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“Code” 2nd Edition

charlespetzold.com

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Re: “Code” 2nd Edition

#41

Post by gjstein »

animesh wrote: post #35

I majored in electronics (more than a decade ago) but always worked in software development. Does it still make sense to purchase it? I am eager to buy it, just need the push. :)

I have a similar background in Electrical Engineering and, while I enjoyed the book, it did not change my perspective. I think the book does a good job of opening up what many programmers (and, of course, others) may see as a "black box" that they interact with on a daily basis. I recommend it to those who do not already have a fairly comprehensive of how a computer works, but if you think you pretty much already understand how transistors become ALUs and have touched Assembly, you may find it a bit boring (as I did).

Re: “Code” 2nd Edition

#43

Post by fodmap »

animesh wrote: post #35

I majored in electronics (more than a decade ago) but always worked in software development. Does it still make sense to purchase it? I am eager to buy it, just need the push. :)

Yes, it does. Here's a little push for you. I think you'll find fascinating how all the pieces of the 'puzzle' fit together beautifully.

Re: “Code” 2nd Edition

#46

Post by JJMcJ »

matwood wrote: post #25
bluedino wrote: post #8

My favorite Petzold book is 'Programming Windows 95'

Definitely a classic from back when books were sold by weight.

It's a large book but has very little fluff or padding in it.

Covers a huge amount of ground.

I learned a lot from it back when I did some Windows work back around 2000 to 2005.

Also MFC.

Re: “Code” 2nd Edition

#47

Post by matwood »

JJMcJ wrote: post #46
matwood wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely a classic from back when books were sold by weight.

It's a large book but has very little fluff or padding in it. Covers a huge amount of ground. I learned a lot from it back when I did some Windows work back around 2000 to 2005. Also MFC.

It was an awesome book, and was basically required for win32 programming in the late 90s.

Re: “Code” 2nd Edition

#48

Post by coldpie »

scop wrote: post #10

This book was absolutely essential when I was first sinking my teeth into software programming. Things that seemed either arbitrary or completely mysterious suddenly made sense now that I had a contextual understanding of how computers worked . Without having that knowledge, I think my career would have been vastly more difficult and frustrating. While I understand many “get started programming” books/tutorials put a…

Wish I had something to say other than "me, too." I read it sometime in high school, well after I'd learned C, and it really made me understand what was actually happening to the code I wrote. Very helpful later in my career and hobbies too, when I have to do reverse-engineering.
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