Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ns-mx!umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu!williams
From: williams@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu (Kent Williams)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: C++ Books
Keywords: Books, C++, Gags, Jokes, and Crazy Weapons
Message-ID: <430@ns-mx.uiowa.edu>
Date: 12 Jan 90 14:27:57 GMT
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I have been on a C++ book quest, also, and herein summarize my findings:

1.Stroustrup's Original C++ book is not substaially out of date, and
provides a good start. You can order it from AT&T (select code
320-025) at the number given below, though I think they want 37.50 for
it.  If I'm not mistaken, it's cheaper in book stores if you can find it.

2. The other main one I've seen floating around is "Object Oriented
Programming in C++", which I wasn't too fond of.  It provides a fair
amount of example code,hich would be interesting to someone new to the
language, but this is weighted down with a grindingly pedantic
commentary on object oriented programming, and tries to inflict
smalltalk jargon on C++.  The C++ jargon is completely different (has
anyone else noticed?) and so talking about methods and messages is
not necessarily the best way up the hill.

3. Other books, I haven't read, but that might be OK:

'A C++ Primer' by Stanly Lippman (1989, Addison-Wesley)
'Programming in C++' by Stephen C. Dewhurst and Kathy T. Stark (1989,
Prentice-Hall)

The latter I've flipped through at B Daltons.  It is designed to look
like the K&R White Book, so I can only assume that it has similar
goals.  Even though it was published in 1989, it contains no
information about the release 2.0 translator.

4. The AT&T Documents are acceptable, if a bit dry.  The most
interesting of the lot is the "Selected Readings," which gives
rationales for all the new release 2.0 features, and has some
introductory material for both C++ and Object Oriented Programming.
The reference manual is very dry, and filled with precisely applied
and occasionally inpenetrable jargon.  For all that, I've found it
useful in figuring out things glossed over in the Zortech Manuals.
The AT&T Ordering Number is 1-800-432-6600, and the relevant document
#'s are as follows.  USVACLSR2.0 is my abbreviation of 'Unix(r) System
V AT&T C++ Language Systems Release 2.0'

USVACLSR2.0 Release Notes (307-090)
USVACLSR2.0 Product Reference Manual (307-146)
USVACLSR2.0 Selected Readings (307-144)
USVACLSR2.0 Library Manual    (307-145)

--
                               
Kent Williams                  "What's an Address Bus?  How do Icons work?" 
williams@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu  -- Advertisement for Time-Life Books