What are your favourite C++ books?

[kroenecker]

Deitel produces thorough books about programming.

Once you have the basics down Effective C++ by Scott Meyers is essential

[eXire]

Hi

Begginers C++:

Bjarne Stroustrup
The C++ Programming Language

Advanced C++:

Herb Sutter
Exceptional C++, More Execptional C++

Andrei Alexandrescu
Modern C++ Design

Andrei Alexandrescu, Herb Sutter
C++ Coding Standards: 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices

Best Regards

[tomek]

Can someone recommend any position on Programming Patterns (preferrably with C++ examples)?
I've just found an e-book "Thinking in Patterns with Java", http://www.pythoncriticalmass.com/do...tterns-0.9.zip .
But it would be nice to get something with C++ code!
regards!

[jacek]

Can someone recommend any position on Programming Patterns (preferrably with C++ examples)?

There can be only one answer

Design Patterns. Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software. Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides

PS. Recently a Polish translation was published by WNT.

[quique]

I am a complete C++ newbie, and I' m reading You Can Do It! : A Beginners Introduction to Computer Programming by Francis Glassborow. I find it quite easy to follow for people without any programming experience (some knowledge of Python might help, though).

After getting the basics, I'll go on with Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo.

Afterwards I plan to read C++ GUI Programming with Qt 3 by Jasmin Blanchette and Mark Summerfield, and finally, as time permits, other advanced C++ books (Alexandrescu, Sutter, Meyers, etc).

[trochej]

Hi

Begginers C++:

Bjarne Stroustrup
The C++ Programming Language

Best Regards

I couldn't get through that book. Maybe it's because of poor Polish translation (it shows, that there was no linguistic editor), but I find it's language too convoluted to be easly understood.

Damian

[fullmetalcoder]

I took a rather strange way to learn programming:
- I started by C, when I 10 years old, I didn't understand anything and produced uggly spaghetti code
- then I learn z80 assembly and produced some pretty efficient code but I was fed up with hardware and..
- I came back to C++
code snippets and O'Reilly books helped me a lot

Java is fast??? What kind of mental derangement do you suffer from?

[dublet]

Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++. It is divided into two volumes, the first dealing with basic concepts, the second dealing with the more iffy stuff. Very clear examples and explenations. As a bonus, this book is downloadable for free.

http://www.bruceeckel.com/

[brcain]

Once beyond simple C++ syntax/semantics, I highly recommend

Nicolai M. Josuttis, "The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference", Addison-Wesley, 1999.

[Michiel]

I'm not looking through the entire thread to see if they've been mentioned already, but:

• Absolute C++, Savich
• Design Patterns, Gang of Four
• Refactoring, Fowler
• C++ For Game Programmers, Llopis

They're not all about C++ specifically, but they're all relevant. I especially recommend Design Patterns.

[AP.Sakkthivel]

I prefer Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++,
Volume 1, 2nd Edition
and Volume 2

It is available in pdf format online

regards

[yop]

Let me post another one that I lately discovered:
Code Reading: The Open Source Perspective

[Chicken Blood Machine]

Once beyond simple C++ syntax/semantics, I highly recommend

Nicolai M. Josuttis, "The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference", Addison-Wesley, 1999.

I totally second that brcain. That's a real power users volume, but lucid enough for anyone who has learnt C++ but wants to master it.

[ePharaoh]

Well, I too think that learning Java is a nicer introduction to C++. The path I would recommend is C -> Java -> C++

So, Java isn't in my future.

I am glad you made it clear that it is a personal opinion. Language choice is really a matter of personal tastes and the nature of task at hand.

I find java incredibly more robust and formal, than C++. That makes it easier to develop compiler tool chains and IDEs for Java. The sheer number of refactoring and quick-fix features provided by Eclipse is a testimony to that.

About speed, Java is gaining ground with the help of native compilation. (See ClasspathShowcase and Fedora Eclipse.) Though it really is unfair to compare two languages based on speed, because there are a number of tradeoffs involved (portability, robustness, etc).

As of now, for desktops, I would use C++ to develop real world applications and Java for trying out new algorithms/concepts etc. (I am working on neural net simulation in Java, for example). But I do hope that Java gains more ground and becomes usable for real-world applications on the desktop.

[Brandybuck]

I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend C++ as a first language. I never would have said this several years ago, but then I discovered "Practical C++ Programming" by Steve Oualline (O'Reilly). It a really great book that focuses on the core practical elements of C++. It's written for the beginner programmer, but doesn't treat him like a child.

I would also recommend avoiding IDEs like Visual Studio or KDevelop. Stick with a text editor and the command line until you learn the language.

[brcain]

I find java incredibly more robust and formal, than C++.

I second that, ePharaoh. I've been developing with C++ for 15+ years now. And have just begun to learn Java. It would have been nice if C++ had included Java interfaces and packages.

About speed, Java is gaining ground with the help of native compilation.

Many people incorrectly assume Java is still interpreted. With just-in-time (JIT) compilitation, it can actually be faster since it can more accurately optimize to the target platform.

[bitChanger]

C++ : Effective Object-Oriented Software Construction
Dattatri

isbn 0130867691

I've been programming in c++ for about 7 years and this is one book that covers the advanced topics of c++. It starts out with polymorphism, where most books end with that topic. This is the book I use when looking up obscure and advanced topics.

[edb]

* For newbies I recommand:

Sams Teach Yourself C++ For Linux In 21 Days With Cdrom
Liberty, Jesse
ISBN : 0672318954
This book is easy to read, and has all essentials in it. For those who do not which to program under Linux, just skip the Linux part. The C++ part is very nice on itself.

* Reference for advanced users with specific C++ problems, ofcourse:
The C++ Programming Language
Stroustrup, Bjarne
ISBN : 0201700735
Don't start with this book as a newbie. It is far to advanced, but to become a good c++ programmer someday you will have to read it

* For Object Oriented programming:
An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
Timothy Budd

* Design patterns :
Design Patterns (Elements Of Reusable Object-Oriented Software)
Gamma, Erich
ISBN : 0201633612

[brcain]

* Reference for advanced users with specific C++ problems, ofcourse:
The C++ Programming Language
Stroustrup, Bjarne

I'd only get this book as a reference ... or as edb stated ... addressing very specific issues.
I rarely, rarely ever need to use this book. And with Internet resources so accessible it's becoming even less needed.

[Aki Tomar]

C++ from dietell & dietell