C++ Programming Language, The (3rd Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bjarne Stroustrup's THE C++ PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE is ideal for those potential buyers who already know 75% of what is written in the book. But please note that this is not necessarily a put-down or a bad thing. This book is reference material for people who are already familiar with the concepts and syntax of C++. If you're looking to learn C++ from scratch, then run far and run quickly away from this book. On the other hand, if you're an experienced coder who's looking to remember specific details, or an intermediate who's looking for some nitty-gritty information, then this is a highly recommended reference book.
The writing is meticulous and often obscure. But Stroustrup packs in a lot of detail into every page. The example code is short and to the point. He assumes that if you don't get what he's talking about the first time, then further examples aren't going to help; and most of the time this assumption is justified, as his terse code manages to convey everything that it needs to.
You really do need to have experience with C++ to understand a lot of his examples though, as often he will casually mention a concept or function that he won't get around to defining for another few hundred pages. After all, most of the features in C++ interact heavily with other functions, so it's not really possible to explain some things without explaining their relationships (even if they are relating to things that the text has not yet brought up). But, as I said, this is reference material, and such conventions are allowable and, at times, encouraged. I am much happier with a book like this that gives me all of the detail necessary than an introductory book that would only offer simplistic explanations in the beginning while holding out for the details towards the end.
The book covers virtually every major aspect of the C++ programming language. While everything is richly explained, I find the sections on the standard containers and their iterators to be particularly enlightening. There is a lot of overlap inherent in these concepts, but each individual portion is clearly and unambiguously explained. The sections on pointers, classes, and inheritance are similarly helpful. But, to be honest, there is no reason for me to list everything that the book explains, because it literally contains everything; if it's not in the book, then in all likelihood it's not in the language either.
THE C++ PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE is a dense book and is packed to the gills with invaluable information and a fair bit of insight. As the inventor of the C++ language itself, Stroustrup is the closest person to the actual syntax, and short of reading the ISO spec, you simply won't find a more comprehensive tome on the subject. Remember, if you're a beginner, stay away. If you're experienced or you plan on being so, then you need to own this book today.

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