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There are excellent books for novice Linux programmers, but unfortunately, nothing compared to Petzold's clear and direct presentation.
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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 und…
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.
We can't just all sit at the top of the tower and wonder why is it behaving irratically! Please support by purchasing the book.
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…
Uh, as someone with too many years of programming behind me to imagine that, can you mention some concrete things that you found arbitrary or completely mysterious, and that the booked cleared up for you? Thanks.
The teaching style in this book is so unbelievably good that even if you know all the ins and outs of a computer you want to read on because he explains everything in a way that you wish that you would have come up with yourself.
"Programming Windows" exposed the simplicity behind the Windows architecture. If you had even a smattering of C experience, Petzold could get you writing Windows applications the same day you opened his book. He triggered an explosion of software development. There are excellent books for novice Linux programmers, but unfortunately, nothing compared to Petzold's clear and direct presentation. .
Do you have any suggestions in this regard?
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 und…
But it is useful for a lot of people who don't know how a computer really works.
This book (1st edition, at least) is astonishing. Perhaps the best book for coders that I’ve ever read. I recommend it to all the HN crowd. Reading it, I felt like I actually understood how computers worked, right down to the “electricity going through wires” level and lower, and how that builds up to if-then statements, etc, in a high-level language.
The content is something we learn in universities, even deeper. I think it's good for self taught programmers
Great book -- read it when I was a teenager -- but one thing that I think makes the book a bit harder to explain to smaller kids these days is the use of relays for explaining lots of things. Its a great concept to explain things but it does tend to cause a bit of confusing for younger kids who may not have played with electromagnets as much as kids from 20-30 years ago. Not sure what to replace relays with but maybe…
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. :)