 For
all you frustrated wannabe's who harbor visions of becoming the next Bill
Gates, I wish you luck, and write if you get work.
On the reality side of life, if you are interested in learning programming, there are many applications , texts, and classes to help. CodeWarrior by Metrowerks combines everything you need to begin learning about programming in Pascal. The main complaint I have with every programming application I have seen is they all assume (presume?) that you already know some programming, and where to start. If you are a total beginner, or even if you understand something about programming, you are usually in for an unpleasant time. CodeWarrior is one of the better applications in this area, as it is written in relatively simple colloquial English (no legalese, quantum hieroglyphics, or geekese- available upon request). CodeWarrior Pascal contains three online books and a full working copy of the CodeWarrior IDE (integrated development environment). This setup allows you to choose your level of comfort, from no experience to an accomplished programmer. "Learn Pascal under Windows 95/NT" by Werner Feibel is the online book for the beginner. There are examples you can work through in the IDE as you go. "Mastering CodeWarrior for Windows 95/NT: The Official Guide" by Jim Trudeau takes you into the CodeWarrior IDE itself and helps you learn to fully utilize this powerful application. To enter the world of Mr. Bill, "Windows 95: A Developer's Guide" by Jeffrey Richter and Jonathan Locke shows how to write applications for this turkey. Included in the application is the IDE, a Pascal compiler, a source-level debugger, online tutorials, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and the aforementioned books. The IDE is the core of the CodeWarrior system. It allows you to edit, browse, compile, link, and then run your project. With it you can develop for the Win/Tel (Windows Intel), Mac OS, MIPS, Motorola 680x0, and the PowerPC platforms. All are included in their own packages of course. The IDE also supports multiple languages (C, C++, Java, and Object Pascal). You use the IDE somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle to assemble the bits and pieces of a project into a functional application. Standard templates for creating Win32 applications and DLLs, as well as C and C++ library sources and includes are part of the package. System requirements are; 386 or higher (Pentium recommended), 16 MB RAM, CD-ROM, Windows 95 or NT 4.0 (recommended), and 70 MB hard disk space for a minimum install (~170MB for full install). Quoting from the manual: "... if you don't already have Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) on your hard drive, a dialog box will appear asking if you want to install it on your computer. MSIE is required to fully access the CodeWarrior Reference Web Site. Click Yes to install MSIE. When the installation is complete, a dialog box will appear, asking if you want to reboot your computer. Click No. If you choose Yes, the installer won't complete the installation process."Adobe Acrobat Reader (included) is also required to read the documents on the Web Site. The CD-ROM is designed to take advantage of the Auto Insert Notification capability of Windows 95, and will automatically launch when inserted. The rest of the installation is simply follow the on screen instructions. CodeWarrior packages have a very limited manual included. It is used almost exclusively for installation and setup. The documentation is all online, either on your hard drive, or their web site. While the documentation is very good, I am one of those apparently rare individuals who prefers a book I can hold in my hands. Aside from this personal preference, I like this application, and give it a recommend. CodeWarrior Pascal for Windows 95/NT is available for a street price from around $68.00 to $90.00, so shop around. The package includes a 30 day money back guarantee, and free technical support. |