Rating: 
Summary: Fundamentals of C++ Programming
Review: Al Steven's Teach Yourself C++ (Seventh Edition) is a very good attempt to give the fundamentals of programming using C++ language. At a first glance, it may not seem to be designed for newbies to the exciting world of C++ programming but anybody can understand the basic principles highlighted throughout the book with a little effort. Moreover, the sample programs on the CD included in the book save a great deal of time, and one can run those samples by himself or herself to see how they work. To sum up, it is one of those books that everybody should have in his or her library as a reference.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Recommended for the Beginner
Review: Be wary of some of the reviews pertaining to this book, as they may have been written by experienced programmers, or those who have yet to delve deeper into the book. Having no previous experience in either C nor C++ I had found the beginning chapters clear, and concise. Yet when things get abstract I've found this book extremely lacking:=the explanations become confusing, and the language used is certainly not beginner friendly. The code examples are in some cases terrible and lacking in variety and scope. Add to this: typos, missing code examples, and answers ommitted to the Chapter problems. I would rate this book higher if used as a quick reference manual for the intermediate programmer, but as a beginner I do not recommend this book at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent basic and uncluttered introduction
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Abstruse examples - not for beginners
Review: Despite the appearance of this book as suitable for someone who doesn't know C or C++, a person who has not already programmed in C or C++ may find the examples, at times, completely incomprehensible. Additionally, although Stevens covers most facets of the language syntax, for many parts he offers no advice on the usefulness of the technique or when it should be applied. This title is more or less a poorly constructed and incomplete reference in the guise of a beginner's book. If you want to learn C++ and have already programmed in C, this is fine for you. If you haven't, avoid this book in favor of titles such as Object Oriented Programming in C++, The C++ Programming Language (authored by the creator of C++ himself, Bjarne Stroustrup), or another guide with more depth.
Rating:
Summary: SO-SO
Review: First of all, I do have a limited knowlege of programing. I spent last summer interning for a computational physicist, and I had to learn to write Pearl scripts. However, this is the sum total of my programing experience before buying this book.
I started out reading in good faith believing everything the author said. I installed the Windows based C++ compiler and text editor. I then worked through the first 100 out of ~700 pages.
The program comes with all the code written on the disk. All you have to do is open the file and compile. However, nearly every file that I opened up was a little different than the way the author wrote it in the book. When I tried to copy what was in the book, the code would not compile. It seems as if the author either used another compiler that works with his method, or he typed the programs in the book. Then when it came time to make files for the software, someone realized that none of it compiled and so fixed the code.
Also, none of the programs return a value in the first 100 pages or so. You have to use the software's step function to see anything happening unless you have a computer old enough to still have DOS. I got tired of using this and so tried to write the code from a shell in Linux. Lo-and-behold, I have not found a single example program that compiles in Linux. I even skipped and picked about a dozen examples at random from later chapters. NONE of them compiled in Linux. (BTW this book is only for Windows users)
I've since googled C++ help and found thousands of helpful files. I now see the author's mistakes. They are plentiful, but not huge. They are mainly missing braces or semi-colons. I think the lib calls and what nots are ok; it's just very sloppily written.
Overall, this book is just fine for a beginer to understand, BUT I don't recommend it because of all the mistakes. The writing helped me understand how C++ works, but the programs are awful.
Rating:
Summary: SO-SO
Review: First of all, I do have a limited knowlege of programing. I spent last summer interning for a computational physicist, and I had to learn to write Pearl scripts. However, this is the sum total of my programing experience before buying this book.
I started out reading in good faith believing everything the author said. I installed the Windows based C++ compiler and text editor. I then worked through the first 100 out of ~700 pages.
The program comes with all the code written on the disk. All you have to do is open the file and compile. However, nearly every file that I opened up was a little different than the way the author wrote it in the book. When I tried to copy what was in the book, the code would not compile. It seems as if the author either used another compiler that works with his method, or he typed the programs in the book. Then when it came time to make files for the software, someone realized that none of it compiled and so fixed the code.
Also, none of the programs return a value in the first 100 pages or so. You have to use the software's step function to see anything happening unless you have a computer old enough to still have DOS. I got tired of using this and so tried to write the code from a shell in Linux. Lo-and-behold, I have not found a single example program that compiles in Linux. I even skipped and picked about a dozen examples at random from later chapters. NONE of them compiled in Linux. (BTW this book is only for Windows users)
I've since googled C++ help and found thousands of helpful files. I now see the author's mistakes. They are plentiful, but not huge. They are mainly missing braces or semi-colons. I think the lib calls and what nots are ok; it's just very sloppily written.
Overall, this book is just fine for a beginer to understand, BUT I don't recommend it because of all the mistakes. The writing helped me understand how C++ works, but the programs are awful.
Rating:
Summary: Very good first book to learn C++ for experienced programmer
Review: I am actually not very experienced as a programmer, and just start to learn C++. I started with Stroustrup's C++ Programming Language, which is called the "Bible", but I got bored and lost all the time, it's really dry writing. So I was looking for some alternative, and found this book. I would say it explained C++ in a decent way, and it has a pretty good coverage. I admit that if you don't have any programming experience, it might be a bit difficult to follow some of the concepts. On the other hand, C++ is a complex language, this book illustrates some of the hard topics in a good manner and deepth. If you are new to C++, yet have some experience in programming and computer systems, this may be a very good book for you to start. In addition to that, once you finish this book, Stroustrup's is still a must read if you want to be a real C++ programmer.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic way to get going in C++
Review: I bought the first edition of this book when it first came out, and found it to be a great book for someone trying to learn C++. Examples are simple and clear. You can read it on the plane or before you go to bed (i.e. you can put it down and pick it back up without rereading anything). Plus, the explanations don't hirt your head - they simply explain the key concepts (what a clever concept in itself). Buy it now! Especially, if you're stuggling with C++ concepts.
Rating:
Summary: A good solid book
Review: I bought this book and Stroustrup's C++ Programming Language. I've been very happy with this book. The simple compiler isn't good for real development, but for learning the basics, it's ideal. The examples are built into the compiler to maximize ease of use. I think his coverage of the language is complete. Just as importantly, he sticks to the ANSI standard; quite different from many other beginner books. While one can't expect one book to give a complete mastery of such a complex language, this book is a great starter.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of money
Review: I don't like to say bad things about books, but it was a real waste of money to buy this book. First of all, the software included with the book is not reliable, and crashes. The author is not direct and to the point... I recommend C++ The Complete Reference - Osborne if you are a beginner, know nothing about C++ and are looking for a good start.
|
