C++ Distilled: A Concise ANSI/ISO Reference and Style Guide [Paperback]

Ira Pohl (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201695871 | ISBN-13: 978-0201695878 | Publication Date: December 2, 1996 | Edition: 1

In C++ Distilled, veteran educator and programmer Ira Pohl condenses 700 pages of proposed ANSI standard into a concise road map to C++. Selecting the most important and commonly used language elements, Pohl provides syntax, semantics, and examples, as well as style tips that he has distilled from over two decades of programming experience. C++ Distilled is a quick and handy reference to the most recent additions to the language, many of which have yet to be covered in any other book on C++.

Editorial Reviews

Review

C++ Distilled, by Ira Pohl, presents the new C++ Standard (Draft) in 202 pages. It is a reference with some added tips on style and usage. The tips are at the end of sections and chapters -- called Dr. P's Prescriptions. They are brief, and noncontroversial. A short section gives the rationale for each of the recommendations. There is nothing off-the-wall here, and Pohl uses short code examples to illustrate points (more complete examples are available on line).

Since this book was published in 1997, I made a comparison with Chuck Allison's article, "What's New in Standard C++?" [C/C++ Users Journal, Dec. 1998]. This revealed that most of the new and changed features are covered. Some of the main topics included are: types, casts old and new, functions, classes, inheritance, RTTI, templates, exceptions, and I/Os. An STL reference is at the end. STL is a weak area of mine, and there's enough real information here to get you going. Read more--Doug Nickerson, Dr. Dobb's Journal -- Dr. Dobb's Journal

From the Back Cover

In C++ Distilled, veteran educator and programmer Ira Pohl condenses 700 pages of proposed ANSI standard into a concise road map to C++. Selecting the most important and commonly used language elements, Pohl provides syntax, semantics, and examples, as well as style tips that he has distilled from over two decades of programming experience. C++ Distilled is a quick and handy reference to the most recent additions to the language, many of which have yet to be covered in any other book on C++.

Features

• Covers the important new features of the language such as STL, namespaces, RTTI, and the bool type.
• Special STL section offers reference and example items for this powerful new library, including a description of the string library.
• Distills Pohl's extensive experience into effective programming tips.
• Allows programmers to quickly review syntax and semantics they may not have recently used.
• Provides code for all example programs covered in the book, as well as adjunct programs that illustrate points made in the book.

0201695871B04062001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (December 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201695871
• ISBN-13: 978-0201695878
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > C > Language

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great for those returning to C++, August 24, 2000

By 

Noah Green (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: C++ Distilled: A Concise ANSI/ISO Reference and Style Guide (Paperback)

Just like one of the reviewers below, I defected from C++ to Java a long time ago - before the advent of namespaces, STL, etc. Recently I had to do some C++ work and this book was all I needed. It is literally the only C++ book I own. The author's mastery of language (both C++ and English) allows him to cover every important C++ topic without wasting any space. His writing is brief and to the point. This book helped me learn STL, re-learn C++'s terrifying I/O, and re-learn operator overloading. It's a refresher course and a reference. It's tiny, and great.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an excellent and useful annotated reference., June 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: C++ Distilled: A Concise ANSI/ISO Reference and Style Guide (Paperback)

C++ Distilled by Ira Pohl is a marvelous piece of work. It successfully transforms the ANSI/ISO draft standard into something useful and usable. Dr. Pohl has stripped from the draft standard the verbiage useful only to the compiler writer and has managed to present what's left as a tight, annotated reference that also promotes good style. I am requiring it of all my C++ students, and highly recommend it to all C++ programmers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tells you a little but not enough., December 4, 2003

By 

Thomas S. (The Real LA, on the South Coast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: C++ Distilled: A Concise ANSI/ISO Reference and Style Guide (Paperback)

Everyone seems to love this book. To each his own. Having programmed since 1982, I've learned my share of languages and used my share of references to look up the feature I know is in there and just need to know the way to type the syntax or what the specific command is. This book has confounded me time and time again. It has 'part' of what I need to know, but never all of it, so I'm constantly forced to seek other sources.

The most recent example that prompted me to finally write this review after having had the book for a year: I want to use a priority queue to do something. Easy enough to find in the Containers section, it lists the operations you can do on a priority queue in a table - they are the basic queue operatoins. Whats missing is the key constructor syntax that explains how you define that all important 'priority' to the priority-queue. I know a comparision operation must be supplied somehow, somewhere, but I'll be damned if its anywhere near the description I'm looking at.

The stuff that I find in this book is the stuff I can remember. Whats missing for me is the stuff I forget, or those things that are more specific to an implementation.

I find this book useless as a reference. When I learned C++ in a course, our instructor swore by this book, saying its a much smaller book to have to carry around than Stroustrup. That is is, but it never seems to have that thing I'm trying to look up - that aspect I'm having trouble remembering about the syntax. Thankfully I have a copy of "The C++ Standard Library". Thats a big hardback textbook - but it has all the info and since I'm not developing code at a cafe over lunch, but at my desk, lugging it around is not an issue.