Re: tlug: Books on C++, graph of functions

[Adrian Havill <havill@example.com>]

On Fri, 4 Feb 2000, Darren Cook wrote:
> >(1) I have to learn C++. Which books or online tutorials woudl you recommend?
> 
> Bjarne Stroustrup, The C++ Programming Language, 3rd Edition.
> 
> He isn't padding the book with listings that repeat the same functions, so
> it is like 3000 pages worth of "Master C++ during breakfast"-style books.
> And he understands what he is writing about.

Definitely a must-have. And I should hope he understands what he is
writing about. If he doesn't, C++ is in big trouble. :)

However, you may want to add to this list another practical,
get-up-and-running book with this. The problem with the above book is
while it's authorative and the bible for C++, it's too close to the
"Standard ANSI C++"-- so a lot of the examples are going to frustrate you
as very few compilers (including gcc) have the complete STL and complete
feature set that the book refers to. gcc 2.9x is getting pretty close,
though.

But to master C++, you need the book. Beware: C++ (Standard ANSI) is a
_big_ language/environment (as in Java/Smalltalk/Ada), especially compared
to Standard C, and complicated due to the backward support for Standard
C.

And if you know C already, it's hard to break out of the "C
habits" because they're right there in front of your eyes. So if you know
how to do something in C but not C++, it's real tempting to
write parts in less elegant C than to do it right.

One of the good things about Stroustrup's book is that he doesn't use C
examples when it can be expressed better in C++. Too many C++
"tutorial" books use examples which have too much "C" in them-- code that
is C compatible but can be expressed more with C++ only
constructs (i.e. mixing stdio.h or string.h use with the
superior STL classes)... leading to confusion as to "the right way" to do
C++. So if you buy another book about C++, beware. Especially avoid the
"C++ for C programmers" type books, IMO.

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