Thread: C++ Book Recommendations

C++: The Complete Reference, 4th edition by Herbert Schildt. It really is a one-stop reference. I use it all the time as a reference book. It's a great tutorial for beginners too and teaches more STL than any other book I know.

Maybe earlier editions had errors but I never came across one in this book. Can you name any and what page? There is probably an erretta that he keeps on his site. Did you look at it instead of complaining? And how can he have bad practices if each example is usually 10 lines long? What are you struggling with? It's there to teach the complete C++ language, not about software design. Software design and best practices deserve to be in its own seperate book, and believe me there are many. But to teach them while teaching a language seems like a horrible book in my opinion. It teaches the reader the basics of software design (OOP, class structure, etc.) but to go beyond that is just not the purpose of the book. I have several books on software design, but when it comes to C++ syntax and its libraries, this reference book has been always been a blessing. I highly recommend it.

I'm new and a bit stuck.

I'm in search of an introductory text on C++ Programming that approaches its task from a theoretical or philosophical perspective. It's the way I learn. Imagery and diagrams are also quite helpful to me. If I get the conceptual framework of something, the details tend to fall into place much easier.

I may be suffering from death by research. I've read every post in this thread twice. I've thoroughly studied the recommendations on the ACCU Website. Additionally, I've poured over the 4-star and up texts on C++ Programming at Amazon.com, as well as reading the user comments.

I need focus (I need a book) and would appreciate any and all suggestions. I noted that "Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example" by Koenig and Moo got 5 recommendations here on this thread, "Highly Recommended" over on ACCU and 80 votes on Amazon averaging 4.5 stars (for whatever that's worth). Can anyone comment on its vantage point with respect to the stuff I wrote up above in the first paragraph? Simply put, would it be a good choice?

I just finished "Absolute Beginner's Guide to C" by Greg Perry in an effort to learn some vocabulary and syntax from a bit lower level before delving into C++. Of the thousand plus texts on C++ programming, I have no doubt that the right book for me is out there.

Thoughts?

It may not be exactly what you want, but Bjarne Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language" is quite readable [vs for example K&R's "The C programming language", which I find a bit "tougher" to digest], goes well into the philosophy of the language, giving practical advice and of course describing the language in detail. It may not be the BEST teaching material, but if you are serious about learning C++ and using the language, you probably want to have this book in your library anyways at some point in time, so why not now?

--
Mats

Originally Posted by DougDbug

Programming Windows, by Charles Petzold - This is the book for learning Windows Programming. You need to know standard C or C++ before starting this book.

Look at some of the books already mentioned.

Although I'm not a C++ guy and I don't have any of these, I thought I'd drop my (hopefully) better-late-than-never post:

Originally Posted by Dave Sinkula

With regard to C++ books, I'll just echo the advice here.

The following books are recommended; read them in mostly the order listed.

• "Accelerated C++" Andrew Koenig & Barbara Moo
• "The C++ Standard Library" Nicolai Josuttis --- a "must have"
• "Effective C++", "More Effective C++", "Effective STL" Scott Meyers
• "Exceptional C++", "More Exceptional C++" Herb Sutter
• "The C++ Programming Language" 3rd edition or later Bjarne Stroustrup
• "Modern C++ Design" Andrei Alexandrescu
• "C++ Templates" Vandevoorde & Josuttis
• "Standard C++ IOStreams and Locales" Langer & Kreft

Proper credit: vawjr, who now has this posted.

The following is also recommended.
C++ Coding Standards : 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices, Herb Sutter, Andrei Alexandrescu

Originally Posted by Daved

Consider adding C++ Coding Standards to that list. It is by Sutter and Alexandrescu, and has an excellent compilation and mini-discussion of many of the topics discussed in greater detail in the other books. It is not a coding standards book, but rather a guide to best practices in C++ code and would fit perfectly as an introduction or summary of many of the other books on that list (after Accelerated C++).

Book reviews can also be found at www.accu.org: Beginner's C++.

No apologies for duplication with other recommendations in this thread -- consider it a double recommendation for the book!

C++ Annotations

This is a book for people who already know C to pick up C++ (thus it is free of the cruft you get in "comprehensive" C++ texts). And it's available on the Intertron.

Teach yourself C++ in 24 hours. Good book but a poor CD. It uses Borland Builder X which
is a little dated. I still own this book now and use it for cross checking a reference

that`s the book wich i take it as a text book in my university but with 4th edition

I had the fourth edition before I bought the fifth. The new one is a lot more spaced out, and they have shortened the chapters down. i know it is pricey ( 30.00 ) but much more of the code has been updated, eg: early classes and tree-lists are also added. I reccomend getting the fifth edition now, and it does away with that dreadful elevator simulation too.

the books of HERBERT SCHILDT:

C++: The Complete Reference
C++: A Beginners Guide (For No0bs)