Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

opinions on "Walls and Mirrors" ?

1 view
Skip to first unread message

Richard McBeef

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 11:20:03 AM1/28/10
to
What are the opinions in this group
of this textbook?
http://tinyurl.com/yzm7kja
I ask because this was the standard text
in my university's data structures course about 12
years ago. The thing is that no-one I have ever
worked with has heard of it and look down on
it like it is crap. They went to other schools.
Anyway, just curious...

red floyd

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 12:02:13 PM1/28/10
to
On Jan 28, 8:20 am, Richard McBeef <cho.seung-...@vt.edu> wrote:
> What are the opinions in this group
> of this textbook?[link redacted]

> I ask because this was the standard text
> in my university's data structures course about 12
> years ago. The thing is that no-one I have ever
> worked with has heard of it and look down on
> it like it is crap. They went to other schools.
> Anyway, just curious...

And since it's a Java book, you're asking this in a C++ group why?

Vladimir Jovic

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 12:13:51 PM1/28/10
to


It is not. The full name is:
Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: Walls and Mirrors (4th
Edition) (Hardcover)


ps Yes, I was crazy enough to click the link... ;)

Richard Herring

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 12:21:26 PM1/28/10
to
In message
<f242431f-fa72-4940...@b10g2000vbh.googlegroups.com>, red
floyd <redf...@gmail.com> writes

???

According to the Amazon link he posted, its title is

"Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: Walls and Mirrors (4th
Edition) (Hardcover)"

which looks like C++ to me.

I've never encountered it, but the customer reviews are extremely mixed.

--
Richard Herring

**Group User**

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 12:38:04 PM1/28/10
to
Dear Sir,

Data structure is about algorithms, ways to improve performance and
storage
One book will end its life just after a few years known,
Some writer names will last for years later on
Some will be quickly forgotten

Some people ask me whether I am angry after a loss of precious/
priceless things or tease over my own pain. I have got to tell that
they are complete iddeeeaaats to make such an obvious question. Of
course I am a human being, I have senses. Only thick skin animals
would say No or show laughing signs.
But such loss makes us all remember together forever.
I wish to find me again soon.

Andrew Poelstra

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 3:54:30 PM1/28/10
to

They used this in my course as well. I bought it but never
once opened it. (Nor did I even learn C++; my school was
kind enough to let me write psuedocode on tests. I never
once needed anything sembling OO for the course.)

So I would say wait before you buy it. If you want to
learn data structures try flipping through Knuth or
reading /C Unleashed/ or trying comp.programming.

red floyd

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 7:38:57 PM1/28/10
to

Oh. I went to Amazon and looked for that title, and only found the
Java version.

[EMILY-LATELLA]
Oh, that's very different. Never mind!
[/EMILY-LATELLA]

red floyd

unread,
Jan 28, 2010, 7:39:23 PM1/28/10
to
On Jan 28, 9:21 am, Richard Herring <junk@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
> In message
> <f242431f-fa72-4940-877b-6d6830236...@b10g2000vbh.googlegroups.com>, red
> floyd <redfl...@gmail.com> writes

>
> >On Jan 28, 8:20 am, Richard McBeef <cho.seung-...@vt.edu> wrote:
> >> What are the opinions in this group
> >> of this textbook?[link redacted]
> >> I ask because this was the standard text
> >> in my university's data structures course about 12
> >> years ago. The thing is that no-one I have ever
> >> worked with has heard of it and look down on
> >> it like it is crap. They went to other schools.
> >> Anyway, just curious...
>
> >And since it's a Java book, you're asking this in a C++ group why?
>
> ???
>
> According to the Amazon link he posted, its title is
>
> "Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: Walls and Mirrors (4th
> Edition) (Hardcover)"
>
> which looks like C++ to me.
>
>
I don't follow tinyurl links on usenet.

Philip Potter

unread,
Jan 29, 2010, 4:39:55 AM1/29/10
to

You can always see where they link before following:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yzm7kja
^^^^^^^^ just add this

Phil

Jorgen Grahn

unread,
Feb 3, 2010, 1:54:09 PM2/3/10
to
On Thu, 2010-01-28, Andrew Poelstra wrote:
...

> So I would say wait before you buy it. If you want to
> learn data structures try flipping through Knuth or [---]

I've never really read Knuth, but IMHO that's an unusual advice to
people who haven't touched algorithms and data structures before.
Like Barbie would say: "Knuth is hard".

/Jorgen

--
// Jorgen Grahn <grahn@ Oo o. . .
\X/ snipabacken.se> O o .

Andrew Poelstra

unread,
Feb 3, 2010, 3:00:18 PM2/3/10
to
On 2010-02-03, Jorgen Grahn <grahn...@snipabacken.se> wrote:
> On Thu, 2010-01-28, Andrew Poelstra wrote:
> ...
>> So I would say wait before you buy it. If you want to
>> learn data structures try flipping through Knuth or [---]
>
> I've never really read Knuth, but IMHO that's an unusual advice to
> people who haven't touched algorithms and data structures before.
> Like Barbie would say: "Knuth is hard".
>
> /Jorgen
>

The first page or so of each data-structure-related section
gives a theoretical overview of the structure, and I've always
liked his diagrams.

It is true that understanding his MIX code and doing his
exercises are very difficult, though. :)

Andrew

0 new messages