Essential C++ (C++ In-Depth Series) (Paperback)

by Stanley B. Lippman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Written for those C/C++ developers who want to deepen their programming knowledge, Essential C++ provides a short, effective tutorial to some of the most important features of the C++ language, including lessons on generic programming and templates.

Compression is the key in this admirably concise text.

The author explains C++ from the very beginning with basic syntax and language features and always uses some of the best features of today's Standard C++. Perhaps the best thing here is the integration of "generic programming" (meaning the STL library of reusable templates and algorithms for data collections like vectors, linked lists, and maps, which are built into any current C++ compiler).

By focusing on these key features, this tutorial demonstrates C++ in an up-to-the-minute style. (These "advanced" features can help simplify C++ programming from the very beginning.) This tutorial moves quickly, and by the end of the book, the author covers the basics of successful object-oriented design with C++ classes, generic programming, templates, and exception handling. Short examples are the rule here, and each chapter includes exercises for self-study (with solutions provided at the end of the book).

C++ is a very rich and very complicated programming language. Essential C++ cuts to the chase and gives the working programmer a tour of the latest and greatest language features in a compact format. As a quick-start guide to today's C++, this title complements the author's much more massive tutorial, C++ Primer. For anyone who knows a little C/C++ and wants to learn more, especially the newest features of Standard C++, this book certainly deserves a closer look. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: C++ fundamentals, data types and arrays, pointers, flow control, functions, generic programming and STL, generic algorithms, classes, constructors and destructors, polymorphism and inheritance, abstract classes, runtime type identification, templates and template functions, exception handling.

Product Description
"Readers can pick up this book and become familiar with C++ in a short time. Stan has taken a very broad and complicated topic and reduced it to the essentials that budding C++ programmers need to know to write real programs. His case study is effective and provides a familiar thread throughout the book." --Steve Vinoski,IONA

For the practicing programmer with little time to spare, Essential C++ offers a fast-track to learning and working with C++ on the job. This book is specifically designed to bring you up to speed in a short amount of time. It focuses on the elements of C++ programming that you are most likely to encounter and examines features and techniques that help solve real-world programming challenges.

Essential C++ presents the basics of C++ in the context of procedural, generic, object-based, and object-oriented programming. It is organized around a series of increasingly complex programming problems, and language features are introduced as solutions to these problems. In this way you will not only learn about the functions and structure of C++, but will understand their purpose and rationale.

You will find in-depth coverage of key topics such as:

* Generic programming and the Standard Template Library (STL) * Object-based programming and class design * Object-oriented programming and the design of class hierarchies * Function and class template design and use * Exception handling and Run-Time Type Identification

In addition, an invaluable appendix provides complete solutions to, and detailed explanations of, the programming exercises found at the end of each chapter. A second appendix offers a quick reference handbook for the generic algorithms, providing an example of how each is used.

This concise tutorial will give you a working knowledge of C++ and a firm foundation on which to further your professional expertise.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (November 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201485184
• ISBN-13: 978-0201485189
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #547,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, January 27, 2000

By	M. Henning "Michi" (Holland Park, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was rather skeptical when I first heard of this book. After all, explaining C++ in anything less than 500 or 600 pages seemed impossible.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I started reading though. This is very down-to-earth and crystal-clear reading. Easy to understand and, most importantly, you won't get overwhelmed by the sheer size of the mountain ahead of you. Naturally, you can't expect this book to turn you into a C++ guru. But that isn't its purpose. (Besides, there are *no* books that will turn you into a guru, only books that are more complete, including Stan's own C++ Primer.)

This book is excellent for *learning* C++ and getting off the ground. It achieves this goal better than any other C++ book I've read. Once you've read this book, you can graduate to more advanced material, such as the C++ Primer (which is didactically very good) or Stroustrup's book (which is didactically nowhere near as good, but works better as a reference due to its terseness). "Essential C++" provides very solid C++ grounding without neglecting any of the important parts of the language.

Highly recommended!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL COVERAGE, December 7, 1999

By	REVIEWER - See all my reviews

THIS BOOK ALONG WITH LIPPMANS' C++ PRIMER ARE ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO LEARN C++. BOTH BOOKS ARE EXTREMELY GOOD, IMHO! P. S. NOT FOR THE 'TEACH YOURSELF C++ IN 21 DAYS CROWD" THESE BOOKS ARE FOR PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMERS.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last!, May 2, 2000

By	Witold Batorowicz (London, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Finally we have a short, concise introduction to C++. As Stan himself mentioned, it follows the "Learning Perl" approach. Thus this book is not meant to be an exhaustive treatise of the language, but should give a working programmer a chance to start using this complex language. It takes the Perl approach in saying: use as much as you feel comfortable with to start, and as your knowledge progresses expend on your technique. I have seen some complains about number of errors in this book. For an errata please go to http://www.develop.com/hp/slip/Errata_1st.pdf. Also http://www.develop.com/hp/slip/windows.zip contains the source code for this book. In short (literally) we have a great book, which does a great job introducing C++ and at the same time, it is small enough to be carried around. I highly recommend it.