THINK C/C++ Book wanted

[KPURCELL at LIVERPOOL.AC.UK]

THINK C 4 may not be C++ but it is C+- (so to speak) -- it is essentially
compatible in going from THINK C to C++ and contains all the same OO bits
that make Object Pascal an OO language.

A few points you may find helpful:

1. OO programming is *not* only TCL. You can do OO without using the TCL. This
took a long time to sink in with me! I'm finding it easier to get used to OO
programming and then to move to using TCL. (OOP + TCL is very good however but
it has a learning curve even steeper than event programming/Mac Toolbox).

2. Learn the OO style first then apply it -- this may mean a bit of messing
around but I feel like when I get to use TCL seriously I will already be
thinking in an OO style which should make life easier.

As regards learing TCL/OOPs:

1. Macintosh Programming Primer vol2 has a chapter with example using TCL.
Its simpler and easier to understand then the TCL manual.

2. The TCL manual describes all the classes and the way TCL works. Trying
to understand the four hierarchies involved is a real problem -- just try
re-reading it. It slowly sinks in. Examine the source code too and try out
some the examples provided.

3. I'm working my way through Tim Budd's "A Practical Introduction to
Object Oriented Programming" (Addisson Wesley, 1991). Its very
clear. He set out to teach an OO course and couldn't find a good enough
text book to use in the course. All the books he could find were based
around a single languane (C++, SmallTalk, Objective-C and so on). He wanted
to give the basics of OOP and apply it to any OO language. The book reflects
this, it has examples in  Object Pascal (a la THINK Pascal), C++,
Smalltalk and Objective-C. He talks a lot about OO design and how to
extract objects/classes from the problem. It includes two small but non trivial
complete examples and plenty of exercises for practice. I recommend it.

4. Lipman's "C++ Primer" is perhaps the best introductory C++ book (for
when Symantec/THINK release a C++ compiler (somethign which they will
neither confirm nor deny :-) )).

5. Sign up on the think-c list, and ask questions when you're stuck. You
can also pick up source code from their archive by anon ftp.
To sign up on the list send a message to think-c-request at ics.uci.edu
(do not send direct to the list!). The archive is at ics.uci.edu (128.195.1.1)
look in the directory /mac/think-c.

Kevin Purcell         |  kpurcell at liverpool.ac.uk
Surface Science       |
Liverpool University  |  The journey is the reward.