Rating: 
Summary: Good for the "off-liner".
Review: A quick reference indeed... a little too quick for my taste. The book is also very bulky on the inside (it seems as if the font was incresased in order to take up space). If you are the type of programmer that can spend the entire day with the computer turned on, this book would be a horrible waste of money. You could get better, and more in-depth info with the online references that most of todays compilers include. But if you're like me, and you often read and check code when your computer is off, or you're on the road and forgot the declaration to some function and don't want to turn on the laptop. This is a very nice book. Small (fits into a suitcase nicely) and "to the point" (very "to the point") info on C and C++'s syntax, basic functions, STLs, container classes, etc. I'm an amateur programmer that didn't want to spend alot of money on a huge book, and this turned out to be an OK buy. If you're looking for more in depth info on both C and C++. I have heard that Harbison and Steel's "C: A Reference Manual" is a great buy for the C programmer, and "C++ The Complete Reference" from Herb Schildt is also nice. All in all... this book gets 3-1/2 stars... for its utility on the road/offline, or when you don't have an online reference manual. Cheap too.!
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent C++ reference
Review: A very useful addition to my desktop. Not as thorough as, for instance, the ARM (Stroustroup) but a lot smaller, and excellent for quickly looking up a keyword or function. The only drawback, is that the way it has been manufactured means that it cannot sit flat on the desk, which is a definite drawback in a reference book. A better binding would have got this book five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Damn close to perfect reference book
Review: As an experienced programmer, this book is simply ideal for me. Whether to remind me of the ordering of parameters to functions or to recall the subtleties of using the STL, it's all there.The book is thoroughly cross-referenced, has an excellent index, and is well organized -- it can be meaningfully browsed end to end, an extraordinary accomplishment. Mr. Schildt describes each entry concisely, thoroughly, and in a completely readable way. Consider for example the following description of the "static" keyword:
"static is a data type modifier that creates permanent storage for the local variable that it precedes. This enables the specified variable to maintain its value between function calls, for example.
"static can also be used to declare global variables. In this case, it limits the scope of the variable that it modifies to the file in which it is declared.
"In C++, when static is used on a class data member, it causes only one copy of that member to be shared by all objects of its class."
That is without compare the cleanest description of the keyword I've ever seen. This is a typical entry; it's all there, with enough detail that I recall exactly what is going on. I am amused by the various bad reviews which complain that this is not a "complete" reference. It is exactly the judicious editing and concision which makes this so useful to me. My only complaint is in fact the opposite; that in some cases it goes into too much detail. There are sporadic "Programming Tips" scattered throughout, and I find each of these to be a waste of time in a reference text. These would seem more appropriate in an introductory text. In short, this is an extremely useful reference for the experienced developer.
Rating:
Summary: Damn close to perfect reference book
Review: As an experienced programmer, this book is simply ideal for me. Whether to remind me of the ordering of parameters to functions or to recall the subtleties of using the STL, it's all there. The book is thoroughly cross-referenced, has an excellent index, and is well organized -- it can be meaningfully browsed end to end, an extraordinary accomplishment. Mr. Schildt describes each entry concisely, thoroughly, and in a completely readable way. Consider for example the following description of the "static" keyword:
"static is a data type modifier that creates permanent storage for the local variable that it precedes. This enables the specified variable to maintain its value between function calls, for example.
"static can also be used to declare global variables. In this case, it limits the scope of the variable that it modifies to the file in which it is declared.
"In C++, when static is used on a class data member, it causes only one copy of that member to be shared by all objects of its class."
That is without compare the cleanest description of the keyword I've ever seen. This is a typical entry; it's all there, with enough detail that I recall exactly what is going on. I am amused by the various bad reviews which complain that this is not a "complete" reference. It is exactly the judicious editing and concision which makes this so useful to me. My only complaint is in fact the opposite; that in some cases it goes into too much detail. There are sporadic "Programming Tips" scattered throughout, and I find each of these to be a waste of time in a reference text. These would seem more appropriate in an introductory text. In short, this is an extremely useful reference for the experienced developer.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent quick reference
Review: For anyone who needs a quick reference to most of the features of C (including the recent C99 standard) and C++, I recommend this book. This second edition is a great improvement over the first: quite a few descriptions that were missing (e.g. class Complex) are now present, and less detailed ones (e.g. exceptions; the now-standard I/O classes) are improved. The STL is the one area that is still not well-covered, but since that is a vast subject in itself, one cannot expect comprehensive coverage in a book of this size. Overall, this really is a must-have for both C and C++ programmers.
Rating: 
Summary: Sorry It's not for me and I think also not for you
Review: Hi. A reference of c AND c++ in only 416 pages , sorry I dont think so. take a look at Nicolai Josuttis book for example , without dealing even in the language syntax his great book about C++ library (standard) is 800 pages ! so puting c and c++ in only half the space is simply not enough. the text is very shalow - herb we acpect more from you! A survey of the table of contents is far more disturbing because well over half the book is dedicated to brief documentation of the Standard C Library (and you would be far better off with Plauger's 'The Standard C Library for that). Much of the rest is a cursory and incomplete coverage of the Standard C++ Library. simply say it - NO Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC REFERENCE!!!
Review: I agree, the first guy was clueless. This is a fantastic reference. The key word here is reference; this book does not teach you C++, nor does it try to. It is like a dictionary of the language. This is the book to look stuff up in when writing real code. I like the style of this book much better than that of the "In a Nutshell" reference books, so I plan to get the Java version of this book ("Java 2 Programmer's Reference") instead of "Java in a Nutshell". Stuff is much easier to find. Most compilers come with their own reference on disk, but they usually mix platform dependent stuff with platform independent stuff. I need my code to be as portable as possible, so I prefer to look stuff up in here. It's cheap. It's great. Buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Quick and Reliable Reference Available!
Review: I bought this book a whlie ago. I love it! It covers all standards (C++89, C++98, C99) and all standard functions, calls, containers, algorithms, etc. It's a small reference book(duh), but contains descriptions of all listing, some examples, and hints or cautionary statement when needed. The glossy cover on my book is half torn off from use, and the binding is falling apart. I sleep with this book! [Kisses Book]
Rating:
Summary: A waste of money
Review: I don't know what to say other than if this book were a computer program, it wouldn't run at all and would take years to debug. Programming is a delicate art which involves precise details and thoroughness. Nothing infuriates me more than someone purpporting to teach others about this discipline with the care of a drunken bull in a china shop. This is Herbert Schildt's contribution. Congratulations. The reason why I'm writing this review is because it's easier for me to get online, complain to the publisher, complain to the booksellers, post a few usenet messages, and scan a few hundred web pages than it is to find the info I need from this book. It's not that the book contains erroneous information as much as there are gaping holes - very common keywords and functions are omitted; in the index for the pocket reference book, keywords are not even listed in the index! How utterly useless! Please, someone put us programmers out of our misery by upping the standards of publishing technical books so Mr. Schildt doesn't lead more programmers on a wild goose chase trying to find simple information!
Rating:
Summary: Student studying programming in college
Review: I found that the textbooks in school, although great for teaching--lacked in the area of reference. I spent a few hours (yes, lol, hours) carefully selecting what one book of the couple hundred it seemed they had--to find a C++ reference book that would quickly get me a snippet on (as the book says)... 'Details on Syntax, Functions, Classes and Methods...Easy Access to the Standard Template Library...and included the New C99 Standard' All of this and clear, QUICK references to as much as could be fit into a 393 page book. It is relatively small (8 x 5 1/2 inches, and about an inch thick)and let's not forget the price--most of the books are VERY expensive--even the pocket guides. True there are also a lot of advanced references too, but I will get to those in due time. I highly recommend this book for students who are serious about programming in C or C++.
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