The Art of C++ [Paperback]

Herbert Schildt (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072255129 | ISBN-13: 978-0072255126 | Publication Date: April 12, 2004 | Edition: 1

Learn how to apply C++ to a wide array of sophisticated applications. In his clear prose, C++ expert and the world’s leading programming author Herb Schildt, shares practical, high-powered applications of C++, revealing some of the most interesting features of the language in the process. “Pure code” subsystems that can be adapted to your own programs, financial calculations, and file utilities are discussed. A C++ interpreter, an AI-based search engine, plus a Web-based example for those programmers who interface C++ with the Internet are also included. With downloadable code offered, this resource has something for every C++ developer.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Take your C++ skills to the next level with help from programming guru Herb Schildt. In this unique volume, Herb unlocks the secrets that professional programmers use to create world-class software. In the process, he explores the power, elegance, and artistry of C++. Inside, Herb applies C++ to a wide variety of high-powered, practical applications, each focusing on a different aspect of the language. Examples range from a garbage collector subsystem and a thread control panel to AI-based searches and a custom STL container. Herb even develops a Mini C++ interpreter! You can use each application as-is or as a starting point for your own development. This is some of the most exciting C++ code found anywhere! Inside, you’ll:

• Explore the power of C++
• Create a garbage collector subsystem for memory management
• Develop a thread control panel
• Build a translator to extend the capabilities of C++
• Develop a restartable Internet file downloader
• Create a financial analysis library
• Explore artificial intelligence with AI-based search techniques
• Build a custom STL container
• Develop a Mini C++ interpreter

Herb Schildt is the world’s number-one programming author. He is an authority on the C, C++, Java, and C# programming languages, and was a member of the ANSI/ISO committee that standardized C++. His programming books have sold more than three million copies worldwide and have been translated into all major foreign languages.

About the Author

Herb Schildt (Mahomet, IL) is a leading authority on C and C++ and a best-selling author whose books have sold more than 2 million copies. His acclaimed C and C++ books include Teach Yourself C, C++ from the Ground Up, C++: The Complete Reference, Java Programmer's Reference, STL Programming from the Ground Up, Windows 98 Programming from the Ground Up, and co-author of C/C++ Annotated Archives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (April 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072255129
• ISBN-13: 978-0072255126
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,263,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Second Book, July 30, 2005

By 

SE "sweetangelpk2" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of C++ (Paperback)

This is yet another "Examples in C++" style book.

I like the author's style of explaining complex topics. The writing is very fluid and the concepts are explained sufficiently. However, this book is no different than long listing of well-document code!

I would recommend this book as a second book after an introductory text in C++. If you are capable of reading C++, this book will give you some insights in developing real-world solutions.

If you are a professional programmer who is fairly proficient in C++, you might not need this book. The examples in the book are fairly useful (see table of content), but similar code is available on the web for free. For example, if you want to study programming language issues (garbage collection, compilation), you can easily download an opensource project off the web and study it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Of very limited value, March 23, 2010

By 

Jay P - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of C++ (Paperback)

I was disappointed with this book.

I had expected that it would be filled with examples of advanced C++ code, together with advice on how to use (and not use) specific language features. Instead, it is a collection of programs that often have little relation to the C++ language.

For instance, the financial calculation programs use hardly any C++ specific features; I'm looking at one right now that doesn't even use classes. They might as well have been written in C or some other non-object-oriented language. Also, the interpreter, the subject of the final section, interprets a subset of C++ that is so small that its features are a part of C, and again, the program itself (i.e. the interpreter) doesn't even use very many C++ specific features in its implementation. One learns nothing about C++ from these.

In addition, most of the code isn't very advanced. And even the programs that make use of C++ specific features don't shed much light on how one goes about using those features.

There are some sections on Windows-specific programming that might be of value to some programmers. In addition, the descriptions of some of the problems to be solved, such as garbage collection and multithreading, might be useful to someone who's just learning about them. (They are not, of course, treated in much depth; not being the subject of the book.)

On the plus side, the book is written in an easy-to-read style. And the text does help in understanding the programs.

The book is a collection of programs that happen to be written in C++ (or in many cases, nearly C). From these, many people could learn some un-connected facts about programming, but I don't think it does much of a job teaching the "art" of programming, in C++ or in general.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read For C++ Programmers., September 19, 2004

By 

Hugh Tay (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of C++ (Paperback)

Master programmer Herbert Schildt has done it again! He is back with a book on industrial-strength C++ techniques which are applied skillfully in the sample applications. The C/C++ Interpreter alone is worth the buy! However, please take note that some experience in Windows(R) programming is required as some examples, like the Internet File Downloader, uses the Windows API. Overall, this book is great for intermediate/advanced C++ programmers looking for new ideas.