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From: jbuck@carson.berkeley.edu (Joe Buck)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: C++ reference manual
Keywords: c++
Message-ID: <25296@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 28 May 90 21:14:14 GMT
References: <864@enuxha.eas.asu.edu>
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Reply-To: jbuck@carson.berkeley.edu (Joe Buck)
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In article <864@enuxha.eas.asu.edu>, hocker@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Charles
C. Hocker) writes:
> ...  Having been programing in C for quite a few
> years, and I have found (like all C programers) that K&R is the 
> bible for C.  My question is this--is there any book written for 
> C++ that upholds the tradition of the K&R book for C?  Is there
> any book available that will settle arguments between C++ programers?

There are about a dozen C++ books out there; I don't think any one
is adequate and I've read at least four thoroughly.

For the specific purpose you describe -- to settle arguments between
C++ programmers -- the best book available is Lippman's "C++ Primer".
It's also useful to have Stroustrup's book around as long as you
remember that it describes version 1.0 of the language and that it's
very rough going for beginners.  As far as I know, only Lippman and
Stroustrup describe precise details of things like the resolution
algorithm for applying type conversions, etc, and Stroustrup is
out of date.

For a beginner, quite a few people have recommended "C++ for C
Programmers" by Pohl; I think that one's a bit thin, and would
recommend Bruce Eckel's book, "Using C++".  Both describe version
2.0, as does Lippman.

Under no conditions get "The Waite Group's C++ programming", by
John Berry.  It's garbage.

If you can only afford one book, buy Lippman.  I think it's better
to buy both Lippman and one of the introduction books (Pohl, Eckel
or someone else).
--
Joe Buck
jbuck@ohm.berkeley.edu	 {uunet,ucbvax}!ohm.berkeley.edu!jbuck