Book excerpt: Targeted at students and researchers in computational sciences who need to develop computer codes for solving PDEs, the exposition here is focused on numerics and software related to mathematical models in solid and fluid mechanics. The book teaches finite element methods, and basic finite difference methods from a computational point of view, with the main emphasis on developing flexible computer programs, using the numerical library Diffpack. Diffpack is explained in detail for problems including model equations in applied mathematics, heat transfer, elasticity, and viscous fluid flow. All the program examples, as well as Diffpack for use with this book, are available on the Internet. XXXXXXX NEUER TEXT This book is for researchers who need to develop computer code for solving PDEs. Numerical methods and the application of Diffpack are explained in detail. Diffpack is a modern C++ development environment that is widely used by industrial scientists and engineers working in areas such as oil exploration, groundwater modeling, and materials testing. All the program examples, as well as a test version of Diffpack, are available for free over the Internet.