C++ The Core Language (Nutshell Handbooks)

C++: The Core Language is a primer for C programmers transitioning to C++, an object-oriented enhancement of the C programming language fast becoming the language of choice for serious software development. Designed to get readers up to speed quickly, this book tells you just what you need to learn first. This book covers a subset of the features of C++. The subset consists of features without which it's just not C++, and a handful of others that make it a reasonably useful language. You can actually use this subset (using any compiler) to get familiar with the basics of the language. After reading this book, you'll be far better equipped to get something useful out of a reference manual, a graphical user interface programming book, and maybe a book on the specific libraries you'll be using. (Take a look at our companion book, Practical C++ Programming.) C++: The Core Language includes sidebars that give overviews of all the advanced features not covered, so that readers know they exist and how they fit in. It covers features common to all C++ compilers, including those on UNIX, Windows NT, Windows, DOS, and Macs.

User review
C++
If you have programmed with C++ in the past and it's been years since you done any C++, this is a great book to get a refresher on C++. I was introduced to this book by a colleague and friend during the 2002 Telecom downturn (internet bubble burst) when I was searching for work and many companies were looking for experienced OO C++ programmers. This book helped me refresh my C++ so I could step up to the plate quickly. I highly recommend this book if you want to get a quick refresher of OO concepts such as abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, overloading, polymorphism, and other concepts used in C++ programming.

User review
Time for a review!
This C++ core language book is so often used that I thought it may deserve a review.

I own 3 books about C++ and this one became the reference. Only 200 pages (compared to the 1000 pages of another one :) but every useful feature is well explained. Authors payed careful attention in order to prevent the reader to fall in common traps. Lots of examples, always accompanied with relevant comments.

C++ in a core language really answers the questions the beginners have in mind. Concise, pragmatic, the authors are not showing off, they simply remember they were beginners one day and their explanations are exactly what one can expect. Well, I'm so happy about this book (this morning again, I was looking for a reminder about `virtual` functions or a detail about the copy constructor and all my worries were answered with no ambiguity at all) I went straight to to Amazon for a review :)

User review
Focused and Concise
C++: The Core Language is a well written book and a pleasure to read. It appears that that authors made an extra effort to remove unneeded verbiage. I appreciate this because I have so much to read.

The bread and butter OOD concepts of abstraction and polymorphism are well covered. The chapter on templates covers this difficult subject well, however, I would have liked to have seen a little more on template functions.

I came from a Kernighan and Ritche C background (the `C' bible), and this seemed to pick up right where they left off. You could call this book K&R part II, and it is also about the same size. If you want a complete C++ bookshelf, I would also recommend buying (in this order) Effective C++ by Scott Meyers, The C++ Standard Library by Nicolai Josuttis, and C++ in a Nutshell by Ray Lischer.

- www.NicholasDiToro.com

User review
Good C to C++ Transitional type book
This book is relatively short, but many people might see this as a good thing, since it is really intended to transition C programmers to the basics (`core`) of C++. I believe it does a decent job of this, although there are some topics (such as const) that I think it should cover but, surprisingly, does not. I liked the comparisons between polymorphism in C and C++, and the explanation of virtual functions. The examples are pretty good. There is some great humor in the book, and some parts actually made me laugh out loud. Overall, I would suggest the book to any C programmer who wants to transition to C++. Get this as your first such transitional book, then once you understand the basics, move on to a more comprehensive intermediate level book.

User review
Excellent book, but missing some `core` ideas
This is an excellent book for C programmers coming to C++ for the first time. I found the writing style and organisation of topics to be very good. The authors describe key object-based and object-oriented concepts first using familiar C constructions and then extend those ideas into the C++ domain. The ease of transitioning from C structs to C++ classes was very good, as was the discussion of subtle points like the copy constructor. Almost all major C++ concepts are described, including inheritence, virtual functions, and even templates.

My only negative criticism is that the authors leave out some important C++ functionality from their view of the C++ `core.` They only mention in passing the use of const, considered by many to be vital to good C++ design. Also, since this book was published in 1995, it does not discuss the C++ standard library, which was finalised in 1997. It is therefore missing a discussion of the very useful 'string' class, among many others. Readers should defininitely follow up on these topics.

Regardless of this missing information, this book will give C programmers a solid foundation for using C++.