Search

Computer programming is a skill that can bring great enjoyment from the creativity involved in designing and implementing a solution to a problem. This classroom-tested and easy-to-follow textbook teaches the reader how to program using Python, an accessible language which can be learned incrementally. Through an extensive use of examples and practical exercises, students will learn to recognize and apply abstract patterns in programming, as well as how to inspect the state of a program using a debugger tool. Features: contains numerous examples and solved practice exercises designed for an interactive classroom environment; highlights several patterns which commonly appear in programs, and presents exercises that reinforce recognition and application of these patterns; introduces the use of a debugger, and includes supporting material that reveals how programs work; presents the Tkinter framework for building graphical user interface applications and event-driven programs; provides helpful additional resources for instructors at the associated website: http://cs.luther.edu/~leekent/CS1. This hands-on textbook for active learning in the classroom will enable undergraduates in computer science to develop the necessary skills to begin developing their own programs. It employs Python as the introductory language due to the wealth of support available for programmers.

Programming Languages: An Active Learning Approach introduces students to three programming paradigms: object-oriented/imperative languages using C++ and Ruby, functional languages using Standard ML, and logic programming using Prolog. This interactive textbook is intended to be used in and outside of class. Each chapter follows a pattern of presenting a topic followed by a practice exercise or exercises that encourage students to try what they have just read. This textbook is best-suited for students with a 2-3 course introduction to imperative programming. Key Features: (1) Accessible structure guides the student through various programming languages. (2) Seamlessly integrated practice exercises. (3) Classroom-tested. (4) Online support materials. Advance praise: “The Programming Languages book market is overflowing with books, but none like this. In many ways, it is precisely the book I have been searching for to use in my own programming languages course. One of the main challenges I perpetually face is how to teach students to program in functional and logical languages, but also how to teach them about compilers. This book melds the two approaches very well.” -- David Musicant, Carleton College