The C++ Programming Language: Language Library and Design Tutorial [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Bookshelves are overflowing with books for these two types of people. Instead of adding another title to that flood, Bjarne Stroustrup delivers a well-written, well-structured book that helps in a challenging area where good resources like this one are needed.

To those who dislike the writing style, I say "sorry, find another book." If you find the sentences hard to read, it is because they are written at a level of clarity and precision required by the concepts. If you find the concepts hard to understand, it is because they are presented with an insightfulness and thoroughness required by the academic/technical audience it is written for. This is neither your fault nor the author's: the book just wasn't written for you.

When I was learning C++, I also found this book difficult and challenging, but with effort I was able to read and understand it. The more I know, the more useful the book is to me, and the happier I am that I put in that effort. In a sense it is a complete reference not only to the language but also to the design paradigm(s) that inspired the language.

The concepts of OOP / generic programming aren't too bad at the surface level. But try and understand them enough to use them to construct complicated systems well, and they are genuinely hard. Every time I struggled with some aspect of the book, I realized once I understood it that Stroustrup had presented it in the best way possible. That's the best part of this book: you can trust that the author is guiding you from a position of knowledge and experience. But what else should we expect from the creator of C++? We are implicitly trusting him anyway by using his language.

Second, I find the attitude in this book obnoxious and condescending. C++ users have suffered for years with constantly changing language definitions, and poor and inconsistent implementations. Stroustrup suggests that if we don't have a compiler that supports the language, we go out and buy one. Unfortunately, this is not very practical for most people who are working in environments where they don't have that kind of choice, or who are trying to write portable code. Related to this is the fact that the new standard contains many changes to the language that are incompatable with previous versions (e.g., new keywords, changed semantics), and Stroustrup seems to show his readers/users absolutely no signs of remorse.

I would say that Lippman's "C++ Primer" covers essentially the same material, but in a more humble, down-to-earth and useful fashion. If you want to really get into the language, you need Scott Meyer's "More Effective C++" books. Whenever a new edition of the ARM appears, that will certainly be essential.

I must warn you, it's not easy and I will probably not recommend it as a first book in C++, especially if it your first programming book. (If it's your case I will recommand C++ primer - the best text book in my opinion ).

"The C++ Programming Language" is mainly a C++ syntax book ,but it also full of precious chapters and paragraphes about how C++ is ment to be used ,and the ideas behind it .

I am in my 3rd year of learning C++ (yes it's takes time to know C++, really know it) and still reading it again and again , and every time I find more and more useful things and important guidelines .

The book is a starting point for all aspect of C++ , and I mean all. read it and you know what you want to know more about, and then go ahead in the long journy of C++ learning - ENJOY