Stan Friesen) (10/02/88)
In article <194400001@trsvax> johnm@trsvax.UUCP writes: > >> [Talking about J. Berry's C++ Programming book] > >This particular author (John Berry) has a history of this. His Waite book >on programming the Amiga with C is a real mess due to just this exact thing. >Examples that don't work, poor coding style, etc. > I just scanned the book at the bookstore today. I also failed to be impressed by it. It seemed to me that its presentation style did little to take advantage of object-oriented design approaches possible with C++. It looked like a 'C' tutorial with extra material added. This is *not* a good approach to learning C++! So far only the original book is any good. -- Sarima Cardolandion sarima@gryphon.CTS.COM aka Stanley Friesen rutgers!marque!gryphon!sarima Sherman Oaks, CA