Working Classes: Data Structures and Algorithms Using C++

Rating:
Summary: Good, but source code needs improvement
Review: An otherwise good data structures book is hampered by some occasionally sloppy code that sometimes won't compile with the GNU compiler. There are other first-edition type problems including two identical illustrations purportedly depicting two different graph spanning tree traversals. Hopefully these problems will be fixed in the upcoming second edition. I'm also a little curious as to why the authors wrote and included their own code instead of using the c++ standard template library.

Rating:
Summary: Riddled with errors (typos and fundamental flaws)
Review: So far my class has found over 150 errors in this book ranging from sloppy code (typos) to fundamental flaws in the material being presented.

Many of the errors in the code examples are due to a mixing of pascal and c++ syntax. These errors are tolerable but unfortunately some of the code examples also have errors in the algorithms. This makes it much too difficult for the students to know when to trust the book and when to disregard it. On top of all that some printings of the textbooks present one algorithm while another student's textbook will have a completely different algorithm (for the same function!). Along that same line the code on the floppy disks are different from book to book and the programs are riddled with programming errors.

In the text there are several mistypings where the wrong word will be used. For example the word 'stack' appears where 'queue' should appear and the word 'front' appears where the word 'top' should appear. Again this is horrible for students who are learning this material for the first time.

There are also errors in the exercises. For instance, one exercise vaguely describes the algorithm for a Breadth First Traversal on a tree. The algorithm was ok but the example traversal was COMPLETELY incorrect! Not just a mere typo but a clear misunderstanding of how BFT works.

I've emailed both authors and the publisher twice asking for an errata, there has been no reply.

I do not advise the use of this book for a course. There are plenty of other C++ based data structure books that this book can be easily avoided.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible: will keep your students completely misguided
Review: There are quite a few questionable C++/Data Structures books out there, but this one is THE worst one I have encountered.

First of all, it's full of errors. Sample code available from the publisher does not fully correspond to the code presented in the book. Moreover, the code provided is incorrect in quite a few places, for example when it comes to the inheritance model - to the point where the code cannot be compiled. The use of templates leaves a lot to be desired in the architecture area - some of the code is plain obscure. If you ever thought STL sources were not crystal clear, look at this book and you *will* change your mind.

Secondly, the book will profoundly confuse your students. Recursion for tree traversal is mixed with operator overloading concepts. After generic container definition material is mixed with thoughts on inheritance model design, a reader is suddenly fed some algorithm time/resource complexity mathematics. There is no way authors even remotely thought of Meyer's minimal class interface design. It almost seems like the authors (with all due respect) were showing off their knowledge of C++ syntax. Such behavior is frowned upon even by veteran programmers adhering to the K.I.S.S. principle, not to mention C++ students who want to actually learn from the book.

Do your students a favor. Do not use this book.

2 stars for pretty ambitious effort as far as the depth of the material goes.

My background: professional C++ developer/instructor in the financial sector.