Customer Reviews

Effective C++ CD: 85 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

Even if you already have paper copies of Scott's Effective C++ books -- and you should, if you're a C++ programmer -- you will probably find the online version indispensible. It's a website-on-a-CD containing all of the text of Scott's books, and more.

"Indispensible?" you ask. Yes, that's what I wrote, and I know it's a strong word so let me tell you some reasons why I find it indispensible personally: It's full-text searchable. It's thoroughly cross-hyperlinked. You can create links from other documents, such as your development team's coding standards (hint hint), directly to specific pages and paragraphs in the CD -- and this is especially useful if you put the CD on your LAN. And you'll get information you won't find in the paper versions, including late-breaking information in magazine articles from people like Tom Cargill, Jack Reeves, and other past and present writers for C++ Report -- including some of Scott's own later articles. (Disclaimer: Yes, one of my articles also appears there, but I get no benefit from recommending this CD because I don't get a penny if you buy it. I'm recommending it because I personally love it and use it routinely, and I think you will do the same. My fondest wish is that I can get other books, including my own, available in this format... Scott and Addison-Wesley are working on this and some other very cool related ideas.)

In short: Run, don't walk, and pick up this essential reading for every C++ programmer. Even if you already have paper copies, there's a lot more here for you from one of the world's leading consulting experts on the C++ language, Scott Meyers. He is regularly consulted by everyone from defense companies to the producers of the world's best and fastest electronic games. Through his books, you will get the same benefits in the comfort of your home -- and now, in the comfort of your LAN or laptop.

Not a primer, not a tutorial, this book (CD-ROM actually) is invaluable for any C++ programmer. Most books will touch on some of the pitfalls or meanings behind many different concepts. Effective C++ focuses on particularly tricky concepts that could create huge problems for the inexperienced programmer. I particularly like that the author doesn't simply state "This is how you do it." Instead, he usually states a problem, gives an 'obvious solution' (as in, how most programmers straight out of the average primer would write it) and then proceeds to explain how it will blow up in the programmer's face. This is followed by the 'why' of the resulting explosion, and finally how to fix it.

The writing style is lucid and even amusing at times, and the CD-ROM makes it easy to jump from related topic to related topic. While each piece can stand alone, taking the links in the book will allow more complete understanding of the concepts.

Finally, the addition of some magazine articles involving Exception Handling are excellent and possibly worth the price of the book by itself.

The Effective C++ series should be in the library of every professional C++ developer; the practical value of Scott's advice is undisputed.

The effort that has gone into this CD is clear and the end result is a very easy to use product making the valuable information even more accessible.

I'm a long time user of these books, but I can't remember everthing in them. While coding I'll often recall something mentioned in one of the items and I find that the CD is proving the quickest and easiest way to find and review the material.

The inherent (item based) nature of Scott's books lends itself very well to this format. In fact, for the first time in my life, I find myself preferring to use an on-line version over printed media!

This CD does not work on modern computers. You need Internet Explorer 4.0 to view it. With other browsers no diagrams are shown.
I could not find a bug fix on the authors web page.

It is interesting to see that one of the big software gurus doesn't seem to know about graceful degradation. He could have easily added a statically linked HTML-only version to the CD.

Just a few lines to say how much I've enjoyed using the CD edition of the two Meyers books. The medium really works (if you read his instructions!)

And it's a bargain -- the very best 20-or-so UK pounds I have ever spent on a computer-related book/CD. I really couldn't have afforded to buy both books (paper) at the time.

As I got into the material, it began to dawn on me that I really *didn't* know C++ as well as I thought I did. I've learned a lot.

A really excellent CD, and a great publishing format.

Okay, probably all the readers of this book are in the tech savvy category and a bit jaded in terms of computers. I personally am not easily impressed with books on CDs. Usually, I just buy them, so I don't have to carry a book with me when I travel. But I have to say this is really really a great CD! Everything on this thing is so well thought out. This is not just electronic copy of the two books, there's all sorts of ways you can customize this thing for yourself. Also, the content of this book is extremely good. For those who have been in the c++ community for a while, most of us have all learned from Scott Meyers work. Definite buy!!

I recently purchased the "Effective C++ CD" and really like it. Other reviews of the two equivalent hardcopy books have already pointed out the excellence of the material. I purchased the hardcopy version of the first book ("Effective C++") a number of years ago and it has been a major resource for improving my C++ programming and OO skills.

I now have the TOCs for the CD-based version of the two Effective C++ books in the personal bookmarks toolbar of my web browser at work, along with a couple of online STL references and the C++ FAQ. If I find myself having a C++ question while I'm writing code I use the browser to jump to Scott's books to find out the correct way to do it.

I like the CD format for a number of reasons. I find it easier to jump around in a browser than thumbing through a hardcopy book. I increasingly use my web browser as an online programming guide, so this helps me to have everything in one place. Also, I happen to work in one of the world's sloppiest cubicles, so having reference materials online is rapidly becoming the only viable alternative. : - )

This material has helped me become a better programmer, and I strongly recommend it.

Std disclaimer: The above views are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.

These two books are a rite of passage for the serious C++ programmer. Very well written, solid advice.
However, unfortunately, this CD edition is flawed (one may say, over-engineered) and has fatal issues that prevent it from being viewed on modern (i.e. compliant) browsers.
Very ironic that the author advises to "Program in the future tense" in this very CD.
Stay away from this CD edition, but do buy the books instead.

I have read the online version of this book and I am totally impressed with the presentation and addressing of minor details. I have really learnt a lot of minor but important details of C++ programming and would suggest all C++ programmers to read this book. I have seldom seen any other books addressing these simple but most intricate things of C++ programming.

I've read the 2 books by the same author, i.e. "Effective C++ (2nd Edition)" (1998) and "More Effective C++" (1996). They're both excellent and recommended reading if you're serious about writing efficient C++ code.

I was glad that he came up with this CD because it's much easier to look up something with it than searching through the books. Moreover, you can cut and paste code from it directly, saving you time. Its user interface is quite unique too, as you can resize the left menu panel's width and the size of the figures/diagrams to suit your screen resolution.

It's definitely a recommended companion to the 2 original books.