Using C++: An Introduction to Programming, Second Edition

This text’s secret to success is the unique way that it fosters active participation by the reader, and its teaching of problem solving skills in conjunction with a thorough introduction to the C++ language.Hennefeld, Baker, and Burchard quickly get students actively involved in writing programs by using a four-step problem-solving methodology that is introduced in Chapter 1. This approach is used throughout the book in worked examples and programs that the students write. The authors also emphasize functions as a powerful way of breaking down problems into small sub-tasks. In addition, programming concepts and syntax are introduced within the framework of examples so students can see immediately how the programming structure is used.The authors also provide a thorough introduction to the C++ language, first covering procedural aspects to allow students to grasp basic syntax without getting bogged down in details of the object-oriented paradigm. Later, object-oriented features are introduced with great care over three chapters—the first devoted to writing client programs for preexisting classes, the second on the syntax for implementing classes, and the third on designing classes for specific programming problems. Effective use of pedagogical devices that foster active reading round out the approach that has proven to be so successful in helping students learn a large subset of the C++ language.

Teaching experience: M.I.T and Boston College; currently at Brooklyn College. Publications: Fourteen articles in research journals and eight computer programming textbooks.