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[3man75]

Hi all I'm taking a C++ programming class in my school and the book that i'm being asked to buy is out of my price range (168 US dollars) and I wanted to ask if it would matter to get a lower edition of the same book.

I've seen edition 4 with as low as 4.55$ and I would rather not break the bank buying from my campus or online.

For those confused as to the qustion i'll relierate: If i were to get a lower edition of a programming book would it be any worse then the newest edition? C++ seems to be a very old language so I don't think know if there could be anything new in this book. I'd love to hear about how intro books to programming being the the same quality as each other but if not please share.

The class by the way is a Introductory course for  C++.

P.S When I grow up I think I want to be a teacher. Not because I like students or teaching but because writing these text books must be the same as being a best seller on the NY list 0.0

[Frumple]

Ask your teacher. Unless one of us happen to have taken the exact same course, under the exact same teacher, in the exact same school, recently, we would be entirely incapable of being able to answer your question with even the most remote degree of certainty.

As a general thing, no, new editions usually don't really add that much in regards to raw knowledge, but they do often change a lot of the associated coursework around, to the point even if the text itself is roughly equivalent to older editions, you couldn't pass the course with it anyway. About your best bet insofar as that goes would be to buddy up with someone in the class that does have the newer edition (possibly chip in to help them defray the cost involved, or offer some cash or coursework aid as incentive), to be able to have access to the changed material in question.

... and to your PS, the authors involved usually don't actually make that much money off the texts. Sometimes barely any. The prices you're seeing is largely due to the horrific price gouging being inflicted on everyone by the publishers, who reap the vast majority of the profit involved.

[3man75]

Thanks for the info Frumple. I've already sent an email and i'm planning to visit the school tommorow also.

If my programming career doesn't take off maybe publsihing is in my future if money can keep me happy.

[Gunner-Chan]

The most important thing to check is if the course has an online component. If it does well... You're kinda screwed there as the little package that gives you online access is only good for one use most of the time.

Also publishing isn't a ton of money for a new guy, there's almost a mafia already in place for textbooks.

[i2amroy]

Yeah, generally older editions in classes are okay with two huge exceptions:
1) The class has an online portion that you need to purchase.
2) The teacher is using problems out of the book.

If either of those two things apply, on the other hand, the answer is usually "no". That said the big thing is just to ask your teacher.

That said if it does turn out you need a copy and you don't need to purchase an online key as well that the vast majority of the time you can find books for cheaper on amazon or around the web than through school bookstores. And I obviously won't tell you where, but I would point out that a fair portion of books can also be found through less well... approved methods online if you are willing to take the time to dig for them and they aren't absolutely brand new.

... and to your PS, the authors involved usually don't actually make that much money off the texts. Sometimes barely any. The prices you're seeing is largely due to the horrific price gouging being inflicted on everyone by the publishers, who reap the vast majority of the profit involved.

A lot depends on the book. On one side there are the more common books, where the publishers are the ones gouging you to pieces. On the other hand there are the times when professors make you purchase the book they wrote for the class, in which case the professor is often making a significant chunk of the purchase fees.

[alway]

Also, it's C++. There is no book you will find which is better than the first 5 results to any query you type into google about it. The internet is basically by programmers and for programmers.

So yeah, online stuff (but seriously, why would a programming course have this in any university with their own IT department) or problems out of the book (lazy professors who don't care that it's costing you thousands of dollars might do this). At my uni, our department specifically tried to minimize the books they required, to the point where I don't think I ever actually opened (or in most cases even bought) any programming textbooks.

[3man75]

Also, it's C++. There is no book you will find which is better than the first 5 results to any query you type into google about it. The internet is basically by programmers and for programmers.

So yeah, online stuff (but seriously, why would a programming course have this in any university with their own IT department) or problems out of the book (lazy professors who don't care that it's costing you thousands of dollars might do this). At my uni, our department specifically tried to minimize the books they required, to the point where I don't think I ever actually opened (or in most cases even bought) any programming textbooks.

I'm from a state college that was a few years ago a community college which I hear are generally bad news but cheap. Right now our 4 year programs are buisness, nursing, and some online degree for IT. That last one I think is worthless but I could be wrong.

Also Can anyone tell me what the FIRST thing a programming course goes through on the first day besides the sylabus? It'd be nice to look up some Youtube videos on my own before school starts this monday.

Thanks in advance

[Frumple]

... usually nothing, especially in the situation you're describing. Low level community/state (most others, too, really) colleges tend to not really do anything on that first day (besides maybe assign some reading) pretty much regardless of the course content. So long as it's not a summer class, anyway.

[3man75]

For some classes like Enlgish or easy classes yes but I woudn't think programming to fit in that description.

In math classes for example we always get assigned work on the first day and start on the chapters. Let me rephrase the question: What is the first thing anyone learns in a programming class for C++?

[i2amroy]

Usually going through a bunch of arcane instructions to get a compiler set up so you can actually do anything with C++.

In terms of actual knowledge I'd guess that after you spend a couple of days getting everything set up, going over the syllabus, etc., it'll almost certainly be a basic "Hello World" program. That's basically always the very first program any computer language course always teaches, ever.

For some classes like Enlgish or easy classes yes but I woudn't think programming to fit in that description.

In math classes for example we always get assigned work on the first day and start on the chapters.

Really? As a person who has been going to a state college for 4 years now (first as an engineering major, then as a computer science major, both of which involve quite a bit of math as well) I can assure you that I've only had three times where something real was actually assigned the first day (and due the second); two were with horrible professors that everyone hated, and one was when I was taking an 8 week course.

Even in my more "technical" classes the first class is almost always spent going over the syllabus to fulfill the university legal requirements so the professor can claim that they told us everything about their policies. If homework is assigned, it's almost always either a syllabus quiz, or a longer term homework project that isn't due for a week or so. Yeah math professors tend to at least get started on stuff the first day, (unlike computer science or engineering professors, who tend to be much more laid back), but even then there is virtually never any real homework assigned to be due on the second day.

[3man75]

I am actually one of those students who struggles with math very harshly so that bit about being a bit of math quakes me...BUT i am going to give it all I got.

I'm taking a full algebra class along with programming and biology this semester which is the "normal" course load for CS majors as I understand. My goal with math is to pass it by any means whether it be a "C" in the class and taking all of the math I need in the school I am currently in so I don't have to take any more when I transfer to UNI at UCLA,Davis, or something like that. Fun fact i'm from florida and education is NOT the only reason i'm trying to leave. The governor and jobs are other reasons.

EDIT: An if I still can't get through the math then I'll go the IT rout and practice programming on my own.

[i2amroy]

That doesn't sound too far off for an Applied Computer Science degree (which tend to focus on the actual programming of languages, as opposed to the higher theoretical stuff behind the languages). You should still probably figure for shooting to eventually deal with Calculus 1 though (which personally I loved way more than Algebra, a common occurrence among guys, less common among girls, it's very similar to geometry in a lot of ways), and probably 1 or 2 linear algebra (matrices) classes. (Note: Calc 2 is horrible though, I've only ever met like 2 people who actually enjoyed that class ).

Though I'm gonna be honest and say that even if you don't like math and are planning on becoming a computer science person then you should probably at least get used to using it , since a huge part of computer programming involves the use of math which, while not necessarily complex, is often tricky in implementation. Probably the best way to phrase it would be that the vast majority of CS problems are fairly similar to math word problems, where you are handed a bunch of information and then need to break it down into simple math patterns like "doubles and then -1" and so forth. As such even if you don't necessarily like math, I think you'll find that as a computer programmer trying to learn as much of it as possible is helpful, because it broadens your ability to recognize patterns.

Honestly I'd probably put the ability to look at a tough bunch of information and break it down into a bunch of small steps and patterns to be the most valuable skill for programming (though in a job sense there are obviously other important things like people skills). Those who don't have it can still definitely become programmers, but they should aspire to train that skill as much as possible because it really makes up the core of any programming project, be it in designing your own code, or in recognizing patterns in existing code and figuring out where they are tripping up in order to debug things.

[3man75]

Luckily one of my profesoors gave me a calculas book when he was cleaning out his office to move to a new one :p.

I don't really hate or dislike math until I get to the point where I don't understand and then some test comes in to say "SURPRISE!! What is the answer to 1-25?". I really want to learn enough to be a programmer and eventually create my own things but in the end a job is a job. I want to travel a bit and money is really a means to an end. Programming to me is something I want to get into and enjoy since I use a PC every single and use software regularly (Mostly games and the internet but hey at least I have an interest to create a gundam simulator lol).

I just btw recieved word that my proffesor has a website called Zybooks where I can conveniently pay with my credit card. Altough (an this is typical of my college) the code does not work for the class. I think I should re-program how my college system works