Core C++ : A Software Engineering Approach

Aimed at the Visual C++ newcomer, Core C++: A Software Engineering Approach provides a rich and sometimes densely packed tour of the language, with plenty of advice on the best ways to use this powerful programming language effectively. It's full to the brim with useful advice for creating and using classes effectively, and gaining an expert's understanding of the language.

The writing style and presentation of C++ in this book are outstanding. The explanations of key C++ concepts, from basic language features to class design to advanced C++ whistles and bells, are by turns colloquial, garrulous, and almost always enjoyable and understandable. While it's not uncommon for today's computer book to weigh in at over 1,000 pages, the raw word count here is quite exceptional. You're challenged repeatedly to think for yourself, and the intricacies of C++ are exposed thoroughly, from language features that are indispensable to what to avoid in your code.

You'll get pretty much everything that you need to learn C++ effectively, starting with basic keywords, data types, flow-control statements, and arrays. The guide to understanding object-oriented concepts, like coupling and cohesion, will help you design better classes. Even experienced programmers will appreciate the thorough coverage of memory-management techniques in C++ (including the five kinds of scopes for variables).

An important middle section provides a blueprint for the methods and functions that most C++ code should offer, including such methods as default and copy constructors, destructors, and overloaded assignment operators. (By following this idiom, you'll be able to write reusable C++ classes.) The book also illustrates class design with basic UML notation, excels at presenting the details of how to overload C++ operators to provide easier syntax for custom C++ classes, and provides excellent explanations of the pros and cons of composition and inheritance for getting classes to work together. A look at more advanced C++ features, like templates and exception handling, wraps things up. Along the way, you get a taste of UML notation and a thorough introduction to some of the best practices for writing C++ code effectively.

Core C++ is certainly no quick read, and, if you're in a rush to learn quickly, there are plenty of more concise treatments that are available. But, if you're ambitious and want to master the intricacies of C++ class design with some of its underlying design principles, this is an original and thorough package that offers unique strengths. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:The software crisis Software project-management techniques Design-quality principles Introduction to the C++ language A minimum C++ application explained C++ data types Operators and flow control Arrays C/C++ structures Unions Enumerations and bit fields Memory-management techniques (including stack and heap allocation, dynamic allocation, avoiding memory leaks) File I/O with and without stream classes Basic C++ class design Parameter passing in C++ (options and best practices) Creating custom programmer-defined data types
Cohesion Coupling Data encapsulation and information hiding Guidelines for C++ class design: constructors (default, conversion, and copy constructors), overloading the assignment operator, destructors In-depth guide to overloading C++ operators Introduction to UML class diagrams Aggregation and inheritance C++ class syntax Inheritance vs. composition Virtual methods and late binding Multiple inheritance Advanced operator overloading techniques C++ templates and exceptions Standard C++ type cast operators Review of material covered

User review
Classic and Thorough
I picked this book up when it was first published in 2000, and thought it was one of the most thorough books on the subject of C++, to explain all the intricacies, the next best thing to having a professor standing next to you and explaining. Eight years later, I still think this is one of the best books. If you take the time to read it, you will walk away with deeper knowledge of C++.

User review
Outstanding!
I can't praise this book enough for its style and clarity. Dr. Shtern has an unusual talent for speaking in terms that a beginning C++ user can understand and an experienced C++ user can appreciate. Far more than a `how to` book, it's also a `why to,` a `when to,` and a `why this is important (or not)` book. I won't try to say it all here; read the Amazon.com editorial review--it's right on the money. `Core C++` has been a real pleasure to read. Highly recommended!

User review
C++ In-Depth
The author does an excellent job in explaing the details of how C++ works and its syntax. This book was the definite kickstart in me programming in C++. The only thing you must know is how to use a compiler. The author doesn't talk about compiling or setting up a compiler.

I highly recommend this book if what your looking for is understanding C++ at the smallest level.

User review
Goran Ekstrom
As almost all of the reviewers state, very good book. It's not just an abstract syntax and `Fruit->Berry->Blueberry inheritance` paper like so many other C++ books out there. This book deals with the real world of software problem solving, something I as an active professional, not student, was searching desperately for when I found this book.

User review
It's like Herb Schildt, but for the masses
Herb Schildt's book; C++: The Complete Reference stayed with me throughout my second semester in C.S,, But this book is different, where Schildt's book is limited too, this book picks up. This is by far the best C++ tutorial I've read, and his approach is unorthodox. He first explains the software crisis, why Software Engineering is essentially a field that's a total mess.

He just doesn't throw code at you, he spends time gearing your mind to be a software engineer. He really dives into OOP, and he emphasizes the need for better architecting. All of which are valid. The book is unconventional; most C++ tutorial books give you code, and that's the end of it. This book teaches you fundamental Software Engineering principles while you learn the code. Again, not many C++ books have that.

Would I recommend this? Yes. It can serve as a self-study guide as well as a textbook. Versatile in purpose, writing style is clear. Anyone who is new to C++, I would definitely recommend this book.