Fan Mail Letter of the Week (November 7, 2009)

I just received this very nice email from someone who read my C++ book--it's kind letters like this that keep me writing computer books.

Hello Prof,

My name is Lekhotla Khoboko and I’m a final year Computer Science student at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). I’m writing this email to reaaaally thank you for the confidence boost you have given me in my C++ programming skills! I have just finished following your book Learn To Program with C++. I took about six days to read through the book and I’m really happy with what I have learned.

As I said, I’m a final year student, and I had been feeling veery nervous and incompetent with my programming skills in C++. I have gone through about four courses in C++ in my study years, but C++ had still been a dreadful programming language to take up any project in (until today!)

I’ve very much enjoyed our class (your 18 pupils plus myself!). The lectures were clear and very easy to follow, and they kept me stuck to the book from beginning till now that I’m done reading it!

Just like Rhonda, topics like those on Pointers, Objects and Inheritance had been my worst nightmares! I tried several introductory books but they were still way advanced for my comprehension! But at last, I feel like a genius. None of the questions I used to have or had in the course of reading are unanswered – either Dave, Ward or any of those my colleagues would bring them up and before we passed the topic, I would be clear and ready for the next class!

I really want to appreciate what you have done for me (I truly wish I could follow on with the friends in that five weeks’ time when they would be beginning their intermediate course – I’m sure I was going to come out the more brilliant)!

Your teaching methodology is very great as I compare it my C++ instructors’. Programming courses and careers are feared today, also because of the way they are presented by lecturers. In fact, I feel I can make a very good C++ instructor myself, having gone through this material. And this book would be my very first and preferred recommendation to my students!

You’ve trained a C++ programmer in six days! CONGRADULATIONS and thanks, Thanks, THANKS

Sincerely,

Lekhotla Khoboko
Mathematics and Computer Science Department
Faculty of Science and technology
National university of Lesotho Lesotho,
Southern Africa

Fan Mail post of the week

Hi John

I have purchased one of your books in the past and now I working on getting back into programming and wanted to get your new C# 08 express book. I look forward to reading it. I do have a question however, I have been a System Engineer / Sys Admin for about 17 years now and now I have the honor of working for a local health department as the Network Administrator.

I support a network of 70 staff and equipment and we use a lot of data bases and various programs to do our work as you can well imagine. I want to streamline a lot of the day to day activities by writing web based programs and pc based programs to better serve the staff here in their work.

My problem is that when programming I have used numerous books and although I do feel that yours is the best that I have read I still have the same problem when staring at the programming interface "how do I start?" what I mean is there is a lot of code in programs; now that being said nowadays most of the back-end coding is already done but I still have problems figuring out how and where to start, why would I use one command over another and are there cheat sheets a beginning programmer can keep around for quick reference?

I am interested in using Visual Web Developer 2008 Express with C# and using SQL for Database and am just at my wits end on figuring out the basics. Any advise would be helpful and I do appreciate any assistance you can give.

Thank you
Bob


My response:

Hi Bob

In the old days of team programming, we would just borrow some one's code and see what they did. That's a little harder these days, as there just aren't that many big programming shops---lot of people are doing things on their own. Plus, the technologies are much more advanced than when I started coding in COBOL.

Having said that, a book I use in my Internet classes that seems to meet your requirements is

Build Your Own ASP.Net 2.0 Web Site using C# and VB

It has a full featured Web application that you develop that could give you a good starting point.

You only need to know the C# you'll learn in my book, so that would be the next best step.

Fan Mail letter of the week---December 25, 2008

Just received this email...



My name is Mark and am deaf-blind. I personally wanted to tell you how much I loved to read "Learn To Program" book series and made my addictions. You are a very honest and proficent author and know our feeling comfortable about your author.

I'd like to know where I could find a "Learn To Program With HTML 4" and "Learn To Program With ASP.NET" technical/educational books.

I was a former COBOL computer programmer analyst in Information Systems at the federal government over 20 years until I left on my disability retirement in 1996. Right now I am facing to learn a conversion from IS to IT. In addition, I'm not familiar in IT, but I'd love to learn many new technologies in IT.

Could you able provide me information how did you get started to build your website from scratch? Server or Hosting? What web publishing and database software programming that you currently use? Thank you.

Kindest regards,
Mark

Fan Mail Letter of the Week--December 18, 2008

I received this email today... it's a nice example as to why I love to write books that help people.

Hi John,

Yesterday I bought your pdf version of LTP with VB.net.

I would also like to use an opportunity to thank you for everything I have learnt through your books.

I know you have heard this "zillion" times, but still...

I own all of your VB6 books which were the starting point of my learning. They gave me very, very good basis for my subsequent learning. I doubt I would be where I am today without your books.

Your teaching style is second to none, by far...

And your ability to "step into beginners shoes" is unbelievable. I don't believe you can learn this...you're blessed with a very rare talent...but you already know that ;-).

Keep up the excellent work!

Take care and I wish you and your family all the best in 2009 (and beyond).

Greetings from Slovenia,
Samo

Fan Mail of the week---Monday, December 1, 2008

I just received this very nice email from a reader of my C++ book in Iraq. My C++ book is the most heavily pirated, illegally downloaded book in the world--but I don't mind if it helps people learn this very tedious, sometimes difficult language.

Leon was wondering how to get the book in Iraq or Syria--my print on demand company, Lulu.com, assures me they will ship there. And he asked about a Part 2 of the book, something I am working on now.

Here's the email...

Hello John Smiley!!

How are you?

I've been reading your great book called " Learn To Program with C++(2003) "actually it is very very easy to understand C++ , like i live with the real Professor in classroom, but unfortunately, I have this book in PDF file only, not the real book in my hand, Ii want to buy this book, from where?

Because i live in Iraq, we don'thave this book,is there are a library in Syria that they can have this book? Because alot of Iraqis are traveling to Syria and back to Iraq after few days, maybe I will inform someone to buy this book,and if you don't know, just tell me the way to get this book, but not byMailbox, because it is not work here.

And, is there are a 2nd part for C++ ? like more details about drawing desgins and more C++ codes for expert programmer.

Thank you

Leon

Letter of the week---November 27, 2008

My thanks to a reader who sent this email to me yesterday...

Mr. Smiley

I purchased your book about a week and a half ago. I already passed half the book and I can tell you is that this the best introductory book I have ever read..It's worth every penny.

You know, I was getting frustrated with other books and sometimes I got to a point where I thought programming was not for me, but your book is so nicely written and so understandable that I am have progressed more in this short time then ever before.

I just want to thank you and I really really appreciate you took the dedication and time to write this book.

I think, thanks to your book I can eventually have a sucessful career.

Fan Mail---Letter of the week

I just received this very nice email from a student/reader who bought my book last week---nice emails like this inspire me to keep writing in the face of overwhelming obstacles to just quit and watch the Eagles frustrate me with another close loss :)

By the way, here is the Amazon.com link to the book this reader is talking about....

http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Program-C-John-Smiley/dp/0072222611/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227460659&sr=1-7

It's listed as being out-of-print, but I have the rights to sell it, and have republished it under my Smiley Publishing brand. I have a hundred copies right behind me if anyone needs one.

Hi John,

I hope you remember me. I purchased your book about a week and a half ago. I already passed half the book and I can tell you is that this the best introductory book I have ever read..It's worth every penny.

You know, I was getting frustrated with other books and sometimes I got to a point where I thought programming was not for me, but your book is so nicely written and so understandable that I am have progressed more in this short time then ever before.

I just want to thank you and I really really appreciate you took the dedication and time to write this book.

I think, thanks to your book I can eventually have a sucessful career. I am eager to learn more. By the way, do you have a continuation book for C#?....It would be great if you did. Or if you don't, can you recommend me one from another source....

I need to get up to pace because I would eventually like to get Microsoft Certified in .NET in the near future.

As you can tell I joined your C# group in Facebook but I am the only member there.

Fan Mail---February 13, 2004

Just got some fan mail---it's a nice honest appraisal of my book, including the part about being a bit redundant and being a tome :)

Hello John!

I wanted to write a note and tell you that I really enjoyed your books, "Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6" and "Visual Basic Databases".

They were extremely helpful in learning the basic concepts from a total beginner's point of view.

Between those tomes and some help from the on-line forums I was able to not only learn but re-write a small DB program here at work in a total time of about 14 weeks.

I have at least 3 other VB books here in the office, but they weren't as helpful in covering the basics.

Your writing style can seem a tad redundant at times, but that's absolutely perfect for the beginner.

Whatever it is, it works and I hope you continue to write the way you do. I am going to pick up another book of yours here shortly (C++) and I'm confident that with your approach I should have it down in no time.

Sincerely,

Jason

Fan Mail---March 4, 2000

Just received a very nice piece of fan mail about my books in which the author describes the 'novel' approach of my book

I would just like to say that I enjoy your books on Visual Basic. I have two and am going to buy another soon.

These are the first programming books that I have ever read that aren't extremely boring.

The book is more like an interesting novel because of the way you do the dialogue instead of just spitting out pages and pages of boring, hard-to-follow facts.

I bought the first book in the series about beginning Visual Basic so that I could learn Visual Basic and get a summer job doing programming. I am not even done with the first book, but I still bought the book on objects in Visual Basic.

I used to program in Q-Basic back in the ancient days of un-user-friendly DOS and a year ago, I made an attempt at learning Visual C++, but I now know more in Visual Basic than in both Q-Basic andVisual C++.

Thanks!

Danny