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Nand to Tetris: how a computer is built from the ground up. Starting from nand logic gates all the way to OO programming https://www.coursera.org/learn/build-a

by joshlk 6y ago

Nand to Tetris: how a computer is built from the ground up. Starting from nand logic gates all the way to OO programming https://www.coursera.org/learn/build-a-computer https://www.coursera.org/learn/build-a-computer

Tomte 6y ago
The course is good, the book is better, in my opinion. Although it covers the same, but I like its presentation much better than the video course. Nisam/Schocken: "The Elements of Computing Systems" I have only finished the hardware part, so far, but skimming the rest I can't find Tetris anywhere. Is that really missing, although it's in the title? (I know that you can program Tetris on the machine you build in the course, but is it an exercise somewhere?
- captn3m0 6y ago
  One section asks you to learn Jack (The high-level programming language) by writing a medium-complexity program. The goal of the exercise is not to get proficient in Jack (which is a Java-like-language), but to just learn it well enough to implement the compiler. I wrote a Tic-Tac-Toe variant - but you could write anything, including Tetris.
- troupe 6y ago
  On Coursera, if I remember right, the first course gets you to the point where you have a CPU that can run machine language and an assembler. They give you an assembly version of Tetris that will run on what you built. In the second course you build the programming language that could be used to write Tetris, though I don't think you actually go through it as an exercise.
- sn9 6y ago
  The second edition of the book is actually slated for release in July. You can preorder it on Amazon.
SilasX 6y ago
Seconding this. It's the most fun I've ever had on a technical project (with the possible exception of tptacek's microcorruption.com), and really opened my eyes to all the problems you have to solve to get a working computer. Note: you can also complete all the course materials just by going to nand2tetris.org. My presentation slides promoting nand2tetris to the Austin python group: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fGf2eZVOM2lHL8hFVyd2QOH-7wf0QpvVJy79gGwCScc/edit https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fGf2eZVOM2lHL8hFVyd2...
rskirkpatrick 6y ago
I am going to take this next! I am excited to see what it has to offer.
Tainnor 6y ago
Have never done the course, but I did work through the entire book some years ago and it was an intensely rewarding experience.

by joshlk 6y ago

Tomte 6y ago

The course is good, the book is better, in my opinion. Although it covers the same, but I like its presentation much better than the video course. Nisam/Schocken: "The Elements of Computing Systems" I have only finished the hardware part, so far, but skimming the rest I can't find Tetris anywhere. Is that really missing, although it's in the title? (I know that you can program Tetris on the machine you build in the course, but is it an exercise somewhere?

captn3m0 6y ago
One section asks you to learn Jack (The high-level programming language) by writing a medium-complexity program. The goal of the exercise is not to get proficient in Jack (which is a Java-like-language), but to just learn it well enough to implement the compiler. I wrote a Tic-Tac-Toe variant - but you could write anything, including Tetris.
troupe 6y ago
On Coursera, if I remember right, the first course gets you to the point where you have a CPU that can run machine language and an assembler. They give you an assembly version of Tetris that will run on what you built. In the second course you build the programming language that could be used to write Tetris, though I don't think you actually go through it as an exercise.
sn9 6y ago
The second edition of the book is actually slated for release in July. You can preorder it on Amazon.

SilasX 6y ago

Seconding this. It's the most fun I've ever had on a technical project (with the possible exception of tptacek's microcorruption.com), and really opened my eyes to all the problems you have to solve to get a working computer. Note: you can also complete all the course materials just by going to nand2tetris.org. My presentation slides promoting nand2tetris to the Austin python group: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fGf2eZVOM2lHL8hFVyd2QOH-7wf0QpvVJy79gGwCScc/edit https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fGf2eZVOM2lHL8hFVyd2...

rskirkpatrick 6y ago

I am going to take this next! I am excited to see what it has to offer.

Tainnor 6y ago

Have never done the course, but I did work through the entire book some years ago and it was an intensely rewarding experience.