C++ Programmer's Guide to the Standard Template Library [Paperback]

Mark Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

Once a rule is accepted by the C++ ANSI standards committee, compiler companies incorporate it. The Standard Template Library (STL) is the newest in the standards and programmers need to know how to implement it. This text provides information for programmers on how to implement The Standard Template Library in C++. The accompanying CD-ROM includes the Hewlett Packard STL Library, information that is not widely available.

Product Details

• Paperback: 875 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc (Computers); Pap/Dis edition (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568843143
• ISBN-13: 978-1568843148
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > C > Language

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good intro, lousy reference, December 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: C++ Programmer's Guide to the Standard Template Library (Paperback)

This book is very helpful for somebody familiar with C++ and wanting to start using the STL. It is clear and complete if you're willing to read each chapter end to end. But if you're reasonably familiar with STL's concepts, or comfortable with abstract container classes in general, this book will frustrate you to no end.

The book could be very good if the "reference" section really was a reference, and not just a rehash of the description. Instead of just having lists of methods and descriptions of what they do, the reference is written in lengthy prose, and must be read sequentially in order to be understood. Rather than each entry standing on its own, method descriptions say "hardly any change from the similar method in the *blah* class." This makes looking up information extremely difficult.

It was great to get me on my feet. Now I'm really sick of it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is STILL the best book on STL (02/2007 -- yup, still is.), November 6, 2000

By 

J Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt - See all my reviews

This review is from: C++ Programmer's Guide to the Standard Template Library (Paperback)

The book is kinda old and slighty out of sync with the latest achievements of the C++ standard-makers, and yet it is the best tutorial book on the core STL there is: no hype, lot of smart and relevant sample code, good explanations (really detailed and indepth). I keep using it and I'm very happy.

Not one from among the latest flood of the stl books (Josuttis, etc.) is even close to the usefulness of Mark Nelson's book -- one can only wish he issued an update.

I've revisited this review on 02/19/2007 -- and everything I'd said originally still holds: whenever I need to really understand how STL things come together, I got to Nelson's book, Josuttis doesn't cut it, he's too superficial, it's a headers dump rather than a good explanation. Not a bad book (and it's more up-to-date), but not in the same league. I'm amazed at the fact that there's a bunch of used copies offered above for buck-fifty. Whoever works with C++ and uses STL must have this book. I really mean it!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good STL internals book, April 8, 2007

By 

Digvijoy Chatterjee (nj) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: C++ Programmer's Guide to the Standard Template Library (Paperback)

If you have started using STL heavily and need to know how it works, this book is a must have.(albeit outdated). I have not come across such an easy to read C++ book in years.Somehow the experts save Scott Myers,tend to hide the crucial details ,may be because its too obvious for them, not Mark Nelson.

The code used in the book is not exception safe, but the basic ideas still hold. I really benefited by keeping a copy of the latest STL headers open , and read the text.

Wonder if the author will ever redo his work to adjust to the latest STL. Nevertheless its indispensable for the intermediate C++ programmer trying to think like an expert.