Computing Fundamentals With C++:
Object-Oriented Programming & Design - 2nd Ed.
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Secretary Golden Triangle PC Club March 2004 The first edition of Computing Fundamentals with C++ quickly became the number one selling C++ college textbook. The same features that helped it capture the top spot are retained in the second edition. A gentle, objects-early approach is used. Problem solving is blended with object-oriented design. The goal is to teach students how to create easily maintainable software. Professor Mercer weaves today's industry practices into a successful classroom-friendly package. Each chapter contains many class-tested projects. Reinforcement is provided by the strategically positioned self-check exercises. All programs have been tested on all major platforms. Numerous end-of-chapter exercises give the instructor much latitude in assigning homework. Author Mercer has organized the content around a solid, pedagogical approach to learning. The many learning features include extensive self-check questions, exercises, programming tips, analysis and design projects, and the concept of scaffolding. Scaffolding is a teaching and learning technique that provides support for new concepts. The scaffolding is slowly removed as more is asked from students. Scaffolding is used in the book in these ways: Applications presented in the chapters solve problems similar to some of the programming projects Example dialogues allow for easier identification of input and output requirements Students are initially given function headings and test drivers so they need to complete only the function body; later on projects ask students to create all three items Test drivers are provided (many on disk) for testing functions In the early chapters, students are given a class definition and some member functions, and are then asked to add other member functions to a class Students are first asked to implement member functions specified in the design Students begin by analyzing small problems; by Chapter 13, students will analyze small systems What's New in the 2nd Edition? This improved and expanded 2nd edition includes these new chapters: - Object-Oriented Software Development: Analysis and Design - Object-Oriented Software Development: Design and Implementation - Object-Oriented Software Development: Inheritance and Polymorphism - Operator Overloading (from the 1st edition appendix) - Recursion Organization of Book The organization of this textbook emphasizes ease of use by the student, with great attention to the step-by-step process of learning C++. This high degree of detail to such tedious organization of this material must have been an enormous challenge to produce, not only for the author, but for all those involved in the superb design and organization of this wealth of information. The result is a vastly superior book on C++ for students that will make learning C++ much easier. The careful, step-by-step approach leads students from a basic to a sophisticated use of C++.  Each chapter follows an excellent outline and structure and includes extensively detailed step-by-step instructions, along with many helpful figures. Table of Contents The book is organized into 20 chapters, including 1)    Analysis and Design 2)    Implementation 3)    Function Calls and Headings 4)    Messages and Member Functions 5)    Functions and Parameters 6)    Class Definitions and Member Functions 7)    Selection 8)    Repetition 9)    File Streams 10)  Vectors 11)  A Container with Iterators 12)  Object-Oriented Software Development: Analysis & Design 13)  Object-Oriented Software Development: Design & Implementation 14)  A Little Indirection with Pointers, Containers & Iterators 15)  Dynamic Memory Management 16)  Object-Oriented Software Development: Inheritance & Polymorphism 17)  Templates: Building Generic Classes 18)  Operator Overloading 19)  Doubly Subscripted Objects 20)  Recursion In addition, the book contains an appendix that contains answers to all the self-check questions in all chapters. Key Features Traditional Topics - Recognizes the relevance and validity of object-oriented programming and design, while emphasizing traditional computing fundamentals Standard C++ - Follows the standards set forth by the International Standards Organization (ISO) Flexibility - Maintains the objects-early approach of the 1st edition, but now C++ classes can optionally be introduced later Gentle Objects-Early Approach - Use, modify, and then implement classes Not Tied to a Specific System - No bias toward a particular operating system or compiler Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Case Studies - Contains two complete and accessible case studies featuring object-oriented analysis and design Algorithmic Patterns - Help for beginning programmers in designing algorithms around a set of common algorithm generalities Object-Oriented Design Heuristics - Integrates several of the guidelines for good design found in Arthur Riel's "Object-Oriented Design Heuristics" Extensively Tested in the Classroom and Lab - Incorporates suggestions from 6 years of development in the classroom Instructor's Manual The instructor's manual is available on a disk from Franklin, Beedle & Associates. The disk contains: Solutions to all programming projects Several sample tests for each chapter Chapter-by-chapter suggestions Answers to all exercises The directory of files (also at the Web site for the textbook) Slide shows for every chapter (also at the Web site for the textbook) Textbook Web Site The textbook is available at the following Web site: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/people/mercer/compfun2 Target Readers This textbook is written for a first course in C++ programming and design. The book has been extensively used in the introductory computer science course (CS1) and introductory courses for engineering and business majors. The book is also appropriate for students with no programming or design experience, or for students with programming experience in another language. Recommendation Once again, this super publisher, Franklin, Beedle & Associates (FBA), shines with this newest, 2nd edition of author Rick Mercer's important "Computing Fundamentals with C++." As many students and faculty know, any textbook from FBA is designed with the highest standards in mind to provide the most user-friendly learning experience possible for students. The material in this book is organized well, and is stocked with extensive figures, tables, diagram, and of course, tons of exemplary code. With such a technical topic as learning C++, a computer programming language, naturally the textbook is not necessarily designed to be read like other general nonfiction titles. Instead, the book is organized to serve as the fundamental learning tool for students enrolled in a C++ class. The material is also released in a handy "lay-flat" binding, and is accompanied by some of the most remarkable instructor material you will ever find. All instructors who have worked with FBA textbooks will attest to this publisher's commitment to providing everything any classroom instructor could possibly need to help in presenting the material. All students in any C++ class will most definitely want to add this important book to their list of "must-have" titles, and all computer science instructors teaching classes in C++ will want to give serious attention to this book. You will be glad you did. Book Contents 832 pages; preface; acknowledgments; tons of figures, tables, diagrams, and of course, code; appendix; bibliography; index; Author Rick Mercer About the Author Rick Mercer teaches computer science in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Arizona. In addition, he has been a guest lecturer at Duke University and Carnegie Mellon University. He has been invited to participate in numerous NSF-funded workshops concerning the implementation of object-oriented programming in the college computer science curriculum. This is the 3rd textbook he has written for use in Computer Science 1. The 1st edition of "Computing Fundamentals With C++" was the number-one-selling C++ programming textbook in the Computer Science 1 college market. ISBN 2nd Edition 1-887902-36-8 (1st Edition - January 1995) List Price $55.00 Publisher Contact: Christine Collier Marketing Representative Franklin, Beedle & Associates, Inc. 8536 SW St. Helens Drive, Suite D Wilsonville, Oregon 97070 1-800-FBA-BOOK 1-503-682-7668 FAX 1-503-682-7638 ccollier@fbeedle.com www.fbeedle.com