Re: who read what c++ books and best learning practices?
* Axter:
puzzlecracker wrote:
It'd be interesting to compare the learning practices of c++
practitioners. I'll start with mine
The C++ Programming Language
C++ Primer
Effective C++
More Effective C++
Effective STL
The C++ Standard Library : A Tutorial and Reference (most of it)
Exceptional C++
More Exceptional C++
C++ strategies and tactics
Designed Patterns
Professional C++ (started reading, but didn't like it after first
chapter - thus stopped)
This summer goal:
Large Scale design in C++
C++ Templates
Thinking in C++ both volumes
Suggestions, other peoples experiences, comments?
That's a good list. My top 10 list includes some of the above books.
Here are the top 10 programming books that I recommend to all C++
programmers:
Effective C++ by Scott Meyers
More Effective C++ by Scott Meyers
Exceptional C++ by Herb Sutter
More Exceptional C++ by Herb Sutter
Effective STL by Scott Meyers
C++ Coding Standards : 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices {Herb
Sutter, Andrei Alexandrescu}
Programming languages - C++ STANDARD ISO/IEC 14882:1998(E)
C++ Programming Language Special Edition, The by Bjarne Stroustrup
Efficient C++ by Dov Bulka & David Mayhew
Modern C++ Design by Andrei Alexandrescu
I have a number of editions of Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming
Language, and I have Andrei Alexandrescu's Modern C++ Design. Those are
books I have gone back to numerous times and actually learned from.
Although for TCPPPL not in the last five or perhaps eight years, much
like I once had the complete Pascal syntax memorized.
I've also benefited from Lakos (Large Scale Design), but one should keep
in mind that that book is very dated.
From what I've seen of the table of contents, I think most programmers
will benefit from Andrei Alexandrescu and Herb Sutter's "C++ Coding
Standards": it's at a level far above and much more useful than the
placement of curly braces, and although I do not entirely agree with all
they apparently say, the table of contents indicated a Superb Book.
The rest, well.
I have the electronic version of "Thinking in C++" because I have had to
refer to its various bugs and misinformation in discussions. That said,
it's one of the best freely available introductions for complete
newbies. But it's very C-oriented.
"Effective C++": I've skimmed it, and had occasion to help people
correct the impressions they've gained from reading the book(s).
Generally good guidelines for newbies, but one must keep in mind that
they're guidelines and rules of thumbs, not absolute truths. Also, make
sure you have the latest edition, because many things have been
corrected (I know that because when I mailed Scott about something
someone quoted from the book, he replied it had been corrected in 2001).
"The C++ Standard Library" is probably a must for those who really want
to conquer the standard library. Me, I think if you can do something
with a simple and very clear for loop that's three lines, taking perhaps
15 seconds to write, it's plain silly to use 3600 seconds browbeating
the standard library into doing the same in one indecipherable line
supported by a potentially reusable adapter-thing. But hey, since it's
potentially reusable the support code doesn't count, does it? Anyway,
as I recall (from a newsgroup discussion example) this book contains at
least one example that's completely Unix-oriented and not noted as such.
I suspect the book is similarly upbeat about other features of the
standard library, neglecting to mention the less than glorious aspects.
And so on.
But there's one /very important/ book missing in this list.
Namely "Scientific and Engineering C++: An Introduction with Advanced
Techniques and Examples" by Barton and Nackman. It's old, but not
dated. Remind me to buy it!
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