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NXT-G Programming Guide, 2nd Edition Release


I got my author copies today of the NXT-G Programming Guide, 2nd Edition... final page count is 309... over 100 pages more than the 1st Edition. The trick with this book was to keep the content relevant for both 1.0 and 2.0 owners but also to provide discussion of the new features in 2.0. Since well over 90% (maybe even 95%) of the 1.0 tools, blocks, and features are still included in 2.0, this wasn't too difficult.

When the 1st edition was released, the CAD software options for NXT pieces was still fairly limited so the building instructions for the test robot (SPOT) were provided as a separate download of photographed building steps. Not anymore... Chris Smith did a great job of providing a CAD set of building instructions that provides steps for both 1.0 and 2.0 kit owners... the only difference is the size of the rubber wheels. These instructions are in the back of the book with the appendices.

Another request I had from many readers (mainly teachers) was extra programming tasks - at the end of almost every chapter, you'll now find an Exercise that provides a written description of a program to be created that involves that chapter's block(s) and previous chapters' blocks. My solutions are provided at the end of each chapter with screenshots of the entire program along with individual screen shots of each block's configuration panel. I'm also assembling all the Exercise .rbt files for download on the Apress website...

I've created a forum area for questions and discussion about the book. I've also fixed errors that made it through into the 1st edition, but that's no guarantee you won't find new ones... if you do find any, please post them over at the book's special forum section as well. You can find that forum area by clicking here or visiting the Book section of the forum.

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