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which book (Read 1418 times)

kirk is

which book
Nov 20^th, 2007, 10:20pm

So I'm an experienced Java developer who has had a lot of fun with Processing: (all but the top 3 on http://kisrael.com/features/java/ )

Is one of the books a good bet for me? Part of my fear is too much time on the basics of programming, but it looks like they go beyond that somewhat...

Or would I be better served by just hunkering down with the examples etc on the site? In particular a lot of exciting stuff seems to have happened in terms of libraries and integrations, but almost all of my stuff has stuck with "core Processing" so to speak.

mcburton

Re: which book
Reply #1 - Nov 20^th, 2007, 10:57pm

I am a semi-similar boat. While I haven't gone deep into Processing, I am familiar with java and programming in general. I have been eyeballing Ben's unreleased book, Visualizing Data from OReilly. I have been reading the rough cuts, has none of the "intro to programming" stuff which is nice. But of course that book has a very specific focus (as the title implies). If you do end up getting one of the books I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

REAS

Re: which book
Reply #2 - Nov 22^nd, 2007, 7:52am

Our book (Reas/Fry) is written for the beginner to intermediate audience. We go through the basics in detail. I think it would also be appropriate for a good programmer without much experience with programming visuals and motion. I recommend looking at the PDF sample and the table of contents:
http://www.processing.org/learning/books/

Casey

volts

Re: which book
Reply #3 - Nov 23^rd, 2007, 5:43pm

I've got all three books, Reas/Fry and Greenburg on Processing and the rough cut of Fry-Visualizing Data. They all have their merits, but based on what I see on your site I'd recommend Reas/Fry as likely the most interesting.

Reas/Fry doesn't read like your typical "Programming in..." It's written more from the perspective of techniques to achieve results, lots of small pictures with code snippets. They cover a lot of ground, introducing programming and related topics in layers, with interviews with artists interspersed. It is a very cool book.

kirk is Junior Member Offline Posts: 59 boston, ma, usa	Re: which book Reply #4 - Nov 23^rd, 2007, 5:49pm Cool, maybe that's the one I'll go for. I wonder if MIT press has an interesting physical presence in Cambridge, near where I live? Seems like it would be a fun bookstore, if there is such a thing

mcburton YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 3	Re: which book Reply #5 - Nov 23^rd, 2007, 6:10pm Yes they do have a store, its right next to the main Inbound T station in kendall.
	« Last Edit: Nov 24^th, 2007, 2:42am by mcburton »

fiorina Junior Member Offline Posts: 51	Re: which book Reply #6 - Apr 3^rd, 2008, 7:59pm I slammed through the sample pdf last night, is there anyway to buy the full book in pdf format online?

johnclavin YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 11	Re: which book Reply #7 - Apr 5^th, 2008, 9:34am I have the Greenberg book. It should be titled "Everything Every Renaissance Man Needs to Know" It covers everything from painting parties in NYC and the history of algebra to an in-depth look at Processing. Ira knows his subject very well and there is tons of good stuff in this book, but it is a very long read.

REAS YaBB Moderator Offline Posts: 712 CA	Re: which book Reply #8 - Apr 5^th, 2008, 6:22pm fiorina, mit press doesn't yet offer PDF purchase, but i encourage you to write to them and request it. casey

fiorina

Re: which book
Reply #9 - Apr 7^th, 2008, 4:19pm

done.

Quote:

Hi there,

I was wondering if there was any chance of buying books as PDF's?

I want to purchase a book by Casey Reas and Ben Fry called "Processing: A
programming handbook for Visual Artists and Designers".

They offer a short, sample PDF of the book which to me was evidence enough
to buy the full text. However the cost of a large hardback, and the trouble
of locating/ordering a copy moves me to write this letter.

To me, being able to buy the book online as PDF is important for two
reasons: one, I can own the book instantly, and begin learning the
Programming Language. I don't have to leave my house, waste time searching
in bookstores or waiting for an order to come in... and Two, I can help
reduce my impact on the environment by using and purchasing less paper
products. Also it makes sense to me to use a PDF when working with software.

I hope you take this suggestion and request kindly.

Regards,

Matt Tierney

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