Learning To Program With Alice Beta Version

by Wanda P. Dann, Randy Pausch, Stephen Cooper

This volume supports an innovative approach to learning fundamental programming concepts. The authors use program visualization to afford an easy relationship of the program construct to the animation action in a 3D world. Includes a fundamental introduction to programming with objects, methods, decision statements, loops, recursion, and problem solving. Introduces object-oriented programming concepts in the context of complete working animation programs. Makes the concept of an “object” visible and tangible in a 3-D world that is compelling to readers. Provides a mouse-based editor, ensuring that beginning programmers cannot make syntax mistakes. Provides “Tips & Techniques" at the end of each chapter. Enables users to show their animated programs on a web page. A useful step-by-step guide for beginning programmers.

Genres: Computer Science, Technology, Reference, Textbooks

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Izlinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished the book today! I didn't read the exercises or questions and skimmed the appendix, but I'm done with the reading!

Yay!

However, I have another project to do so I'll be re-reading sections and there's an exam next week. Still, done!

I did like how this book was laid out. The examples in the text were useful, even if I didn't do all of them. The language was very layman, which made me happy. The important words/terms were a bit hard to understand. I do better when a textbook uses the word in a sentence normally and then writes down the exact definition on the side. (Love it when psych and science textbooks do that!) It would help with the reading quizzes in my class. I also liked they didn't make their programs perfect the first time and wrote them like how most beginner's would (or at least I would) and showed bugs in them and pointed out what was wrong.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book to learn the basic concepts with, plus the software is free. If you really like Alice, you can even make games with this. I liked all the Alice in Wonderland references and visuals. Without the visuals, I probably would've been confused all the time. :)

[Two Flower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool, but still like Squeak a little more. Shame Alice went to Java from Python.