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Suggestion to Kale about your book
Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:47 pm
by ignign0kt
I bought your book and am in the middle of reading it, but I have a suggestion to make it better for people reading it. It's hard for people to find something to practice on when they are first learning a language, and therefore have a much harder time retaining the information. I think it would be better if you included challenges at the end of each chapter for the reader to attempt, using what they learned in that chapter. Unfortunately doing this won't help me because I wouldn't buy the book again, haha... but I'm sure it would help a lot of other people.
Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:03 am
by Character
I fully agree, good idea!
In general you can say, the more an the better books out there, the more users PureBasic will get.
I wonder, how much it will cost to publish a little example booklet?
(probably depending on the amount of copies? I have no clue at all..)
Until now only 2 books are on the market for PureBasic:
Kale's book and Kevlar's book
Who wants to write?

Re: Suggestion to Kale about your book
Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:34 pm
by Kale
ignign0kt wrote:I bought your book and am in the middle of reading it, but I have a suggestion to make it better for people reading it. It's hard for people to find something to practice on when they are first learning a language, and therefore have a much harder time retaining the information. I think it would be better if you included challenges at the end of each chapter for the reader to attempt, using what they learned in that chapter. Unfortunately doing this won't help me because I wouldn't buy the book again, haha... but I'm sure it would help a lot of other people.
I did actually think about doing this when i wrote the book. I voted against it because looking through my bookcase i have lots of books which contain these exercises. I then thought i've never actually done any of them, so i wondered how useful they would be. And being very lazy, decided no tto include them.

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:01 pm
by White Eagle
I then thought i've never actually done any of them, so i wondered how useful they would be.
Personally, I don't do them either. I might have done them back in the early 80's when I was starting out, but nowadays they mostly serve as "food for thought".
However, there is another thought to consider. If you ever decided to do a revision to your book, you might consider putting them in. Here is why. If a teacher ever decided to teach PB in the classroom, your book would be the obvious choice for a textbook. "Challenges" would be incredibly useful in the classroom setting, as it makes things easier for the teacher to develop the lesson plans.
Indie Languages are very popular with teachers for middle school and high school programming instruction. They are also used in private schools and after-school programs that offer programming classes.
Please don't think this is a flame, attack, etc. Its not. I am just mentioning something to consider if you do a future revision as I think your book would be ideal for the education sector.

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:48 pm
by Character
Please don't think this is a flame, attack, etc. Its not.
I am just mentioning something to consider if you do a future revision as I think your book would be ideal for the education sector.
Constructive feedback.
This is exactly how I got in contact with Basic.
(Back then, we used Sanyo computers at school.. 1981!!)
I'm getting old...
Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:52 pm
by Kale
I am listening and thinking about all posts.
