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PREFACE xv
precisions. However, in the past, the popularity of C++ has suffered from the emer-
gence of several new languages. Among them are Java, Python, and C#. These new
languages have been developed with the main objective to handle Web and network
programming requirements. Other than that, C++ is still dominant and practical for im-
plementation. Because of this reason, C++ is still popular in schools and universities,
mostly for teaching and research purposes. C++ is also used widely in the manufac-
turing sectors such as in the design of device drivers for electronic components.
Our third objective is to make numerical problems friendly and approachable.
This goal is important as the general public perception about mathematics is that it
is tough, unfriendly, boring, and not applicable in daily life. A mathematician should
not be placed in the basement floor of a building under the feeling that he is not
important for people to meet. A mathematician can become a role model if he can
exert his usefulness in a friendly and acceptable way, which can be done by making
mathematics interesting and approachable through a series of friendly interfaces. A
weak or average student can become motivated with mathematics if the right tools
for understanding mathematics are provided.
A visual approach based on Windows in Computing for Numerical Methods Using
Visual C++ is our step in achieving this objective. The book teaches the reader on
the friendly interfaces in tackling problems in numerical methods. The interfaces
include buttons, dialog boxes, menus, and mouse clicks. The book also provides a
very useful tool called MyParser, which can be used to develop various friendly
numerical applications on Windows. MyParser is an equation parser that reads an
equation input by the user in the form of a string, processes the string, and produces
its solution. In promoting its use, we hide all technical details in the development of
the parser so that the reader can concentrate on producing the solution to the problem.
But the best part is MyParser is free for distribution for those who are interested.
Our last objective is to maintain links with the Microsoft family of products through
the .Net platform. Microsoft is unarguably the driver in providing visual solutions
based on Windows, and the .Net platform provides a common multilanguage program
development for applications on Windows. As Visual C++ is one product supported
in the .Net platform, there is a guarantee of continued support from Microsoft for its
users. A Visual C++ follower can also enjoy the benefit of integrating her product with
other products within the .Net platform with very minimum effort. This flexibility
is important as migrating from one system to a different system by bringing along
data and programs can be a very expensive, time-consuming, and resource-dependent
affair.
In providing the solutions, this book does not provide detailed coverage of each
topic in numerical methods. There are already many books on the market that do
cover these topics, and we do not wish to compete against them. Instead, we focus
on the development stages of each topic from the practical point of view, using
Visual C++ as the tool. Knowing how to write the visual interfaces for the numerical
problems will definitely contribute to guiding the reader toward the more ambitious
numerical modeling and simulation projects. This objective is the main benefit that
can be expected from the book. The reader can take advantage of the supplied codes
to create several new projects for high-performance computing.