Is C++: The Complete Reference, 4th Edition by Herbert Schildt the best reference book for C++. It received a really good rating at amazon.com.
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Is C++: The Complete Reference, 4th Edition by Herbert Schildt the best reference book for C++. It received a really good rating at amazon.com.
The best reference book would probably be The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup.
Isn't that a really advanced book, though?Quote:
Originally posted by XSquared
The best reference book would probably be The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup.
Herbert Schildt? Huh http://www.accu.org/cgi-bin/accu/rvo...file=cp000413a
The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup is pretty good.
I agree. Anything but those lame 21 days books.Quote:
Originally posted by XSquared
The best reference book would probably be The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup.
I didn't see a review of the 4th edition in the link you provided, but that link made Herbert Schildt look pretty unknowledgeable about C++.Quote:
Originally posted by Wledge
Herbert Schildt? Huh http://www.accu.org/cgi-bin/accu/rvo...file=cp000413a
The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup is pretty good.
"Isn't that a really advanced book, though?"
Yes, it is. I've paged through it, and I would never buy it. I have Ivor Horton's Beginning C++, and not only is it a great book to learn C++, I think it's a fantastic reference book after you've gone through it. It's my first source for any questions I have.
Stroustrup's book is really good. It isn't necessarily advanced, but it goes over "less advanced" concepts very quickly - a bit dense, you might say.
I use the web for reference... :) , I would get a book.. but then there's that issue of "money". lol.
When it comes to beginner books, I'd recommend C++ Primer (by Lippman), followed by The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference (by Josuttis).
From the review of that Herbert Schildt book:
Quote:
I promised myself that I would never review another book by this author but when it crossed my desk I decided to open it at random to find the first error on the left-hand page just to confirm that he had learnt nothing. This proved harder than I expected. Yes, he has learnt something, not enough to receive positive acclaim but enough to remove the 'positively detrimental' epithet. The surface technical errors have largely gone but I must confess that I lack the time and enthusiasm to do an in depth code review.
There are a lot of books out. It depends on how self motivated you are, to know which one is best. Most people don't like the "21 days books" but I learned a lot from Sam's Teach Yourself C++ in 21days. The rest I learned from reading the help files that come with my complier and searching the internet. Get a book that will not only teach you the language but also teach you good programming practices. For the most part you won't go wrong with most books as long as they are up to date.
I was only talking about a reference book - not an in-depth tutorial for learning C++.
Nuke has the right idea. The internet is probably a better reference than any book on C++.
"I was only talking about a reference book - not an in-depth tutorial for learning C++."
What's the use of having a reference book if you can't understand what it says? i.e Bjarne's book
that the one i use, its great. short and sweet, but it tells you everything you need to know. it doesnt go on for paragraph after paragraph what it does or whatever..like some books do, and i hate that. its a great book. i have the 2nd edition. i mostly use it for reference thoughQuote:
Originally posted by volk
Is C++: The Complete Reference, 4th Edition by Herbert Schildt the best reference book for C++. It received a really good rating at amazon.com.
I have the Stroustrup book, and I too find it difficult to understand... It seems to be written for Computer Science graduates! Also, it is NOT complete... that is, it does not have every standard ANSI library function.
The most complete source for all of the ANSI functions that I have found is at dinkumware.com. You can use the online reference, or order a CD for about $25. The reference IS complete, but there are very few examples (maybe none).
I also have the Josuttis book. It should be called The C++ Standard TEMPLATE Library: A Tutorial and Reference, because it ONLY only the STL. It does seem to be a complete STL reference. It is much more readable than the Stroustrup book. It is a good reference book, but not the only reference book to have.
Can someone post an excerpt from the Stroustrup book to show how hard it is to understand?
Here is an excerpt at Amazon.
Check out Stroustrup's web page:
www.research.att.com/~bs/homepage.html
"My name is Bjarne, and my game is C++. C++ principle no. 1: żŇŘŢ˙ ćÇĹuőď# ÔëçśÜß . On the other hand, ÍŽŚ¤˘Ă ŮÍŽŚ¤˘Ă or the result can simply be Ńź˝ŮÍŽ when x + 3 > 0 is a long pointer to foo."