C++ book favorites

[danieldk]

I have posted a list of C++ book favorites on my blog, but I thought I might as well share it here :). Hopefully, some people find it useful:


After having completed an excellent C++ course, I have been on the lookout for good books to venture deeper into the language. The following books turned out to be must-haves that I always try to keep within reach:


The C++ Standard Library - A Tutorial and Reference, Nicolai M. Josuttis
Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost, Björn Karlsson
C++ Templates - The Complete Guide, David Vandevoorde and Nicolai M. Josuttis
C++ Template Metaprogramming: Concepts, Tools, and Techniques from Boost and Beyond, David Abrahams and Aleksey Gurtovoy


To people yet unfamiliar to C++, I have been recommending Accelerated C++, Practical Programming by Example by Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo. I only had the opportunity to skim through this book, but it seems to be aimed at leveraging C++ features and the standard library right away, rather than building up to C++ from C.

[danieldk]

One book that I have been advising to others (with succes) for learning C++ is:

Accelerated C++, Practical Programming by Example, Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo

Prior experience with programming is recommended, but this book takes a modern, high-level approach to C++ (relying a lot on the STL), which makes it a good book to learn the language.

[danieldk]

Of course, the following title should not be missing. It's a well-written book that can improve your C++ style and avoid common traps/pitfalls:

Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs (3rd Edition), Scott Meyers

In contrast to some other 'best practices' books Meyers gives very clear explanations of why things should be done in a certain way, with clear examples to demonstrate what could go wrong otherwise.