what's the meaning of “live-code approach”?

Question

At the heart of the book is the Deitel signature “live-code approach.” Concepts are presented in the context of complete working programs, rather than in code snippets

What's the meaning of "live-code approach" in the context?

Answer 1

The answer is already in your question.

Concepts are presented in the context of complete working programs, rather than in code snippets.

It says that the examples presented in the book are complete working programs = live programs, compared to code snippets, which are just chunks of code which doesn't work by itself and therefore is dead.

Live-code approach: complete working program, whole code. Be aware that this is neither a coined phrase, nor a specific coding term. That's why the author had to explain themselves in the second sentence.

Answer 2

From this Deitel page:

Small Java How to Program, 6/e, is loaded with Live-Code examples—each new concept is presented in the context of a complete, working Java application that is immediately followed by one or more sample executions showing the program’s inputs and outputs.... The book contains 72 complete Live-Code examples consisting of 4917 lines of code

I have not read either the Java or the C++ texts, which seem to be aimed toward Computer Science 101 classes. I am inferring that Live-Code gives complete programs that provide more context and utility to the learner.

The opposite of their coined term, live-code, would be a code snippet. Since the snippet lacks context, it may be more difficult to know how to apply the concept being presented.

Answer 3

Live here is used to mean:

2e. being in operation (a live microphone) [M-W]

So the sense of the quoted phrase "live-code approach" is exactly as described by the second sentence in the passage. This is not, to my knowledge, a standard phrase, and the quote marks indicate that the phrase has been invented for this specific purpose.