Think Like a Programmer

Many programmers struggle to write programs, even though they understand their chosen programming language. Programming isn't about syntax-it's about problem solving, and all good programmers can solve problems. Unfortunately, most programming books focus on syntax and semantics, resulting in programmers who can't make the leap from reading programs to writing them. Think Like a Programmer bridges that gap, teaching readers how to solve problems systematically, offering numerous techniques and examples designed to demonstrate how to organize thoughts, discover solutions, and find strategies to solve certain classes of problems. Programming, and especially problem solving, is a creative activity, and although this book won't tell anyone precisely what to do in a given circumstance, it will help readers develop their latent problem-solving abilities so that they will know what they should do. Think Like a Programmer is designed to help readers become the programmers they were meant to be.

V. Anton Spraul has taught introductory programming and computer science for more than 15 years. He is the author of Computer Science Made Simple (Broadway) and How Software Works (No Starch Press). He offers advice for beginning programmers in his series "Learning to Program: A Guide" on his website (http://www.vantonspraul.com).

Introduction
Chapter 1: Strategies for Problem Solving
Chapter 2: Pure Puzzles
Chapter 3: Solving Problems with Arrays
Chapter 4: Solving Problems with Pointers and Dynamic Memory
Chapter 5: Solving Problems with Classes
Chapter 6: Solving Problems with Recursion
Chapter 7: Solving Problems with Code Reuse
Chapter 8: Thinking Like a Programmer
Index