Rating:  - Can't stand this book.
Horrible book for use as a course text book.
Simply horrible.
Maybe it could win bad text book of the year award.
My instructor doesn't like the book either.
Rating: - Neverending Pain
I bought a 3rd edition recently for little more than the shipping costs. While there is a wealth of information here excepting the false UML listing on the cover the author(s) do not seem to be able to explain this info in an understandable fashion. I have been so confused reading this book that I have often had to resort to picking up one of my other books to refresh myself on something I already knew but the Deitels simply confused the daylights out of me on. There is way too much rambling about things we'll get to in later chapters, paragraphs in the middle of an explanation that do not relate nor belong there and more of the like. The layout is poor as well. Instead of highlighting the new relevent stuff in the code listings and providing an explanation beside it you are often presented with 5 or more pages of listings with several pages of explanation afterward. I have done so much backflipping I've been tempted to rip the pages out of the book. As for alternatives I'll second another reader on Horton. I got so much more on C++ out of his book in oh so much less time.
Rating:  - A remarkable text book
At first I considered C++ How to Program a text book. The thing is, it's not like any text book I've ever seen! It's written in language that's easy to understand, has many diagrams that helps your knowledge and is of a very high quality.
As a gift to anyone who has the slightest interest in programming this would be the book to give. It may come with a hefty price tag, but this is money that's not going to waste.
The book comes with exercises (very good idea!) although most of them don't have the answers. This comes in a separate book. The thing is, if you've taken your time and worked through the chapter then you will be able to solve the exercises. It's such a great feeling when you work out something challenging without referring to any answers. Doing things your OWN way in programming is something that many programmers should adopt.
I was reading C++ From The Ground Up (3rd Ed) by Herbert Schildt and I thought that it was a good book. The thing was that he really made topics like pointers immensely hard! I started getting frustrated and felt as though I needed a break from C++, which I took and moved to other languages. I was then given Deitel's C++ How to Program and it made C++ fun. Not many books, or even people, can do that. I am enjoying working through this book!
Overall this book is for the beginner to intermediate programmer looking to dip into the C++ pool. It's bloody good and I'd recommend it to anyone. I even sent the authors an email asking a question to which I received a timely response. Impressive stuff that was! The colors used makes life easy and the way the authors describe topics will suit even the dimmest of people.
This book ideal if you're bored and want to acquire a new skill, struggling with a C++ subject at school and need some help, taking a course at university and find their textbooks bland or even if you're in a work environment. This book will serve you well.
Rating: - Wonderful book.
The book explains material in a very easy to understand manner. It explains why something is done and how to implement somethings using already written C libraries. I found it filled in the gaps, the first few crucial steps that other books didn't.
Rating: - Excellent introductory/intermediate tutorial.
This is certainly one of the best introductory/intermediate C++ books available, and can be highly recommended despite it steep price.
(+) It covers a wide range of relevant topics (including some of the more advanced, such as function pointers, multiple inheritance, templates, exceptions etc).
(+) It contains a well chosen abundance of illustrative self-contained examples.
(+) The authors' language is unambiguous, and their style highly pedagogical.
(+) Those with little experience, provided they are motivated and patient, can benefit as much as those who have prior experience with the language.
(+) It comes with a copy ("introductory edition") of Microsoft's Visual C++, on an accompanying Cd, so that you can try out the examples and get practice programming straight away.
(-) The index is so detailed as to be almost useless, with the main references failing to be sufficiently distinguished. This certainly diminishes the books value as a reference.
(-) The big plug for its "Introduction to UML" on the front cover falsely suggests a much better introduction and extensive coverage of UML than is actually present in the book. Though the attempt to introduce UML is commendable, the actual treatment certainly doesn't merit touting in a big flag on the front cover as if it were a moving reason (or any reason, for that matter) to buy the book.
(-) The price is steep, and the answers to the programming exercises are not given (but some can be purchased separately).
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