Teach Yourself...C++ [Paperback]

Al Stevens (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1558285520 | ISBN-13: 978-1558285521 | Publication Date: July 30, 1997 | Edition: 5th

teach yourself^®… C++ Fifth Edition This acknowledged classic programmer's book will teach you how to write more effective programs using C++. Living up to its reputation as a helpful how-to for every level of programming skill, this book demonstrates the hows and whys of C++ program design in an accessible, informative style. Teach Yourself^®… C++, Fifth Edition helps you understand the differences between function-oriented and object-oriented programming and shows you how to use C++ to combine both paradigms. Author Al Stevens provides concise, easy-to follow tutorials that make learning C++ fast and easy. Get a solid foundation in such valuable concepts as default function arguments, variable declarations, inline functions, and global scope resolutions. Learn about the Free Store, the this pointer, class inheritance, and C++ input/output streams. For instructive reading and reliable spot reference, this is a must-have book for beginner and expert programmer alike.

• Thoroughly revised and updated to the latest ANSI standard C++
• Teaches the entire C++ language, including the C subset
• Comprehensive treatment of object-oriented programming in C++
• Covers the Standard Template Library and proposed Standard C++
• Includes several hundred fully working example programs that compile and run with any Standard C++ compliant compiler system
• CD includes all source code and Quincy 97- a complete Windows 95-hosted compiler and development environment to compile, run, and debug exercise programs

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a thoroughbred in a field of also-rans...stands head and shoulders above many of the works in this field..." (Linux Format, August 2003)

"...this book is highly recommended..." (CVu, October 2003) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Updated to include the latest ANSI/ISO C++ standards and follows the new Teach Yourself easy-to-use, modular layout.

Companion CD includes all source code and Quincy 99, a complete Windows 98-hosted IDE (integrated development environment) designed by Al Stevens and integrated with the example programs from the book. Quincy 99 contains a programmer's editor, the GNU C/C++ compiler, and interactive source level debugger.

Includes several hundred fully working example programs that compile and run with any Standard C++ compliant compiler system. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 5th edition (July 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558285520
• ISBN-13: 978-1558285521
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,274,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Tutorial--Pretty Complete, December 20, 1999

By 

Pamela D. Crouch "pam_c_of_austin_tx" (Pflugerville, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teach Yourself...C++ (Paperback)

I'm not finished with this book, but am very pleased so far. Stevens' organization and completeness are excellent. He tries to go from simpler concepts to more complex ones, and not get ahead of himself. It's difficult to do this with a topic like programming, where everything is interrelated!

The instruction is pretty easy to follow, and the examples are very apt and easy to understand, with good variable names. Unlike most C++ books, Stevens' does not assume you know C. I did notice a couple of places in the book where it might be hard to get the concept if you had never used C at all, but I think if you kept reading and tried the examples, you could figure it out. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to learn C on their own. The only criticism I have is about the editing and proofing quality (typos in code, scratches on printing plates) but only editorial types like me would notice such details. Well worth the money if you don't have time to take a C++ class.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars There are better texts to learn C++, March 10, 2002

By 

N. Janewit "skjw" (Chillicothe, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teach Yourself C++: On The Spot Answers (with CD-ROM) (Paperback)

I purchased this book at my local generic book store since its offerings in C++ texts were quite limited. I regret making the decision to buy this book.

Al Stevens makes note that his book does not require any prior programming experience, but I found his textbook extremely difficult to work with and often unreadable. His explanations of looping and nesting were awful; had I not purchased Steven Prata's C++ Primer Plus, I would never understand these concepts.

His style of writing is hard to follow. For a C++ text, it is surprisingly small and concise, but that is because Stevens makes extensive use of undefined jargon that leave the reader in the dust. Often the order of topics presented left me fumbling around referring to other parts of the text to figure out what was going on. If the reader has no prior knowledge of C, this text would likely be practically unpalatable.

It would be wise to find another textbook. If you're looking for an introductory C++ text, I suggest Prata's C++ Primer Plus. If you're an advanced programmer looking to brush up on technique and theory, Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language would be the most prudent choice.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent basic and uncluttered introduction, February 25, 2000

By 

Rick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself...C++ (Paperback)

C++ is difficult enough without bombarding a newcomer with long complicated examples. This is the beauty of this book. Stevens is a clear concise writer. Each example is short and isolated without being trivial. Unlike 'for Dummies' books no time is wasted testing the writers comedy writing skills.

This book is complete enough to be both a good tutorial and a handy reference. I recommend it highly as an introductory text.