Watch any and all of Hickey's clojure videos(particularly those introducing new language features), even if you don't care about clojure.
I started out trying clojure because I was "lisp-curious" but I found the biggest mind-expanding aspect was built-in support for immutable data structures. You can modify a data structure and get a new version without screwing up the original? Madness! They're obviously slower than mutable equivalents and while certain algorithms definitely require a bag of mutable state, plenty of problems could benefit from immutable data. Certain programming tasks become a lot easier--and sometimes a bit faster--with immutable data.
It's also cool to get a sense at the underlying implementation, where you can have (for example) three slightly different versions of a data structure without using three times the memory. Even some JavaScript guys are getting on the immutable bandwagon.
Languages with immutable-by-default data structures: the glorious future.
I'd go with the amazon book rental option. For a first programming class the book is not going to have anything that's likely to be terribly useful to you once you've got a year or two of experience (or even a few months, depending on how naturally it all comes to you). On top of that, the books used as school textbooks usually are not the best books on the subject but tend to cost far more. If it does turn out to be useful, then buy it.
I do recommend having the actual book the class officially uses just to play it safe. I've had CS classes where the teachers for some annoying reason like to have test questions worded very specific ways quoting highlighted sentences from the book and shit like that. Also weekly "quiz" type homework using wording and details directly from the book. Sometimes the point they're trying to get at is easy to figure out anyway, but sometimes it's really not.
This is my third language. Although vb 6.0 is old. Looks like intro stuff based on what had been posted to school "SharePoint" site. I have no idea of back end really, just how u view it.
For open book renting sounds right. I'm guessing no internet during tests. And yes, c++ class had specific writing on questions.
This is my third language. Although vb 6.0 is old. Looks like intro stuff based on what had been posted to school "SharePoint" site. I have no idea of back end really, just how u view it.
For open book renting sounds right. I'm guessing no internet during tests. And yes, c++ class had specific writing on questions.
FWIW, Building Java Programs is the book that I used in my intro CS course when I taught it in Java. It's a damn good book in that it isn't a tour-of-Java book like a lot of "introductory" texts are, but a reasonable presentation of proper introductory CS concepts (imperative programming in the small to basic data structures).
I wouldn't consider it a reference, but it's a good text to actually read, especially if you aren't getting the material from the source (i.e., you aren't at the University of Washington right now). You may know three languages, but if one of those is VB 6.0, you'll be wanting to break yourself of some bad habits, and the book is a good resource for doing that.
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Languages with immutable-by-default data structures: the glorious future.
I do recommend having the actual book the class officially uses just to play it safe. I've had CS classes where the teachers for some annoying reason like to have test questions worded very specific ways quoting highlighted sentences from the book and shit like that. Also weekly "quiz" type homework using wording and details directly from the book. Sometimes the point they're trying to get at is easy to figure out anyway, but sometimes it's really not.
There is kindle rent option.
Open book during tests.
This is my third language. Although vb 6.0 is old. Looks like intro stuff based on what had been posted to school "SharePoint" site. I have no idea of back end really, just how u view it.
For open book renting sounds right. I'm guessing no internet during tests. And yes, c++ class had specific writing on questions.
FWIW, Building Java Programs is the book that I used in my intro CS course when I taught it in Java. It's a damn good book in that it isn't a tour-of-Java book like a lot of "introductory" texts are, but a reasonable presentation of proper introductory CS concepts (imperative programming in the small to basic data structures).
I wouldn't consider it a reference, but it's a good text to actually read, especially if you aren't getting the material from the source (i.e., you aren't at the University of Washington right now). You may know three languages, but if one of those is VB 6.0, you'll be wanting to break yourself of some bad habits, and the book is a good resource for doing that.
I have stolen the OP and placed it here!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA