Notebooks Are...
Example-driven guides
As you''''ll see in Organization section, developer''''s notebooks arebuilt entirely around example code. You''''ll see code on nearly every
page, and it''''s code that does somethingnot trivial "Hello World!"
programs that aren''''t worth more than the paper they''''re printed on.
Aimed at developers
Ever read a book that seems to be aimed at pointy-haired bosses,filled with buzzwords, and feels more like a marketing manifesto
than a programming text? We have tooand these books are the
antithesis of that. In fact, a good notebook is incomprehensible to
someone who can''''t program (don''''t say we didn''''t warn you!), and
that''''s just the way it''''s supposed to be. But for developers...it''''s as
good as it gets.
Actually enjoyable to work through
Do you really have time to sit around reading something that isn''''tany fun? If you do, then maybe you''''re into thousand-page language
referencesbut if you''''re like the rest of us, notebooks are a much
better fit. Practical code samples, terse dialogue centered around
practical examples, and even some humor here and therethese are
the ingredients of a good developer''''s notebook.
About doing, not talking about doing
If you want to read a book late at night without a computer nearby,these books might not be that useful. The intent is that you''''re coding
as you go along, knee deep in bytecode. For that reason, notebooks
talk code, code, code. Fire up your editor before digging in.