C++: The Complete Reference, 4th Edition (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Best-selling genius Herb Schildt covers everything from keywords, syntax, and libraries, to advanced features such as overloading, inheritance, virtual functions, namespaces, templates, and RTTI--plus, a complete description of the Standard Template Library (STL).

From the Back Cover

Schildt's classic C++ reference--updated and expanded

The Definitive Guide to C++

Master programmer and best-selling author Herb Schildt has updated and expanded his classic reference to C++. Using expertly crafted explanations, insider tips, and hundreds of examples, Schildt explains and demonstrates every aspect of C++. Inside you'll find details on the entire C++ language, including its keywords, operators, preprocessor directives, and libraries. There is even a synopsis of the extended keywords used for .NET programming. Of course, everything is presented in the clear, crisp, uncompromising style that has made Herb Schildt the choice of millions. Whether you're a beginning programmer or a seasoned pro, the answers to all your C++ questions can be found in this lasting resource.

Detailed coverage includes:

• Data types and operators
• Control statements
• Functions
• Classes and objects
• Constructors and destructors
• Function and operator overloading
• Inheritance
• Virtual functions
• Namespaces
• Templates
• Exception handling
• The I/O library
• The Standard Template Library (STL)
• Containers, algorithms, and iterators
• Principles of object-oriented programming (OOP)
• Runtime type ID (RTTI)
• The preprocessor
• Much, much more

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1056 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 4 edition (November 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072226803
• ISBN-13: 978-0072226805
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,105 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't answer the question I bought the book for, April 22, 2008

By	John M. Danskin (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My older references are in storage and I thought it would be neat to have a c++ ref on my kindle. It says reference and the reviews are good, so I bought it.

I wanted to be reminded of how to use variable numbers of parameters for macro defines. Forget whether this is a good idea. It's a language feature and I want to know how it works.

#define with parameters is handled in one paragraph which doesn't even include the possibility of multiple parameters, let alone any details. Given this, I was curious to see if there was any discussion of the continuation-line functionality in the preprocessor. Nope. Not there.

I'm sure this is a wonderful c++ primer as the other reviews indicate. My spot check demonstrates that this is in no way a complete reference.

Even if you don't like a coding style, completeness allows you to read the code of others.

So I'm out $28 bucks and my question isn't answered. oh well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great as a tutorial and as a reference, April 18, 2008

By	Ashraf Eassa "Ash" (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews

Herbert Schildt's "C++: The Complete Reference" is a gargantuan tome indeed. It fully covers the C++ syntax, and gives useful, working examples that demonstrate each of the language's features. If you're a professional (or hobbyist) working on a project and need to quickly look up how to use some part of C++ syntax, then this book is absolutely perfect. If you're a developer who has spent his/her life working in C and want to (or need to!) learn C++, then you'll find this book's content well organized and you'll be able to find what you need instantly.

Also, this book seems as though it could function as a tutorial for the complete beginner. Now, I didn't learn C++ from this book initially, so I can't really speak from experience, but the book DOES cover the entire syntax and it does so in an unpretentious and very clear manner. The only thing that it's missing for newbies is exercises -- but if you're really serious, you'll make up your own little tasks, or try to extend/modify the examples.

I program video games as a hobby and have used this as a reference countless times in various projects. I've obviously bought other reference books ("C++ in a Nutshell", and Stroustrup's tome), but I find that this book is my most used and most beloved reference.

So, if you're looking for a clear, easy to understand reference on C++, I reccomend this tome. If you're a true C++ neophyte, then perhaps you should purchase this book along with Schildt's "C++: A beginner's Guide" or "C++ from the Ground Up" (also by Schildt).

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Complete, June 27, 2006

By	P. Steen (GR,MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I bought this book for a university course, and it is one of the few C++ books that I can say is fully complete. It has proven to be an invaluable asset to me as just about anything you can think of relating to C++ is inside. One of the reviewers below said that the book starts off mentioning things about C and doesn't go into depth about C++. This is not true at all; the author uses C as a guideline to serve as an introduction to C++. In fact, there are instances where using C maybe more feasible to C++, so that information he mentions about C is useful.
I find this book valuable if you're a beginning programmer or even an experienced one. I myself am somewhat intermediate, so I mind myself having to review topics sometimes or have to look up something that I have seen in someone's code to understand what is written.