** UnhandledExceptionEventHandler :: OFFICIAL LC / CHATTER THREAD ** - Page 504 - Computer Technical Help

Yeah I have a degree in physics, and other than a couple community college classes I'm self-taught at programming. So I definitely missed all the CS theory. I don't think it slows me down at my job – but I would like to know all that stuff.

A couple of those new free online classes would get you 90% of the way there.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 04:34 PM

#12578

txpstwx

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,239

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxtower

A couple of those new free online classes would get you 90% of the way there.

Any recommendations?

Quote

02-27-2014 , 05:03 PM

#12579

maxtower

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 7,996

I have mostly only taken the more practical courses at coursera, but they have a whole section on theory.

https://www.coursera.org/courses?ord...cats=cs-theory

There's new offerings every semester it seems. Try an algorithms class.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 05:11 PM

#12580

daveT

S.A.G.E. Master

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,955

I've heard great things about the Sedwich courses. The MIT OCW class will get you 110% there.

Both of the books are pretty good, but I prefer CLRS much more.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 05:22 PM

#12581

e i pi

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 2,230

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzzer99

I've heard good things about this book

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-...dp/1449329276/

Quote

02-27-2014 , 05:34 PM

#12582

e i pi

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 2,230

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxtower

I liked coursera more when you could access all of a classes videos after the course was over. Now when they reboot a class they close off access to the last one even if you were enrolled. I'm guessing it might be because theyre trying to monetize and have paid for certificates now & want to make it less easy to cheat.

The 'view course record' button is still present on some pages but they set it to disabled. I actually used dev tools to remove the disabled attr and it worked on https://www.coursera.org/course/algs4partII But the trick won't work on the first sedgewick algo course which sucks because I wanted to review red black trees but now have to wait a month.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 05:48 PM

#12583

maxtower

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 7,996

Quote:

Originally Posted by e i pi

I am a coursera novice, but I think I can access the videos for classes I already signed up for when they were offered. I think the dominant strategy here is to just sign up for anything you might want to take.

The certificates seem worthless, but I guess people are in to them.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 06:06 PM

#12584

Benholio

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,292

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJo336

Code:

for( int i = 0; i < decisionList.size(); i++) {
	makeDecision(decisionList.get(i), theres, 9, params,
                            in, this, function, which, sucks);
}
..

private void makeDecision(Object obj , theres, 9, 
                              params, in, this, function, 
                              which, sucks) {
	if obj == blah {
		delete();
	} else {
		update();
	}
}

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjshabado

I'm still not sure if I understand your problem correctly, but as I understand it I think I would do something like:

Code:

private void deleteOrUpdateList(decisionList, ...) {
  toDeleteList = new List()
  toUpdateList = new List()

  for( int i = 0; i < decisionList.size(); i++) {
    obj = decisionList.get(i)
    if (shouldBeDeleted(obj,...)) {
      toDeleteList.append(obj)
    } else {
      toUpdateList.append(obj)
    }
  }
  //Go through and call your delete/update methods
}

private bool shouldBeDeleted(Object obj, ...) {
   return <delete check>;
}

I like jjshabado's suggestion and the advice that follows it, especially regarding naming. The only comment I have is that if you were to use the above solution, also consider refactoring the existing method so that it uses shouldBeDeleted() instead of duplicating the delete check logic.

Code:

private void makeDecision(Object obj , theres, 9, 
                              params, in, this, function, 
                              which, sucks) {
	if shouldBeDeleted(obj, ...) {
		delete();
	} else {
		update();
	}
}

That way, if the delete check logic ever changes you don't have to worry about it being updated in one place and not the other.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 06:28 PM

#12585

e i pi

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 2,230

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxtower

Can anyone get into the archives for this?

https://www.coursera.org/course/algs4partI

I got into the archives for part II and guessed the url for the 1st course to be https://class.coursera.org/algs4partI-002 which seems right but theres an error and no content. This will redirect you to the main page if you're not signed in but takes me to the course page but without the content.

I was signed up for this btw, so that isn't the issue.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 07:14 PM

#12586

TheMetetrown

veteran

Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,287

The MOOCs are good for the basics, but (and I haven't looked much) I haven't seen any good architecture/OS classes.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 08:01 PM

#12587

Shoe Lace

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 3,654

When I took cs50 I talked to a TA for a bit.

He recommended this book for learning the low level gory details:
http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Syste.../dp/B008VIXMWQ

I would imagine something like this book (or similar) would be a pre-req for any OS class. The author taught computer architecture courses for many years and I vaguely remember the TA saying this was one of the best computer books he's ever read.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 08:10 PM

#12588

candybar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 4,227

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjshabado

If I understand correctly, his makeDecision implementation needs to change because he wants all the updates/deletes done at the end instead of immediately after each decision is made.

I thought he may have other call sites where he doesn't want this change applied. You may be correct that he needs this change everywhere but definitely not clear from what he's said so far.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 08:12 PM

#12589

_dave_

_Pooh_Bah_

Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,146

I've still yet to read it, this was highly recommended somwhere before: Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Code-Languag.../dp/0735611319

Quote

02-27-2014 , 08:17 PM

#12590

candybar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 4,227

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Yeah, makes sense, you may even be the type to be able to use that knowledge too. My impression is that 90+% of the CS grads are completely unable to connect the theory they learned in school beyond intro-level to the real-world work they do, even in situations where such knowledge is helpful, leaving them no better off than people who completely skipped it.

In the middle of my first (company-sponsored) hackathon, very interesting.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 09:28 PM

#12591

clowntable

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 45,557

Quote:

Originally Posted by _dave_

It's a decent read but slightly overrated imo

Since someone mentioned OS...I can recommend reading and working through "The Elements of Computing Systems" which basically walks you from lowest level (you have a nand...design other logic gates etc.) all the way up to building an OS and eventually an application on top of it (Tetris). I haven't completely worked through it all but I've read the entire book.
Work through it+modify etc. is medium high on my "todo if time" list.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 09:31 PM

#12592

alex23

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,962

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shoe Lace

That's a great book. I took the follow-up course to cs50 (paid for it via their online extension program), and that was the textbook. I found it quite difficult since I was new to C and fairly new to pointers, memory addresses, heap/stack, etc, but in the end am very happy I learned the material.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 10:50 PM

#12593

daveT

S.A.G.E. Master

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,955

For the more budget-minded, I'd suggest this book. Covers x86, the history, the why, and the how. Very thorough treatment of assembly, registers, and memory: http://www.amazon.com/Assembly-Langu...ileys+assembly

Quote

02-27-2014 , 10:52 PM

#12594

jaytorr

centurion

Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 127

Quote:

Originally Posted by e i pi

I think most courses leave the archive online after they are over, but it depends on the university / instructor. AFAIK all the Princeton classes take the archives offline after the course is over. This is a pretty bad practice IMO.

The Sedgewick algorithms classes are very good, they go into a lot of implementation details that are useful. Most of his book and code is available online: http://algs4.cs.princeton.edu/code/

Another really good option is Roughgarden's Algorithms. That one focuses more on algorithmic thinking, not so much on implementation.
https://www.coursera.org/course/algo

Both run regularly (about 2x /year).

Quote

02-27-2014 , 11:19 PM

#12595

gaming_mouse

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 13,786

have you taken the MIT algorithm course? i'm curious how it compares to the stanford and princeton ones? i don't know if it runs like the others but all the materials are online so you can take it at any time.

Quote

02-27-2014 , 11:46 PM

#12596

tercet

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 8,001

Life Dilemma..

I am a Jr Web Dev(C#,HTML,CSS,JS) w/ 18 months on the job(36k), I started out pretty fresh but I have improved a lot over the 18 months. I want to possibly try something more challenging in the same field, but it doesn't look as if any opportunities for a promotion/raise will arise in my company anytime soon.

So I'm thinking of two plans to get a new job..
A)Grind out current job, work on a new portfolo, poker p/t on the side while looking for new job
B)Leave my current job, work on a new portfolio, and play poker 40hrs/week ~(grind out 5-8k a month) until I find a new job

Would a few months off look bad on a resume if I were to do plan B?

Quote

02-27-2014 , 11:58 PM

#12597

candybar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 4,227

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaytorr

Another really good option is Roughgarden's Algorithms. That one focuses more on algorithmic thinking, not so much on implementation.
https://www.coursera.org/course/algo

I went through some of this as a refresher, highly recommended

Quote

02-28-2014 , 12:21 AM

#12598

gaming_mouse

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 13,786

tercet, option A.

Quote

02-28-2014 , 01:03 AM

#12599

daveT

S.A.G.E. Master

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,955

Honestly, I didn't like what I saw of the MIT Intro to Algorithms lectures. They go through 3 chapters of the book each day, and run through a million proofs a minute. By day two, you are watching the derivation of the Master Theorem. The course compliments the book, but if you are seeking something self-contained, you may want to look elsewhere and I would probably suggest looking into Sedgewick.

As for the books, I think that CLRS > Sedgewick. Admittedly, I only read the first 150 pages of Sedgewick, but I was turned off because the first 100 pages or so focused primarily on teaching you Java. The book is pretty non-interactive whereas CLRS a dense textbook; it doesn't waste any time diving into what you are about to face, which is analyzing and creating algorithms. CLRS also holds the advantage because the authors eschew using real code in favor of using pseudo-code. This not only makes the book feel relevant and accessible no matter what language you use, it also forces you to figure out how to do the algorithms yourself, which is much better for reinforcement and stickiness. I also find the writing more lucid and the topics spanning many interesting places, and of course, landing in NP-Complete.