Professional C++

Rating:
Summary: Great book for crossover Java devs & dusting off old skills
Review: I've done some C & C++ in the past, but for the past 4 years I've been doing nothing but Java, and needed a good C++ book to bring me back up to speed fast for a new job. Professional C++ was *exactly* what I needed to help make the jump.

All the material is written at a level an experienced developer like myself could really sink his teeth into. Coming from a Java heavy background, I could obviously just skim a few of the chapters, (on certain OO concepts and the like), but with the quality, and occasional humor of the writing, I was tempted to even go back and read some of these.

Even if I was using C++ already in my everyday life, I could imagine finding value in a number of places. The authors make a strong effort to cover what they correctly believe is important in the C++ language, so one hardly ever feels innundated with a lot of random, kitchen-sinkish garbage one finds in some other C++ publications. So as a reference guide, I continue to find it valuable; when I have to ask, "How should I do X?", I can usually count on Professional C++ pointing me in the right direction. No small feat given the fact that there's usually at least 5 or 10 ways to do everything in C++; it's great to have a book that can help cut through all that.

An excellent choice for all experienced software developers who want a good tool for honing their C++ abilities.


Rating:
Summary: Best Book We Ever Wrote
Review: Nick and I wanted Professional C++ to be a different type of C++ book. While most books dedicate a chapter to each basic language construct (like variables, loops, etc.), we condense all of the nuts and bolts into Chapter 1. The rest of the book is about how to apply C++ in professional projects. We cover everything from modern software engineering methodologies to extending the C++ Standard Template Library. Plus, it's laugh-out-loud hysterical!

We wrote this book with the following principles in mind:

* Style matters. You can know everything about C++ and still write lousy C++ programs if you don't pay attention to style.

* Focus on what's important. If a language feature is obscure and rarely useful, we'll tell you so. C++ is a huge language. The way to master it is to focus on the important parts.

* Real-world examples are better. We've minimized the number of "toy" examples and leaned more towards example code that you could actually use in your programs.

* Reusable patterns lead to better coding. Throughout the book, we'll highlight techniques that occur repeatedly in C++ programs and design patterns that you can re-use.

This book is perfect for programmers with some basic C++ skills who are looking to land a C++ programming job or embark on a C++ project. If you are experienced with C or Java, this book is a great way to get into C++ without reading through hundreds of pages of stuff you already know.