Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition

by Greg Perry
Released November 2002
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: 0789729059

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Book description

No prior programming experience necessary!

Absolute Beginner¿s Guide to Programming helps readers understand what programming really is. Readers not only get an overview of the job of programming, but also learn which specific skills are needed for certain jobs. Coverage includes how a computer interprets a program¿s instructions with insight into what goes on "under the hood" when a computer runs a program, how programming can and does relate to the Internet and the skills required for adding security to programs, and compiled versus interpreted languages like JavaScript and HTML. Absolute Beginner¿s Guide to Programming offers "hands on" programming for the "absolute beginner". Though there are hundreds of books for beginners about specific languages, this is the only book that takes today's programming environments and explains why each is important and where each works best.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. We Want to Hear from You!
  5. Introduction
  6. Prelude to Programming
    1. Computers Are Tools
      1. Computers and Programming
      2. What a Computer Does
      3. Common Misconceptions
      4. Ease-of-Use Matters to Programmers
      5. People and Computers
      6. It Takes More than a Computer
      7. A Quick Overview
      8. Networking It All
      9. Today's Computers
      10. Types of Computers
      11. Summary
    2. Anatomy of a Program
      1. The Programmer's Life
      2. The Need for Programs
      3. Programs, Programs, Everywhere
      4. Programs As Directions
      5. The Language Translator
      6. Accuracy Is Everything
      7. The Need for Design
      8. The Program Language
      9. Summary
  7. Fundamentals of Programming
    1. Programming Languages: The Early Years
      1. Storage of Programs and Data
      2. Binary Arithmetic
      3. The First Programs
      4. Enter the Keyboard
      5. Getting Closer to English
      6. Other Languages Through the Years
      7. Summary
    2. Programming Languages: Modern Day
      1. Pascal's Importance and Demise
      2. The C Programming Language
      3. C++'s Impact on Modern Languages
      4. Hypertext and Scripting Languages
      5. The BASICs
      6. Which Language Is Best?
      7. Summary
  8. Hands-On Programming
    1. Your First Language: Visual Basic
      1. A Visual Basic Quick Start
      2. Your First Visual Basic Program
      3. Learning the Visual Basic Environment
      4. The Visual Basic Screen
      5. Help Is Close By
      6. Summary
    2. Input and Output
      1. A Quick Windows Program Analysis
      2. Controlling Events
      3. Application Specifics
      4. The Interface Controls
      5. Walking Through an Application's Development
      6. Other Controls
      7. Document with Remarks
      8. Message and Input Boxes
      9. Summary
    3. Data Processing with Visual Basic
      1. Adding Code
      2. The Basics of Visual Basic Data
      3. Expressions and Math Operators
      4. Comparison Operators
      5. Summary
    4. Working with Data
      1. Making Decisions in Code
      2. Using Else
      3. Other Forms of Decision Making
      4. Nesting If...Else Statements
      5. Selecting with Select Case
      6. Looping in Visual Basic
      7. Summary
    5. Having Fun with Visual Basic
      1. Using Shapes
      2. An Aside About Controls
      3. The Line Control
      4. Mastering the Shape Control
      5. A Sample Shape Application
      6. The Picture Box Control
      7. Summary
    6. Advanced Visual Basic Programming
      1. Application: Interest Calculation
      2. Adding the Form's Labels and Text Boxes
      3. Adding Code
      4. Summary
    7. Online Visual Basic Programming
      1. Introducing Visual Basic Wizards
      2. Using the Wizard for the Internet
      3. Sampling the Internet Controls
      4. A Preview of Advanced Issues
      5. Summary
  9. Programming in Various Environments
    1. Program Algorithms
      1. Counters and Accumulators
      2. Swapping Values
      3. Sorting
      4. Nested Loops
      5. Searching Arrays
      6. A Brief Introduction to Data Structures
      7. Summary
    2. Programming with C
      1. Introducing C
      2. Analyzing a C Program
      3. Using the main() Function's Format
      4. Using the #include Statement
      5. C Data
      6. C Comments
      7. Declaring Variables
      8. C Functions
      9. C Operators
      10. C Control Statements
      11. Summary
    3. Programming with C++
      1. Learning C++
      2. Object Terminology
      3. Fundamental Differences Between C and C++
      4. Introducing Objects
      5. Benefits of OOP
      6. Summary
    4. Macro, Batch, and Scripting Languages
      1. Batch: The One That Started Everything
      2. Macro Languages
      3. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
      4. Scripting in Windows
      5. Summary
    5. Internet Programming Concepts
      1. Internet Programming Considerations
      2. The Need for Simple Navigation
      3. HTML Programming
      4. ActiveX Controls
      5. Scripting in Internet Applications
      6. ASP and .NET Technologies
      7. Summary
    6. HTML Programming
      1. Understanding HTML
      2. Simple HTML
      3. Simple HTML Text Formatting
      4. Simple HTML Graphics
      5. Using Hyperlinks
      6. E-mail HyperLinks
      7. Summary
    7. DHTML Programming
      1. Introducing DHTML
      2. A Sample DHTML Page
      3. The Technology Behind DHTML
      4. The Microsoft and Netscape Battle
      5. The Rollover Effect
      6. Summary
    8. Introduction to XML
      1. XML and Its Impact
      2. Multiple Platforms
      3. A Complete XML Example
      4. Summary
    9. Java Programming
      1. Introducing Java
      2. Java Provides Executable Content
      3. Multiplatform Executable Content
      4. The Java Usage Summary
      5. The Security Issue
      6. Give Java a Spin
      7. Visual J++: A Sample Java System
      8. The Java Language Specifics
      9. Exception Handling
      10. Summary
    10. JavaScript
      1. What JavaScript Can Do for You
      2. Reviewing JavaScript's Objects
      3. JavaScript's Events and Handlers
      4. JavaScript's Language Is Complete
      5. Summary
  10. The Business of Programming
    1. The Importance of Maintenance
      1. Flowcharts
      2. Pseudocode
      3. Introduction to Structured Programming
      4. Structured Programming Techniques
      5. Proper Testing Is Vital
      6. Debugging
      7. Summary
    2. Distributing Your Applications
      1. Issues Surrounding Software Distribution
      2. Distribution Used to Be Easy
      3. Windows Application Distribution
      4. Deploying Your Application
      5. After Generating the Setup
      6. More Helpful Tools
      7. Summary
    3. The Programming Business
      1. Data Processing and Other Departments
      2. Paying for the Data Processing Department
      3. Computer Jobs
      4. Job Titles
      5. Consulting
      6. Summary
    4. Your Programming Future
      1. Will Programming Go Away?
      2. Training Never Stops
      3. From Beginner to Guru
      4. Summary
  11. Index

Product information

  • Title: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition
  • Author(s): Greg Perry
  • Release date: November 2002
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 0789729059