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- Author:
- Bertrand Meyer
From object technology pioneer and ETH Zurich professor Bertrand Meyer, winner of the Jolt award and the ACM Software System Award, a revolutionary textbook that makes learning programming fun and rewarding. Meyer builds his presentation on a rich object-oriented software system supporting graphics and multimedia, which students can use to produce impressive applications from day one, then understand inside out as they learn new programming techniques. Unique to Touch of Class is a combination of a practical, hands-on approach to programming with the introduction of sound theoretical support focused on helping students learn the construction of high quality software. The use of full color brings exciting programming concepts to life. Among the useful features of the book is the use of Design by Contract, critical to software quality and providing a gentle introduction to formal methods. Will give students a major advantage by teaching professional-level techniques in a literate, relaxed and humorous way.
Cited By
- Íncer Romeo Í, Sangiovanni-Vincentelli A, Lin C and Kang E Quotient for assume-guarantee contracts Proceedings of the 16th ACM-IEEE International Conference on Formal Methods and Models for System Design, (67-77)
- Pyshkin E Liberal arts in a digitally transformed world Proceedings of the 13th Central & Eastern European Software Engineering Conference in Russia, (1-7)
- Naumchev A and Meyer B (2017). Seamless requirements, Computer Languages, Systems and Structures, 49:C, (119-132), Online publication date: 1-Sep-2017.
- Matei O, Contraş D, Pop P and VźLean H (2016). Design and comparison of two evolutionary approaches for automated product design, Soft Computing - A Fusion of Foundations, Methodologies and Applications, 20:11, (4257-4269), Online publication date: 1-Nov-2016.
- Frison P A Teaching Assistant for Algorithm Construction Proceedings of the 2015 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, (9-14)
- Wirfs-Brock R and Yoder J Patterns for sustaining architectures Proceedings of the 19th Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs, (1-13)
- Black A, Bruce K, Homer M and Noble J Grace Proceedings of the ACM international symposium on New ideas, new paradigms, and reflections on programming and software, (85-98)
- Meyer B (2012). Knowledgeable beginners, Communications of the ACM, 55:3, (10-11), Online publication date: 1-Mar-2012.
- Chapman R and Jennings T OOT, DO-178C and SPARK Proceedings of the 16th Ada-Europe international conference on Reliable software technologies, (206-210)
- Kornstaedt A and Reiswich E Staying afloat in an expanding sea of choices Proceedings of the 32nd ACM/IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering - Volume 2, (59-67)
- Furia C and Meyer B Inferring loop invariants using postconditions Fields of logic and computation, (277-300)
- Pedroni M, Oriol M and Meyer B (2007). A framework for describing and comparing courses and curricula, ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 39:3, (131-135), Online publication date: 25-Jun-2007.
- Pedroni M, Oriol M and Meyer B A framework for describing and comparing courses and curricula Proceedings of the 12th annual SIGCSE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education, (131-135)
- Meyer B (2006). Testable, Reusable Units of Cognition, Computer, 39:4, (20-24), Online publication date: 1-Apr-2006.
Index Terms
- Touch of Class: Learning to Program Well with Objects and Contracts
Reviews
Alexandre Bergel
As stated in the preface, this book "is not just about learning to program but about `Learning to Program Well .'" Meyer's latest text conveys his impressive experience in the field of computer science, going well beyond just software engineering. It provides wise advice, methodologies, practices, and historical anecdotes on how to achieve quality when programming. Software engineering concerns other than programming appear in the later chapters. The book does not assume any prior programming knowledge, and the target audience includes both students and teachers. Meyer covers many different topics, including the object paradigm, Boolean logic, hardware, and algorithms. Object orientation and design by contract are central to the book. The author successfully presents formal methods, without losing clarity. High importance is placed on the vocabulary used. No technical term is used without first being carefully introduced. The large quantity of information provided is well organized. For example, "Touch of Style" boxes provide important and helpful advice on programming style, whereas "Touch of Methodology" boxes give advice on programming methodology. The book is printed on good quality paper and contains many figures. Rare is the page without a picture or a drawing. Colors are plentiful and character fonts play an important role. The book has a Web site [1] that contains supplementary material. Coming from a father of object orientation and software quality, it is not surprising that this is an excellent book. Following the techniques presented will make "the difference between a programmer who just `hacks code' and one who is able to produce correct, robust and durable software elements." Online Computing Reviews Service
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