Accelerated C++: Practical Programming By Example

Koenig, Andrew

ISBN 10: 0613920465 ISBN 13: 9780613920469

Synopsis

Want to learn how to program in C++ immediately? Want to start writing better, more powerful C++ programs today? Accelerated C++'s uniquely modern approach will help you learn faster and more fluently than you ever believed possible. Based on the authors' intensive summer C++ courses at Stanford University, Accelerated C++ covers virtually every concept that most professional C++ programmers will ever use -- but it turns the "traditional" C++ curriculum upside down, starting with the high-level C++ data structures and algorithms that let you write robust programs immediately. Once you're getting results, Accelerated C++ takes you "under the hood," introducing complex language features such as memory management in context, and explaining exactly how and when to use them. From start to finish, the book concentrates on solving problems, rather than learning language and library features for their own sake. The result: You'll be writing real-world programs in no time -- and outstanding code faster than you ever imagined.

About this title

Review:

If you don't have a lot of time, but you still want to learn the latest in C++, you don't have to learn C first. You might learn more by digging into existing language features and classes from the very beginning. That's the approach offered by Accelerated C++, a text that delves into more advanced C++ features like templates and Standard Template Library (STL) collection classes early on. This book can arguably get a motivated beginning programmer into C++ more quickly than other available tutorials.

What separates this title from the rest of the pack is that it jumps right in with samples that take advantage of today's Standard C++, from streams to built-in container classes such as vectors and linked lists. Early examples are more complex than in other books, but the thoroughness and relaxed pace of the explanations will bring the novice up to speed. (Though it ships at a slender 350 pages, Accelerated C++ is packed with samples, tips and example problems--about 10 per chapter.)

After a tour of basic C++, the book looks at more advanced C++ features such as templates, including built-in support for containers. Besides tapping the strength of Standard C++, you will also learn to design with your own templates. (Other tutorials would defer this material until later on.) The authors have tested the approach in the book in their own teaching and have honed a set of worthwhile examples that will help anyone get familiar with these powerful language features. All examples make use of the command line and console (without GUI programs), but the advantage is that this code should run on any of today's operating systems and compilers. Later sections cover the basics of class design, including good coverage of operator overloading and inheritance.

With its innovative approach to teaching the language, Accelerated C++ will challenge readers in the right way. It suggests you don't need to learn C to be productive in C++. Written in an approachable style, it deserves a close look from any C++ novice. --Richard Dragan

From the Back Cover:

This is a first-rate introductory book that takes a practical approach to solving problems using C++. It covers a much wider scope of C++ programming than other introductory books I've seen, and in a surprisingly compact format.

--Dag Brück, founding member of the ANSI/ISO C++ committee

The authors present a clear, cogent introduction to C++ programming in a way that gets the student writing nontrivial programs immediately.

--Stephen Clamage, Sun Microsystems, Inc., and chair of the ANSI C++ committee

Anyone reading just this one book and working through the examples and exercises will have the same skills as many professional programmers.

--Jeffrey D. Oldham, Stanford University

Why is Accelerated C++ so effective? Because it

• Starts with the most useful concepts rather than the most primitive ones: You can begin writing programs immediately.
• Describes real problems and solutions, not just language features: You see not only what each feature is, but also how to use it.
• Covers the language and standard library together: You can use the library right from the start.

The authors proved this approach in their professional-education course at Stanford University, where students learned how to write substantial programs on their first day in the classroom.

Whether you are eager to get started writing your first C++ programs, or you are already using C++ and seeking deeper understanding, the authors' unique approach and expertise make Accelerated C++ an indispensable addition to your library.

020170353XB04062001

About this edition

• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0613920465
• ISBN 13: 9780613920469
• Binding: Library Binding