Complete Turbo Pascal

What Hacker News says

1. randcrawNov 2023
   And Jeff Duntemann's outstanding "Complete Turbo Pascal".
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2. randcrawFeb 2022
   “Complete Turbo Pascal” by Jeff Duntemann and “The Peter Norton Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC” blazed my trail into professional computing. Both are near-ideal models of nonfiction writing and teach a practical skill through the joy of discovery. No CS textbook I've read since can compare, though Allen Downey's “Think” series probably comes closest.
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3. rabararMar 2019
   Complete Turbo Pascal, First Edition
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4. teraflopJul 2016
   Yep, Duntemann is the author of Complete Turbo Pascal from the 80's.

   It's a bit of a door-stopper, but it was one of the first programming books I ever read as a kid, and I have vague memories of it being a great introduction to software design in general.

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5. dragonwriterJul 2016
   > I'm creating a FreePascal edition of my ancient Turbo Pascal book

   Getting my hands on an early edition (first or second, I'm not not quite sure) of Complete Turbo Pascal in my teens is a big party of why I ended up as a programmer.

   I'm glad to see its still alive, and hopefully still inspiring new programmers.

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6. e12eJul 2016
   Another tidbit from the introduction: "It’s tough to stay ahead in this business. Turbo Pascal 5.5 appeared in May of 1989, largely as a response to Microsoft’s totally unexpected (but now long-forgotten) QuickPascal. V5.5 brought with it the new dazzle of object-oriented programming, and while I did write the V5.5 OOP Guide manual that Borland published with the V5.5 product I chose to pass on updating Complete Turbo Pascal for either V5.5 or V6.0."

   Not to mention: "I mention all this history because I want people to understand where FreePascal from Square One came from, emphasizing that it’s been a work in progress for thirty years. Why stop now? I don’t have to cater to publishers, paper costs, print runs, or release schedules anymore. The book can evolve with the compiler, and every so often you can download the latest update. My publishing company Copperwood Press offers a print-on-demand paper edition if you’d like one, but you can print it yourself if you prefer. That’s how technical publishing ought to be, and someday will be."

   Bravo! If this was how copyright worked - that someone could make a (presumably) decent living for a few years, and the give it all away - would not have as much issues with the intellectual property lobby and Micky Mouse extensions.

   Either way, I think it is fantastic to see someone liberating a project of 30 years like this!

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