What are your favourite C++ books?

[fullmetalcoder]

I took a rather strange way to learn programming:
- I started by C, when I 10 years old, I didn't understand anything and produced uggly spaghetti code
- then I learn z80 assembly and produced some pretty efficient code but I was fed up with hardware and..
- I came back to C++
code snippets and O'Reilly books helped me a lot

Java is fast??? What kind of mental derangement do you suffer from?

[dublet]

Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++. It is divided into two volumes, the first dealing with basic concepts, the second dealing with the more iffy stuff. Very clear examples and explenations. As a bonus, this book is downloadable for free.

http://www.bruceeckel.com/

[brcain]

Once beyond simple C++ syntax/semantics, I highly recommend

Nicolai M. Josuttis, "The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference", Addison-Wesley, 1999.

[Michiel]

I'm not looking through the entire thread to see if they've been mentioned already, but:

• Absolute C++, Savich
• Design Patterns, Gang of Four
• Refactoring, Fowler
• C++ For Game Programmers, Llopis

They're not all about C++ specifically, but they're all relevant. I especially recommend Design Patterns.

[AP.Sakkthivel]

I prefer Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++,
Volume 1, 2nd Edition
and Volume 2

It is available in pdf format online

regards

[yop]

Let me post another one that I lately discovered:
Code Reading: The Open Source Perspective

[Chicken Blood Machine]

Once beyond simple C++ syntax/semantics, I highly recommend

Nicolai M. Josuttis, "The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference", Addison-Wesley, 1999.

I totally second that brcain. That's a real power users volume, but lucid enough for anyone who has learnt C++ but wants to master it.

[ePharaoh]

Well, I too think that learning Java is a nicer introduction to C++. The path I would recommend is C -> Java -> C++

So, Java isn't in my future.

I am glad you made it clear that it is a personal opinion. Language choice is really a matter of personal tastes and the nature of task at hand.

I find java incredibly more robust and formal, than C++. That makes it easier to develop compiler tool chains and IDEs for Java. The sheer number of refactoring and quick-fix features provided by Eclipse is a testimony to that.

About speed, Java is gaining ground with the help of native compilation. (See ClasspathShowcase and Fedora Eclipse.) Though it really is unfair to compare two languages based on speed, because there are a number of tradeoffs involved (portability, robustness, etc).

As of now, for desktops, I would use C++ to develop real world applications and Java for trying out new algorithms/concepts etc. (I am working on neural net simulation in Java, for example). But I do hope that Java gains more ground and becomes usable for real-world applications on the desktop.

[Brandybuck]

I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend C++ as a first language. I never would have said this several years ago, but then I discovered "Practical C++ Programming" by Steve Oualline (O'Reilly). It a really great book that focuses on the core practical elements of C++. It's written for the beginner programmer, but doesn't treat him like a child.

I would also recommend avoiding IDEs like Visual Studio or KDevelop. Stick with a text editor and the command line until you learn the language.

[brcain]

I find java incredibly more robust and formal, than C++.

I second that, ePharaoh. I've been developing with C++ for 15+ years now. And have just begun to learn Java. It would have been nice if C++ had included Java interfaces and packages.

About speed, Java is gaining ground with the help of native compilation.

Many people incorrectly assume Java is still interpreted. With just-in-time (JIT) compilitation, it can actually be faster since it can more accurately optimize to the target platform.

[bitChanger]

C++ : Effective Object-Oriented Software Construction
Dattatri

isbn 0130867691

I've been programming in c++ for about 7 years and this is one book that covers the advanced topics of c++. It starts out with polymorphism, where most books end with that topic. This is the book I use when looking up obscure and advanced topics.

[edb]

* For newbies I recommand:

Sams Teach Yourself C++ For Linux In 21 Days With Cdrom
Liberty, Jesse
ISBN : 0672318954
This book is easy to read, and has all essentials in it. For those who do not which to program under Linux, just skip the Linux part. The C++ part is very nice on itself.

* Reference for advanced users with specific C++ problems, ofcourse:
The C++ Programming Language
Stroustrup, Bjarne
ISBN : 0201700735
Don't start with this book as a newbie. It is far to advanced, but to become a good c++ programmer someday you will have to read it

* For Object Oriented programming:
An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
Timothy Budd

* Design patterns :
Design Patterns (Elements Of Reusable Object-Oriented Software)
Gamma, Erich
ISBN : 0201633612

[brcain]

* Reference for advanced users with specific C++ problems, ofcourse:
The C++ Programming Language
Stroustrup, Bjarne

I'd only get this book as a reference ... or as edb stated ... addressing very specific issues.
I rarely, rarely ever need to use this book. And with Internet resources so accessible it's becoming even less needed.

[Aki Tomar]

C++ from dietell & dietell

[ashukla]

C++ The Complete Reference by Herbert Schildt is my first choice.
Others lists are;
Thinking in C++ (Bruce Eckel)
C++ Primer! by .... Patra

[T3AB4GG3R117]

[orky7]

i know C previously........so i choose

1)PROGRAMMING: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE USING C++ --STROUSTRUP(at first i read this and then)
2)THE C++ PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE --STROUSTRUP (still reading it)

i also think c++ primer plus is a good book and can be replaced with the (1) option but there is no replacement for (2) one......some will say there can't be any replacement to that monster book but if u know c++ its a treasure........

[ComaWhite]

I didn't like the C++ GUI Programming With Qt4. Too small of a book and didn't cover enough in details on MVC, QtScript, I don't know if it had QtDBus at time of publishing.

I love the Foundations of Qt Development. I hope there is a update to the book. That covers alot more modules. the only thing I didn't like was no QtScript, no QtDBus and no covering of the QMeta system unless I over looked that part and QSslSockets.

[radory]

I even don't know which book suit for me.....terrible~~~ i just love Internet and google....

[kaufenpreis]

Dietel and Dietel, C++ How To Program
Excellent introductory textbook on the C++ language. This book is also fairly comprehensive -- it includes a reasonable coverage of all the basic language features.

I can swear by this book since it's the book from which I learned C++.

Bruce Eckel, Thinking in C++
Eckel's books have become very popular. His C++ book is freely available on the web. I haven't read it, but I have his java book, which is a gem. Take a look at the one on the web, and buy it if you like it.

Andrew Koenig and Barbara Moo, Acclerated C++
A C++ textbook that takes an innovative and nontraditional approach by teaching C++ without ``teaching C'' first. This book adopts a relatively rapid pace, it's more like a second text than a first. This is one of the few beginner books I've seen where all the code in the book really looks like C++, and not some bizarre prehistoric C-like dialect. Another thing I like about the book is they teach just the right subset -- rather than asking the reader to rote-memorise the details of every STL class, they focus on the important ones (mostly map, list and vector).