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Neo
2008-03-10
2013-04-09
  • Neo

    Neo - 2008-03-10

    (tutorials : "Java in Eclipse for total beginner", "Java in Eclipse : introducing persistence", "Eclipse workbench", "Eclipse Java Debugger")

    Dear Mark Dexter,

    Thank you for these 4 tutorials (to date). I wish to congratulate you for this magnificent work.

    One word on my background, may be useful in order to assess my statements :
    My programming experience includes 15 years as a programmer : Fortran,Pascal/Delphi,Prolog
    english lang. understanding/reading skill : above average (in France)

    this is my feed-back :

    * audio
        ** I did appreciate your voice : relaxing and focusing tone, clear pronounciation, perfect speed
        ** oral explanations : repetition is important and you know it, thoroughness is equally taken care of

    * subtitles or closed captions :
        ** it seems to me they are only present in camstudio-made videos, not in camstasia's flavor
        ** very useful for non-english speaking people
        ** save most of rewinding
        ** writings redondance with oral is not dispensable but in-line with cognitive research

    * programming :
        ** choice of Test-Driven Development : good habits have to be taken early
        ** code
        - good examples
        - deliberate errors/problem solving : "what you solve you remember"
        - the problem with the XML file's history as already pointed in another thread
        - enhancement at the end of some series is motivating (see suggestions)

        ** environment learning :
            - menus/short-cuts : ok,
            - tips and tricks  all-important ones are provided
        - as a side effect of other skills learning is great

    * duration : perfect
         ** information is dense but well "packaged" or "wrapped"
         ** long enough to feel not cheated
         ** short enough not to tire too much non-english speakers attention

    Some suggestions :

        * some code coud be modified :
        in "Introducing persistence", something struck me : newline character sequence given "\    n" is Unix standard and not functioning on Windows (should be "\r\n"). Browsing the j    ava API on SUN website, I finally found system.getproperty("line.separator"). This     returns the line separator on any system. Using it will make this portion of code cross-    platorm.

        * Going further and making it a sibbling serie : exercices with solutions ?

            * what about some of other author's tutorial refactoring/expanding : adding sound, video, side-by-side discovering ? : sadly, some experts and even some Eclipse's project leaders don't have your habilities when it comes to tutorials, voice, video, teaching.

        * musical intro :
            - "In the mood" fits to the tutorials tone
            -  frankly, banjo and fiddle reminds me of our hurdy gurdy and I'm not a big fan of it (please note some people are allergic to bag-pipes or harmonica's sound too ;) )

            * I didn't see any FAq for eclipse.newcomer newsgroup : these 4 tutorials could be recommended for the first steps in Eclipse/Java world

            * visibility :
    I don't remember how I found these tutorials, I only remember they were not in a "beginner's package", on Eclipse. Only one tutorial is  quoted on Eclipse>Ressources>Getting Started. Other's feed-back is needed for visibility improving.
    First we could vote for your tutorials on live.eclipse.org so that newcomers will find them more easily.

     
    • Mark Dexter

      Mark Dexter - 2008-03-10

      Hi. Thank you very much for the great feedback and kind words. I do have plans to continue with some more tutorials, and I appreciate your suggestions. As far as the visibility, I agree that it would be nice to have them all on the Getting Started link. I'll check into that.

      Thanks again. Mark

       

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