Customer Reviews

Core C++: A Software Engineering Approach

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am the author of this book, and I would like to answer the review below. The reviewer "doer" complains that the book promises "Engineering Approach" but does not describe "compiler domain and code optimization." But the book never promised "compiler domain and code optimization." It promised what EVERY programmer and technical manager needs - software engineering. It teaches how to use C++ to build maintainable programs, avoiding unnecessary complexity. Few other C++ books aim at this.

The reviewer charges that the book could be "half the size it is." Yes, it could. But then, Core C++ would be like hundreds of other books that quickly enumerate C++ features but do not teach coding skills. Many years of teaching and training experience taught me how to teach. I use SIMPLE language and numerous examples to explain COMPLEX things. And if it takes 1200 pages to explain things well, let it be 1200 pages and not 600.

The reviewer complains that he did not find "finer points of the language and exquisite uses of it (e.g. idioms)" in the book. He read the book too quickly - finer points and idioms are there. In addition, the book explains techniques that are not covered in other books, such as pushing tasks from client classes to server classes, moving tasks among classes to minimize coordination, and other UNIQUE methods. They are EYE OPENERS for most programmers and managers.

The reviewer concedes that it is "a good book" and that "it covers a lot of ground," but it gives it only two stars. This misleads those for whom the book is written - those who have patience and interest to learn this complex language and to master software engineering methods of using it.

I've been coding in C for about 10 years professionally and C++ for about 4 years. C++ is far more complex than C and it is clear that it is also far more difficult to write sensible, readable, maintainable code in C++ than in C. The value in this book is in it's mantra of good design principles that it uniformly teaches from the very first chapter onward. And please understand that you MUST use some design principles to produce effective, professional-quality C++ code. I'm quite sure that if you adopt and practice the methodology in this book, you will be a superior C++ developer. You might be surprised from what I've said that Core C++ could be a good choice for beginners as well as intermediates, but I believe it is, since it promotes good habits and starts at the beginning. For beginners, your head may start to swim when you hit the middle chapters... C++ is complex and the concepts must simmer in most heads for quite a time before they're cooked. This is a book that'll get you a high paying job.

Mr. Shtern has written an excellent book which not only teaches the syntax and semantics of the language but also emphasizes writing quality, reusable code. After all, that's what OOP is about.

I work in industry as a System Engineer working mostly on low level design that I manage using C and Assembly. Working on big projects with other programmers I get to see a lot of programming styles some are excellent and some not so good. There is much value in writing quality code. You can make life much easier on your self and others when it comes time to maintain or reuse previously written code.

Until recently, I haven't had much incentive in learning object oriented methods (or so I thought). "Core C++" was an excellent introduction to the topic giving marvelous detail on how to use the language correctly and proficiently. The author spent a great deal of time making sure every aspect of the language is covered.

Whether you are an experienced programmer or just starting out Core C++ gets my highest recommendation as a learning tool. However, be prepared to invest some time in reading "Core C++". I can't say that I didn't get a little frustrated with the vast amount of detail, but I knew reading through each section would be an investment in knowledge that would pay handsomely when maintaining and debugging future code. 90% of my knowledge about programming comes from the many mistakes I've made in my career. I could have used a book like this when I began writing code.

"Core C++" does not go into specifics of the C++ standard library, so it will not be the only book you need. However, there are many pitfalls in the details of C++, and one who has no experience with C++ will be doing himself a favor by beginning with "Core C++".

In short, I would just like to express my gratitude for a well written, well thought out book on programming.

Over the years, I've read alot of programming books including more than a dozen on C++. Of all the books I've read, this is simply the best. Period. Victor Shtern manages to do what most other authors I've read fail to do, explain C++ well. I am suprised by how well this book teaches even the difficult parts of the core C++ language, something I have never seen before for any language. His writing is easy to read and engaging. If you want to be a strong C++ developer, whether you have years of experience or are just learning the language, you should read this book.

I found this book extremely useful! I purchased it shortly after graduating from college, where I received a BS in CS. I was interviewing for Software Engineering positions and wanted to make sure I understood, in depth, exactly how C++ works. As anyone who has a degree in CS knows, most of the classes you take are more theoretical then practical. This is great because you get to the real `guts' of computing, and it also makes it alot easier to learn the more practical, hands on skills (such as programming). However, you do have to take the time, on your own, to learn these skills. That's what this book helped me to do. I was able to learn the practical aspects of C++ programming, which helped me with interview questions, which, in turn, landed me a job. I still have this book at my desk and reference it when I get stuck on something I'm programming, so it's been a great investment all around. As far as the other reviews, I'm not sure how `easy' this book would be to understand for a beginner, because I had been programming in C++ for about 5 years when I bought it, but I do know that it covers most, if not all, of the major concepts in C++ programming, and then some. It might be slower reading for a beginner, but I don't think it would be too hard to grasp.

Since I was once a student of Dr. Shtern in his C++ class, I'm in a good position to comment on his book. This book, unlike the rest in the market takes you into the rationale behind C++ and what it attempts to achieve what procedural languages can't. This book is easy to read and yet conveys highly technical materials in an unpretentious way.This book can also be used as a supplement reading to any multitudes of other "express-style" C++ book you'll readily found on the market or use to look into finer points you won't find in other books.You'll gain insight into why you used C++, not becuase it's on the fashionable "object-oriented" shelf. It also points out subtle coding practices and pitfalls.

I highlight recommend this book to mature your view and practices of C++ even if you are a professional C++ developer(the size of the book should convince reader that this is work of art for C++; not an overnight "rush to market" item). Also , recommended for Technical/Project Managers.I think it will be another C++ classic as it is distilled from years of experience. Good job , Dr. Shtern!

There are a lot of shorter books; but they only teach the syntax and not how to use the tools of C++. Victor teaches how to use the tools. I have been showing other programmers (some well-seasoned) his book. Victor shows some better ways to do things, even to those who have "experience". Efficient programming is all about design. He shows a software engineer's approach to problem solving. All to often, I see programmers just pouring out syntactically correct code but bloated code (code that could have been thought through a little better and made to be more efficient). Mr. Shtern, well done. Your book is great.

This is an excellent book on C++. In a nutshell, it will give you an in depth understanding of C++ so that you find you don't need to memorize certain rules, you have a basic, intuitive understanding of this complex language.
I am a software engineer with most of my experience in C and some in C++. One day while programming, I found myself befuddled with virtual functions, base/derived pointers and objects, etc. I realized that I lacked a basic understanding of the issue and so went to the bookstore and spent a couple of hours looking at all the books on C++. This book was the only one to explain the concept I was lacking. I have since read much more of this book and referred to it on many occasions. I am a better C++ programmer because of it. The explanations are clear and in-depth with plenty of code examples. Thank you Victor Shtern.

As you noticed, a lot of the reviewers for this book are people who already know C++. I found this to be a great software engineering book, giving a lot of good tips for being a good software engineer. However, if you are looking to learn C++, find another book. This book will be frustrating because it will be hard to find the C++ concepts lost among the tips on how to be a good software engineer. Also, it would not be a very good reference book either because the guy is constantly referencing jokes he made earlier in the book as explanations for why things are done as they are.

I recently purchased this book via Amazon.com after reading first couple chapters in a book store. Prior to reading this book i've taken a few c++ introduction classes and read part of another book assigned in this class. From a beginner's standpoint this book is awesome. It helps you to thoroughly understand the true concepts of c++ which help you build a strong back round in object oriented programming. I forgot to mention, i go to a univerisity in california. ALthough i strongly believe most of the professors teaching this subject are intelligent, they cannot or have failed to give me insight this book has given me.