掌握编程思维：创造性问题解决指南

需积分: 0 152 浏览量更新于2024-07-18 收藏 9.29MB PDF 举报

"Think Like a Programmer: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving" 是一本由 V. Anton Spraul 撰写的书籍，旨在帮助读者理解和掌握编程思维，而不仅仅是编程语言的语法。书中强调，真正的编程挑战在于如何创造性地解决问题，而不是仅仅学习语言本身。作者通过讲解编程概念，如类、指针、递归等，以及贯穿全书的开放性练习，来培养读者的问题解决能力。书中的关键知识点包括： 1. 问题拆解：将复杂问题分解为更小、更易处理的部分是编程中常见的策略。作者教导读者如何有效地拆解问题，使其变得更容易解决。 2. 代码重用：函数、类和库的使用是提高效率的关键。通过这些工具，程序员可以避免重复编写相同的代码，提高代码的可读性和维护性。 3. 数据结构选择：选择适合特定应用场景的数据结构对优化程序至关重要。不同的数据结构（如数组、链表、树、哈希表等）各有优势，理解它们并根据需要选择是高效编程的基础。 4. 高级编程工具：递归和动态内存管理是更高级的编程技巧。递归允许函数自我调用，解决层次结构问题；动态内存则允许在运行时分配和释放内存，提供了更大的灵活性。 5. 思维组织与策略：开发一套解决问题的方法论是优秀程序员的标志。书中的内容将引导读者如何组织思维，面对不同类型的编程问题时制定合适的解决策略。尽管书中示例主要使用 C++，但其讲述的创造性问题解决概念超越了特定的语言界限，甚至超出了计算机科学的范畴。作者指出，写出优秀的代码是一种创造性的艺术，而第一步就是学会像程序员一样思考。这本书适用于初学者和有一定经验的程序员，它不仅提供了技术指导，还注重培养读者的编程思维方式，从而提升他们构建高质量软件的能力。无论你是想提升个人技能，还是希望在编程领域有更深的造诣，"Think Like a Programmer" 都是一本值得阅读和实践的宝贵资源。

xiv Introduction

programming may be so mechanical in nature that your creativity is never

tested. But all programs require problem solving at some point, and all good

programmers can solve problems.

Problem solving is hard. It’s true that a few people make it look easy—

the “naturals,” the programming world’s equivalent of a gifted athlete, like

Michael Jordan. For these select few, high-level ideas are effortlessly translated

into source code. To make a Java metaphor, it’s as if their brains execute Java

natively, while the rest of us have to run a virtual machine, interpreting as we go.

Not being a natural isn’t fatal to becoming a programmer—if it were, the

world would have few programmers. Yet I’ve seen too many worthy learners

struggle too long in frustration. In the worst cases, they give up programming

entirely, convinced that they can never be programmers, that the only good

programmers are those born with an innate gift.

Why is learning to solve programming problems so hard?

In part, it’s because problem solving is a different activity from learning

programming syntax and therefore uses a different set of mental “muscles.”

Learning programming syntax, reading programs, memorizing elements of

an application programming interface—these are mostly analytical “left brain”

activities. Writing an original program using previously learned tools and

skills is a creative “right brain” activity.

Suppose you need to remove a branch that has fallen into one of the rain

gutters on your house, but your ladder isn’t quite long enough for you to

reach the branch. You head into your garage and look for something, or a

combination of things, that will enable you to remove the branch from the

gutter. Is there some way to extend the ladder? Is there something you can

hold at the top of the ladder to grab or dislodge the branch? Maybe you could

just get on the roof from another place and get the branch from above. That’s

problem solving, and it’s a creative activity. Believe it or not, when you design

an original program, your mental process is quite similar to that of the person

figuring out how to remove the branch from the gutter and quite different

from that of a person debugging an existing

for loop.

Most programming books, though, focus their attention on syntax and

semantics. Learning the syntax and semantics of a programming language is

essential, but it’s only the first step in learning how to program in that lan-

guage. In essence, most programming books for beginners teach how to read

a program, not how to write one. Books that do focus on writing are often

effectively “cookbooks” in that they teach specific “recipes” for use in particu-

lar situations. Such books can be quite valuable as time savers, but not as a

path toward learning to write original code. Think about cookbooks in the

original sense. Although great cooks own cookbooks, no one who relies upon

cookbooks can be a great cook. A great cook understands ingredients, prepa-

ration methods, and cooking methods and knows how they can be combined

to make great meals. All a great cook needs to produce a tasty meal is a fully

stocked kitchen. In the same way, a great programmer understands language

syntax, application frameworks, algorithms, and software engineering princi-

ples and knows how they can be combined to make great programs. Give a

great programmer a list of specifications, turn him loose with a fully stocked

programming environment, and great things will happen.

www.it-ebooks.info

Introduction xv

In general, current programming education doesn’t offer much guidance

in the area of problem solving. Instead, it’s assumed that if programmers are

given access to all of the tools of programming and requested to write enough

programs, eventually they will learn to write such programs and write them

well. There is truth in this, but “eventually” can be a long time. The journey

from initiation to enlightenment can be filled with frustration, and too many

who start the journey never reach the destination.

Instead of learning by trial and error, you can learn problem solving in a

systematic way. That’s what this book is all about. You can learn techniques to

organize your thoughts, procedures to discover solutions, and strategies to

apply to certain classes of problems. By studying these approaches, you can

unlock your creativity. Make no mistake: Programming, and especially prob-

lem solving, is a creative activity. Creativity is mysterious, and no one can say

exactly how the creative mind functions. Yet, if we can learn music composi-

tion, take advice on creative writing, or be shown how to paint, then we can

learn to creatively solve programming problems, too. This book isn’t going

to tell you precisely what to do; it’s going to help you develop your latent

problem-solving abilities so that you will know what you should do. This book

is about helping you become the programmer you are meant to be.

My goal is for you and every other reader of this book to learn to system-

atically approach every programming task and to have the confidence that

you will ultimately solve a given problem. When you complete this book, I

want you to think like a programmer and to believe that you are a programmer.

About This Book

Having explained the necessity of this book, I need to make a few comments

about what this book is and what it is not.

Prerequisites

This book assumes you are already familiar with the basic syntax and seman-

tics of the C++ language and that you have begun writing programs. Most of

the chapters will expect you to know specific C++ fundamentals; these chap-

ters will begin with a review of those fundamentals. If you are still absorbing

language basics, don’t worry. There are plenty of great books on C++ syntax,

and you can learn problem solving in parallel to learning syntax. Just make

sure you have studied the relevant syntax before attempting to tackle a chap-

ter’s problems.

Chosen Topics

The topics covered in this book represent areas in which I have most often

seen new programmers struggle. They also present a broad cross-section of

different areas in early and intermediate programming.

I should emphasize, however, that this is not a “cookbook” of algorithms

or patterns for solving specific problems. Although later chapters discuss

how to employ well-known algorithms or patterns, you should not use this

www.it-ebooks.info

xvi Introduction

book as a “crib sheet” to get you past particular problems or focus on just the

chapters that directly relate to your current struggles. Instead, I would work

through the entire book, skipping material only if you lack the prerequisites

needed to follow the discussion.

Programming Style

A quick note here about the programming style employed in this book: This

book is not about high-performance programming or running the most com-

pact, efficient code. The style I have chosen for the source code examples is

intended to be readable above all other considerations. In some cases, I take

multiple steps to accomplish something that could be done in one step, just so

the principle I’m trying to demonstrate is made clear.

Some aspects of programming style will be covered in this book—but

larger issues, like what should or should not be included in a class, not small

issues, like how code should be indented. As a developing programmer, you

will of course want to employ a consistent, readable style in all of the work

you do.

Exercises

The book includes a number of programming exercises. This is not a text-

book, and you won’t find answers to any of the exercises in the back. The

exercises provide opportunities for you to apply the concepts described in

the chapters. Whether you choose to try any of the exercises is, of course, up

to you, but it is essential that you put these concepts into practice. Simply

reading through the book will accomplish nothing. Remember that this book

is not going to tell you exactly what to do in each situation. In applying the

techniques shown in this book, you will develop your own ability to discover

what to do. Furthermore, growing your confidence, another primary goal of

this book, requires success. In fact, that’s a good way to know when you have

worked through enough exercises in a given problem area: when you are con-

fident that you can tackle other problems in the area. Lastly, programming

exercises should be fun. While there may be moments where you’d rather be

doing something else, working out a programming problem should be a

rewarding challenge.

You should think of this book as an obstacle course for your brain. Obstacle

courses build strength, stamina, and agility and give the trainer confidence.

By reading through the chapters and applying the concepts to as many exer-

cises as you can, you’re going to build confidence and develop problem-solving

skills that can be used in any programming situation. In the future, when you

are faced with a difficult problem, you’ll know whether you should try going

over, under, or through it.

www.it-ebooks.info

剩余259页未读，继续阅读

Hoanghaidepzai

粉丝: 0
资源: 24

掌握编程思维：创造性问题解决指南

Think Like a Programmer-An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving

《像程序员一样思考》(Think Like a Programmer )扫描版[PDF]

how to think like a python programmer 文件部分的译文（by me）

Think.Like.a.Programmer

How To Think Like A (Python) Programmer - Downey (2007).pdf

Think Perl 6: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist

Think-Like-a-Programmer:《像程序员一样思考》一书中的练习和例子

Think Python

Think python

Think Python: 编程入门指南（豆瓣8.4分）

最新资源